DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling over 640,000 pickup trucks worldwide because hot gas from a high-tech seat belt can set the carpeting on fire. The recall covers certain 2019 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. Also included are some 2020 Silverado and Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups. All have carpet as a floor covering, and most are in North America.

GM says it uses a small explosion to move a piston that tightens the belts before a crash. The explosion can release hot gas through an opening in a bracket, possibly setting the carpet on fire. The company reports two fires but no injuries. Dealers will close the opening at no cost to owners. No date was given for the recall to start.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — One week from now, families across Iowa will be gathering at the table to enjoy the taste of turkey — and in many cases, the bird will have been raised and processed in Iowa. Gretta Irwin, executive director of the Iowa Turkey Federation, says Iowa is the nation’s seventh largest producer of turkeys and the fifth largest processor. Irwin says shoppers are finding great deals on the big birds. “Some stores are running specials where if you buy a ham, you get a free turkey,” Irwin says. “Pricing for a good frozen turkey is still a really great value. Fresh turkeys are still a wonderful price as well.” Iowa turkey producers have faced economic challenges over the past year — and longer — given slumping sales due to an oversupply.

“A lot of that had to do with our trade barrier that we have had with China and recently it was announced that it has been resolved,” Irwin says. “That trade barrier had been in place since 2015 when we had avian influenza, so we’ve spent the last four years trying to reopen our second-largest trading partner for turkey.” There’s optimism, Irwin says, that there will be a significant strengthening of the market in the year ahead. For Iowans who are cooking turkeys next week, there is sometimes anxiety about having the time to get a frozen turkey thoroughly thawed.

“If you’re in a rush and the turkey is still frozen or partially frozen, that is perfectly okay. The turkey does not need to be 100% thawed to go into the oven,” Irwin says. “I’ve even gone to the grocery store, bought a fully frozen turkey, removed it from the packaging, salt, peppered and seasoned it, put it in my roaster pan and put it in the oven.” It’s important to note, a fully thawed turkey might take three hours to cook while a frozen turkey might need four-and-a-half hours, depending on the size. Find more tips at: www.iowaturkey.org

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City residents are being urged to avoid several city parks next month as a contracted company conducts hunts to lower the local deer population. The city hired White Buffalo Inc. to reduce the deer overpopulation. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the city has estimated its deer population is as high as 80 animals per square mile. The city hopes to bring that number down to 25. The hunt will start Dec. 1 and last until Dec. 22, from 3 p.m. until dawn. Officials say that, following the White Buffalo hunt this year, there will be 30-day bow hunts open to the public for each of the next four years.

Former Vice President and current Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill, will be in Iowa over the next few days for campaign events. In west-central Iowa, Joe Biden will hold a “Town Hall” event in Winterset Friday evening, at the Madison County Fairgrounds (1146 W. Summit St.). Doors open at 5:15-p.m., with the event starting at 5:45-p.m.

On Saturday, Biden and his wife will hold similar events in Des Moines and Knoxville. During his visits, Vice President Biden will lay out his vision for America and listen to voters’ concerns and ideas around restoring the soul of the nation, rebuilding the middle class, and unifying the country.

Officials with the Audubon County Memorial Hospital & Clinics said Wednesday, that they are continuing to expand their outpatient specialty services in an effort to achieve “excellence with quality and compassion to those we serve.” In October, ACMH welcomed Lois Potthoff as a full-time Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), who sees paitients five days a week in a private office on the main level of the hospital. Lois is a Certified Trauma Professional, and a Certified EMDR Consultant and Coach, who has over 30 years’ experience working in the field of mental illness and developmental disorders. She specializes in trauma, attachment, and developmental disorders, and couples counseling and also treats many other common issues, including; PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use, and somatic disorders. Ms. Potthoff has also received specialized training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Play Therapy, Lifespan Integration, and Ego State therapies.

In addition, ACMH also has Mental Health Services weekly from Kirk Bragg and Sharon Walker. Kirk Bragg is a licensed social worker (LISW) who provides counseling and therapy sessions for patients of all ages. He comes to ACMH every 1st and 3rd Monday. Sharon Walker is a nurse practitioner specializing in adult mental health. She comes to ACMH every other Wednesday to see patients for diagnosis and medication therapy used for the treatment of depression, bi-polar disorder, anxiety, sleep disturbances, schizophrenia, and many other mental health issues.

Also, in October, ACMH added spine surgery to the list of surgical services. Spine surgery is performed by Dr. Pedro Ricart, Spine and Neck Specialist, who has been providing our patients with acute and chronic nonsurgical treatment for neck and back issues since 2017. Dr. Ricart will now also be performing minimally invasive spine procedures for adult scoliosis & kyphosis and cervical and lumbar disc problems.

In November, ACMH welcomed back Dr. Robert Warner to provide oncology services. They says their oncology team can provide you with a personalized plan of care developed for your individual needs. All oncology visits and treatments are delivered in a warm and healing environment so you and your family can focus on recovery while staying close to home. Outpatient specialty nurses are all certified in chemotherapy and are dedicated to providing you the best possible care. In December, ACMH welcomes Dr. Brandon Menke, who will be providing ophthalmology services and cataract procedures. Dr. Menke will be consulting with patients in the outpatient clinic and performing cataract and glaucoma surgeries- including the newest minimally invasive glaucoma procedures. These new procedures help to lower pressure in the eye, which can potentially minimize the need for glaucoma eye drops and can be performed at the same time as cataract surgery and can be performed at the same time as cataract surgery.

In January, ACMH will welcome Dr. Kyle Stansifer, Board-Certified Adult, and Pediatric ENT, to the Outpatient Specialty Clinic. Dr. Stansifer is trained in both medicine and surgery and to treat disorders of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. He treats children and adults and has a special interest in performing nasal and sinus surgery, tonsillectomies, ear tube placement, and many other types of surgeries.

In addition to those new services, Audubon County Memorial Hospital & Clinics also continues to provide many other exceptional services in their outpatient specialty clinic. Those services and treatments include joint replacement surgery, knee arthroscopy, sports medicine, joint injections, fracture repairs, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, carpal tunnel release, arthritis treatment, traumatic hand injuries, tendon and ligament repair, scoliosis, neck and back pain, discectomy, lumbar sciatica, herniated disc, spinal trauma, laparoscopic surgeries, hernia repair, breast biopsies, mastectomies, wound management, colonoscopies, vasectomies, appendectomies, plastic surgery, laser hair removal, liposuction, tummy tucks, varicose vein treatment, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, pain management services, injection therapies, foot and ankle surgeries, diabetic foot care, bunions, hammertoes, cardiology, congestive heart failure, heart diseases, echocardiograms, deep vein thrombosis, hypertension, sleep apnea, well-woman exams, menstrual issues, infertility, cervical disease, pelvic pain, urinary issues, erectile dysfunction, prostate resections, penile implants, cystoscopies, hematology, dermatology, and much more.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with any of the specialists, call ACMH outpatient specialty clinic at 712-563-5304.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest Wednesday evening, of 36-year old Trisha Johnston, of Creston, following a traffic stop and a search by the K-9 “Jax.”  Johnston was charged at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, with Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, OWI/1st offense, and Driving While Suspended. She was later released on a $2,300 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Anita Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance were called at around 6:48-a.m. to a single-vehicle injury accident at the intersection of Highway 148 and Main Street, where a vehicle had rolled into a ditch. Dispatch reports indicated two subjects were suffering from possible injuries. No other details are currently available.

(Radio Iowa) — You may be able to see meteors in the eastern skies tonight (Thursday) if you have clear weather. Physics and Astronomy Professor Todd Young at Wayne State College in Nebraska, says a brief meteor storm will take place beginning at 10:30 p-m where you can see quite a sky show. “The rate would be upwards of 400 per hour. Quite a dramatic jump from a shower — which is usually somewhere around ten to maybe 30 per hour,” Young says.

Meteors are debris left behind by comets and Young says this storm is from an unknown comet that probably hasn’t been seen for over 500 years. It is suspected to be the debris of a long period comet from the Oort Cloud that surrounds the solar system. “And the Oort Cloud is actually a spherical distribution of chunks of ice and rocks that are much farther away than people realize,”Young says. “And the Oort cloud is usually not typically depicted as being part of the solar system because it is so far from the sun — yet still part of it.”

Young says the meteor storm will be visible low to the horizon, so viewers will want to be up high and away from city lights. He says you should go out and scout out a good view of the eastern horizon on a hill by 10:30. “You’ll see these streaks of light. They’ll look like they’ll be coming right over the horizon.” The meteor storm is expected to be short lived, lasting only 15 to 45 minutes.