(Radio Iowa) — The trip to a northeast Iowa hospital was anything but routine for a pregnant woman who went into labor early Sunday morning. The ambulance transporting the patient got stranded in near-blizzard conditions. With 50 mile-per-hour winds creating zero visibility around 3 AM Sunday, Fairbank firefighters were called out to rescue an ambulance, which got stuck in a snow drift near the Wapsipinicon River. According to a news release, fire crews used tractors and trucks with plows to get to the ambulance’s location.

Once there, they moved the patient to the Fairbank Fire Department’s ambulance and transported her to an area hospital. Firefighters then freed the stuck ambulance. Fairbank fire officials later reported that the woman was in good condition at the hospital.

The National Weather Service is calling this Winter season “Relentless,” especially when it comes to expected Wind Chill temperatures. Tuesday morning, wind chills across southern Iowa will range from -5 to -15 degrees, with -20 to -30 expected roughly north of Highway 30. By Sunday morning, the Wind Chill Index  (https://www.weather.gov/bou/windchill), or, how cold it feels with the air temperature and wind factored-in, is expected to be in the -27 degree range from I-80 south, to the lower to mid-minus 30 degree range from I-80 north all the way to northern Iowa, with -35 expected for Estherville and Mason City.

The wind chill index takes into account heat loss from the human body to its surroundings during cold and windy weather. Wind chill values near minus 25 degrees mean that frostbite is possible within 15 minutes.

Projected Wind Chill readings Sunday, March 3rd

The blizzard of 2019 is over, but Shelby County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Operations Director Jason Wickizer is still recommending motorists use caution on county secondary roads, as crews are actively working to clear them.  He says be prepared if you get stuck to stay with your vehicle and take care of yourself until help arrives, because it could be delayed. Wickizer says they did have to assist several stranded motorists over the weekend. He said a lot of people tried to “Power through” snowdrifts that were wider or deeper than they thought. Crews had to pick-up the stranded motorists until the plows could get out.

He said most of the incidents involved people who slid into a ditch or a snowbank and got stuck, but there were no injuries. Wickizer stressed persons wanting to know how the roads are, should call 5-1-1 or go to 511ia.org on the web. Those sources have the very latest information.  He says “We get a lot of people calling the 9-1-1 Center and the non-emergency number, wanting road reports. We want them to go to 5-1-1, because the plows, the Troopers, the Deputies, all feed information into that system. So that’s the most up-to-date information anybody is going to get on a road.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — An April sentencing has been scheduled for a former secretary at a central Iowa soil and water conservation district accused of embezzlement. Jasper County District Court records say 39-year-old Jessica Rutter, of Newton, pleaded guilty to a theft charge. Her sentencing is set for April 15. Her arrest followed a state audit in which auditors said Rutter acknowledged writing checks to herself that would typically double her pay from the Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District. Auditors found 23 unauthorized checks were issued between 2015 and 2017 that amounted to nearly $20,000.

Most area roads are  partially covered with ice. Ramp conditions could vary from the main roadway. Look out for icy bridges. Expect blowing snow. (See more at 511ia.org, or call 5-1-1)

Highway 83 Between US 59 (Avoca) and IA 173 (Marne). A lane is closed intermittently because of road maintenance activities. Until today at about 3:30PM CST.

Highway 6 Between US 59 (Oakland) and IA 48 (near Lewis). A lane is closed intermittently because of road maintenance activities. Until today at about 3:30PM CST.

I-80 westbound (west of Dexter) Between Exit 104: County Road P57 and Exit 100: County Roads P53 and F60 (Dexter). The right lane is blocked due to a crash.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in Iowa says it will release a list of 28 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over the last century. The Diocese of Sioux City scheduled a news conference Monday afternoon to announce the list, which will then be posted on its website. For years, advocates for abuse victims have been urging the diocese to take that step.

The diocese publicly promised in November that it would finalize the list and make it public. The vow came in response to an investigation by The Associated Press that exposed a 32-year cover-up of a priest who had allegedly confessed to abusing more than 50 boys.

Diocese officials have met multiple times since then to review files and allegations dating back to its beginning in 1902.

Officials with the Trevor Frederickson Foundation report applications are now being accepted for the 10th Annual Trevor Frederickson Memorial Scholarship. Applications may be obtained from the Atlantic High School guidance office at 1201 E. 14th Street or the Atlantic High School website: www.atlanticiaschools.org. Up to two $750 scholarships are available to those graduating from Atlantic High School in the spring of 2019. Applicants must plan to attend a college or vocational school, show involvement in school and/or community activities, supply a copy of their college acceptance letter, provide two letters of reference along with their 7 semester transcripts, and maintain academic achievement of 2.5 or better. The scholarships will be awarded at the Atlantic High School Class Night held in May.

Trevor Frederickson

Trevor Frederickson graduated from Atlantic High School in 2006. He went on to further his education at Southwestern Community College in Creston where he studied automotive mechanics and played baseball for the Southwestern Spartans. Two additional $750 scholarships will be available for Southwestern Community College students this fall. Trevor, who passed away in 2009, had plans of pursuing a career in law enforcement and returning to his hometown of Atlantic. Trevor’s mom, Melanie Petty, said “Anyone who knew Trevor, knew he valued family, life and community. Trevor continues to live on in our hearts and minds. To this day, Trevor is still giving back to the community he loved to be a part of.”

Funds for the scholarships are raised at an annual golf tournament. Plans are already in the works for the 11th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament to be held on Saturday, August 10th, 2019. Organizers look forward to another successful tournament so they can continue to grant scholarships for many years to come.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop Friday night on a pickup truck with an equipment violation, resulted in the arrest of a man on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a court ordered mittimus.  49-year old Todd James Buck was arrested on the warrant pertaining to an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 1st offense, charge. He was turned over to Pott. County corrections. Also on Friday, Pott. County Deputies picked up an inmate from the Douglas County, NE. Youth Detention Center. The 16-year old male was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Robbery in the 1st Degree – Inflict or Attempt Serious Injury & Theft in the 1st Degree. The teen was being held in the Pott. County Juvenile Detention Center.

And, two people being held in the Pott. County Jail were served with additional warrants, Friday. 30-year old Jarrod Leslie Voss was presented with two Violation of Probation warrants. 39-year old Chad Adam Good was presented with a single warrant for Probation Violation. Both men were read their warrants and returned to the custody of Corrections Staff.

(Radio Iowa) — The mounting number of snow days for the state’s school district’s has some asking if technology could be used to make up the time. Iowa Department of Education Ryan Wise says that question has come up a lot lately. “The way code is currently written, it does not allow e-learning days to count toward instructional days or instructional hours,” Wise says. State law requires districts to either have 180-days of school or one-thousand-80 hours. “Iowa code does define a school day as a day when the schools are in session and teachers are providing instruction,” according to Wise. “So, we are not let at a point in Iowa where we can count electronic learning days toward days or hours of instruction.”

Wise says the question has come up a lot with the number of cancelled days this year — and because schools have been trying out e-learning. “A lot of districts are starting to consider this, and actually even starting to pilot e-learning. Not counting toward those days or hours, but really trying to learn lessons and seeing can instruction continue,” Wise says. Obviously there are lot of things to wrestle with — like how do we meet the needs of students who might have disabilities or special needs, or students who might not have a computer.”

The discussion of online learning has been talked about too for rural districts with declining enrollment as a way to beef up their offerings. “Every year I have been here, this is my seventh year at the department, online learning, e-learning, just becomes more and more a part of the conversation. So, how de we ensure that that can that be an option when possible and appropriate. And when it is that it is high quality,” Wise says. “That definitely for rural, and for urban areas as well is a key conversation that is emerging in education in Iowa.”

He says having e-learning count as actual school hours is still in the development stage. “We’re not at the point of that yet being an option or that being built into a bill that is being considered at this point,” Wise says, “but I think it is something that likely will be discussed in the future.” Some school districts have had 10 or more days of classes cancelled this year by the weather.

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

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