(Des Moines, Iowa) – No one held the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot in advance of Monday night’s drawing. That bumps the top prize up by about $47-million to an estimated $685-million for Wednesday night’s drawing. There were two tickets that claimed a $1-million prize in the Powerball drawing Monday night. Those tickets were sold in New Hampshire and California.

The winning numbers were 5,12, 20, 24 and 29. The Powerball number was 4.

(Audubon, Iowa) – With the recently announced resignation of Audubon City Clerk Joe Foran, the search is underway to find his replacement. When Foran resigned after 10-years as City Clerk in Audubon, the City Council held a special meeting Nov. 21^st to approve posting the position. The City received about one-half dozen applications before the deadline to apply.

Members of the Council will review the applications and narrow them down to the top three qualified persons as well as conduct interviews with the applicants. A decision on who will become the next City Clerk in Audubon could come this week or next. The new mayor and city council will be in-place in Audubon, on January 2^nd.

(Anamosa, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol has identified the man killed early Friday morning in a crash that occurred south of Anamosa. Investigators say a 2014 Chevy Malibu driven by 81-year-old Richard R. Schmidt, of Alburnett, was merging onto Highway 151 Northbound from Shaw Road when it was struck by a 2011 Ford F250. Schmidt died from his injuries.

Two others were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries. The State Patrol says all three people were wearing seatbelts.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – University of Iowa Police say multiple people were taken into custody after reports of a shooting early Christmas morning. UIPD issued a Hawk Alert just after 2 o’clock Monday morning for the 200-block of S Van Buren, advising people to take shelter and avoid the area as police investigated the scene.

A couple hours later UIPD posted that multiple people were in custody.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State University Farmland Value survey showed a shift this year in the county with the highest land value. I-S-U’s Rabail Chandio oversees the survey.  “O’Brien [County] was the was the highest value county last year, this year, it has switched to Sioux County, but still in the northwest,” she says. Scott County in eastern Iowa had held the top spot for farmland value for many years before it recently switched to the northwest. Chandio says another shift saw lower quality ground in southern Iowa top the list for increases in dollar value. “Some of the southern counties, although in value (land quality) they are the lowest, they saw the highest increase in land values,” Chandio says. She says the increase in the southern farmland value is tied to uses outside of farming.

“So a lot of demand, investor demand for southern land comes from recreational use from hunting from these kinds of factors. And if you’re going to buy land for hunting, the land quality, the grain prices or the commodity market or the farm sector is not really as big of a factor in your purchase or your pricing of land, ” she says. Chandio says the southern counties have lagged behind other counties in price increases because the normal land value issues don’t impact them as much.

“The northern counties are the rest of the state more so is more affected by the farm environment or the farm economy which is why it’s reacting first,” Chandio says. “But that’s always been the case that the South has a little bit of lag.” Chandio says the purchase of land for recreational uses like hunting hasn’t change the overall profile of land buyers. “The major buyers of farmland still remain the farmers. Last year this number was 68 percent. This number has it has increased even more at 70 percent,” she says. “So 70 percent of all farmland purchases are done by existing farmers, local or relocating. And then 24 percent of the purchases are attributable to investors, which include both local and non local investors.”

Chandio says the investor activity is higher in the southern part of the state and the investors say their primary reasons for buying land are more recreational.

(Creston, Iowa) – Creston Police report there were three people arrested over the holiday weekend. At around 2:30-p.m. Friday, 50-year-old Jennifer Lynn Moon, of Creston, was arrested in the 600 block of W. Prairie, for allowing Animals to run at Large on Public Lands. Moon was cited and released from the scene on Promise to Appear in court.

Early Saturday morning, 47-year-old Scott Arlen Vorm, of Waukee, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st Offense. Vorm was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Early Sunday morning, 24-year-old Michael Dawson Stults, of Creston, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st Offense. Stults was taken to the Union County Jail and also later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – If you got an ugly Christmas sweater, something in the wrong size or a duplicate item as a gift, ’tis now the season for returns — and the lines at customer service counters are likely long. Margo Riekes, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, offers Iowans a few tips to keep the line moving smoothly. “Be patient because all of the sales employees, especially the first few days after Christmas, are overwhelmed with all the returns,” Riekes says. “If you’re patient, you’re more likely to get some action.”

Standing in line for 45 minutes may try your patience, but she says to consider what it must be like to be the person hearing peoples’ complaints all day long.  “The customer who’s trying to return the gift should always be calm and polite when trying to do so,” Riekes says. “People will be much more willing to help them.” When returning an item, make sure to keep it in the original packaging and in like-new condition.

“Do not take the tags off the things because once the tags are off, it’s probably impossible to return them,” she says. If the gift giver was thinking far enough ahead to enclose a gift receipt in your wrapped box, it will make the process infinitely easier.

(Winterset, Iowa) – A collision Monday evening in Madison County left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened east of Winterset, at around 6:30-p.m. The Patrol says a pickup driven by 66-year-old Marjorie B. Gregory, of Nevada, MO., was traveling east on Highway 92, east of Nature Trail. A Honda Accord driven by 46-year-old Corey M. Brown, of Creston, and a Honda Civic driven by 32-year-old Peter J. McNeal, of Des Moines, were traveling west on Highway 92, when Gregory attempted to pass an eastbound vehicle.

Her pickup struck the Accord head-on in the westbound lane, and overturned and rolled before hitting the Civic. Corey Brown died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. Marjorie Gregory was injured and transported by Madison County Ambulance to Methodist Hospital, in Des Moines.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene,

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Okoboji Winter Games start a month from today (Monday) in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Outdoor events include flag football and a keg toss. There are indoor events, like bowling and a cribbage tournament. Blain Andera with the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce says there’s a chance to be a cheerleader, too.

“Traveling around to all of the events and stuff January 25-28 for the 44th annual University of Okoboji Winter Games,” he says. Three brothers created a crest for the fictional University of Okoboji in the 1970s and it’s now marketed as a mythical, yet fun campus in the Iowa Great Lakes. Cheerleader nominations for the University of Okoboji Winter Games are being accepted through December 31st.

The Iowa Lakes Chamber of Commerce will host voting online and at the chamber office in early January. Andera says eight cheer squad members will be elected. “A ready smile, enthusiasm for all our U of O campus has to offer and just a sincere desire to give their time and talent to enhance the area,” he says. The University of Okoboji Winter Games typically attract 40-thousand visitors and participants.

Registration for most of the competitive events closes January, 22nd, but some events have a limited number of teams or individuals and those will fill up early.