A WINTER STORM WARNING remains in effect until 6-p.m. today (Monday) for Cass-Adair-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Crawford-Carroll-Pottawattamie-and Mills Counties, and until midnight for Monona-Harrison and Shelby Counties.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, widespread freezing rain this morning is expected to transition to snow by early this afternoon and then back to rain. Total snow accumulations of 1-3″ can be expected, with ice accumulating to two- to three- tenths of an inch. This may lead to hazardous travel conditions, especially this morning. The heavy, wet snow will also be difficult to remove. 2-to 5 inches of snow is possible in counties west/northwest of Cass.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY remains in effect until 6-pm today for Adams-Madison-Union-Taylor and Ringgold Counties, where freezing rain and drizzle is expected, with up to 1/10th of an inch possible.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is making a three-day campaign lap around the state, with stops in 10 cities this weekend and three more today (Monday). “I just want to say thank you all for being here. Thank you for standing up. I’m here asking for your support, asking for your help. We are building a grassroots army.” That was Cruz, speaking at the Windrow restaurant in Creston on Saturday afternoon. Wally Miller of Creston was there to show his support for Cruz.

“He’s the only one that makes sense,” Miller says, adding he has a screening test for candidates. “When I look at someone, would I trust them with my grandkids or my chores? And I would.” Scott McLain of Creston compared Cruz’s positioning in the race to a NASCAR move. “He’s drafting right behind the leader at just the right time and right before the Iowa Caucuses then he will go right by the leader on the last lap,” McLain says. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found Cruz’s support in Iowa has doubled in the past month, to 23 percent — just behind Donald Trump’s 25 percent. Union County Republican chairman Joe Owens sees similar movement.

“A couple of months ago it was real strong for Trump and, believe it or not, Huckabee had some strong following — people from ’08, but Ted’s really making a surge,” Owens says. A month and a half ago Roger Burger of Lenox signed up to be a volunteer for Cruz. “I told them I wanted yard signs right now,” Burger says, “and everything else.” Burger was in the crowd of two dozen who gathered at the Tiger Den restaurant in Lenox to hear Cruz Saturday afternoon. Burger asked Cruz about “ObamaCare” and Cruz revealed his own family’s policy is being cancelled and he has to get new health insurance.

“Now I’m not unique in that situation,” Cruz said, adding the policy cancellation was news to his own campaign manager. “There are millions of Americans who get their policy cancelled…This is a disaster.” Cruz is promising to make the 2016 election a “referendum” on the repeal of “ObamaCare”. Cruz may have spent more time at the Tiger Den than originally scheduled. Someone on the campaign team locked the keys in the S-U-V Cruz was riding in and the Taylor County Sheriff was called to open the vehicle.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (AP) — The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings and watches for a large part of southern Minnesota, eastern South Dakota and western Iowa ahead of a strengthening storm system. The snow is expected to start falling early Monday in southwestern Minnesota and nearby parts of South Dakota and Iowa, then spread north and east through Tuesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a shooting that killed one man and injured another in downtown Des Moines. Police say 21-year-old Edmanuel Perez died and 23-year-old Andrew Hurley-Boyd was hospitalized in the shooting. Officers responded to the incident around 1:10 a.m. Sunday in the city’s popular Court Avenue district.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Voters in Waterloo will pick a new mayor and city council member in a runoff election. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Quentin Hart and Tim Hurley are both running for mayor. The candidates have waged a civil campaign and agree on many issues, but they say voters have a distinct choice when they head to the polls for Tuesday’s runoff elections.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A person briefed on the decision tells The Associated Press that Toledo coach Matt Campbell will be Iowa State’s new football coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement was still in the works, though one was expected Sunday. At Iowa State, the 36-year-old Campbell will replace Paul Rhoads.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s crackdown on prescription painkillers is pushing more abusers to heroin, spurring a deadly new wave of addictions that experts say has reached epidemic proportions. The Des Moines Register reports that although heroin still lags far behind marijuana, methamphetamine and painkillers as Iowa’s drug of choice, its use is climbing quickly — with deadly results.

Experts say the heroin epidemic, which is a growing problem nationwide, is largely spurred by people who first become addicted to prescribed opiate pain medication. As the pills become more expensive and harder to obtain, people move on to heroin, which is cheaper and provides a more potent high.

Mike Polich of United Community Services in Des Moines says heroin is coming to the city from places like Chicago, Omaha and Texas.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Monday morning, are expected to act on authorizing Board Chair Frank Waters to sign a voter-approved 28-E Unified Law Enforcement Agreement that adds the City of Marne to the Unified District that already includes Cumberland, Lewis, Massena and Wiota.

In other business, the Board will discuss and possibly act on approving a telephone-based emergency paging system in the courthouse. Representatives with Access Systems will be on-hand to answer questions.

They’ll also discuss an Ordinance authorizing the operation of all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles on county roadways and trails, and, act on allowing or dis-allowing military exemptions and homestead credit applications (including Disabled Veteran’s Homestead Tax Credits).

The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s meeting begins at 8:30-a.m., Monday.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a shooting incident that took place early this (Sunday) morning. Authorities say officers were called to 1734 Avenue E at around 4:18-a.m. with regard to a shot fired into a residence. The victim told police that sometime between 1:30-a.m. and 4-a.m., someone fired a single bullet through a window of the home. The round traveled through the front living room window, into a through a wall before stopping in another wall.

No injuries were reported. Anyone with information pertaining to the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867 (328-STOP).

The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer hunting seasons starts next Saturday (Dec. 5th), and hunters may need to brush up on their safety skills in preparation. Megan Wisecup, the hunter education administrator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, offers a few tips. “One of the main ones is just going back to the basic firearms safety rules,” Wisecup says. “You want to treat every firearm as if it’s loaded, always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, be sure of your target and what’s beyond it and keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.”

Depending on the weather next weekend, foul conditions could raise even more dangers for hunters. They need to be vigilant in their awareness of the rules, she says, like when climbing over a fence. Wisecup says “Take some extra precautions when you have different weather factors coming into play, especially when you’re crossing an obstacle. If it’s snowy, icy, definitely take the extra time to unload that firearm while you’re crossing the obstacle or use another member of your hunting party to hold your firearm while you cross that obstacle.”

Last year, there were 14 deer hunting-related incidents in Iowa during the two shotgun seasons. There were two personal injuries and 12 property damage incidents. If the weather is especially cold, hunters need to be particularly cautious if they’ve layered their clothes.  Wiscup says “When you’re bundled up, with the extra bulk of coats and fingers, make sure you’re careful when you’re handling your firearm. You could easily get caught, one of the fingers in the gloves in the trigger guard area and cause it to accidentally discharge.”

Iowa’s first shotgun season runs December 5th through the 9th, with the second running from December 12th through the 20th. Learn more at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting.

(Radio Iowa)

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SEVERAL COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA BEGINNING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY MORNING. The Watch is in effect from 12-a.m. Monday until 12-a.m. Tuesday for: Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie and Mills Counties, and from 6-am Monday until 6-a.m. Tuesday for Cass, Adair, Audubon, Dallas, Guthrie, Crawford, Carroll, and Sac Counties.

Winter Storm Watch late Sunday night into Monday night (counties in blue). Winter Weather Advisory until 6am Sun. for counties in purple).

For today: Light freezing rain will continue on-and-off across far southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa this (Sunday) morning. The Main brunt of the storm system will enter the area tonight into Monday and Monday night, bringing a mix of rain…freezing rain…sleet and snow.

The area from Omaha/Council Bluffs to Harlan will see mixed precipitation including icing and /or several inches of snow. Elsewhere in the Winter Storm Watch area, freezing rain will develop later tonight before quickly changing to all snow Monday morning. Additional snowfall and other mixed wintry precipitation of varied intensities will occur later in the day, Monday, before switching to main all lighter snow Monday night or Tuesday.

The National Weather Service predicts anywhere from three-to five-inches of snow will fall in Cass and surrounding Counties, with eight-inches or more further into northwest Iowa. Ice accumulations amounting to several hundredths of an inch may precede the snow.

Winds will shift from the east to southwest Monday, ranging from 5-to 15 miles per hour during the day, with gusts up to 20mph at night. Ice topped by snow will lead to hazardous travel conditions and may possibly impact the Monday morning commute. The heavy, wet snow will also be difficult to shovel and remove.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two state lawmakers are raising concerns about Gov. Terry Branstad’s plans to continue to shift Iowa’s Medicaid operation to private management, after a judge recommended that the state throw out one of four contracts awarded to companies to run the program.

Administrative Law Judge Christie Scase recommended Wednesday that Iowa reverse its contract with Florida-based WellCare. Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes said the decision allows the privatization plans to move forward.

The Des Moines Register reports that Democratic Sen. Amanda Ragan, of Mason City, says it is time to “take a breath.” Democratic Sen. Janet Petersen, of Des Moines, also raised concerns. Department of Human Services spokeswoman Amy Lorentzen McCoy said Friday the agency is reviewing Scase’s recommendation.

Iowa’s Medicaid program is set to move to private managers in January.