Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Frigid cold continues to hover over Iowa as the state as snow falls this morning. The National Weather Service says snow is expected after midnight and will likely continue throughout Sunday, with accumulations of 4 to 5 inches in western Iowa. Most of the state is expecting between 1 and 3 inches.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a home near Lake Manawa in western Iowa’s Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil reports that firefighters were called to the house around 2:25 a.m. Friday. No one was injured in the blaze.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Salvation Army of Mason City has received an anonymous donation of two gold Krugerrand coins, restoring plans for the organization to hold an auction for the coins. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the charitable organization received the coins Thursday. The South African gold coins can be valued from several hundred to several thousand dollars.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Melvin Ejim scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and overtime, and 17th-ranked Iowa State rallied from 18 points down to beat Northern Iowa 91-82 yesterday for the Cyclones’ best start in 10 years. Georges Niang added a career-high 22 points for ISU, who also snapped a 3-game losing streak against their cross-state rivals.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a home near Lake Manawa in western Iowa’s Council Bluffs.  The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that firefighters were called to the house around 2:25 a.m. Friday.  Heavy smoke and flames had already engulfed the home when fire crews arrived.

Fire Marshal Curtis McKeon says freezing temperatures hindered the effort to fight the fire, as water in hoses began to freeze. Investigators believe the fire started in a bedroom.  McKeon says the home was a total loss, with heavy smoke, fire and water damage. No one was injured in the blaze.

Police in Red Oak are asking for your help in solving a residential burglary. Officials say a resident on East Elm Street reported to police Saturday afternoon, that someone forced their way into her home through a basement window. Once inside, the unknown person or persons stole several Blu-ray and other DVD’s, combination Wii game packs, and a black Nintendo Wii U Deluxe console set with game. The theft is believed to have occurred sometime between November 30th and 9:30-a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7th.

Evidence was collected at the scene, but police would like the public’s help in reporting any suspicious activity in the 400 block of Elm Street during the time frame mentioned. Or, if you know of someone who has recently acquired the aforementioned games and other items, contact Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500 or Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

 …FIRST WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON EXPECTED ON SUNDAY…

A WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY. ACCUMULATIONS IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVEL AT TIMES.

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST SUNDAY FOR SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-TAYLOR COUNTIES AND UNTIL 6-PM FOR SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-& PAGE COUNTIES.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST SUNDAY.

* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE TONIGHT…WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW AND TRAVEL IMPACTS BEGINNING BEFORE SUNRISE SUNDAY IN WESTERN IOWA. THE SNOW WILL END IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SUNDAY.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE NORTH AND WEST.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH WILL CAUSE MINOR BLOWING OF SNOW…REDUCING VISIBILITY TO UNDER A MILE AT TIMES WHILE SNOW IS FALLING.

* IMPACTS…THE SNOW WILL IMPACT TRAVEL ACROSS THE AREA…ESPECIALLY WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND PRACTICE SAFE WINTER DRIVING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Frigid cold continues to hover over Iowa as the state prepares for coming snow. The National Weather Service says high temperatures in the single digits will continue Saturday in most of the state, while southern portions of Iowa will see temperatures rise to nearly 20 degrees. Snow is expected after midnight and will likely continue throughout Sunday, with accumulations of 4 to 5 inches in western Iowa. Most of the state is expecting between 1 and 3 inches.

Bitter cold will hang on well into the week, with the weather service predicting lows to hover around zero Monday and Tuesday before falling to 10-below in northern Iowa on Wednesdays. Lows in the south on Wednesday should climb to 15 degrees.

w/ Chris Parks

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa enters the cold weather season with about a fifth of the state still in severe drought. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says November was drier than normal with the average precipitation for the state at 1.6 inches compared with the 30-year normal of just over 2 inches. A small area of the state that was rated in extreme drought in October has improved and is now in severe drought.

The area of the state in severe drought has fallen to 20 percent from 35 percent at the start of November. Little change is anticipated in soil moisture levels over the winter as soils are likely be frozen statewide by now, and are unlikely to thaw until spring.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

SLOAN, Iowa (AP) — State auditors say more than $13,000 was not properly deposited in the city of Sloan’s bank account from customer utility bills. Officials in Sloan, a city of 1,000 people about 23 miles south of Sioux City, sought a state audit after they became concerned about some deposits made by Laurie Kubly, the city’s former utility billing clerk . Kubly was placed on administrative leave on March 13th and resigned a week later. No charges have been filed.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former prosecutor who alleges she was discriminated against by a U.S. attorney says she never had serious health problems until being ordered to move from Sioux City to Cedar Rapids. The Sioux City Journal reports Martha Fagg testified Friday that after receiving a written order to temporarily move, she felt dizzy, her heart pounded and her arm hurt. Fagg alleges then-U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose discriminated against her because of her mental and physical conditions.

LOGAN, Iowa (AP) — A 17-year-old boy accused of killing his 5-year-old foster brother will undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial. Assistant Public Defender Michael Williams of Sioux City filed a motion to have Cody Metzker-Madsen tested for mental competency at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville. A judge approved the request on Friday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A southeast Iowa man faces multiple charges in connection with illegally taking deer. The state Department of Natural Resources says 55-year-old Thomas Charest, of Brighton, is scheduled to appear in court on December 18th.

Iowa DNR wildlife staff will again be in the field during Iowa’s shotgun deer seasons, collecting samples to test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Iowa’s wild deer herd. Officials say the effort will concentrate on portions of Northeast Iowa near Wisconsin and Illinois as well as in Wapello, Davis, Pottawattamie and Cerro Gordo counties, following positive tests from captive facilities in or near those counties last year.

Many of the samples will be collected during the first half of December, as more than 120,000 hunters take part in Iowa’s shotgun deer seasons and deer harvested during those seasons are major sources of samples. Sampling-which involves removing and testing the brain stem and lymph nodes–has been done on free ranging deer across Iowa for years. Many hunters voluntarily contribute samples of their harvested deer for these testing efforts. Most samples are obtained by wildlife staff, checking with hunters in the field or at home processing points.

The DNR says it has historically focused its sampling efforts heaviest in northeast Iowa, after Wisconsin and Illinois yielded positive cases in recent years. After the positive findings in captive herds in 2012, DNR focused additional testing in those counties identified above. Sampling in northeast Iowa for the 2013-2014 seasons will continue at a slightly lower intensity in order to accommodate the additional testing in Davis, Wapello, Pottawattamie and Cerro Gordo Counties.

Since 2002, more than 47 thousand wild deer in Iowa have been tested, with no positive CWD result in the wild herd detected to date. Dr. Dale Garner, Wildlife Bureau Chief, says “We are hopeful CWD has not spread into Iowa’s deer herd. The only way to know this is to continue to collect samples and do the testing. We will work through all hunting seasons, with the peak being the shotgun seasons in December.”

Iowa DNR’s website provides information about CWD and other information on infectious disease at: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx

LOGAN, Iowa (AP) — A 17-year-old boy accused of killing his 5-year-old foster brother will undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial. Assistant Public Defender Michael Williams of Sioux City filed a motion to have Cody Metzker-Madsen tested for mental competency at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville. A judge approved the request Friday.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil reports a court date is scheduled on April 21 to review if Metzker-Madsen can proceed to a trial. Metzker-Madsen is accused of killing Dominic Elkins, of Atlantic. The child’s body was found Aug. 31 at the bottom of a rural Harrison County ravine. Both boys were living with a foster family.

Metzker-Madsen remains at the Harrison County Jail.