A developing La Nina pattern in the Pacific Ocean could impact Iowa’s winter weather, as well as the rest of the Midwest and Northern Plains. Climatologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says the consensus points to “cold and snowy” for the upcoming winter, which isn’t exactly a stretch.

“That is every winter in the Northern Plains,” Todey says. “A lot of it then becomes, how much snow do you have on the ground? When you carry snow cover for a period of time, it allows that cold to set in and stay cold longer. If you don’t carry much snow cover, then you’ll bounce back and forth between the warm and the cold.”

A La Nina pattern occurs when Pacific Ocean surface temperatures drop below long-term normals and that has an effect on climate trends in North America. Todey says the predictions include the possibility of a more active storm track for our region.

“If you have a more active storm pattern, you’re going to have highs and lows coming through on a more frequent basis, so that would allow you to bounce back and forth fairly regularly,” Todey says. “So far, that’s kind of the way we’ve been this fall, although we’ve still been warmer than average.”

Todey says the forecast into mid-November indicates above-normal to much-above-normal temperatures for most of the Northern Plains.

(Radio Iowa)

ALGONA, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa National Guard says it will close its Algona Readiness Center next spring. Officials say the unit based there and the about 90 soldiers assigned there will be moving to Camp Dodge in Johnston. The unit is Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery.

Officials say the Algona facility is the 13th to be closed as part of a statewide National Guard consolidation and facilities upgrade program.  The 20,400-square-foot Algona facility was built in 1994. It will be turned over to the city for its use.

A pair of automakers will pay the State of Iowa $1.4 million to settle claims that the companies misrepresented fuel economy ratings for some of their vehicles. The case involves Kia and Hyundai vehicles from 2011, 12 and 13 (2011-2013). Geoff Greenwood, spokesperson for the Iowa Attorney General’s office, says prosecutors believe the automakers deliberately overstated fuel efficiencies of several of their cars.

“We also allege that many consumers made their purchasing decisions based on the window stickers and based on what they saw in these advertisements – that the vehicles got better mileage than they actually did,” Greenwood said. The fuel economy claims came at a time when gasoline prices were at historically high levels. This agreement follows a similar deal that led to payments to owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

“In 2012, the companies announced that consumers who bought the cars could get lifetime reimbursement for the vehicles. A year later, they also announced a one-time, lump sum payment option. The companies contacted consumers directly regarding those programs,” Greenwood said.

The company’s $1.4 million payment to Iowa will go to the state’s Consumer Education and Litigation Fund. Overall, the companies are paying $41.2 million to 33 states and the District of Columbia.

(Radio Iowa)

A Red Oak man was arrested Sunday evening, for Disorderly Conduct, a simple misdemeanor. Police say 32-year old Kyle William Chase, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 1300 block of N. 1st Street, at around 7:15-p.m., and brought to the Montgomery County Jail.

A woman from Madison County was injured during a rollover accident Sunday afternoon in northern Iowa’s Hardin County. The Iowa State Patrol says 19-year old Danielle Nemmers, of Earlham, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported by ambulance to the local hospital, after she swerved to miss a deer and lost control of the 2000 Dodge Ram she was driving.

The pickup, which was traveling south on Hardin County Road S-27, went into the east ditch and rolled before coming to rest on its wheels. The accident happened at around 4:50-p.m., Sunday.  Nemmers, who suffered from some cuts, bruises and a slight concussion, was cited for not wearing a seat belt.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:36 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa Supreme Court justices who helped legalize gay marriage in the state seven years ago will face voters on Nov. 8 for the first time since the ruling, but they refuse to campaign for their jobs. The justices argue the courts should avoid politics, so they shouldn’t campaign. Three justices who took a similar stand in 2010 were removed by voters.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities investigating after finding two people dead and a third person seriously injured in the town of Perry. The three victims were found inside a home in the central Iowa town of Perry Saturday evening. Police say a suspect was detained for questioning a short time after the bodies were found, but no arrests were reported immediately on Sunday.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) — Eight people are facing trespassing charges after protesting in the path of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in northwest Iowa this weekend. The Omaha World-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2ftzeAi) the Calhoun County Sheriff’s office says the arrests happened Saturday on a farm near Rockwell City, Iowa. The $3.8 billion pipeline is designed to carry oil 1,200 miles from western North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — A museum in northwest Iowa is marking the retirement of its vintage planetarium projector. The Sioux City Journal reports the Sanford Museum and Planetarium held a retirement party for its 1951 Spitz A-1 planetarium projector on Sunday. The equipment was used for one final star show before it is replaced with a digital model.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) – Eight people are facing trespassing charges after protesting in the path of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in northwest Iowa this weekend. The Omaha World-Herald reports the Calhoun County Sheriff’s office says the arrests happened Saturday on a farm near Rockwell City, Iowa.

Ed Fallon, with the Bold Iowa group, says people who oppose the pipeline are frustrated it is moving forward. The $3.8 billion pipeline is designed to carry oil 1,200 miles from western North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point at Patoka, Illinois.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in southern North Dakota near the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s reservation to object to the project. That has led to clashes with law enforcement and more than 140 arrests in the past week.

Police in Perry say one person has been detained in connection with an investigation into a double homicide. Officers called to 802 6th Street in Perry at around 7:48-a.m. Saturday, found three victims. Two of the victims were deceased, the third was flown to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. The names of the victims and the person being questioned had not been released as of early Sunday afternoon.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is assisting Perry Police in handling the investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa Supreme Court justices who helped legalize gay marriage in the state seven years ago will face voters on Nov. 8 for the first time since the ruling, but they are refusing to campaign for their jobs because they argue the courts should remain above politics.

Chief Justice Mark Cady and Justices Daryl Hecht and Brent Appel need a simple majority of votes to remain on the bench. They’re among seven justices to rule unanimously in 2009 that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in Iowa. Three others were removed from the bench in 2010 after Christian conservatives spent $1 million to defeat them. A campaign that aggressive hasn’t been organized this year.

The seventh justice on the gay marriage decision received enough votes to stay in 2012.