More area, and State news, w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident Tuesday afternoon, south of Atlantic. The collision between an SUV and a van happened at around 1:45-p.m. at the intersection of Highways 71 and 92.

Officials say a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee owned and driven by 33-year old Kyle John Franson,  of Grant, was northbound on Highway 71 when it was struck by a 2007 Ford Econoline van driven by 43-year old Patrick M. Flynn, of Omaha. The accident happened  when Flynn attempted a left turn onto Highway 71 from Highway 92, and failed to see Franson’s vehicle. Flynn was cited for Failure to Yield at a Stop Sign.

Damage from the crash amounted to $14,000.

MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) – Mapleton’s five churches have joined to maintain an emergency house that’s available to anyone who needs shelter. It sits near St. John’s Methodist Church, which bought the property and planned to raze the house so more parking spaces could be provided. But the pastor at the time and congregation had a change of heart and sought a higher purpose for the two-bedroom structure.

The current pastor, Jena Manchester, told the Sioux City Journal that “the former minister said, ‘There’s too much life left in it. Let’s use it until it falls down.”‘ It was dubbed God’s Little House and has provided free shelter for people since 2008. Members of Mapleton’s five churches work summers in the concession stand at the city’s ballfields for money to maintain the house.

The 7:07-a.m. news (podcast) w/KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.

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The Iowa DOT reports (as of 7:15-a.m.), Interstate 80 westbound in Cass County is blocked between Exit 57 (the Olive Street exit), and Exit 54 (Highway 173/Elk Horn), due to an accident. A KJAN listener reports a semi has tipped over onto its side, blocking both lanes. The crash is just beyond the Olive Street overpass. Westbound traffic was being rerouted off I-80 westbound at the Exit 57 ramp, across Olive Street and back down the I-80 westbound on-ramp, around the obstruction.

Additional details are not available.

The National Weather Service says a fast moving weather system will produce periods of light snow this morning. Snowfall amounts will range from a dusting to around one inch. The morning commute will likely be impacted with roads become snow covered and slippery. Just before 6-a.m., the Iowa Dept. of Transportation’s map at 511ia.org showed most roads in southwest Iowa between Highway 92 and Highway 44, were partially covered with snow. South of Highway 92, roads were mostly covered with snow. The snowfall should move east of the area by around noon.

Otherwise expect mostly cloudy conditions the remainder of the afternoon with highs in the 20s. Mostly cloudy and cold conditions are expected on Thursday although it should be dry. Quiet but cold conditions are expected on New Year’s Eve with lows in the single digits north to the lower teens south. Expect some sunshine on New Year’s Day with seasonal temperatures in the 20s.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County arrested a Stanton man Tuesday night on a valid Page County warrant. 21-year old Cody Benjamin Carrol Johnson was taken into custody at around 9:50-p.m. on a warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of Driving While Barred. Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

A northwest Iowa woman has been charged with attempted murder for her role in a two-vehicle accident in Plymouth County nearly four months ago. Authorities say 29 year old Melissa Ebert, of Cherokee, intentionally drove her vehicle into the path of a car driven by 28 year old Dustin Boll, of Le Mars, shortly before midnight on September 9th. Both drivers and a passenger in Ebert’s vehicle, 33 year old Damian Johnson, also of Cherokee, suffered serious injuries in the accident on a county road.

Ebert has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle and second offense O-W-I. She’s being held in the Plymouth County Jail on $50-thousand dollars bond.

(Radio Iowa)

A half dozen presidential candidates campaigned in Iowa Tuesday. During an evening rally in Council Bluffs, Republican front-runner Donald Trump told the crowd former New York Governor George Pataki’s exit from the race wouldn’t have much impact. “There’s not much to split up ’cause he was at zero,” Trump said, and the crowd laughed. “No, No. I always say: ‘Oh, let’s see. He dropped out. He’s got three. How many of the three can we get, the three percent?’ When they drop out at zero, you just say: ‘Let’s go on to the next.’ Right?”

For the second time in Iowa, Trump carried the Bible his mother gave him on stage and talked about “polling so well” with evangelical voters in Iowa.  “We love ‘The Art of the Deal,'” Trump said, referring to his book. “But the Bible is far, far, far superior. Right? Yes.” The crowd cheered. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has criticized Trump for opposing a hike in the minimum wage and Sanders suggests Trump’s tax strategies would help the wealthy and devastate the “disappearaing” middle class. Trump shot back last night (Tuesday).

“Forget about socialist. I think he’s a communist. He wants to bring your taxes up to 90 percent,” Trump said and the crowd started booing. “I mean, no, think of it. The guy wants to bring your taxes up to, like, whatever and give some people free (college). But you know who’s paying for it, folks? You’re paying for it. Lots of luck. Enjoy yourselves, O.K.? But he’s literally, people are talking about a 90 percent tax rate. Who would be happy paying 90 percent to taxes? Not too many people. No, it’s terrible.”

Sanders told a crowd in Muscatine late Tuesday afternoon that it is “absurd” that bright young kids cannot afford to go to college and it deprives the country of their economic potential. Earlier in the day Republican Chris Christie urged a crowd of about 50 in an Iowa City restaurant to choose an experienced candidate rather than a political novice “We’ve got former governors, current governors We’ve got current senators, former senators. We’ve got business executives and we’ve got a character,” Christie said, to laughter. “O.K? We’ve got it all and it’s been very entertaining, but this is what I tell Iowa: ‘Show time is over. It’s game time. You and the people in New Hampshire are the most powerful people in America. You are going to take this race from 13 to four or five.”

Florida Senator Marco Rubio campaigned in eastern Iowa yesterday. He spoke to about 150 people in Clinton, then took questions from the crowd. “First of all I can see why Hillary would not run against you in 2016. That’s obviously obvious,” a man in the crowd said. Rubio replied: “But I do want to run against her.” South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy endorsed Rubio Monday and campaigned with him in Iowa.

“National security (and) public safety are the most important issues to me and there is nobody better on those two issues than Marco Rubio,” Gowdy said. Gowdy is running a U.S. House investigation of the 2012 attack in Benghazi. Gowdy told the crowd in Clinton it is a “serious investigation” that will “find out what happened.” Democrat Martin O’Malley campaigned in Jefferson and Fort Dodge last night. Republican Rick Santorum met with supporters at a “house party” in Waukee.

(Radio Iowa)

Fire destroyed an apartment building Tuesday in the northwest Iowa town of Sloan. Major Todd Wieck, of the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, says a deputy helped two female residents who jumped to safety from a second floor window of the four apartment, two story structure. “As he pulled up to the scene, he saw one female jump from a window. He got out of his car and ran over to the building. At that time, there was a lot of smoke and flames coming from the building,” Wieck said. “He assisted the second female victim out of the window and down to the ground.”

The two women suffered minor injuries.

Image courtesy Radio Iowa

Fire crews were sent to the apartment complex around 10 a.m. Residents of a nearby building were also evacuated. The apartment building, where the fire originated, is considered “a total loss,” according to Wieck. Heavy smoke from the fire forced the evacuation of residents of the second apartment building next door.

A total of 15 residents were displaced by the fire. The Evangelical Covenant Church across the street from the complex was being used as a shelter for the residents and the American Red Cross is also assisting. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)