CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Thanksgiving and the day before are the top two days in this country for the chance of a cooking fire to happen in someone’s home. Cooking causes an average of 158,400 home fires per year, which is 44% of all home fires in the United States. The American Red Cross offers safety steps everyone can follow if they will be preparing their family’s Thanksgiving feast.  Emily Holley, Regional Communications Manager for the Nebraska-Iowa Chapter of the Red Cross, says “Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, home fire injuries and the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Most happen because people leave cooking food unattended. We want everyone to have a safe, enjoyable holiday, so don’t leave the kitchen while you’re cooking.”

The Red Cross offers the following cooking safety tips:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
• Keep kids and pets at least three feet away from cooking areas.
• Keep anything that can catch on fire — potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains — away from your stove top and oven or any other appliance that generates heat.
• Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
• Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen.
• Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving home to make sure all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off.

(Atlantic,Iowa) – You don’t have to go all-out for your Thanksgiving meal, Thursday, and you don’t even have to do the dishes, if you attend the FREE 3^rd Annual Community Thanksgiving meal Thursday, in Atlantic. The event – with all the traditional fixings, including turkey, ham, dressing and pie, takes place from 11-a.m. Until 4-p.m. At the Cass County Community Center (next to the Fairgrounds), at 805 W, 10^th Street.

Take-out meals and delivery are available in Atlantic, and there are drop locations in Wiota, Anita, Cumberland, Massena, Lewis, Griswold, Marne, Walnut, Elk Horn and Exira (By pre-order only). To order to go meals on Thanksgiving please call or text message 712-250-1599 by no later than 5-p.m. On Wednesday (Nov. 27). Last year over 500 meals were served. Kristen Holaday-Brooks with Holaday Baking Company is serving the meal, thanks to numerous sponsors. Kristin’s family has hosted the event since its inception.

The first family was served after consulting with the Atlantic School District to see who needed the most help on Thanksgiving. From there, the need grew to multiple families.

The first year, she said, they were just trying to figure out the logistics of serving numerous people. They ended-up served about 450 meals.

As of last week, there were at least 159 meals ordered for delivery and the drop locations. The meat for the meal is smoked by Troublesome Creek Cattle Company in Exira, the week before the meal. Every meal is homemade.

Their job is made easier thanks to the use of an industrial potato peeler. The Atlantic Bottling Company has donated all of the drinks for the event. That’s also included with deliveries. The deliveries are handled by volunteers. Again, deliveries are made by pre-order only. For more information, call or text Anna at 712-250-1599, or visit the holadaybakingcompany’s Facebook page.

(Radio Iowa) – We could find out who will be the new lieutenant governor sometime next month. Governor Kim Reynolds was asked Tuesday about her decision to replace Adam Gregg who left in September. “Soon, really soon. So it in the next couple of weeks, probably we’ll have a decision,” Reynolds says. Reynolds has been busy with the fall campaign, the Republican Governors Association, and a trade trip to India. “So it’s just been a crazy timeline, but, and we want to do it right and so, but we’re really close,” she says. Reynolds says she has completed all of the interviews of candidates for the job.

“You know, I’m not going to give you the number that we’ve interviewed, but we’ve talked to several people,” Reynolds says. Gregg resigned as lieutenant governor to take over as the leader of the Iowa Bankers Association. The president of the Iowa Senate is next in line of succession until a new lieutenant governor is named by Reynolds.