Throughout the morning Troopers in western Iowa have responded to assist numerous motorists whose vehicles have slid off the road. Though the road surface appears clear, law enforcement advises black ice can be found on many roadways. Drivers should slow down and drive accordingly.

Towing has been restricted in western Iowa along Interstate 29 from Missouri Valley to Sioux City, due to repeated single-vehicle crashes and icy road conditions.

Additionally, Troopers are responding to several crashes along Interstate 80 between mile markers 29 and 40. As the roadway curves and the direction of travel changes on this stretch of highway, the condition of the roadway also changes. Drivers are caught off guard and are unable to control their vehicle at high rates of speed.

Please remember to check 511ia.org before traveling. This site will give you current information related to road and weather conditions or closures that may affect your trip.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in western Iowa. Antonio Lara-Pantoja of Denison was sentenced in Sioux City last week after pleading guilty in August to a drug conspiracy charge.

Officers found nearly 4 grams of meth in Lara-Pantoja’s vehicle when he was arrested in March 2011. Investigators say he sold more than 100 grams of meth in Denison from January through March of last year.  Authorities say he obtained the drug in Omaha, Neb.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Transportation says it will not issue driver’s licenses to young illegal immigrants who are now eligible to work in the U.S. under an Obama administration program. The department said Thursday that Iowa law does not allow it to issue driver’s licenses or non-operator identification cards to people who are not in the country legally.

President Barack Obama announced a policy change in June that lets certain illegal immigrants apply for a temporary work permit if they were brought to the country as children. Several Republican governors have said they will not issue driver’s licenses to immigrants who qualify. In August, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said his state would continue to deny licenses, welfare benefits and other public assistance unless required by state law.

An elderly Council Bluffs man who suffered from third-degree burns and smoke inhalation during a fire early Sunday morning, has died from his injuries. According to Omaha television station KMTV, 90-year-old Robert Kissel, Sr., a World War II veteran succumbed to his injuries this week.

Kissel, Sr., was transferred from Creighton University Medical Center to St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, NE, following the 2:30-a.m. fire, Sunday. His 59-year old daughter, Robin Ann Krause tried to reach her father but couldn’t because the staircase was on fire. Instead, she called 911 and crawled out a basement window.

Firefighters found Kissel, Sr. in his bedroom. The cause of the fire is under investigation.