BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Burlington is set to become a stop for a major river cruise line in the next few years. City officials signed a two-year agreement Monday with Viking Cruises, which is based in Basel, Switzerland. The agreement says the city will lease docking facilities to Viking for two years, and Viking will pay $1 per passenger that comes onto the docks. Viking has ordered the ships that will cruise the Mississippi River, but they won’t be ready until 2022.

The Viking ships are set to dock at Burlington 30 times between July 2022 and October 2023. Eventually its ships may be stopping daily at Burlington. The agreement allows the city to offer its docks to other cruise ships.

(Radio Iowa) — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss is projecting growth for retailers in Christmas sales this year.  “Based upon our surveys, in these two surveys of manufacturers and bank C-E-O’s in ten states, including Iowa — the overall numbers are pointing to a positive Christmas holiday buying season — up three to four percent,” Goss says. He says on-line shopping will see an even bigger boost. “Online buying by consumers is going to be up 14 to 15 percent, so much better on online buying,” Goss says. “…some of what is limiting it is finding qualified workers to fill those retail positions.”

Goss says you may see the impact of the worker shortage as you look to buy gifts. “You’re going to maybe in some cases spend more time standing in line to pay for your gift item than you did finding your gift. So it is a challenge for a lot of retailers out there,” Goss says. “And also, retailers have been through a tough couple of years and they’ve been through a lot of cost cutting. So, they’ve been cutting back on manpower as well.” He says with low unemployment, low gas prices and a good overall economy, there is plenty to spend on gifts. “Consumers are pretty flush with at least confidence and with some spending power. Although, consumer debt is at record levels — particularly for millennials and those who have college debt,” Goss says.

He says that college debt could impact some of the buying from those consumers. Goss does have a word of caution looking forward. He says the growth in holiday sales comes as the economic growth is down from last year, signaling slower economic growth and somewhat higher unemployment levels in the weeks and months ahead.

(Radio Iowa) — It’s predicted tens of thousands of Iowans will be traveling at least 50 miles from home next week to share a Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Rose White, at Triple-A-Iowa, says the state’s highways and interstates will be especially busy, no matter what the weather forecast may hold. “Thanksgiving holiday travel will reach 55.3-million travelers, an increase of nearly 3% from a year ago and the second-highest on record,” White says. “Of those traveling, 49.3-million will reach their destination by car, 4.4-million will travel by air and another 1.5-million will travel by other modes, including rail and ship.”

The motor club says filling the gas tank will be a bit cheaper than Thanksgiving of 2018. “For those traveling by car, gas prices are fluctuating a bit,” White says. “Currently, the national fuel average is 5-cents lower than last year with unleaded averaging $2.59 a gallon. Across Iowa, the prices are about 18-cents lower than the national average, currently at $2.41 a gallon.”

When compared to Christmas and New Year’s, White says Thanksgiving is more condensed, making it the busiest — and potentially the most hazardous — travel holiday of the year. “We do see a high volume of people hitting the roadways during that short window which officially begins on Wednesday and ends on Sunday,” White says. “We anticipate the busiest day for travel will be Wednesday afternoon. We advise people hitting the road to get plenty of rest the night before to prevent drowsy driving, which can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.”

Travel numbers are expected to rise this Thanksgiving, based on several factors. White says consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income and household wealth, and travel remains one of the top priorities for the holiday season.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Johnson County’s top prosecutor has cleared an Iowa City officer who shot a woman who’s accused of shooting him with a BB gun. County Attorney Janet Lyness says in a report issued Monday that Officer Michael Clark acted with reasonable force on July 29. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the exchange of shots occurred after police were called to check a shoplifting report. The officers found a suspect who was later identified as 25-year-old Cierra Lewis. Police say she shot Clark several times, including in the face. He then fired five shots at her, striking her in a hand.

Lewis has pleaded not guilty to theft, willful injury and assault with a weapon on a peace officer. A mental competency hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16 to determine whether she can go to trial.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Department reports two arrests took place last Friday, while another occurred on Nov. 9th. A little after 4-p.m. Friday, Adair County Deputies took 30-year old Brian Keith Cunningham, of Greenfield, into custody at the Grundy County Jail. Cunningham was wanted on an Adair County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 cash only bond.

Also arrested Friday, was 37-year old Chad William Johnson, of Creston. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop, and charged with OWI/3rd offense, and Driving While License denied or revoked for OWI. His cash or surety bond was set at $6,000. Johnson posted bond a few hours later, and was released.

And, 47-year old Bobby Glenn Agan, III, of Stuart, was arrested at around 11:35-p.m. on Nov. 9th, after a Deputy who went to Agan’s residence to serve civil papers along with an arrest warrant out of Madison County, during the course of a conversation outside the home, saw a little plastic baggie containing a substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine. Agan was arrested on the felony warrant, and for Possession of Meth. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000. Agan posted bond later that same morning, and was released.