An accident near Wiota on Interstate 80 this morning has resulted in possible, minor injuries to one individual. According to scanner reports, the accident happened at around 8-a.m. on I-80 westbound, near the 63-mile marker.

Reports indicated two vehicles were involved, with one rolled over. The occupants were said to have been out of the vehicles and talking with authorities. No other details are currently available.

The road remains partially covered with snow and ice, and travelers are advised to drive with caution. Numerous other vehicles have spun-off I-80 in western Iowa, but no injuries have been reported in those incidents.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – People are confronting slick roads, massive snowdrifts and bone-chilling cold in much of Nebraska and Iowa as the region continues digging out from a massive winter storm. Dozens of districts in both states canceled or planned a late start to classes on Monday.

In Nebraska, Omaha Public Power District officials say nearly 250 customers remained without electricity by 7:30 a.m. At the peak of the outages, more than district 19,700 customers had no power.
Wind chills down to minus 15 were reported for Omaha overnight. On Monday morning in Sioux City, Iowa, the wind chill dipped to minus 22.

In Johnson County, Iowa, a pregnant woman and her 2-year-old son were rescued by snowmobile after becoming stuck in their vehicle near Hills on Sunday evening.

Two people were arrested over the weekend, in Creston. According to the police department, 48-year old Joel Alan Weeks, of Creston, was arrested Sunday afternoon for Driving While Barred. He was later released on $2,000 bond. And early Friday morning, 38-year old Sara Nicole Exline, of Afton, was arrested in Creston on a Union County warrant for Burglary in the 2nd degree. She was later released on $5,000 bond.

And the Creston P-D says a resident on north Walnut Street reported that sometime between Jan. 26th and 30th, someone entered his vehicle while it was parked at 401 N. Walnut. Taken from the vehicle was a black, Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun and a camouflage gun case. The loss was estimated at $320.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Family caregivers and their supporters from across Iowa will converge on the state Capitol today (Monday), releasing a new voter survey about the experiences around family caregiving. The group will urge lawmakers to make sure those who are taking care of family members are better prepared to do so.

Anthony Carroll, advocacy director with AARP Iowa, says there are a number of unexpected challenges facing people who end up in caregiving roles that need to be addressed, such as having to perform medical duties. “Things like handling injections, IVs, managing medications, and doing wound care,” Carroll says. “What we’re looking at is makings sure people are equipped to do those sometimes complicated and often challenging medical and nursing tasks.”

One proposal in the Legislature, known as the CARE Act, requires hospitals to provide instruction on medical tasks the family caregiver may need to perform at home. Proponents of the bill say it would also help reduce hospital re-admissions. In addition, the Act would have hospitals record the name of a family caregiver when a loved one is admitted and keep that person informed of major decisions, including if the patient will be transferred or discharged. Carroll says that engagement is vital, as two-thirds of Iowa’s long-term, home and community-based care is being provided by family members, many of whom are also working.

“Unpaid loved ones. Mostly children, sometimes spouses,” says Carroll. “Mostly women, but some men, who volunteer to spend time out of the love and kindness of their heart to assist loved ones.”

Statewide, AARP says there are more than a half-million family caregivers and that number is expected to rise as the population continues to age.

(Iowa News Service)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A new report says a monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains rose slightly in January. The survey report issued Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index climbed to 54.8 last month from 54.4 in December.  Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says growth for companies outside of energy and agriculture will more than offset expected declines in those sectors.

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.