Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a New Year’s Day carjacking – the second such incident in three days. Officials say at around 3:17-a.m., Monday, Police were dispatched to the 3200 block of Avenue J for a reported carjacking. Upon arrival, they made contact with the victim – Derek Howe. Howe told Police he had been sleeping in his car when two males approached and shot him once before leaving in his vehicle, a 2013 Ford Fusion with Nebraska license plates EVJ 830. The man was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Saturday morning, a Nebraska man suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the thigh during a car jacking incident in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs casino. Council Bluffs Police say officers were called to the Horseshoe Casino at around 4:43-a.m., for a reporting of a male party laying in the parking lot who had been shot. It was discovered the 53-year old male from Elk Horn, NE., was the victim of a robbery / car-jacking in the parking lot. The unidentified man was shot by a suspect, as the victim attempted to flee on foot from the vehicle. The suspect fled from the scene with the victim’s vehicle, a gray 2006 Ford F-150 Super-Crew.

The victim in Saturday’s incident was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. His vehicle was recovered by the Omaha Police Department in the area of the 2000 block of S. 45th St. Authorities say it had been burned.

DELHI, Iowa (AP) — A group of University of Iowa students presented possible solutions to a wastewater treatment issue at a lake in eastern Iowa. The Telegraph Herald reports that engineering students with the university’s Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities offered design options to Delaware County officials. The findings aim to help Delhi home septic systems meet state code.

Lake Delhi drained in 2010 after powerful storms caused a dam breach. Iowa covered the dam reconstruction costs, as long as the city ensured its septic systems complied with state code by 2020. The students presented three septic system options that would cost between $10,000 and $34,000 and vary in effectiveness.

Delaware County Sanitarian Dennis Lyons says the students’ proposals were similar to county officials’. He says the findings will help the county moving forward.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines shelter is bending some of its rules to ensure that homeless people have a place to stay during the dangerous chill that’s descended over much of the Midwest.

Central Iowa Shelters & Services is letting people stay longer as the temperature remains zero (minus 18 Celsius) or below. The shelter usually enforces a time limit on stays. The shelter also is converting its computer lab into living space.

Some of the homeless say they don’t want to use shelter facilities for fear of losing their belongings. Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie says, “It’s their lives. It’s their possessions, and they don’t want to lose that.”

Joppa, a group that assists Des Moines’ homeless, is providing tents and heaters to people who lose possessions while in the shelter.

While most of us will stay inside and brave the cold temperatures — some have no choice but to be outside in this weather when called. Firefighters have to brave the subzero temperatures and windchills while working with water and in conditions that are often life-threatening. West Des Moines Fire Marshal Mike Whitsel says it’s something they talk about often.

“Whenever we are subject to exposures with weather –whether it’s in the middle of July or in the middle of December and January when it’s extremely cold — we always take time every morning before every shift to remind all the firefighters they you need to take some time to protect yourself,” Whitsel says.

Firefighters are reminded to be sure all gloves and hats are ready to go and don’t have holes. He says they will often wear extra layers of clothes, including long johns and shirts, and will use hand and foot warmer packets. Whitsel says as another precaution, they keep track of the time firefighters are in the cold.

“Our E-M-S crews on these calls will show up on the scene and they’ll run a timer and they start putting our crews through a re-hab process to get us warm periodically — it could be every 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes — whatever the exposure, whether you are cold or not, you go through rehab,” Whitsel explains. He says another factor that sometimes is forgotten in the winter is the need to drink enough water while they are working.

“You can get dehydrated at any time whether it is hot or cold outside,” Whitsel says, “so it’s keeping the liquids inside of you as well. Because if you get dehydrate your body is overcompensating for that and it could subject you to getting frostbite a heck of a lot quicker.” Whitsel says they also have to be careful to maintain their equipment in the cold conditions.

He says the trucks will leak water and they have to be sure they are cycling the pumps out so the water doesn’t freeze and break the trucks. Whitsel says firefighters also keep an eye on each other. If they see a fellow firefighter that looks like they are struggling with the conditions, they work with them to help them out.

(Radio Iowa)

The Technology Association of Iowa is launching a first-in-Iowa podcast highlighting women leaders in the high-tech industry. “Technically Iowa” is a series of interviews hosted by a woman who is already at the forefront of using technology to start a business. Beth Trejo is CEO and founder of the Sioux City-based social media agency Chatterkick. She says the show’s goal is to develop a network of women techies.

Trejo says, “To connect female thought leaders, entrepreneurs, people in technology across the state, and just tell their story, let other people be inspired, be compelled.” She says connecting to a community of people who are doing similar work is critical when starting a technology-related business.

“I’m just always fascinated by what people are doing in the state of Iowa, specifically in technology,” Trejo says. “I love visiting with people and hearing their stories and getting their advice.” Trejo says the podcasts can be downloaded from iTunes by searching for “Technically Iowa.” Two shows have been produced. A total of six will be posted by the end of January. Trejo says she hopes the conversations don’t end there.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Rob Dillard, Iowa Public Radio)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former Sioux City schoolteacher has been accused of stealing nearly $3,000 from accounts she set up for East High Special Olympics and the Friendship Connection. The Sioux City Journal reports that 48-year-old Melissa Dickerson is charged with theft.

Court documents say Dickerson was an East High School special education teacher in 2013 when she opened the accounts in violation of Sioux City Community School District policies.

Court documents say that, earlier this month, a bank official told district officials that one of the accounts was overdrawn because of a MidAmerican Energy bill in Dickerson’s name. The documents say Dickerson later acknowledged transactions from August 2016 through June that were made for her own personal use.