(SIOUX FALLS)–The first heavy snow of the late fall is predicted for late tonight from Marshall, Minnesota to Storm Lake.
The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls predicts low pressure will organize and strengthen tonight (Friday) and tomorrow moving from the southern Plains into Eastern Iowa. Snow will develop on the backside of the low…mixing with rain mainly west of Highway 75.
Meteorologist John Hinsberger says temperatures will remain in the 30s and 40s the next several days and northwest Iowa can expect a blast of winter tonight into tomorrow.
The forecast for the area calls for three to five inches of snow. Six to 12 inches of snow is forecast for parts of Minnesota. A Winter Storm Watch covers seven counties in northwest Iowa: Osceola, Dickinson, O’Brien, Clay, Cherokee, Buena Vista and Ida.
“It (snow) should start late tonight and continue into tomorrow morning until about noon,” Hinsberger said. “It looks like snow could reach as far as Interstate 35, maybe around Boone.” Cold and wet conditions will cover the entire state.
Snow amounts are expected to range from around two inches along and east of Highway 75 to six inches or greater from the eastern side of Cottonwood County, Minnesota through Storm Lake.
The snowfall amounts coupled with north to northwest winds of 20 to 30 miles an hour tomorrow could create very hazardous travel conditions.
Plymouth and Sioux Counties are not included in the watch. But Cherokee, O’Brien, Buena Vista and Ida Counties are part of the watch area from late tonight through tomorrow afternoon.
Pedestrian dies after accident on Highway 3 East
(LE MARS)–Le Mars Police report a pedestrian intentionally stepped in front of a pickup truck on Highway Three on the city’s east side last night.
Authorities issued written information that 45-year-old Jeffery Utterback was struck by a pickup truck driven by Even Kunkel of Remsen. Utterback was then struck by another eastbound vehicle driven by Roger Prunty of Marcus. Utterback was pronounced dead at the scene by the Plymouth County Medical Examiner.
Utterback had been living at the Plymouth Life residential care facility near the accident location.
The accident was reported around 7:30 last night.
(ORANGE CITY) — “The Seagull,” by Russian playwright Anton Chekov, premiered last night (Thursday) at Northwestern College. 12 students make up the cast under the direction of Dr. Robert Hubbard. Hubbard says that the production is full of colorful characters.
Listen here
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“The Seagull” is traditionally set in Russia, but Dr. Hubbard’s production will be set in 1920s Romania. He made that decision after visiting Romania and was amazed by the scenic mountain region and the passionate people.
Listen here
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Romania will also be represented by folk music performed live by a women’s choir throughout the show.
Anton Chekov’s The Seagull can be seen at Northwestern’s DeWitt Theater tonight (Friday), Saturday and November 18th-20th. All show times are 7:30. (News report by Angela Drake)
High Court rules warrant needed
(DES MOINES)–The Iowa Supreme Court has thrown out a drug conviction for a Sioux City man saying police did not get the needed search warrant for his rented room.
Sioux City police stopped two men for a seatbelt violation and found their car had a strong smell of pot. The two men told officers they were heading to a home to buy more pot and gave officers the address. Police obtained a search warrant and raided the home that was occupied by four men. The initial search turned up five pounds of marijuana in the basement, another pound in a bedroom, and 14-thousand dollars in cash. The search also found a small amount of marijuana in a bedroom occupied by Joshua Flemming.
Officers found an insurance paper indicating that Flemming lived at the home, but they did not question him about what they found. Flemming sought to suppress the evidence found in the search saying he rented the room for 375-dollars, had exclusive possession of the room and the warrant officers used did not extend to his room. The district court said the warrant did include Flemming’s room and he was found guilty of possession of marijuana. The Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the lower court ruling, but the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that Flemming had exclusive possession to his room and did not allow the owner of the room access without his consent, so Flemming had a “reasonable expectation of privacy in his bedroom.”
The court says a warrant would be required by police to enter Fleming’s bedroom. (Radio Iowa)
Cosby performs in Sioux City next year
(SIOUX CITY)–One of the best known comedians in America returns to the stage in Sioux City next year.
Bill Cosby will perform at Sioux City’s Orpheum Theatre March 27th at 7 p-m.
Cosby has entertained generations with comedy routines, albums, books and his television series, “The Cosby Show.”
He is a 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and a 2009 recipient of the Mark Twain prize for American Humor.
Ticket sales begin November 19th.
Palin to sign book n Siouxland
NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is scheduled to stop in Nebraska and Iowa on her book tour later this month.
Citing various media reports, the Norfolk (Neb.) Daily News says Palin will be in Norfolk on Nov. 27, the same day she’s scheduled to be in Des Moines, Iowa.
Publisher HarperCollins announced Wednesday that Palin would be on the road from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, with a break for Thanksgiving.
The title of her new book is “American by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag.”
The 46-year-old Palin will be joined by her husband, Todd, and other family members at various tour stops.
The time and location of her Norfolk and Des Moines appearances have not been announced.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Casino Omaha to reopen next month
ONAWA, Iowa (AP) The Omaha Tribe plans to reopen a casino near Onawa in western Iowa, more than a year after closing it following regulatory problems and declining business.
Bill Walsh, who heads a tribal subsidiary that will oversee Casino Omaha, says it will reopen Dec. 15. Walsh tells The Des Moines Register that the casino will offer 420 new coinless slot machines but that table games such as blackjack and roulette won’t be available until next year.
The casino closed in June 2009 because of poor business. The National Indian Gaming Commission last year recommended the tribe close due to regulatory violations. Walsh says the commission has authorized opening the casino.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Shootings leave Des Moines neighborhood uneasy
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Residents of a Des Moines neighborhood say they’re worried by eight shootings in the last three days.
No one has been hurt in the shootings that occurred from Tuesday night through Thursday evening. Police haven’t made any arrests.
Some of the incidents have been during the day in busy areas, such as one Wednesday afternoon in which a man opened fire on three boys along a busy street. Police say one boy got on his bicycle and returned fire across the street.
Business owner Gerome Linley tells The Des Moines Register he saw the shootout, calling it “absolutely crazy.”
In other cases, bullets have hit homes while people were inside.
Police Sgt. Jeff Edwards says detectives are trying to determine whether the shootings are connected.
3 treated after gas leak at Mount Vernon hotel
MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (AP) A carbon monoxide leak at a Mount Vernon hotel left three people complaining of nausea or headaches.
Firefighters and medics were called to the Sleep Inn on Thursday night. Medics took one person to a Cedar Rapids hospital and treated two other people at the hotel.
All were expected to recover.
Fire Chief Dan Gaines tells The Gazette that an exhaust pipe for a water boiler came loose, causing carbon monoxide to escape into the building.
Firefighters shut down the boiler and ventilated the building.
Des Moines increasing storm water utility bills
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Storm water utility bills likely will rise for Des Moines residents and businesses.
The City Council this week approved the first of three votes to implement rate increases in 2012 and 2013. If approved by the council, that will mean five consecutive years of rate increases.
The 2012 increase would raise an average customer’s storm water fee to $8.84, and the second increase would bring it to $9.19.
The Des Moines Register reports that city officials say the money is needed to pay for storm water and flood improvements.
Fort Dodge honors veterans by naming bridge
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) Fort Dodge has named a bridge to honor the memory of local service men and women who died in recent conflicts.
The City Council named the bridge that carries Third Street over a deep valley, the Bridge of Fallen Heroes.
In a Thursday morning Veterans Day ceremony, about 50 people gathered to dedicate the bridge. A bronze plaque with the span’s new name and the insignia of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy has been mounted on a corner of the bridge.
The Messenger newspaper reports that the City Council decided to honor veterans after receiving a request to note the death of Marine Corps Sgt. Jon Bonnell Jr., who was killed in a 2007 explosion in Iraq. His parents and the parents of Army Sgt. Nathan Field, who died in 2006, attended the ceremony.
Ottumwa residents happy to get off cruise ship
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) Eight residents of Ottumwa are looking forward to returning home after being among nearly 4,500 people stranded aboard a cruise liner off the coast of Mexico.
They told the Ottumwa Courier it was a relief to finally see San Diego after a three-day ordeal that began Monday when an engine fire left the Carnival Splendor adrift about 44 miles off the coast of Mexico.
Jim and Claudia Enloe and their son, Brandon, were among eight people from Ottumwa who boarded the ship Sunday.
Claudia Enloe says after the fire, a hallway was filled with smoke.
The worst part was that the toilets didn’t work. She says there was a celebration when the toilets began flushing Tuesday.
Tugboats hauled the 952-foot ship back to San Diego on Thursday. The Ottumwa residents expect to return home Friday.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
