Winter Snow Storm Hits Iowa
(Le Mars) — The winter storm that passed through the area yesterday and last evening has already dropped 3 and a half inches of the white fluffy snow on Le Mars. Snow is being forecast to continue today, perhaps as much as additional two inches. Samantha Carr with the National Weather Services of
Sioux Falls says the back side of the storm should happened by mid-afternoon.
How much snow can we expect for Le Mars and this area?
Iowa Department Of Transportation Reports Roads Are Snow Covered
(Le Mars) — The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting all roads within northwest Iowa are snow covered. Visibility is down due to the blowing snow. Drifting of snow is common in many areas. Snow plows are out and attempting to clear the roadways, but with the constant blowing snow, it
becomes difficult to keep the highways clear. The IDOT reports Highway 20 near Fort Dodge has a blockage due to an accident. Travel is not advised, but if you must travel, proceed with caution. Snowplows have been applying sand and other ice reducing material throughout the state. In many parts of
the state a tow band has been issued.
IDOT snowplow view on Highway 75 near Maurice at 7:33 a.m. Friday, January 15th.
Grassley Says Senate May Not Deal With Impeachment
(Washington) — U-S Senator Chuck Grassley says the decision by the U-S House of Representatives to vote on the impeachment of President Trump Wednesday was the “real McCoy.” Grassley says the decision to proceed with a hearing in the Senate will be left up to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Grassley says he thinks the Senate Democrats may want to focus on Biden’s first few weeks in office, as opposed to dealing with a Trump impeachment hearing.
During his media conference, Grassley was asked if he is planning to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden?
Now that the state of Georgia elected their Democratic candidates to the U-S Senate giving the Democratic party a slight majority and control of the U-S Senate, Grassley says it will mean he will no longer serve as Pro-tempore.
Grassley made his comments Thursday morning during a telephone interview with KLEM radio.
Test Iowa Sites In Des Moines, Council Bluffs Closed By Weather Conditions
(Des Moines, IA) — The State of Iowa is closing the Test Iowa drive-thru sites in Council Bluffs and Des Moines today (Friday), due to anticipated blizzard conditions across western and central Iowa. If you have appointments scheduled for today (Friday) at these sites — you will receive an email notification from Test Iowa and you will be able to reschedule the appointment online. Sites in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Waterloo are planning to open as scheduled today (Friday) — but that may change depending on local conditions. Any announcements regarding additional closures or changes in hours will be made locally. The five state-operated Test Iowa drive-thru sites and the State Hygienic Lab will also be closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Junior federal holiday.
Unemployment Claims Increase Slightly
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Workforce Development reports continuing weekly unemployment claims increased by more than 62-hundred last week for a total of 49-thousand-451. That increase came as the new unemployment claims for the week took a slight drop. I-W-D says 68-point-three percent of those filing claims indicated the claims were not COVID-19-related.
National Guard Leader Says 2020 Was A Busy Time
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Ben Corell (kor-ELL) told lawmakers in his “Condition of the Guard” address there were a “staggering number” of domestic and overseas deployments in 2020. That includes 17-hundred who are still on duty overseas and over 900 Iowa Guardsmen called to pandemic-related duty. Corell says the historic floods of 2008 were the last time the Iowa National Guard played such a diverse role in coming to the aid of Iowans during their time of need. The Iowa Guard has delivered 312 tons of food to the state’s network of food banks and pantries and soldiers and airmen are answering a hotline. Iowa Guardsmen have also helped with Contract tracing and answering calls to a new hotline for hospitals looking for somewhere to transfer Covid patients.
National Guard Sendings Soldiers To Help With Inauguration
(Johnston, IA) — The Iowa National Guard is sending 250 soldiers and airmen to Washington, D-C-. to provide security for next week’s inauguration. Adjutant General Ben Corell (kor-ELL) says the goal is to get them on the ground there by this weekend. Corell says the Iowa Guard members are being given time to notify their employers, say good-bye to their families and pack up their winter weather gear. The number of soldiers going east is many more this time around. The Iowa Guard sent around 30 soldiers and airmen to help with the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017.
Public Health Association Asks For Capitol Mask Mandate
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Public Health Association has sent a letter to state lawmakers asking them to require that masks be worn at the Iowa Capitol. The legislative session began Monday, and some visitors and Republican lawmakers have not been wearing masks. The letter says the association is “gravely concerned about events at the Capitol contributing to the spread of the pandemic.” The executive director of the Iowa Public Health Association, Lina Tucker Reinders (rine-ders), says the spread of the virus does not stop because of your position in work, or society, or anything else. Republican leaders say they can’t really enforce a mask mandate. Democrats are criticizing them for not doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the statehouse.
Transportation Commission Approves Trails Funding
(Ames, IA) — The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved the awards of more than one-point-three million dollars for seven federal Recreational Trails Program projects. A grant of nearly 97-thousand dollars will help rebuild a bridge in the Gypsum City O-H-V Park that provides a connection to a couple of old gypsum mines. A grant for more than 110-thousand dollars goes to replacing a building at the Bluff Creek O-H-V Park in Mahaska County. Developers of the Carlisle multi-use trail are getting 400-thousand dollars to finish one of two portions of the trail left to complete. Dickinson County is receiving more than 285-thousand dollars for phase one of the Clay County trail connection. Marshalltown received 300-thousand dollars for the Iowa River’s Edge Trail Paving from Radio Tower Road towards the Iowa River. The Jones County Conservation Board won 138-thousand dollars for phase two of the Wapsipinicon Trail.
Caroll Man Sentenced To Prison On Porn Charge
(Carroll, IA) — A Carroll man will serve more than seven years in federal prison on a child pornography charge. Thirty-year-old Kyler Colten Cook pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. Cook admitted that between February 8th, 2019, and December 3rd, 2019, he knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Cook was caught sending graphic texts and visual images to a female while waiting for his trial and was then detained in federal custody pending trial. He was sentenced to 93 months in prison and fined three-thousand dollars.
Boone Man Facing Several Charges After Traffic Stop
(Ames, IA) — A Boone man is facing several drug charges after being stopped by Iowa State University police. I-S-U officers say 23-year-old Jordan Simmonds took off when they tried to stop him for a traffic violation and stopped only after hitting another car. Officers recovered one-third pound of marijuana, methamphetamine, L-S-D, Xanax, heroin, and more than 600 dollars in cash from his vehicle. Simmonds was charged with second-offense O-W-I, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (marijuana), drug tax stamp violation, possession of a controlled substance (LSD), unlawful possession of a prescription drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, eluding, reckless driving, failure to obey stop sign, failure to provide proof of financial liability.
