(Radio Iowa) – Two-thirds of Iowa counties are considered to be abnormally dry or in some stage of drought, with far northwest Iowa the driest of all. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says that makes this month’s snowfall particularly welcome. “We had precipitation deficits starting to stack up in western Iowa, especially west central Iowa, going back last fall and then drying creeping into much of western Iowa moving into April, May and especially June, where we saw drought conditions expand across western Iowa,” Glisan says.

The lack of adequate subsoil moisture is a remarkable turn-around after recording flooding just a couple of years ago in several areas. “2018 was the second-wettest year on record. 2019 was the 12th wettest year on record,” Glisan says. “You put those two years together — the wettest two-year stretch for the state of Iowa going back 148 years.” Having snow drifts stick around for a while would be a good thing, according to Glisan, because it may help replenish moisture levels. “But of course drier soils freeze faster and they’ll freeze deeper,” Glisan says, “so we don’t want a really deep freeze in the subsoil because that will act like a concrete layer, no water infiltration getting into that deeper soil.”

The National Weather Service forecasts indicate more than half a foot of snow may fall in some areas of the state today (Tuesday).

(Radio Iowa) – The three Democrats representing Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives have voted to override President Trump’s veto of a major military spending bill, but they’ve also on record now in support of Trump’s call to send two-thousand dollar stimulus checks to most Americans. The U.S. House took votes late Monday on the both issues. Democratic Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids says she was happy to vote for the additional stimulus spending Trump supports, while also voting to override his veto costing military service members their pay. Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines says the president’s veto was shortsighted.

On the other matter, Axne says she hopes the minds of reluctant Republicans senators have been changed by the president’s call for larger stimulus checks and last night’s bipartisan vote in favor of the move. Axne joked, however, that if she had a dollar for every time a House-passed bill faced an uncertain fate in the U.S. Senate, she might be able to make the stimulus payments herself. Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa City was also in the majority on both votes.

On Monday morning, Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron tweeted criticism at Republicans he called “never Trumpers” — but last (Monday) night King was recorded as “not voting” on either issue that came before the House.

FORT MADISON – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Monday, said Iowa One staff member was assaulted by an inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary earlier in the day, Monday. The inmate was in the prison clinic area for a routine medical appointment. Upon entering the exam room, the inmate began to immediately assault the physician. Nearby staff heard the assault and responded to restrain the inmate.

The staff member was taken by department vehicle to receive treatment at the local hospital. He has since been treated and released. The inmate was found to have not suffered any injuries.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a man wanted on two Union County warrants for Parole Violation and Failure to Appear, was arrested Sunday night. The Sheriff says 22-year-old Kane Allen Michael Farlow, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 7:30-p.m. following a traffic stop near the intersection of Stuart Road and Arbor Hill Drive, or about eight miles south of Stuart.

At around 7:12-p.m. Sunday, the Union County Communications Center in Creston, notified the Adair County Sheriff’s Office that a vehicle possibly involved in criminal activity had left the City of Creston traveling northbound on Cherry Street. Cherry Street turn into Henry A. Wallace Road once you enter Adair County. Union County Communications would later advise that an occupant of the vehicle may also have active warrants issued for his arrest.

The Greenfield Police Department first observed the vehicle traveling northbound on Henry A. Wallace Road, south of State Highway 92. The Greenfield Police Department followed the vehicle until additional law enforcement units were available to assist with a traffic stop.

The Greenfield and Stuart Police Departments, the Iowa State Patrol and the Union County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Adair County Sheriff’s Office with the arrest.

ONAWA, Iowa – A Sioux City man faces two counts of attempted murder in connection with a collision resulting in injury, and a shots-fired incident on Interstate 29 (I-29). The incident was reported to the Monona County Sheriff’s Office early Sunday morning December 27th, 2020. The charges were filed Monday (Dec. 28th) against 39-year-old Jayme R. Powell.

Jayme Powell (IA DPS photo)

Charging documents allege that while Powell was driving southbound on I-29 in his truck, he fired multiple rounds at another vehicle operated by Jaimi Bucholz of Sioux City.  Powell then intentionally struck a motorcycle operated by Richard Polak of Sioux City.  The impact forced Powell’s truck and Polak’s motorcycle into the ditch, leaving Polak in critical condition. Powell fled the scene but was later taken into custody in Sioux City.

Polak was life flighted to Mercy Hospital in Sioux City where he remains in critical condition. Powell is currently in custody at the Monona County Jail.  This is an ongoing investigation and more charges may be filed at a later date.

The Iowa State Patrol reports two people were injured during a single-vehicle accident Monday night, in Pottawattamie County. The crash happened at around 8:05 near Crescent. Authorities say a 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by 32-year-old Justin Colton, of Council Bluffs, was traveling north on Joslin Road, just north of Monument Road, when the vehicle went out of control and entered the west ditch.

The car struck a barbed wire fence and then entered the east ditch of I-29  and rolled over, before coming to rest on its top on the northbound shoulder of I-29. Colton, and his passenger, 32-year-old Shayla Wright, of Omaha, were transported by Crescent Rescue to Jenny Edmundson Hospital, in Council Bluffs. Both were wearing their seat belts.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Coronavirus-related hospitalizations and admissions ticked higher in Iowa Monday after several days of decline as the state will end the year with over 3,700 dead from the virus. The state reported no additional deaths in the previous 24 hours as of Monday morning. That leaves Iowa’s death toll at 3,745 but a lag in death reports is likely to drive the official year-end total higher. State Public Health data indicates the number of deaths in October was 21% higher than the average monthly deaths for October over the past four years. State data shows 540 new coronavirus cases were reported in the previous 24 hours.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One of the Tyson Foods managers fired for betting on how many workers would contract COVID-19 at their Iowa pork plant says the office pool was spontaneous and intended to boost morale. Don Merschbrock, a former night manager at the plant in Waterloo, Iowa, said he was speaking out in an attempt to show that the seven fired supervisors are “not the evil people” that Tyson has portrayed. Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson announced the terminations of the Waterloo managers on Dec. 16, weeks after the betting allegation surfaced in wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of four workers who died of COVID-19.

WALCOTT, Iowa (AP) — Two people are dead and another person is injured after a wrong-way, head-on crash on an eastern Iowa interstate highway. The accident happened late Saturday on Interstate 80 near Walcott. The Iowa State Patrol said a 1999 Chrysler Concorde was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when it struck an Infiniti QX60. The driver of the Concorde, 30-year-old Amanda Lin Countryman of Compton, Illinois, was killed, along with 28-year-old Connor Reisenbigler of New York City. The driver of the Infiniti, 27-year-old John Martin Keane of the Bronx, New York, was hospitalized but his condition was not released. The patrol says the accident remains under investigation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — It has been nearly 10 months since Neil Bennett of Iowa City became Iowa’s first person hospitalized for the coronavirus. The 74-year-old is still dealing with the impact. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Bennett was admitted to a hospital in early March. Though he long ago returned home, Bennett still uses a cane and walker and undergoes physical therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation to build up strength in his body and lungs. Bennett says he sometimes becomes impatient with his progress and craves a sense of normalcy. He urges people to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and wash their hands frequently.

LAKE PARK, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports the victim in the December 22, 2020, death investigation in Lake Park has been identified as 25-year-old Angel Bastman, who resided at 104 Maple Ave in Lake Park. Investigators learned on December 22nd, 2020, that Bastman had previously rented a vehicle in her name.  Investigators were unable to locate that vehicle and placed a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) for the vehicle.

On December 26th, 2020, Sioux City Police located the missing rental car driving in Sioux City and attempted to stop the rental vehicle. The vehicle fled and a pursuit was initiated.  The driver, later identified as 23-year-old Justice Berntson, who was involved in a traffic accident and has been charged with Felony Eluding and Driving While Barred by Sioux City Police. The death investigation of Bastman is on-going and no further details are being released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is requested to please contact the Lake Park Police Department at 712-336-2525, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office at 712-336-2793, or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 712-262-1873.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Monday (today), said 33-year old Jack Ray Winchel, of Omaha, was arrested at around 1:20-a.m., Sunday, for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

There were also two non-injury accidents the past couple of days. At around 2:30 Monday (today) morning, an accident happened on 221st Street, as 35-year old Matthew Dennis was driving a 1999 Ford northbound. The vehicle went off the road on the east side. Dennis over-corrected, sending the vehicle into the west ditch, where it apparently rolled over and came to rest upright. Dennis left the scene following the accident.

And at around 1:25-p.m. Saturday, 36-year old Jamie Mendoza, of Shenandoah, was traveling south on 390th Street in Mills County, and was reportedly unfamiliar with the area. She took her eyes off the road while looking at the road signs, and when she saw she was heading for the ditch, over-corrected and lost control of her 2009 Dodge. The vehicle went into the east ditch, through a fence and came to rest in a field. Mendoza was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, and Operating a Non-Registered vehicle.