The National Weather Service is offering free, Storm Spotter Training classes in the KJAN listening area. They are open to the public. Each training class is an hour and a half. Participants from neighboring counties are encouraged to attend.

Classes will be held as follows:

• Madison County – 6-p.m. Wednesday, February 28th, at the Madison Holding Company (201 W. Court) in Winterset.
• Ringgold County – 6-p.m. Wed., March 7th, at the Ringgold County Courthouse in Mt. Ayr.
• Audubon County – 7-p.m. Thursday, March 8th, at the Audubon County Courthouse.
• Crawford County – 6:30-p.m. Wed., March 14th, at the Denison Fire Station.
• Adair & Guthrie Counties – 7-p.m. Wed., March 21st, at the Menlo Community Bldg.
• Adams County – 6:30-p.m. Monday, April 2nd, at the Corning Fire Station.
• Dallas County – 7-p.m. Wed., April 4th, at Dallas Co. Emergency Mgmt., in Adel.

Additional information and Storm Spotter Resources are available at: http://www.weather.gov/dmx/ stormspotting (A Calendar is in the Spotter Training tab at the bottom of the page).

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), updated their investigation into the Jan. 28th death of an inmate. Sheriff Dan Altena reports 29-year old Dustin Lee Herbst, of Sioux City, died by suicide, according to autopsy results.

The Sheriff said the jail has numerous cameras throughout the facility, which are continually monitored by corrections staff. The corrections officers also perform physical checks within the entire jail, including the cells. The incident involving inmate Herbst occurred inside one of the cells, between the time periods when jail checks are performed by corrections officers. There are no cameras inside the cells.

Herbst was found by Detention Officers at around 6:30-p.m., January 28th. He was unresponsive and was rendered emergency aid. Rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and the inmate was pronounced dead by the Sioux County Medical Examiner.

The Clarinda Police Department wants to remind citizens that a city wide on street parking ban will go into effect if two inches or more of snow accumulates. The parking ban will remain in force until the snow quits falling & the streets have been plowed from curb to curb. Vehicles found in violation are subject to parking citations, tow & impoundment.

Please comply with the parking ban so the snow plow operators can perform their duties.

(CORRECTION noted in second paragraph to indicate the series of events that occurred after the Sierra crossed the median)

An accident that claimed a life on Interstate 80 in Cass County, Monday, brings the death toll from crashes during the snow storm, to eight. The Iowa State Patrol said late this afternoon (Tuesday), that 28-year old Ariel Gruenberg, of Columbia, SC, died at the scene of the crash that happened at around 4:28-p.m. on I-80 eastbound, one mile east of the Wiota Exit.

Gruenberg was traveling eastbound in a 2011 GMC Sierra, when the vehicle went out of control and crossed the median into the westbound lanes of traffic. A 2004 Freightliner truck, driven by 40-year-old Michael Williams, of Neola, was westbound and hit Gruenberg’s vehicle head-on. Williams’ vehicle then crossed the median into the eastbound lanes. A 2014 Freightliner truck, driven by 41-year-old Amy Douglas, of Old Town, Florida, was eastbound and collided with Williams’ vehicle. A 2012 Ford F150 pickup, driven by 22-year-old Tyler Springer, of West Des Moines, was eastbound and hit the trailer of Williams’ vehicle.

On I-80 in eastern Iowa, police say 21-year old Josephina Mae Buffington, of Fairfax died, near Grinnell, at around 1:20 p.m., and another person died and two others were injured at 1:40 p.m., in a crash near Durant.

In northeast Iowa, two sisters from Decorah, 17-year-old Avery Arneson and 13-year-old Aiden Arneson, died a two-vehicle crash around 8:30 a.m. Monday on a county road in northeast Iowa. Four other teens were injured and hospitalized in that crash.

In Cedar Rapids, two men died in a crash on Interstate 380. Killed were 24-year-old Jacolby Jesse Burks, of Cedar Rapids, and 21-year-old Devion Martel Luster, of Dixon, Illinois.

A bus driver from Independence, MO., 53-year old Dana Easter, died and several people were critically injured in the pileup that closed Interstate 35 near Ames, Monday afternoon.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Labor, public health, environment and animal protection organizations are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reject plans to change the way hogs are slaughtered and processed for meat.

Thirty-five organizations, including Compassion Over Killing, Friends of the Earth and Waterkeeper Alliance, asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Tuesday to reject the rules proposed last month.

The rules allow plant employees instead of government inspectors to determine which animals are slaughtered and allow increased line speeds. The groups say the changes risk increased food contamination, worker injuries, animal abuse and water pollution.

The USDA says the rules don’t risk food safety and improve industry practices, and the National Pork Producers says they increase efficiency, inspection effectiveness and the rapid adoption of new food-safety technologies.

The USDA is taking comments until April 2.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department today (Tuesday), released their latest activity and incident report. In it, they mentioned that on Friday, Feb. 2nd, 25-year old Michael Christopher Hut Sims, of Harlan, was cited following a traffic stop, for driving under suspension and operation without registration.

And, no injuries were reported Monday, after a vehicles driven by Dustin Allen Delgado, and Andrea Mae Petersen, both of Harlan, collided.The accident happened at 6th and Market Streets, as Petersen was northbound on 6th and approaching Market.

Delgado was westbound on Market and stopped at 6th, but didn’t see Petersen’s approaching vehicle. He pulled out into the intersection. Both vehicles slid on the snow-covered road until Petersen’s vehicle made contact with the driver’s side of the Delgado vehicle.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say seven people have been killed — including two teenage sisters — on Iowa roads as a winter storm swept the state Monday, leading to dozens of crashes and a 50- to 70-car pileup near Ames. The Des Moines Register reports that 17-year-old Avery Arneson and 13-year-old Aiden Arneson, sisters from Decorah, died a two-vehicle crash around 8:30 a.m. Monday on a county road in northeast Iowa. Four other teens were injured and hospitalized in that crash.

In Cedar Rapids, two men died in a crash on Interstate 380. Killed were 24-year-old Jacolby Jesse Burks, of Cedar Rapids, and 21-year-old Devion Martel Luster, of Dixon, Illinois. One person died and several people were critically injured in the pileup that closed Interstate 35 near Ames. The victim was identified as the driver of a bus, 53-year old Dana Easter, of Independence, MO.

On I-80, police say a person was killed in a crash east of Grinnell around 1:20 p.m., and another person died and two others were injured at 1:40 p.m. near Durant.

The Iowa State Patrol, Tuesday (Today), identified the person who died during a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 35, Monday. Officials say 53-year old Dana Easter, of Independence, MO., died in the collision. Easter was the driver of a 2006 Treovost bus involved in the crash. He was wearing his seat belt. The report says among the other vehicles involved was: a 2013 Kia Optima driven by 50-year old Howard Metzger, of Gruver, IA; a 2014 Freightliner truck driven by 56-year old Richard Sanford, of Altoona, a 2012 Volvo semi tractor-trailer driven by 54-year old Marvin Burns, of Union, IA, and a 2003 Mercedes M50, driven by 59-year old Arlon Binning, of Roland, IA.

Sanford’s truck was stopped in the left lane of I-80 southbound at mile-marker 112 at around 12:28-p.m., due to the road being blocked. The KIA was directly behind the truck, and the Mercedes was behind the KIA, while the Volvo semi was behind the Mercedes. The bus, failed to slow down and collided with the rear of the volvo semi, causing a chain reaction collision with the other vehicles. Burns, the driver of the Volvo semi, was injured, but refused transport to the hospital. Authorities say he was wearing his seat belt.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Some business owners have asked Sioux City officials to deny requests to hold an annual motorcycle rally and concert fundraiser on their street, saying it drives away customers and has led to profit losses. The Sioux City Journal reports that about seven local businesses are opposing a plan by Awesome Biker Nights to continue hosting its charity event on Historic Fourth Street. The Awesome Biker Nights committee requested Fourth Street closures for its festival at a City Council meeting Monday.

Julie Schoenherr owns SoHo Kitchen & Bar. She says the event discourages regular customers from dining and that her restaurant lost $12,000 in business last year. Awesome Biker Nights officials say other Fourth Street businesses wish to participate, so moving to a different location would prove difficult. The council deferred a decision until its meeting on Feb. 26.

The Creston Police Department says a woman driving too fast for conditions lost control of her SUV this (Tuesday) morning, and collided with two trucks in a car dealership parking lot. Authorities say 41-year old Jamie Lynn Gard, of Murray, was turning north from Highway 34 onto Sumner Street and was going too fast for the snowy road conditions. When her 2002 Suzuki XL7 went out of control, Gard over-corrected, causing the vehicle to leave the road and hit two parked trucks in the Stalker Chevrolet parking lot. The accident happened at around 7:30-a.m. Damage to the parked vehicles amounted to $5,000. Gard’s SUV sustained $1,200 damage. No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued.