WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s time to change time again. Daylight Saving Time (DST) returns this weekend in the United States. The short-term pain: Lose an hour of sleep Saturday night. The long-term gain: Enjoy more evening light in the months ahead, when the weather warms and you want to be outdoors.

Advance your clocks by 60 minutes before tucking in, so you’re not caught off-guard Sunday morning. For most of the U.S., the change officially starts Sunday at 2 a.m. local time. You may want to install fresh batteries in smoke detectors and radios, and repeat that when standard time returns Nov. 5.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Officials say people who use Omaha’s airport soon can fly nonstop to Miami. Eppley Airfield officials say the daily American Airlines flights will begin July 5. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Miami will be the 27th destination travelers can reach by nonstop flights from Omaha. American plans to use 76-passenger jet aircraft for the Miami flights.

Police in Creston are reporting three arrests. At around 11-p.m. Thursday, 23-year old Cranston Donell Claggett, of Creston, was arrested at his home for Possession with the Intent to Sell, Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Claggett was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond or surety.

Also arrested Thursday night, was 49-year old James Leroy Jones, of Creston, for Public Intoxication/1st offense. Jones was being held on a $300 bond.

And, Thursday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 30-year old Shaune William Tindle, of Creston. Tindle was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation, and was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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One person was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital following a single-vehicle accident this (Friday) morning, in Council Bluffs. According to Council Bluffs Police, 36-year old Meghan Ostrand, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 2007 Nissan Maxima southbound on Park Avenue at around 1:25-a.m., when she lost control of the vehicle near Pomona Street. The car hit several parked vehicles and a curb before flipping onto its roof.

Ostrand suffered non-life threatening injuries during the crash, which remains under investigation. Shewas cited for failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle and is being investigated for possible intoxication.

(Updated 7:30-a.m.)

GRAETTINGER, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say several fuel tank cars are burning after a freight train, possibly carrying ethanol, derailed in northwestern Iowa. The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office says the derailment occurred around 1 a.m. Friday, near Graettinger, about 160 miles northwest of Des Moines.  Residents have been asked to evacuate the area.

Photo by Ryan Long/KCID in Spencer, via Radio Iowa.

Palo Alto County emergency management director Mark Hunefeld says no one is injured. Hunefeld says at least 27 cars derailed, including the burning tanks that he believes were loaded with ethanol.

(6-a.m. Friday) — The National Weather Service in Johnston reports two separate snow events look to impact Iowa over the next 72 hours. The first round of snow will primarily affect Central, west and southwest Iowa from Midnight tonight through Noon, Saturday. Forecast snow amounts range from 1″ in Ames, to as much as 3″ in far southwest Iowa. Winds won’t be too much of a factor, though (Easterly at 5-10mph), but roadways could become snow covered and slippery.

The second snow event will impact the area from Noon Sunday through Noon, Monday, with 2- to 4-inches of snow from southwest through central Iowa. As much as 4-to 6-inches of snow can be expected from Ames northward, to the Minnesota border. Winds will be southeast at 10-15mph. Roadways are likely to become snow-covered and slippery. Visibility may be less than 1 mile during periods of heavier snow. The Monday morning commute may be significantly impacted!

If you have travel plans in Iowa, especially Sunday afternoon through Monday morning, make sure you are prepared for snow-covered, slippery roads & increased travel times. The rest of next week looks to be cool, with high temperatures in the 20s and 30s, and low dipping to the teens several days next week.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say more than 220,000 poor or disabled Iowans could lose access to Mercy Health Network because of a contract dispute with a Medicaid management company.

The patients receive Medicaid through AmeriHealth Caritas, one of three companies the state hired last year to run the program. The Des Moines Register reports that AmeriHealth has told those patients in a recent letter that it’s been unable to negotiate new contract terms with Mercy. AmeriHealth says the Mercy system no longer would be an AmeriHealth network provider if a deal isn’t struck by July 1.

AmeriHealth says Mercy could continue serving those patients if it were to accept lower, out-of-network fees. The Mercy Health Network includes Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, hospitals in 12 other cities, plus about 200 clinics.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she’s just started reviewing the proposal passed in the U-S House to replace Obamacare and isn’t ready to say yet if she’ll support the legislation. “What I am looking for is that I want to ensure that Iowans will have access to affordable coverage that meets their individual and their family needs,” Ernst says.

Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says “So many of the families and individuals I talk with have come forward and they’ve stated ‘sure now we’re covered by Obamacare, but it’s still too expensive, I can’t go to the hospital because of the out-of-pocket costs and high deductibles.’ So, we’ve heard many times about the premiums that have increased significantly and the frustrations families have.”

Ernst says one of the things she has seen that she likes is allowing people with pre-existing conditions to get insurance. “As it has been put in the package right now, those pre-existing conditions will be covered. There is also a provision in the current package that allows for children to be covered on their parent’s policies through age 26,” according to Ernst. “Those are two of the biggest things that we hear about, so those should really please a lot of people that we took that into consideration.”

Ernst was asked if getting the replacement for Obamacare promised by Republicans is proving to be more difficult than they thought. “I think that we have known that it was going to be complicated, but we have to have the fortitude to work through this to make sure that if families are covered that they actually can go to the doctor,” Ernst says.

Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate has approved a bill that would make so-called “project labor agreements” illegal on construction that’s financed by state or local governments. Republicans say non-union contractors do not bid on government-financed projects because of these agreements. Senator Dennis Guth, a Republican from Klemme, steered the bill through the senate. “Taxpayers deserve the best construction that they can get at the very best price that they can get,” Guth says. “This bill will make that happen by encouraging more contractors to bid on a project.”

Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids say “project-labor agreements” help unmask “shysters” trying to land work on a publicly-funded project.
“We want to look at the experience of bidders…at their track record,” Hogg said. “…We want to look to make sure they’re treating their employees above board and not underground.”

The president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa says if the bill becomes law, more in-state contractors will start competing for government projects. In other action Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would allow prosecutors to argue a motorist was reckless because they were using a hand-held device at the time of an accident and should be charged with vehicular homicide.

(Radio Iowa)