Authorities found the car that belongs to a missing northwest Iowa man in Las Vegas, but 27-year-old Daniel Wetherell, of Cherokee HASN’T been found. Tina Lincoln of Cherokee is Wetherell’s girlfriend. The two talked by phone at about 1 p.m. on October 4th. Wetherell told her he was in Sioux City, donating plasma. “He said he loved me and he’d be back Tuesday night and I never heard from him again,” Lincoln says. Police say Wetherell’s car was found in a parking lot in Las Vegas.

“Inside his car, they found a bunch of garbage,” Lincoln says. “…His wallet and his cell phone were not discovered in his car, so they’re assuming he still has them on him. Really nothing of importance was in the car.” Wetherall worked at a Dairy Queen in Cherokee. On the morning he left, Wetherall had an interview for another job in Cherokee.

“He’s a friendly, fun-loving type of guy. Not really sure why he left,” Lincoln says. “He’ll do anything for anyone…At this point we just want to find him, so we can understand what’s going on.” Wetherell is a blue-eyed red head who’s about five-foot-eight-inches tall. He weighs about 155 pounds. Wetherell’s cell phone was last used in Sioux City on October 4th, the last day he and his girlfriend talked.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State budget experts on Thursday lowered Iowa’s revenue projections for the current fiscal year, citing a slowdown in agricultural income and economic uncertainty from a divisive presidential race, interest rates and international trade. The Revenue Estimating Conference predicts that the state will collect about $49.3 million less than it had anticipated last March.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge says the winner of a Hot Lotto jackpot can continue a lawsuit that contends he would have won millions of dollars more if the prior drawing had not been rigged by a lottery vendor. A state judge in Iowa on Wednesday rejected requests to dismiss the case, which is the first filed against the Multi-State Lottery Association over a jackpot-rigging scandal inside the organization.

HOUSTON (AP) — Blue Bell is facing another round of recalled products, but believes a “robust” testing program implemented following last year’s listeria contamination is creating safe products. The current recall involves an Iowa supplier’s chocolate chip cookie dough that was potentially contaminated with listeria. Texas inspection records show testing increased at Blue Bell’s flagship Brenham creamery after last year’s recall.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials say Iowa student scores have dropped in statewide reading and math tests. The Des Moines Register reports that the percentage of Iowa fourth-graders on grade level in reading fell to 74.8 percent last spring from 75.7 percent during the 2014-15 school year. In math, fourth-grade proficiency fell to 79 percent this year from 80.3 percent in 2014-15. Officials say the reasons for the declines are unclear.

The Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic and the City of Avoca are just two of 21 non-profit organizations and government entities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska, which have received a portion of nearly $5-million in grant and initiative funding from the Iowa West Foundation. The IWF Board of Directors recently approved the funds from the private foundation. The Nishna Valley Family YMCA received $32,500 from the IWF for Wellness Equipment. The City of Avoca’s Police Department received $2,500 for communications equipment, and the Avoca Public Library received $4,950 to make the main entrance ADA compliant.

Education was a major theme for the final grant cycle of 2016, with $1.5 million awarded to the Council Bluffs Community School District (CBCSD) for two major initiatives: summer school and Middle School International Baccalaureate (IB) education. The Iowa Western Community College Foundation received $30,000 for 2016-17 season programming.

Another major recipient of initiative funding was the newly formed arts organization: Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment (PACE), which received $2,325,369. The nonprofit’s mission is to strengthen, develop and promote art, cultural, and historical institutions, organizations, and activities in Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County. Fundraising is currently underway to renovate the Harvester II building on S. Main Street in Council Bluffs into a permanent home for the organization and its partners.

The Iowa West Foundation has distributed more than $400 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run.

The Letter of Inquiry period for Cycle 1 of 2017 is currently open and will close on Oct. 17th. Applications are due Nov. 15th. Effective this year, grant application and initiative decisions will now be made in February (Cycle 1), June (Cycle 2) and October (Cycle 3). This is a change from the previous January/May/September decision-making schedule. Please see the Grantmaking section of the website www.iowawestfoundation.org., for more information.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A panel of state budget experts has lowered Iowa revenue projections for the current fiscal year, though there are no immediate plans to cut spending. Citing a slowdown in agricultural income and economic uncertainty from a divisive presidential race, interest rates and international trade the Revenue Estimating Conference Thursday predicted the state will take in about $49.3 million less than anticipated in March.

The new revenue estimate, based mostly on individual, business and sales tax receipts, is $7.31 billion for the fiscal year that began July 1. That’s still a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year. The three-member group estimated next year’s revenue will grow 4.1 percent to $7.61 billion. The group updates the estimates again in December and those figures are the basis for next year’s state budget.

Construction crews will close Harry Langdon Boulevard to traffic from Woodbury Avenue to U.S. 275/Iowa 92 to set girders for the future westbound Interstate 80 bridge beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, weather permitting, according to the Iowa DOT’s District 4 Office.

Harry Langdon Boulevard will be reopened to traffic on Monday, Oct. 17, by 6 a.m. Access will be maintained to property owners living along Harry Langdon Boulevard during the closure. Harry Langdon Boulevard will also be closed overnight Monday, Oct. 17, and Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29, and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect.

As part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Council Bluffs Police Department will participate in a semi-annual drug take-back event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency.  The event is designated as “Council Bluffs Operation Medicine Cabinet” and involves the collaboration of several community organizations, volunteers, and the City of Council Bluffs Recycling Center.

The event will be held rain or shine at the Council Bluffs Walgreens store (535 East Broadway), on the west side of the store next to the drive through lanes. It takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22nd, from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m.    You are simply asked to drive through a designated lane, hand over your unused, expired prescription or over the counter drugs with no questions asked.

The Council Bluffs Police Department has helped to organize 12 Prescription Drug Drop Off events since 2010. The past events have collected more than 3,900 pounds of prescription and over the counter drugs with more than 2,100 residents dropping them off anonymously. The National Prescription Drug Take Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware medicines that remain in homes are highly susceptible to theft, misuse, or abuse.

Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is increasing at an alarming rate, as are the numbers of accidental poisonings and overdoses. Studies show many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinets. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicines, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away, which are both potential safety and health hazards.

Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem and this drug drop off is a great opportunity for citizens of Council Bluffs and anyone else to help reduce this threat. Please clean out your medicine cabinets and make your home safe from potential drug theft and abuse.

Shelby County Emergency Management officials today (Thursday), upgraded the County Fire Danger Index to “High.” Precipitation at the start of the week had caused the field and grassland fire danger to be reduced to “Moderate,” but now, with the killing frost and drying conditions increasing rapidly, the potential is increasing for any controlled burns to spread rapidly out of control.

When the Fire Danger rating is “High,” burning of any kind is restricted in Shelby County unless approval is received from local Fire Chief. Controlled burns that are not reported will result in Fire Department being dispatched, and Fires extinguished if determined to be un-safe. Please call 712-755-2124 with questions

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have accused a Council Bluffs man of stealing some of his grandmother’s jewelry and pawning it. The Daily Nonpareil reports 23-year-old Colton Rankin was arrested Wednesday and is charged with theft and burglary.

Council Bluffs police say the woman noticed Sept. 12 that someone had gotten into her jewelry boxes and taken some items. Court records say she told police she suspected her grandson because of what she said was his drug problem. Her family checked with his employer in the Omaha, Nebraska, suburb of La Vista and learned that Rankin had not gone to work that day.

Police say Rankin later told a relative that he pawned the jewelry in Omaha.

Expect to pay more to heat your home this winter than you spent last year. That’s the message from government analysts who sifted through forecasts for a colder winter and slightly higher energy prices. The Energy Department said today (Thursday) that household bills from October through March are likely to be higher for all four main heating fuels – natural gas, electricity, heating oil, and propane.

Consumers got a break last winter, when temperatures were mild. Government meteorologists are expecting a colder winter this time in the Northeast, Midwest and South.

A woman from Kansas was arrested on numerous charges associated with a break-in and burglary in rural Pottawattamie County, Wednesday morning. According to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, a Deputy responded to a report about a suspicious female at a residence northeast of Neola. The woman was identified as 38-year old Lindsey Dawn Sanchez, of Dodge City, KS.

An investigation determined Sanchez was in possession of property belonging to the 73-year old resident of the home, including a purse, bathroom toiletries, antique cans, a light holder, oil, bears and a mirror. The items were valued at $310 altogether.

Sanchez was taken into custody for Burglary in the 2nd Degree, Theft in the 4th Degree, Interference with Official Acts, and making a False report to Law Enforcement.