BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A deadly arctic deep freeze has enveloped the Midwest, forcing widespread closure of schools, businesses, government offices, and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region because of the cold.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As the first Democrats running for president propose taxing wealth and providing universal health care, a broader debate is emerging over how far Democrats should go to appeal to their base during the primary season. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is among those pitching to the party’s center. He recently visited Iowa to test his theory that Democrats are less interested in a resistance champion than someone with a record of achieving liberal goals even with divided government.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man with a lengthy criminal record who is already in prison for other crimes has been convicted of trying to hire a hitman to kill two northeastern Iowa people. Federal prosecutors say 44-year-old Jason Harriman was convicted Tuesday of two counts of murder-for-hire. Prosecutors say Harriman began serving a 15-year federal sentence in 2011 on gun charges and made multiple phone and email contacts from prison with someone he thought was a hired killer.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Police have arrested a man already serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for the 2017 death of a central Iowa man whose body was found weeks after he went missing. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 28-year-old Armando Adame III was arrested Tuesday at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility on charges of first-degree murder and a weapons count in the death of 28-year-old Michael Bruce Johns.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports early this (Wednesday) morning, Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office arrested 36 year old Jeffrey Sidney, of Plattsmouth,NE.   Sidney was traveling westbound and coming around the bypass in Sidney, when he failed to maintain control of his vehicle and wrecked landing on the front lawn of the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center.

When Deputies made contact with Sidney, he was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. At that time Deputies walked  him from the front lawn into the jail where he is being held on $1,600 bond.

Police in Red Oak report a traffic stop Tuesday afternoon resulted in the arrest of 50-year old Rene Telesforo Valdivia, of Red Oak. Valdivia was taken into custody for Driving While Suspended, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense (Marijuana). He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.

And, Red Oak Police responded to a two-vehicle accident with No Injuries, Tuesday. The collision happened at the intersection of 4th and Oak Streets, in Red Oak. Authorities say a female juvenile was traveling westbound on Oak in a 2012 Hyundai Sante Fe, when the female juvenile driver of a northbound 2007 Jeep failed to yield the right-of-way. The SUV’s collided, with the damage estimated at $5,000 altogether. No citations were issued at the scene.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s three public universities are asking lawmakers for an additional 18 million dollars in the next fiscal year. In the past two years, lawmakers cut millions more than that from Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa to make up for lower-than-expected state tax revenue. Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen says if the request isn’t met, the financial burden will continue to shift to students in the form of higher tuition.

“That’s something that everyone needs to remember. What do we want our reputation in Iowa to be? Historically, for 100 years, it’s been about supporting education, having an educated workforce, supporting innovation in science,” Winterstein says. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has endorsed the 18 milion dollar boost for the universities in Ames, Cedar Falls and Iowa City, but Republicans in the legislature haven’t signalled whether they intend to provide extra money to the schools.

(Radio Iowa) — With temperatures dropping to record lows — experts are urging people to take the necessary precautions to avoid disaster with their cars. Affordable Auto Recyclers service manager Kelly Asquith tells K-C-R-G- T-V that one thing to keep track of is that you have the right kind of anti-freeze. “It needs to be down to negative 34 degrees Fahrenheit, actual temperature not wind chill temperature,” Asquith says.

Asquith says the fluid should also be swapped at least every three years and always be full. Asquith said this week they’ll probably see a lot of people with cars that just won’t start. “We see a lot of batteries fail, alternators can sometimes fail which is the unit that charges the battery and keeps it maintained,” he explains.

To avoid battery issues, avoid short trips that don’t give the car time to recharge the battery. The batter faces a heavier load when it is this cold outside.

Police in Council Bluffs have arrested a woman for Child Endangerment after she left her children unattended in a vehicle for a lengthy period of time.

Stephany Moses

Authorities say 25-year old Stephany C. Moses, of Council Bluffs, was placed under arrest for two counts of Child Endangerment. Her children, ages two and four, were not injured. They were placed into protective custody, and the Dept. of Human Services was contacted.

At around 10:40-a.m. Tuesday, Officers were asked to conduct a welfare check on the children, who were in a car in a parking lot at 3271 Market Place Drive. The children had been located by a concerned citizen who then provided them shelter in her vehicle until police arrived.

The investigation revealed the two small children had been left unattended in the vehicle for approximately 45 minutes before a concerned citizen located them. The vehicle the children had been left in was not running, unlocked and the window was partially down. The children were only wearing light clothing. The outside air temperature at the time of the incident was 5 degrees with a -14 to -15 degree wind chill.

Their mother, Stephany Moses, was located by police after she came out of the Boot Barn Store.

You may have heard that “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night …” will prevent mail carriers from completing their appointed rounds. But the unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service apparently doesn’t include the cold. Wednesday, the federal service says it will not deliver mail in all or parts of five Midwest states because of a dangerous Arctic air blast.

The postal service says delivery and other services will be suspended in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and western Illinois. The suspension also includes picking up mail from businesses and collection boxes, and picking up packages from residences and business.day.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County, last Friday, arrested 27-year old Mark Allen Fredericksen, of Atlantic, on a felony charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver/Meth; Possession of Marijuana/3rd or Subsequent offense; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Fredericksen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.