Authorities in Cass County were trying to determine who owned a cow that was hit Monday evening, south of Cumberland. According to the Sheriff’s Department, at around 6:40-p.m., a single-vehicle accident occurred on Richland Road, about one-quarter of a mile east of the intersection with 690th Street.

Officials say 60-year old Douglas James White, of Red Oak, was traveling west on Richland Road when the vehicle he was driving struck a cow standing in the roadway. White was not injured. Damage to the vehicle was  estimated at $10,000.

w/ Ric Hanson

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HOSPERS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in northwest Iowa say they have arrested a man after he made a threat on Facebook about shooting people. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office arrested the man Monday afternoon after receiving a report that he had threatened to shoot people in Hospers, which is located about 50 miles north of Sioux City. The threat caused a precautionary lockdown of schools in the MOC-Floyd Valley school district. It was lifted less than an hour later. Authorities did not release the man’s name Monday afternoon.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Residents across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa should prepare for the season’s first significant snow later this week, with weather forecasters calling for up to half a foot of snow and gusty winds. The National Weather Service says a large winter storm is expected to hit Nebraska midday Wednesday and move into Iowa by Wednesday afternoon.

Service meteorologist Van DeWald, based in Valley just east of Omaha, says heavy snow coupled with 15 to 30 mile per hour winds could make travel in those areas dangerous. DeWald says eastern Nebraska can expect several inches of snow, while western Iowa could see up to six inches of snow.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board Monday evening received a check from local developer Don Sonntag.

Developer Don Sonntag addresses the Atlantic Parks & Rec Board.

The check, in the amount of $2,500 was part of Sonntag’s commitment to develop the East Ridge Park area over the course of 10-years. The City committed to maintaining the park through mowing and other activities. Sonntag said in the future, he’d like to see a source of water for the park, for the planting and annual maintenance of flowers.

In other business, Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring provided the Board with an update on the development of the Schildberg Recreation Area Campground.  He said the City’s Street Department has been hard at work grading and prepping the area for a gravel roadway and camping pads. He said also, the crews have done as much as they can do for now, with four-inches of gravel laid-down for the roadway and 12 out 18 camping pads. Work will resume on that activity, in the Spring.

In addition, Herring says talks have been underway with Atlantic Municipal Utilities to have water and electric installed for the camping pads sometime next Spring, and a local manufacturer has expressed interest in that part of the project. Herring says Owner Revolution/Plastic Professionals is working on plans to install camp-pad pods, which are roto-molded plastic structures designed to house water and electricity for each of the camping pads.

He says also, plans for a dog park at the Schildberg Recreation Area are continuing. The Board approved a request from Herring to ask the Atlantic City Council on Wednesday, for permission to release a section of City-owned land near the park. The site across Buck Creek Road next to the recreation area is City property which has not been identified as a park. The Park Board also approved the Dog Park Committee’s request to begin a fundraising program that would help pay for development of the dog park, primarily for fencing, which is expected to run about $10,500, but also for benches and other amenities at the dog park, such as equipment for the dogs to play on. Herring says while the focus currently is on a dog park at the Schildberg Recreation Area, it doesn’t exclude the possibility of one being located in-town, perhaps at the Sunnyside Park.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says it seems like a lot of people are focusing only on the snow amounts with the storm system that is expected to hit Wednesday and Thursday. Officials say with the fresh snow pack, regardless of the amounts, wind gusts over 35 mph beginning early Thursday morning will create the potential for blizzard conditions throughout the day Thursday.

Be prepared for blizzard-like conditions Wednesday night and Thursday!

A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect beginning from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon for the KJAN listening area. The latest computer models show snowfall amounts will range from 5-to 8-inches across western Iowa, with some locations receiving up to 10-inches.

Of more concern to the Weather Service and Emergency Management Officials, is the winds. The Weather Service says winds will become very strong Wednesday nights from the north-to northwest, with sustained wind speeds of 20-to 30-miles per hour expected, along with occasional gusts to over 35. The strongest winds are expected at around daybreak, Thursday. Blizzard or near blizzard conditions are possible at that time, with visibilities reduced to less than one-quarter of a mile.

Very dangerous conditions are expected to develop Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Be prepared for very difficult travel and near blizzard conditions. Keep a weather radio handy, and if you plan on traveling, keep a winter weather survival kit in your vehicle. The weather service has a list of items you should keep in your kit, along with other tips on how to prepare and survive a Winter Storm in your home or vehicle, at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/?n=preparewintersafety.

A Council Bluffs man was sentenced Wednesday to one-year in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Judge James Gritzner also ordered 21-year old Dakota Allen Culbertson to serve a three year term of supervised release following his incarceration. In February of 2010, Culbertson was convicted of a felony offense of burglary in Pottawattamie CountyDistrict Court. On February 9th, 2012, during a visit by Iowa Probation Officers, Culbertson was found in possession of a .410 gauge shotgun.

The investigation which led to his arrest was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Iowa Fourth Judicial District Probation Office, the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR- MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD- http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/

401 PM CST MON DEC 17 2012 …WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING…PRECIPITATION WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL IOWA ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW IS EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF AN ATLANTIC THROUGH BOONE TO WATERLOO LINE. RAIN IS EXPECTED IN SOUTHERN IOWA SOUTH OF A BEDFORD TO OSKALOOSA LINE. IN BETWEEN…A RAIN AND SNOW MIX IS EXPECTED. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE ENDING ON THURSDAY MORNING.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION…5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA. LOCAL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL BECOME VERY STRONG ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHWEST. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS OVER 35 MPH POSSIBLE. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AROUND DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WITH VISIBILITIES REDUCED BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILE FROM TIME TO TIME.

* IMPACTS…VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. BE PREPARED FOR VERY DIFFICULT TRAVEL AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.