WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s finally time to reclaim that hour of sleep you lost last spring.  Most of the country will turn back the clocks this weekend for the annual shift back to standard time. The majority of folks will do the switch before hitting the sack Saturday night, even though the change doesn’t become official until 2 a.m. Sunday local time.

Residents of Hawaii, most of Arizona and some U.S. territories don’t have to change since they do not observe daylight-saving time. Public safety officials say this is also a good time to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, no matter where you live.    Daylight-Saving Time (DST) returns the second Sunday in March.

You can turn back the clock one hour tonight (Saturday) before you go to bed. Fire officials are asking that you use that extra hour of time in the day to make a quick check of your smoke detectors. Cedar Rapids Fire Department spokesman, Craig Buelow (Byoo-low) says he’s seen how important the devices can be. “We have found that a working smoke alarm will reduce your risk of dying in a fire by nearly 50-percent. And unfortunately we’ve had 127 house fires in Cedar Rapids through October 31st, and in those house fires where we’ve checked to see if there’s a smoke alarm, only 26-percent of the time have we found that a working smoke alarm was present,” Buelow says.

He says his community is not alone. “The other fire departments tell me the same thing, that we have to continually put this with every media release that we send out, or every conversation that we have about a house fire or a commercial fire, just to underscore the importance of working smoke alarms,” Buelow says. It is recommended that smoke alarms that are 10 years old be replaced. Buelow says you should look at new technology when replacing a smoke alarm. “The state of Iowa now requires dual-sensor smoke alarms, so the fire departments throughout the state are advocating that people get a smoke alarm that has an ionization and photo-electric sensor in it,” Buelow says. “We are also really pushing for these smoke alarms that have a 10-year battery, or lithium power cell in them. Because again, the number one reason smoke alarms don’t work is that the batteries fail.”

Buelow says the 10-year batteries get rid of the need to replace batteries every year. “It’s especially for people who are busy and even elderly citizens so they don’t have to get up on the ladder or get some to help them replace those batteries every year,” Buelow says. He says they also recommend that you buy a carbon monoxide detector for your home, especially now that homes will be closed up and heaters turned on.

(Radio Iowa)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous individuals were arrested on drug and/or alcohol charges Friday night. At around 10:30-p.m., the following persons were arrested for Possession of Alcohol under the legal age: 18-year old Julie Marie Sheler, of Clarinda; 17-year old Kelsi Michelle Kling, of Villisca; and, 17-year old Edward Richard Ezekial Lockerby, of Prescott. Officials say 19-year old Katherine Joe Murren, of Villisca, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The group was taken into custody following an incident which occurred in the 200 block of East 4th Street, in Villisca. Kling and Lockerby were charged and released to a guardian, while Sheler and Murren were cited and released.

About an hour earlier, 19-year old Nathan Andre Kier, of Clarinda, was arrested for Possession of Alcohol Under the Age. The arrest occurred in the 200 block of East 4th Street, in  Villisca.  And, at around 9:15-p.m. Friday, 23-year old Zachary Allan Colebank, of Villisca, was arrested in the same area, on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. Kier and Colebank were cited for the offenses, and released.

A national consumer advocacy group released a report Friday that claims Iowa’s shift to large-scale hog production has hurt the state’s rural economy. Wenona Hauter, executive director of San Francisco-based Food and Water Watch, says consolidation in the pork packing industry has forced thousands of small-to-medium size hog producers out of the business. “Over the past three decades, the number of hogs sold in Iowa has doubled, but the value of those hogs has actually declined,” Hauter said. “The number of hog farms dropped more than 80-percent and hog prices have plunged.”

The report claims the fewer, but larger processing plants have also resulted in a decline in wages for the plants’ workers. Hauter, in a conference call with reporters, said the prevailing wisdom has been that hog production and processing has become more efficient – which provides more economic punch to hog producers and cheaper food to consumers. But, the report found otherwise.  “The Consumer Price Index for pork has risen by almost 80-percent during the period we studied, while the real hog prices and the real packing plant wages have dropped,” Hauter said. “The decline in the value of hogs and wages have had a ripple effect through the entire economy as farmers and workers have less to spend at main street businesses.”

The study analyzed county-level economic, agricultural and demographic data in five-year intervals from 1982 to 2007. “Meat packer funded studies just look at the total economic output of the consolidated hog industry, but they ignore the damage to rural economies from the decline in the number of independent farms,” Hauter said. “Medium size farms are more likely to buy farm supplies locally and are the foundation of rural economies.” Larry Ginter, a former hog farmer in Marshall County and a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, also took part in the conference call. He said the four biggest packers in Iowa slaughter nine out of 10 hogs, so “independent farmers cannot get a fair price with that kind of stranglehold on the market.”

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer says two women were arrested Thursday, on separate charges. 23-year old Mandalyn Kay Hamilton, of Shenandoah, was arrested at around 2:50-p.m., on a warrant out of McDonald County, MO. Hamilton was taken into custody at her residence in Shenandoah and brought to the Page County Jail, where she later posted a $750 cash bond and was ordered to appear in a Missouri court at a later date.

And, at around 4:30-p.m., 21-year old Sheree Powers, of Clarinda, was arrested by a Page County Sheriff’s Deputy, on a charge of Driving Under Suspension. The woman was taken into custody following a traffic stop, as she was driving2003 Mazda Tribute, registered to Larry Powers, of College Springs. Powers later posted a $1,000 cash bond, and was released pending a court date.

(Correction to passenger’s name made by Mills Co. Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 5th, 2012)

A Council Bluffs woman and a passenger in her car, were injured Tuesday night (Oct. 30th), during a single-vehicle accident about 5-miles north of Glenwood. The Mills County Sheriff’s Department reports the driver of the vehicle, 44-year old Renee Michelle Palen, of Council Bluffs, along with her passenger, Nathan Malik, of Council Bluffs, were transported by Glenwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs.

Officials say Palen’s 2008 Dodge was traveling north on 221st Street at a high rate of speed, when it went off the road into the east ditch. The vehicle hit a culvert and went airborne over Elrod Road, before it hit another culvert and went airborne again. The vehicle landed on its passenger side on 221st Street, and came to rest on its top in the west ditch. The accident happened at around 6:50-p.m.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest this (Friday) morning, of a Pacific Junction man. 27-year old Bradley Duane Ott was arrested at around 7:15-a.m., on a warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree, Theft in the 2nd degree, and burglary in the 3rd degree. His bond was set at $15,000.

On Wednesday, October 30th, 18-year old Dylan Lee Conn, of Malvern. Conn was arrested in Mills County, on assault and drug paraphernalia charges. His bond was set at $1,300. That same day, 43-year old Mark Allen Mitchell, of Farragut, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000.

Cass County Republican Party Chairman David Wiederstein says former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum will be in Atlantic Saturday, campaigning on behalf Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Joining Santorum at the campaign rally, is Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. The event takes place at the Cass County Republican headquarters (319 Chestnut St., Atlantic) from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. The public is invited to attend.  Refreshments will be provided.

The Romney campaign also reports Santorum, Brownback and Bryant will also attend campaign events in Carroll, at the Santa Maria Winery (218 6th Street), from 2:30-3:20pm, and Harlan, at the Harlan Town Square (612 Court Street), from 6:30-7:20-p.m.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says hunter success in Iowa’s 2012 pheasant season opener followed what the roadside survey predicted. Officials say better bird numbers were found in northwest Iowa,  and few birds were seen in southern Iowa, but by and large, conservation officers found hunters were encouraged, but not satisfied, with their opening weekend hunt.

Mark Gulick, northwest Iowa district wildlife supervisor for the DNR, says “The general consensus is that the opener was good compared to the past few years. Pressure on public land was moderate to extremely high on Saturday and considerably lower on Sunday. Harvest was fair to good; many groups reported about one bird per person with several groups reporting limits, some by mid morning.” Success was not as good in southeast Iowa.

Rick Trine, central Iowa district wildlife supervisor for the DNR, says in central Iowa, more hunters were on public wildlife areas and most were pleased with the numbers of pheasants they saw over last year. Iowa’s pheasant season continues through Jan. 10, 2013.