AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON-UNION (713 AM CST WED DEC 2 2015)

…LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE…

LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN A SWATH FROM ALGONA…TO DES
MOINES…CHARITON AND OTTUMWA AND THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE AN INCH OR LESS WITH VARIED ROAD CONDITIONS.

OUTSIDE OF SECONDARY ROADS AND BRIDGES…ROADS SHOULD MAINLY REMAIN WET FROM DES MOINES SOUTH. HOWEVER ROADS WILL BE MORE SNOW COVERED TO THE NORTH TOWARD THE MINNESOTA BORDER.

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AND DRIVE DEFENSIVELY WITH
EXTRA TRAVEL TIME POSSIBLY NEEDED.

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

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FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Corrections Department says a Fort Dodge prison inmate serving two life sentences for the death of two western Iowa residents, has died at a local hospital.  A department news release says 62-year-old Jerimiah Connolly died Saturday of end stage emphysema. He was being taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City when he was diverted to the local hospital.
He had been serving his sentence at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.

The life sentences stem from two convictions for first-degree murder in Pottawattamie County. In November 1980 he was arrested and charged with killing 80-year-old Alanson Beach and 83-year-old Mina Beach. Connolly began the sentences on Nov. 3, 1981.

A man from Adair County was arrested Tuesday evening in Creston. Creston Police say 26-year old Zachary McNeeley, of Greenfield, was arrested in the Highway 34/Industrial Parkway area, for OWI/2nd offense and Driving While Suspended. McNeeley was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee visited a biorefinery in Corning Tuesday to highlight his support of the Renewable Fuels Standard — and his criticism of the Obama Administration’s decision to scale back ethanol production levels. “The government says they’re going to implement standards, implement a plan. They need to stick with it not only because there are thousands of jobs at stake, but also because they were the ones that created the mandate causing people to make huge investments,” Huckabee says. “They’ve made those investments and they shouldn’t have the government now pull the rug out from under them.”

The Environmental Protection Agency’s guideline for 2016 ethanol production is below 2007 levels. Huckabee says billions of dollars has been invested in the ethanol industry and it’s working. “Fuel costs for the average American are down by 16 percent due to the Renewable Fuel Standards. The enviromental impact has been significantly improved because of RFS,” Huckabee says. “Now you have the very government that urged people to get into renewable fuels trying to dial the whole program back. That, frankly, makes no sense.”

Huckabee is also questioning President Obama’s focus on climate change. Huckabee says the country “needs a commander-in-chief, not a weather-obsessed meteorologist.” Huckabee says Obama might take ISIS more seriously if he learned “they didn’t recycle.”

(Radio Iowa)

A traffic stop in Villisca at around 2:15-a.m. today (Wednesday), resulted in the arrest of two men on drug charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 45-year old John Leon Lynn Bowen, of Villisca, faces a felony, Possession of Methamphetamine charge, while 36-year old Joshua Duane Mohn, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Sheriff’s deputies were assisted in conducting the stop by Montgomery County K9 “Rush.”

An investigation into several Fremont County burglaries that occurred Nov. 29th, resulted in the arrest of two people, Tuesday. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says the burglaries occurred at a farm residence near Sidney. Among the items taken was at least one firearm. A search warrant executed by Fremont and Mills County deputies in Pacific Junction, Tuesday, resulted in the recovery of several pieces of stolen property, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Taken into custody for Possession of Stolen Property and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, was 35-year old Leo Alan Edwards, of Pacific Junction, who was brought to the Mills County Jail. Charges against Edwards are currently pending in Fremont County. 25-year old Sonia Danielle Smith, of Hamburg, was arrested in Glenwood. Smith was charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Theft in the 2nd Degree, and Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Institution. Additional charges are pending. Smith was being in the Fremont County Jail on a $15,000 cash only bond.

Authorities are looking for anyone who may have purchased items over the past few weeks from either Smith or Edwards. Officials believe items may have been sold through Craigslist in either Council Bluffs or the Clarinda areas.

A man Des Moines Police said was a “Person of Interest” in a double homicide investigation was arrested late Tuesday night in northern Dallas County, after a four-hour stand-off with authorities. According to Perry radio station KDLS, 39-year old Michael Wanchanic surrendered and was taken into custody near Bouton.  Wanchanic was wanted for questioning in the murders of 36-year-old Bryon Howard and 31-year-old Heather Belieu, who were found dead inside a home on Des Moines’ west side Monday afternoon. Police are not saying how they died. Wanchanic reportedly lived in the couples’ home, along with several other persons, including children.

Authorities received a tip at around 6:15-p.m. Tuesday, that Wanchanic was possibly in Woodward. Woodward Police Chief Joe Cox saw the man at a local convenience store and pursued the subject’s van until the vehicle died on Highway 141, near Bouton. Wanchanic remained in van for hours as law enforcement agencies from the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, Woodward Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Boone County Sheriff’s office and Suburban Emergency Response Team attempted to negotiate with him.

The man reportedly told authorities during the incident, that he had a 9 millimeter gun with him, and he wanted a cigarette. He never directly threatened officers at the scene but he did threaten to harm himself and commit suicide. Wanchanic was processed by the Des Moines Police Department and taken to the Polk County jail.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa state senator and congressional candidate is being criticized by Republicans and Democrats after he said he supports executing immigrant felons who seek to re-enter the U.S. illegally after being deported. Republican Mark Chelgren is running for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Chelgren told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his comments came during a conversation about terrorism and border control. Chelgren stressed he was talking specifically about immigrants with felony convictions trying to re-enter the U.S. illegally.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa’s governing body is withholding details of a plan to rename a campus building, which is scheduled to be announced and approved within a matter of hours Wednesday. Iowa Board of Regents spokesman Josh Lehman says the details of the proposal will be released at Wednesday’s board meeting, where regents are scheduled to vote on it in the afternoon.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Jeb Bush and his super PAC have put roughly three times as much money into television advertising as any of his Republican presidential rivals. But the former Florida governor appears to have made little progress in a race that continues to be dominated by political novices like real estate mogul Donald Trump. Bush’s poll numbers are in the single digits nationally and in New Hampshire, the second-to-vote state where he has concentrated its efforts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The presidents of two public universities in Iowa say they want more state dollars to add faculty and increase salaries. University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld says he’s requesting more than $5 million in additional funds for the upcoming fiscal year to help increase the salaries of some faculty. He says the money would keep the university competitive.

No injuries were reported following a rollover accident west of Atlantic, Tuesday night. According to dispatch reports, a vehicle was on its side in the ditch just off 570th Street between Galveston and Fayette Road.

Photo courtesy Cass County Emergency Mgmt Coordinator Mike Kennon.

The driver was trapped in the vehicle but was otherwise said to have been uninjured. Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance responded to the scene at around 6:12-p.m. Roads in the area were said to have been icy.

No other details are currently available.