DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Powerball jackpot has risen to $334 million, the 12th largest in the game’s history. No one won the jackpot on Wednesday, and the next drawing is set for Saturday. The lump-sum cash prize for the winner is $205 million. Iowa Lottery spokesman Kevin Kirkpatrick says the prize hasn’t been this large since March 2013, when a New Jersey man won $338 million.

Powerball’s largest jackpot was more than $590 million in May 2013. Kirkpatrick says the game would have to continue a few more rounds without a winner before it could reach that level. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – An Allegiant Air flight headed to Iowa has made a safe emergency landing at a Tennessee airport. Chattanooga Airport spokesman Albert Waterhouse said Allegiant Air Flight 760 landed around 8:30 a.m. Thursday after reporting a problem with one of its engines. Waterhouse said the plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported.

He said there were 153 passengers on board the flight, which was headed from Orlando, Florida, to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He said Allegiant is sending another plane, which will take the passengers on to their destination.

Cass County Engineer Charles Marker reported to the Board of Supervisors during their meeting Thursday morning, that there are two bridge projects that will utilize Federal Highway Bridge Funds in the current budget year. Bids for the projects will be let in mid-January. They include bids for bridge #347, on the Cass/Audubon County line in the northeast part of Cass County, and bridge #20, located south of Cumberland. Bids for those projects will be let January 20th.

Marker said because of some addition monies received through the Road Use Tax Fund, his department can also work on three more bridges that are currently in the design phase. He says they hope to replace the wood abutments and pilings and replace them so that the bridges can be removed from the embargoed (weight limit) list. Those bridges include #16 in Massena Township, south of Massena. Bridge #102 in the southwest corner of the County, and Bridge 123.

Work on the bridges is set to begin this spring, with completion anticipated by the end of June, 2016.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa state legislator says he’ll try again to pass a bill that would allow fantasy sports players in the state to claim prizes. The Des Moines Register reports those who play fantasy sports in Iowa are currently banned from obtaining cash prizes. The state Senate approved a bill last session to legalize payouts, but it failed to clear the House.

Republican state Rep. Jake Highfill, the House bill’s chief author, says he’s reworking the bill in hopes to reach a consensus among key parties in the upcoming session. He says the legislation would set an age limit and develop a regulatory structure and tax provisions. Democratic state Rep. Dan Kelley says he is strongly opposed to legalizing payouts, saying daily fantasy games are like gambling.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, approved a Resolution for voluntary annexation by the City of Atlantic, of property located just past the east City Limits. Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein said the property located at 56988 635th Street, is owned by a screen-printing company (A-Plus Designs/Outfitters Plus Retail). A trust for the owners had requested on their behalf, that the land be annexed.

The Supervisors approved the request after Auditor/Board Secretary Dale Sunderman read a Resolution pertaining to the matter. The Board also approved a Resolution of Support for the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say a man from Ringgold County was arrested Wednesday afternoon on sex abuse charges. 18-year old Quintin Tyler Chumbley, of Mt Ayr, was arrested at the Ringgold Union County line, on a Union County warrant for two counts of sexual abuse in the 3rd degree. Chumbley was being held in the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond.

(9-a.m. news)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston say a woman from Kent was arrested Wednesday evening at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. 38-year old Crystal Huddleson was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Violation of Probation, on an original “Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug” charge. Huddleson was being held without bond, in the Ringgold County Jail.

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

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A bell-ringing ceremony on the state capitol grounds this morning (Thursday) is an annual ritual with decades of history behind it. The Peace Bell that was a gift to Iowa from our sister state in Japan will be rung to bid farewell to the old year and to ring in 2016. Iowa State Capitol tour guide Steve Person says the huge metal bell is a symbol of Iowa’s longstanding relationship with our neighbors in the East.

“After typhoons in 1959 severely damaged crops, homes and farmlands of the Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan, citizens of Iowa generously sent breeding hogs and feed corn to aid that district,” Person says. “This action began a friendship culminating in a sister state relationship, the first of its kind between the United States and Japan.” The donations from Iowa helped that region of Japan to survive the aftermath of the natural disaster and a few years later, they offered thanks.

“As a sign of their appreciation in 1962, the citizens of Yamanashi presented this 2,000 temple bell of peace and friendship as well as the structure that houses it,” Person says. The bell is located just south of the Capitol and west of the Judicial Building in Des Moines. While the ceremony is at 9 A-M Iowa time, that’s midnight in Japan, where bells will also be tolling at the same moment to welcome the new year.

(Radio Iowa)