IOWA – Following a relatively quiet winter in relation to precipitation, a large portion of the state was impacted by a snowstorm on Wednesday. Many Iowa communities received 8-12″ of fluffy snow that caused travel issues. The Iowa State Patrol and Iowa DOT reported at least three plows were involved in crashes as they were attempting to clear precipitation from highways. Bitter wind chills near 30 below zero followed the snow, with more chances for winter precipitation and subzero temperatures in the forecast over the next several days, according to the National Weather Service.

AMES – An Iowa State University student led police to a series of eventual arrests that slowed a global group of sexual predators. A press release from the university shared details about a female student in 2018 who reported she was being blackmailed by a man she met online. The Iowa State University Police Department looked into the claim, which led them into a multiple year investigation that identified more than 30 victims and led to the arrests of four men tied to an international neo-Nazi group a few weeks ago. ISU Officer Kami Feld worked with federal, state, and international police agencies, including those in France and New Zealand.

WATERLOO – A staple on television screens in eastern Iowa for five decades is retiring this year. KWWL-TV reports anchor Ron Steele is wrapping up his 50-year career as an anchor and reporter for the station based in Waterloo. A member of the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and the Jack Shelley Award from the Iowa Broadcast News Association, Steele has interviewed U.S. Presidents dating back to George H.W. Bush, and reported from Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War. Ron is a lifelong Iowan, born in Washington, raised in Wapello, and a University of Iowa graduate.