LIME SPRINGS, IA (IRN) – A 28-year-old man died after a snowmobiling accident in northeast Iowa. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office says the accident occurred about 1:40 a.m. Friday on a trail that runs on a side of a road about 2 miles northwest of Lime Springs. The office says Ross Wilson was riding alone when his machine rolled over him. He was found later by other snowmobile riders.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – After the first House vote of the year, absentee ballots cast by 29 northeast Iowans will not count in November’s midterm election. WHO-TV reports the ballots are among 33 received after election day, and while the post office determined they were mailed before the election deadline, they lacked a postmark. Democrat Kayla Koether filed an election contest after losing the House District 55 race by nine votes, but she says this isn’t about losing. She says it’s about making sure every vote counts. The Republican majority declined to count the ballots by a vote of 53 to 42.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – All three state universities and Drake canceled classes due to incoming arctic cold. They join a great many private and public schools and colleges across the state as the worst winter cold snap in 25 years hits.

QUAD CITIES, IA (IRN) – The Quad Cities’ three transit systems will be offering free rides during the cold snap. The free rides, offered by Metro, BettendorfTransit and Davenport CitiBus will be today and tomorrow.

IOWA (IRN) – Iowa and Iowa State’s men’s basketball teams moved in the polls after a tough week. The Cyclones moved from 25th in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll and 24th in the Associated Press poll to No. 20 in both sets of rankings. After two losses, the Hawkeyes slipped from 19th to out of the rankings in the AP poll and from 21st to 25th in the coaches’ poll.