IOWA – The final polls ahead of tonight’s Iowa Caucuses shows former President Donald Trump with a substantial lead. An Iowa State University survey shows GOP voters will overwhelmingly support former President Donald Trump as their first choice, at 55%. An NBC/Des Moines Register poll shows 48% of Republicans support Trump. Both Ambassador Nikki Haley and Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are virtually tied based on margin of error in both polls as well. Caucuses will take place at 7:00 this evening for both parties, but only Republicans will make their presidential nominee choice known this evening. PERRY – The principal of Perry High School who was shot will attempting to talk down a student attacking others has died. Raccoon Valley Radio reports Dan Marburger was hospitalized for 10 days after the January 4th attack. Marburger was out of surgery on the same day, but died on Sunday morning. The return to classes has been delayed in the Perry school district as well. IOWA – The Iowa State Patrol responded to 168 crashes and assisted nearly 1200 motorists during this past weekend’s blizzard. No fatalities were reported, but roads of all kinds were in rough shape as 6-12″ of blowing snow fell across much of the state Friday, piling on top of a round of heavy snow that fell last Monday and Tuesday.

IOWA – Much of the state will remain under a winter weather advisory today after a blizzard shut down several highways, including Interstate 80, on Friday. Many communities received an additional 8-11″ of fluffy snow and gusty winds up to 40 MPH, which caused whiteout conditions for most of the day, which will now continue well into the weekend. Travel across the state is expected to remain hazardous on most highways and in rural areas into Sunday. IOWA – A major winter storm, followed by near-record cold temperatures, is complicating many of the final stops for Republican presidential candidates ahead of the first-in-the-nation Iowa GOP Caucus Monday. NBC News reports many of the hopefuls had to cancel last-ditch efforts to convince voters to turn out on Monday. Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann believes turnout will remain high Monday, despite forecast wind chills at 30 below zero and colder projected statewide Monday evening. CEDAR RAPIDS – An Iowa State Patrol trooper wasn’t injured after a crash involving a semi on Interstate 80 Friday. KCRG-TV reports the trooper was in his car when a semi approached and was unable to stop on a snow-covered highway. The Iowa State Patrol reports they responded to more than 70 crashes during the blizzard on Friday alone, and responded to more than 400 calls for service.

IOWA – Blizzard-like conditions are expected statewide as another powerful winter storm passes through. An additional 6-10″ of snow and wind gusts up to 45 MPH will make travel nearly impossible, especially in rural areas. Much colder air is expected, with wind chills as cold as 40 below possible by early next week. IOWA – It could be the coldest Iowa Caucus on record. KCCI-TV reports the previous coldest presidential selection night in Iowa came in 1972, with wind chills at 21 below zero in Des Moines. The current forecast calls for air temperatures well below zero and wind chills as cold as 25 below zero. CORRECTIONVILLE – A western Iowa man suspected of sexual assault at a nursing home was the subject of another criminal complaint. The Des Moines Register reports an unidentified male is accused of possible rape, although no criminal charges have been field. The same man is believed to have been involved in a prior incident that led to the eviction of that resident at Correctionville Specialty Care. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the man is still employed at the nursing home.

IOWA – There will be no significant break between winter storm systems this week. According to the National Weather Service, confidence is increasing that most of Iowa will be impacted by another round of snowfall and strong winds late Thursday into most of the day Friday. Many Iowans received 8-12″ of snowfall Monday and Tuesday, and many forecasts indicate another 5-10″ of lighter, fluffier snow could fall heading into the weekend, which will be coupled with strong winds up to 40 MPH. This will be followed up by frigid temperatures, with wind chills between 20 and 40 degrees below zero possible starting Sunday and continuing through Tuesday. FORT DODGE – Fort Dodge police are searching for a person of interest in relation to a possible murder. The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation is helping officers find 37 year old David S. Dayton. He is wanted on parole violation out of Pocahontas County as well. Police have potentially connected Dayton to the shooting death of Ryan Andrews on December 29th. WEST DES MOINES – A Minnesota man is accused of attempted murder in West Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports West Des Moines Police officers performed a search and arrested 22-year-old Jamal Jarbah. He’s charged with attempted murder and first degree robbery related to a December 19th incident. IOWA – There’s a growing feeling that Iowans will no longer get to come and go to a long-standing convenience store chain, at least in name only. The Des Moines Register reports following an acquisition of the Kum & Go by Maverik, the industry believes the name will be phased out by 2025 at over 400 locations. Sources to the newspaper indicate they are concerned by the inadvertent double entendre of the Kum & Go name.

IOWA – Several crashes were reported along interstate 80 as some Iowa communities received more than a foot of snow Tuesday. The highway was posted with travel not advised by the Iowa DOT from east of Des Moines to near the quad cities for most of the day due to multiple collisions, including one involving two Iowa State Patrol troopers. A winter storm blasted many in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and other southern and eastern Iowa communities with 12-15″ of snowfall. Additional chances for snow return this week, according to the National Weather Service, especially in the southeast half of the state on Friday, before extreme cold settles in over the weekend. DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds kicked off the 2024 Iowa Legislative session with her annual condition of the state address Tuesday night. This was the 7th time Reynolds addressed lawmakers and the state to set the agenda for the next three and a half months in the capital. Reynolds called for teacher salary increases, deeper income tax cuts, and extended family care programs. DES MOINES – Presidential candidates weren’t immune to the impact of this week’s winter storm. KCCI-TV reports Vivek Ramaswamy found himself stuck in the snow following a campaign event in Northwest Iowa. The entrepreneur running in Monday’s Iowa caucus said a resident helped his vehicle out of a ditch. AMES – A blanket of snow didn’t stop the Iowa State Cyclones from a major basketball upset at Hilton Coliseum late Tuesday. The home team knocked off No. 2 in the nation Houston in a Big 12 showdown with a 57-53 victory. Freshman Milan Momcilovic hit the game winning jumper with less than a minute remaining after ISU led the majority of the game.