MASON CITY — Iowa’s coldest temperatures of 2017 have arrived on the final week of the year. A few locations in northern Iowa reached double digits BELOW zero this morning and yesterday morning.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ken Podrazik says even colder air will move in this weekend with actual HIGHS only in the single digits above and below zero.

MASON CITY — Without discussion, the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors today approved the recommendations made by the county’s Compensation Board during their annual meeting last week.

Under state law, county elected officials select someone to represent them on the Compensation Board that each year makes recommendations about salary adjustments for the upcoming fiscal year, but it’s the county’s board of supervisors who have the final say in the process.

MASON CITY — An e-mail to a Mason City councilman from an executive of Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital says his company is still interested in building a hotel in the downtown area, and he is disagreeing with what he’s calling “malicious accusations” made against the company’s representative.

Colin McDonald, who is the vice president of development for Gatehouse Capital in Dallas, sent an e-mail to councilman John Lee on Sunday in an attempt to correct misinformation being spread about the company.

CLEAR LAKE — Clear Lake police say they are continuing their investigation into an attempted armed robbery last night, and assuring that the neighborhood is safe.

Police say they were called to the 500 block of 7th Avenue North at about 6:10 PM. Police say they are searching for a suspect who the victim says knocked on the door of their home and displayed a gun.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Long-term funding for water quality is expected to be one of the first priorities for Iowa legislators when they return to the State Capitol in January.

Competing water quality bills in the House and Senate failed to pass both chambers this year, and Republican leaders say they think the Senate version is the most feasible choice for long-term funding.

MASON CITY — The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday is scheduled to vote on the recommendations made by the county’s Compensation Board during their annual meeting last week.

Under state law, county elected officials select someone to represent them on the Compensation Board that each year makes recommendations about salary adjustments for the upcoming fiscal year, but it’s the county’s board of supervisors who have the final say in the process.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – There appears to be consensus among Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature that there are problems with Iowa’s privatized Medicaid program, but there is less agreement over what, if anything, legislators should do about it when they return to the Capitol in a few weeks.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled statehouse are expected to address a range of issues when they gather in January, including taxes and water quality. But Medicaid, the massive health care program for poor and disabled people in Iowa, is less certain to be on their to-do list.

DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds supports the death penalty in “limited circumstances,” but she is not calling on legislators to pass a law in 2018 that would re-establish capital punishment in Iowa.

“You’re not going to see me putting forth a bill,” Reynolds told Radio Iowa. “But I know there’s some indication that there are some senators looking at that and so what I would say at this point is I would be willing to take a look at it, but not going to weigh in until I see what direction they’re going in.”

CLEAR LAKE — The top Republican in the legislature says she’s hoping to find a way to help the thousands of Iowans who can’t afford to buy individual insurance policies for 2018.

“My gosh, we have got people that are paying up to $40,000 was one I heard with an $8000 deductible for each person. How is that sustainable? I’ve heard bankers talking about people coming in to borrow money to pay for health insurance. How do we sustain that kind of thing?” House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake asked. “We have to move this needle.”

Upmeyer plans to consult with the state insurance commissioner and the head of a federal agency to see what options may be available.

JOHNSTON — State public health officials are trying to find out why eight medical marijuana manufacturers did not apply to be the supplier in Iowa.

In late November, MedPharm Iowa got the state license to grow marijuana and manufacture cannabis oil here. Iowa Department of Public Health director Gerd Clabaugh says the law allowed two licensed manufacturers.

“Part of our application process asked for companies, organizations to file with us a notice-of-intent-to-apply, so we had an early indication about who and how many applications we might receive,” Clabaugh says. “And in that part of the process, we received nine letters.”

DES MOINES — Iowa exports are “flat-lining” according to the director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Debi Durham says it’s worrisome since negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement are unresolved.

“I believe that all trade agreements, particularly ones like NAFTA that should be looked at to be modernized — I don’t think there’s any issue with that, but certainly Mexico and Canada are some of our largest trading partners and that’s concerning to us,” Durham says.

VENTURA — A Ventura man has been arrested after a vehicle pursuit early Christmas morning.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department says they tried to stop a vehicle driven by Justin Glidden shortly at 12:20 AM at 237th and Balsam Avenue just south of Ventura. The department says Glidden refused to stop, with a pursuit going through Hancock, Wright and Franklin counties on several gravel and paved roads, with speeds reaching 90 miles per hour at times.

OSAGE — The Iowa Court of Appeals has overturned one conviction of an Osage man accused of sexually abusing a man and then attempting to kill him to keep him from testifying.

Mark Retterath was found guilty of attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder, and sexual abuse. In October he was sentenced to 35 years in prison – including 25 for attempted murder.

BLUE GRASS — The Blue Grass Police Department says four people died in a house fire there early Christmas morning.

Police say in a report that they were called out at 12:34 a.m. to the 300 block of Salem street in Blue Grass. Four people were inside the home at the time the fire started. One person got out and was taken to the hospital but later died. The three other people that were inside the home were unable to escape and died inside.