Wednesday Morning Read: Area road crews gear up for winter; Iowa out of running for Toyota, Mazda plant; twin sisters with Cedar Rapids ties die in Mexico

TODAY'S WEATHER — Partly cloudy, seasonal. High 55, low 37.

AREA ROAD CREWS GEAR UP FOR WINTER — While some Eastern Iowans may not be ready for the transition to winter as temperatures begin to drop, those who maintain state and local roads are getting prepared. 'In our world, Oct. 15 is really the first official day of winter,' said Craig Bargfrede, winter operations administrator with the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Maintenance. Read more: http://bit.ly/2yHKjXx

IOWA OUT OF RUNNING FOR TOYOTA, MAZDA PLANT — Iowa and Cedar Rapids are no longer under consideration for a $1.6 billion car manufacturing plant by Toyota and Mazda. 'Unfortunately we have been eliminated as contender for this project,' Iowa Economic Development Authority spokeswoman Kanan Kappelman told The Gazette Tuesday. Read more: http://bit.ly/2yGIydb

TWIN SISTERS WITH CEDAR RAPIDS TIES DIE IN MEXICO — Sisters with Cedar Rapids ties died while vacationing in Mexico this past weekend, family and government officials said. Relatives of Barbara Jo Thomas and Beverly L. Skripsky, both 67, said the sisters died Sunday in Cabo San Lucas when they were hit by a rogue wave and swept out to sea. Read more: http://bit.ly/2yIluuJ

JEWELL WILL BE BACK — The good news? Iowa senior linebacker Josey Jewell should be back for the Hawkeyes as they face Minnesota Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. The bad news? Linemen Boone Myers may not return this season, and it's unclear if running back James Butler will try to play with an arm brace after his injury earlier this year. Read more; http://bit.ly/2yKKIZw

QUOTABLE — 'I was patient zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale, almost instantaneously ... There were moments for me when suicide seemed like the only way to silence the ridicule.' Monica Lewinsky, speaking Tuesday at the University of Iowa. Read more: http://bit.ly/2h5WXWo