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Seevere Thunderstorm Warning continues for Harrison/Pott. Counties

Weather

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SHELBY IA-HARRISON IA-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-
810 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2014

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT
FOR SHELBY...SOUTHEASTERN HARRISON AND POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTIES...

AT 809 PM CDT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM NEAR HARLAN TO NEAR PERSIA TO NEAR MISSOURI VALLEY...
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT...HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE TO
         ROOFS...SIDING AND TREES.

THIS STORM PRODUCED QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN MISSOURI VALLEY AT 808 PM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NORTHERN COUNCIL
BLUFFS...HARLAN...MISSOURI VALLEY...OAKLAND...
AVOCA...UNDERWOOD...WALNUT...ELK HORN...SHELBY...MINDEN...EARLING...
IRWIN...PERSIA...CARTER
LAKE...NEOLA...CRESCENT...PANAMA...HANCOCK... PORTSMOUTH AND
MCCLELLAND.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
 HIGHWAY 59 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 52 AND 86.
 INTERSTATE 29 NEAR MILE MARKER 52...AND BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 54 AND
75.
 INTERSTATE 80 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 8 AND 48.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Expanded to include Pottawattamie County

Weather

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

753 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 338 TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AREAS UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS EVENING: POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.

OTHER AREA COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH: HARRISON, SHELBY, AUDUBON, GUTHRIE, DALLAS, SAC CRAWFORD AND CARROLL.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Shelby & Harrison Counties

Weather

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

743 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
WESTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…
HARRISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 742 PM CDT…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES WEST OF EARLING TO NEAR MODALE…MOVING EAST
AT 20 MPH.

HAZARD…HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
HARLAN…MISSOURI VALLEY…LOGAN…SHELBY…EARLING…PERSIA…
DEFIANCE…MODALE…WOODBINE…PANAMA…PORTSMOUTH…MAGNOLIA…
WESTPHALIA…TENNANT…NISHNA BEND RECREATION AREA…SCHABEN PARK
AND HISTORICAL VILLAGE WELCOME CENTER.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS…
HIGHWAY 30 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 2 AND 5.
HIGHWAY 59 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 67 AND 89.
INTERSTATE 29 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 74 AND 84.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

ELNOR WHITSIT, 95, of San Antonio, TX (formerly of the Oakland area) – Svcs. 6/28/14

Obituaries

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

ELNOR WHITSIT, 95, of San Antonio, TX (formerly of the Oakland area), died June 20th, in San Antonio. Funeral services for ELNOR WHITSIT will be held 11:30-a.m. Sat., June 28th, at the Oakland Congregational Church. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family is from 10-a.m. until 11-a.m. Saturday at the Oakland Congregational Church.

ELNOR WHITSIT is survived by

Her children: Joyce Brannon, and Karla (Jeff) Wentworth, all of San Antonio, TX; Janelle Scott, of Normal, IL; Dr. Kevan (Ellen) Whitsit, of Columbia, MO.

7 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren.

Iowa accepts state’s 19th safe haven baby

News

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say they have taken custody of a newborn baby under the state’s safe haven law. The state Department of Human Services said in a news release Friday that the baby boy was born at a hospital on June 14. The child’s mother immediately asked that the child be declared a safe haven baby. A court hearing to terminate parental rights will be held soon.

It is the 19th time the state has taken a child under the safe haven law, which allows parents to give up custody of babies age 14 days and younger with no questions asked. The law was approved in 2001 after an eastern Iowa teenager killed her home-delivered newborn. Officials say all previous safe haven babies have been successful adopted.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11-p.m.

Weather

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

545 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN, OK HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 338, IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

IOWA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE: AUDUBON BOONE CALHOUN CARROLL CRAWFORD DALLAS EMMET GREENE GUTHRIE HAMILTON HANCOCK HARRISON HUMBOLDT KOSSUTH PALO ALTO POCAHONTAS SAC SHELBY WEBSTER WINNEBAGO WRIGHT.

Officials: western IA man killed, 1 injured in car collision

News

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

MANSON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a bicyclist has been killed in northern Iowa following a collision with a vehicle that also injured another bicyclist. The Iowa State Patrol says 47-year-old Shawn Gosch, of Onawa, was riding a bicycle Friday morning near Manson when he was hit from behind by a vehicle driven by 30-year-old Eric Meyer, of Lake View.

The collision caused the bicycle of 49-year-old Jeffrey Gray, also of Onawa, to be hit. He was thrown into a ditch. Gosch was pronounced dead at a hospital. Gray was taken to another hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It’s unclear if Meyer was hurt.

Interstate 29 in South Dakota now open

News

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Interstate 29, is now open to traffic in southeastern South Dakota, state officials say. The interstate was closed at noon on Thursday so a levee could be constructed at Exit 4. The levee was a protective measure against rising waters of the Big Sioux River. The river crested early Friday morning below the level forecast earlier, and water didn’t reach the I-29 roadway.

Motorists are reminded there is still flooding on some state and local roads and should not drive through rushing or standing water as the roadway may be washed out underneath. Travelers are urged to visit www.safetravelusa.com/sd or call 511 to check the latest road conditions in their area

BRIAN FOLLMANN, 40, of Massena (Svcs. 6/23/14)

Obituaries

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

BRIAN FOLLMANN, 40, of Massena, died Wed., June 18th, from a farm accident near Massena. Funeral Services for BRIAN FOLLMANN will be held 10:30-a.m. Monday, June 23rd, at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Massena. The Steen Funeral Home of Massena is in charge of
arrangements.

An open visitation will be held on Sunday (June 22nd) from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Massena, with the family greeting friends on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Burial will be in the Massena Center Cemetery in rural Massena, with a luncheon to follow at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the Brian Follmann memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date.

BRIAN FOLLMANN is survived by

His wife – Amy, of Massena

His children – Ethan, Abby and Jack.

His parents – Dan and Janice Follmann of Atlantic.

His sister – Dana (Dusty) Sorensen of Van Meter.

His brother –  Dustin (Alissa) Follmann of Monroe.

Other relatives and friends.

Iowa Republicans to pick US 3rd District nominee

News

June 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans are gathering Saturday to pick a candidate to run in November for the seat of retiring Rep. Tom Latham in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. More than 500 delegates will meet at Des Moines Christian School in Urbandale to choose from the six candidates who ran in the June 3 primary but failed to reach the required 35-percent threshold.

State Sen. Brad Zaun received the most votes, ahead of businessman Robert Cramer, GOP activist Joe Granadette, Secretary of State Matt Schultz, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Director Monte Shaw and former U.S. Senate aide David Young. It’s the first congressional nominating convention in Iowa since 2002. The winner faces Democrat Staci Appel of Ackworth in the general election.

The district includes 16 counties, stretching from Des Moines to Council Bluffs.