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Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., July 23rd 2013

News

July 23rd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press….

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – Officials are still investigating the cause of an explosion that injured five men performing electrical work at a manufacturing plant in northwest Iowa. The Sioux City Journal says TimeWell Drainage officials were still hunting for answers at the Sibley plant yesterday. The accident was reported shortly before noon Saturday. It happened while workers were switching power lines to a new transformer, according to the Osceola County sheriff’s office.

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) – Crews are continuing to search for the body of a man believed to have drowned at a dam on the Upper Iowa River east of Decorah. KWWL-TV reports authorities identified the man as 29-year-old Eric Langland of Decorah. Winneshiek County Sheriff’s officials say Langland was last seen struggling in the water Saturday night. A friend then saw him pulled under by the water coming over the dam.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An FBI official says a 30-year prison term for a New Jersey man convicted of sex trafficking in Iowa will protect the public from an “evil predator.” Johnelle Bell must serve 85 percent of the term, handed down Friday by a federal judge.

WESLEY, Iowa (AP) – A state patrol plane helped authorities capture a man suspected in the shooting of a northern Iowa man. The Globe Gazette newspaper reports the incident began early Sunday with a dispute between two men in Wesley, a small town about 10 miles east of Algona. Officers have arrested 25-year-old Andrew Zeitler of Wesley.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: NE Adair, SE Guthrie Counties

Weather

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

906 PM CDT MON JUL 22 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN ADAIR COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA...
  SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...
  WESTERN JASPER COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 1000 PM CDT

* AT 905 PM CDT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
  EXTENDING FROM COLFAX TO 8 MILES SOUTH OF GUTHRIE CENTER...AND
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

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

  SOURCE...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS.

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

Severe Thunderstorm Watch extended until Midnight

Weather

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 430…PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING…IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 28 COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL IOWA

BOONE DALLAS JASPER MARSHALL POLK POWESHIEK STORY

IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA

APPANOOSE CLARKE DECATUR LUCAS MADISON MAHASKA MARION MONROE RINGGOLD

UNION WARREN WAYNE

IN SOUTHEAST IOWA

DAVIS WAPELLO

IN SOUTHWEST IOWA

ADAIR ADAMS CASS TAYLOR

IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA

AUDUBON GREENE GUTHRIE

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…ADEL…ALBIA…AMES…ATLANTIC… AUDUBON…BEDFORD…BLOOMFIELD…BOONE…CENTERVILLE…CHARITON…CORNING…CORYDON…CRESTON…DES MOINES…GREENFIELD…GRINNELL…GUTHRIE CENTER…INDIANOLA…JEFFERSON… KNOXVILLE…LAMONI…MARSHALLTOWN…MOUNT AYR…NEWTON…OSCEOLA… OSKALOOSA…OTTUMWA AND WINTERSET.

Chiefs announce shakeup in player engagement

Sports

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured their player engagement department less than a year after one of their players was involved in a murder-suicide near Arrowhead stadium.  Kirsten Krug, the Chiefs’ vice president of administration, will oversee the department. She will work alongside B.J. Stabler, who has experience in crisis management.

Last season, Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend to death and then drove to the team’s practice facility. Belcher then shot himself in the head while general manager Scott Pioli, coach Romeo Crennel and assistant coach Gary Gibbs watched from the parking lot.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement Monday the franchise worked with the NFL to restructure its player engagement department with ideas taken from around the league. The new-look department will utilize a team of external resources to help players and staff with mental, emotional and physical wellness, along with mentoring and career development.

Iowa topsoil moisture declines in hot dry week

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – After a very wet start to this planting season, Iowa crop conditions are quickly reversing from too wet to too dry.  The USDA says topsoil with adequate or surplus moisture declined 22 percentage points last week from the week before with 43 percent of the state’s topsoil now adequate or in surplus. Temperatures statewide averaged 4.8 degrees above normal and average precipitation was barely measurable while normal for the week is just over an inch.

Corn and soybeans remain behind schedule with just 35 percent of the corn crop tasseled, behind the five-year average of 70 percent. Overall, corn is about 10 days behind normal in development.  Thirty-six percent of the soybean crop is blooming, behind the normal 70 percent.

Storm Report for Monday, July 22nd 2013

Weather

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Hail events reported to and from the National Weather Service include:

9:04-p.m. Quarter-sized hail reported by spotters in Guthrie Center.

8:30-p.m. Quarter-sized hail and winds of 40-50mph near Bagley, in Guthrie County.

8:22-p.m. Nickel -to Quarter-size hail at Avoca in Pottawattamie Co.

8:12-p.m. Quarter-sized hail 3 miles NE of Shelby in Shelby County.

7:17-p.m. 1/2 dollar-sized hail 4 miles South of Missouri Valley in Pottawattamie Co.

7:10-p.m. Quarter-to half-dollar sized hail 1 mile S. of Missouri Valley in Harrison Co.

ERMA LOHRMANN, 94, of Manning (Svcs. 7-29-2013)

Obituaries

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ERMA LOHRMANN, 94, of Manning, died Mon., July 22nd, at the Carroll Health Center. Funeral service for ERMA LOHRMANN will be held at 3:00-p.m. Mon., July 29th in the Zion Lutheran Church in Manning. The Ohde Funeral Home in Manning has the arrangements.

There is no visitation.

Burial will be in the Manning Cemetery.

ERMA LOHRMANN is survived by:

Children, Larry Lohrmann of Denison; Geno Lohrmann of Manning; Curt Lohrmann of Carroll; Rick Lohrmann of Manning; Kerry Sturm of Manning; and Brenda Warnke of Scranton

Sister-in-law, Viola Segebart of Denison

14 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… NORTHERN DALLAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA… GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA… NORTHERN POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA

Weather

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
827 PM CDT MON JUL 22 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
NORTHERN DALLAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA…
GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA…
NORTHERN POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA…

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 823 PM CDT…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEVADA TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
COON RAPIDS…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

HAZARD…PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OUTDOORS WILL BE INJURED. EXPECT HAIL
DAMAGE TO ROOFS…SIDING…WINDOWS AND VEHICLES. EXPECT
WIND DAMAGE TO ROOFS…SIDING AND TREES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
PERRY…WOODWARD…GUTHRIE CENTER…PANORA…POLK CITY…DALLAS
CENTER…ANKENY…JOHNSTON…DAWSON…BOUTON…PERRY AIRPORT…
YALE…ALLEMAN…MINBURN…GRANGER…ELKHART…SAYLORVILLE LAKE AND
LINDEN.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 90 AND 102.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE
SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER…INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch expanded

Weather

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect until 10-p.m., has been expanded to include Adair, Adams, Cass, Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Union and Taylor Counties. It also includes Pottawattamie, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie and Dallas Counties, in the immediate listening area.

Iowa’s White hopes to build on Team USA experience

Sports

July 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Aaron White wasn’t all that thrilled to be a reserve for Team USA in the recent World University Games in Kazan, Russia. He won’t have to worry about coming off the bench for the Hawkeyes though. Iowa will likely use White as much as it can next season in hopes of ending a lengthy NCAA tournament drought.

White recently returned from Russia following his first experience in an international tournament. He was the first Iowa player in eight years to make the World University Games team. White averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in eight games off the bench, shooting 55 percent from the floor with nearly a block a game.