Des Moines, Iowa (Via KCCI and KCRG) — The National Weather Service in Des Moines has confirmed an EF-0 tornado that struck at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 near the town of Bloomfield. Damage was reported to the National Weather Service and it was determined that a tornado had touched down at 11 a.m. and lasted for around one minute with an overall path length of one-third of a mile. The cell associated with the storm was said to have no lightning. Tornadoes can occur any time of the year.

According to the Weather Service, since January 1st Iowa has broken the record for the most tornadoes touching down in the state in a year, with 122 having been confirmed- and the year isn’t over yet, of course. The previous record was set in 2004. Several different events have contributed to this year’s high number of tornadoes. A Weather Service meteorologist said four of the largest tornadoes occurred April 16th and 26th, and were followed-up by an active weather pattern, in May. Storms on the 21st and 24th of May produced between 18 to 23 tornadoes each.

In addition to a strong jet stream, meteorologists also noted several additional features that helped strengthen storms this year. Dr. Bill Gallus, a professor of Meteorology at ISU told KCRG, “In the spring, the southern part of the United States got very hot, record hot and the Gulf of Mexico warmed up quickly and became warmer than average, which also helps more humidity to enter the atmosphere and then the south winds that came up ahead of these storm systems could bring that higher humidity up to Iowa and that acts as the fuel as the instability for the thunderstorms.”

2024 isn’t the only year we’ve dealt with a high number of tornadoes. In the last 20 years, five years have had more than 100 tornadoes statewide. Scientists don’t think climate change is causing an increase in the number of tornadoes we see. However, experts are considering the possibility that climate change is causing more large scale severe weather events. Officials say learning from this year’s storms will help to prepare for twisters in the years to come.

As for the upcoming Winter months, the Climate Prediction Center – which specializes in long-range, seasonal forecasts – says developing La Niña conditions are expected through the winter. What does that mean for Iowa? The influence of La Niña is most impactful in northern and southern states and along the east coast. Towards the central US, La Niña has less of a signal making it difficult to draw conclusions about what to expect this year. Recent La Niña patterns have generally favored a warmer start to the winter season for our area, followed by colder and snowier conditions over the second half of winter with a later onset of spring.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – One person has been arrested and a University of Iowa fraternity chapter has been suspended as authorities investigate a potential hazing incident, university leaders said Friday. KCRG-TV reports, according to a statement from the university, the arrest and suspension came after first responders were called to the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house early Friday morning for a fire alarm, and they found several dozen pledges blindfolded in the basement.

One person was arrested and charged with interference with official acts. That person was NOT a student, and does not live at the house where the incident took place. Their name has not been released at this time. University leaders did not say how they were involved in the incident.

The University of Iowa’s Office of Student Accountability has suspended the operations of Alpha Delta Phi, pending the outcome of the investigation. The fraternity’s national chapter has also suspended the charter until further notice. The university released a statement saying it is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk.

The university has also reached out to the students involved in the incident to offer counseling resources. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

(State News) – Two people died and two others were injured in separate collions on opposite sides of the State, Friday. The Iowa State Patrol reports a pedestrian died when she was struck by a pickup truck a little after 6-p.m. Fort Madison, which is in southern Iowa’s Lee County.

According to the report, a 2009 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by 70-year-old Jeffrey Stephen Jordan, of Argyle, was traveling westbound on Highway 2 in Fort Madison, when the pedestrian – 70-year-old Nancy Lynne Kuhljuergen, of Ft. Madison – attempted to cross the roadway from the Fort Colonies Restaurant, and was struck by the pickup. Kuhljuergen died from her injuries.

The other accident happened on Highway 69 between 180th and 190th Streets in northern Iowa’s Hamilton County, at around 6:30-a.m., Friday. The State Patrol says the driver of an SUV died during a multi-vehicle collision north of Blairsburg, and the drivers of a pickup truck and a semi were hurt.

Officials say a 2021 Jeep Renegade driven by 27-year-old Cole Lantz, of Williams (IA) was traveling north on Highway 69 and was attempting to pass another vehicle traveling northbound. A 2011 Dodge RAM 2500 pickup driven by 51-year-old Carlos Vielman Castillo, of Postville, was southbound on Highway 69  and collided head-on with the Jeep in the southbound lanes. Both vehicles came to rest on the roadway.

32-year-old Justin Norton, of Belmond (IA), was traveling south on Highway 69 in 2024 Freightliner semi. He swerved to the center-line of the road to avoid striking the pickup truck but collided with the vehicle on the way through the debris. a fourth vehicle that was involved lightly struck the Jeep. Officials say weather appeared to play a factor. A dense fog advisory was in effect at the time.

The Patrol says Cole Lantz died at the scene. Carlos Castillo and has passenger, 28-year-old Jilmer Vielman Monroy, of Belmond, were injured, and transported to a hospital in Webster City. All of the crash victims were wearing their seat belts. The road was closed for several hours as a result of the wreck.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s a bit late in the year to be planting trees, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is urging homeowners and city leaders to plan ahead and consider any of about 85 different species of trees to plant in the spring. However, if they’re thinking about maples, think again. Chip Murrow, an urban forestry program specialist at the D-N-R, says maples are beautiful, sturdy trees, but they’ve become too poplar, or rather popular, in Iowa.

There are all sorts of maples, including black, sugar, Norway, Japanese, silverleaf and paperbark, but he says diversity is a good thing when it comes to trees. Murrow fears what our state’s tree canopy would look like if an infestation of insects or some sort of tree disease sweeps in, as has happened many times before.

The D-N-R is now offering an online publication which makes a case for cultivating a different sort of diversified canopy in the state.

The online document lists dozens of other trees that do well in Iowa under a long list of categories, including: vibrant fall color, fast growing, spring flowers, good for shade and storm resistant. Murrow says if Iowans help by planting a wide variety of species that are well suited for their sites, they’ll be helping ensure a community’s tree canopy is a valuable resource for the future.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she is excited to win another term and return to Washington knowing the Republicans retain control of the House.

Hinson who is from Marion won her third term in Congress. She says Republicans should be able to get things done after winning the Senate as well and the landslide win of Donald Trump.

She expects fixing the Biden border crisis is going to be one of the first issues.

Hinson says she has always tried to work in a bipartisan manner, and that may be more possible now in the lame duck session.

Hinson defeated Democrat Sarah Corkery of Cedar Falls in the recent election to win her third term in the Second Congressional District.

(Radio Iowa) – State regulators in North Dakota approved a pipeline route permit today (Friday) for the Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon capture pipeline. The route approved by the North Dakota Public Service Commission is part of a 25-hundred mile proposed project covering five states, including Iowa.
Summit C-E-O Lee Blank says it’s an important step.

The approval is important for Iowa, as construction in Iowa cannot begin until the project is fully approved in North and South Dakota. The Sierra Club of Iowa’s Jessica Mazour says pipeline opponents are disappointed in the permit decision but that the fight is far from over.

Summit plans to reapply for a route permit in South Dakota on Tuesday (Nov. 19).

CLIVE, Iowa — A Cass County man said he was thrilled after scratching off a $30,000 lottery prize. 74-year-old George Evans., of Atlantic, said “Yesterday was one of my highlights of my life.” Evans claimed his prize Thursday at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. “I go, ‘Woo hoo!’ That’s a woo-hoo moment!”

Evans won the fourth top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s “High Striker” scratch game. He bought a pair of tickets at Casey’s, 701 Poplar St. in Atlantic. The first ticket he scratched won $50, and Evans said he was excited. After he scratched the second, he was elated. Evans said “I thought, you know, everybody’s got the same chance. Someday, I’m going to win a big” prize, he said. “Well, yesterday was that day.”

George Evans, of Atlantic

Evans said after his big win, he tried to tell his family, but they refused to believe him until he showed them the lucky ticket. He also told his grandson, who was quick to offer a suggestion for how to use some of the winnings. “He went right into the other room, got a book that had electric motor scooters in it, and he says, ‘Can you get this one?'” Evans said with a laugh. Evans said he plans to put his winnings toward paying bills and an upcoming family cruise.

George Evans served the City of Atlantic for 39-years, including as Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent until his retirement in 2012.

High Striker is a $3 scratch game that features eight top prizes of $30,000 and overall odds of 1 in 3.88. For more information about this game, and the number of prizes still available, visit ialottery.com.

(Massena, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is holding a Leopold Bench Making Workshop. The program will be held at the Outdoor Educational Classroom in Massena on December 7th, beginning at 1-p.m. All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Learn all about making a Leopold bench! Make and take a bench home. They make great Christmas gifts. A donation of $35 is suggested, per bench.

A Leopold Bench

Please pre-register by December 2nd by calling 712-769-2372 or email lkanning@casscoia.us.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna said Friday, her office conducted a successful post-election audit of the 2024 General Election on November 15, 2024. Ballots in Present 6 were hand- counted by election officials to ensure they matched the totals reported by the ballot tabulator. The precinct was randomly selected by the Secretary of State following Election Day. The races audited were President/Vice President and County Sheriff. The results matched 100%.  Ozuna said “The hand count audit shows that our machines tabulate accurately and further restores integrity of our election process.”

Every ballot tabulator in Iowa undergoes a public pre-election test to ensure it will count votes accurately on Election Day. Post-election audits are mandatory in all 99 counties following each election.

Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna (Official photo)

For the General Election one randomly chosen precinct in each county is required to conduct a post-election audit to verify the machine count. For more information about election security in Iowa, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sos.iowa.gov. Information about the voting process is available at VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Questions about the post-election audit and other election matters may be directed to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

(DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board has approved a job creation award for a manufacturer in Dubuque as well as innovation funding in support of five startups located in Ames, Des Moines, Klemme and Slater. The board, Friday (today) also approved a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant in Cedar Rapids.

Universal Tank & Fabrication to lease new facility in Dubuque
Universal Tank & Fabrication Inc. manufactures tanks, vessels and weldments for various industries, including water/wastewater, air, biogas and chemical/energy. The company plans to lease a new 28,000-square-foot facility in Dubuque and will install additional equipment. The project represents a capital investment of nearly $3 million and is expected to create 15 jobs at a qualifying wage of $28.96 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program.

Awards made to five startups
Ames-based robotics company Invasive Removal, LLC is developing innovative tools to combat invasive species in forests and prairies. The robotic prototype employs a cut-and-spray method to identify and remove harmful non-native plant species, providing a more accessible and efficient solution. The company was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR) loan for IP development and evaluation, proof of concept work, product refinement and key personnel.

Des Moines’ Flete, Inc. produced a workflow management tool for businesses operating a fleet of commercial vehicles. The integrated and automated software offers a customized solution for fleets to stay organized. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, product refinement, key personnel and equipment, and market planning and entry activities.

Upvote, Inc., based in Des Moines, developed a program to automate policy discovery, tracking and analysis for government relations professionals. Legible, the subscription-based product, manages the entire policy lifecycle. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, product refinement, key personnel and administrative operations, and market planning and entry activities.

Renner Ag Solutions in Klemme aims to provide a safer and more efficient solution for the grain storage process. AgriNet, the flagship product, uses technology to operate a device that can clean out grain bins, removing the risk of farmers entering the grain bin for bin sweeps. The company was awarded a $50,000 POCR loan for IP development and evaluation, market analysis, proof of concept work, product refinement, equipment and market planning and entry activities.

Slater’s GW Nutrition, Inc. developed technology to improve the acceptance of plant- and algae-based proteins. Their patented CleanSenseTM technology uses a proprietary light delivery system to reduce microbial contamination while also moderating the sensory characteristics (i.e., color, flavor and odor) of alternative proteins. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for equipment and key personnel.

Award recommendations for these funds are made by the Technology Commercialization Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

CAT grant awarded to NewBo City Market

NewBo City Market was awarded $500,000 to execute the Next Level Local project, which will enhance the nearly 21,000-square-foot existing market and add nearly 9,000 square feet of new construction. The unique gathering space in Cedar Rapids will add a new second floor, indoor stage, processing kitchen and recording studio, among other design updates. The market expects to see a 20% increase in visitors per year.

The CAT program provides financial assistance to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. Award recommendations for these funds are made by the CAT Review Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.