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Wind and hail damage in overnight storms

News, Weather

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

More heavy storms crossed Iowa overnight, bringing at least three reports of tornadoes along with heavy rain, hail and high winds. Meteorologist Craig Cogil, at the National Weather Service, says there are scattered reports of damage across the state. 

Cogil says most of the reports were for wind damage but there were also some reports of large hail. The highest winds were clocked in Woodbury County at 70 miles an hour. Tornadoes were reported in Plymouth County near Kingsley, in Polk County near Valeria and in Hardin County near Eldora. Damage is still being assessed. No injuries are reported.

In Western Iowa, thunderstorm wind damage was reported to have occurred: near Logan and Missouri Valley, at around 8:30-p.m ; near Mapleton and Little Sioux at around 8:45-p.m., and then again at around 9:15-p.m.; and, near Carroll at just about 10:15-p.m.

Winds gusting up to 60-miles per hour were reported near Red Oak at around 9:25-p.m., and in Cumberland, at around 9:50-p.m.

(Radio Iowa & NWS)

GREG BARNETT, of Atlantic (visitation 6-27)

Obituaries

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

GREG BARNETT, 63, of Atlantic, died Sat., June 18th, at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn. Visitation with the family of GREG BARNETT will be held from 10:30-11:30-a.m. Mon., June 27th, at the Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Burial will be in the Southlawn Cemetery in Atlantic, with a luncheon to follow at the funeral home.

Greg Barnett is survived by:

His sons – Brian (Stacy) Barnett, of Joplin, MO, & Andy (Angie) Barnett, of Iowa City.

His sister – Sharon (Wilbur) Hansen, of Atlantic.

His brothers – Gene (Patty) Barnett, of Storm Lake; Richard (Jess) Barnett, of Wall Lake, & Robert Barnett, of Des Moines.

2 grandchildren

SHIRLEY J. DAVIS, of Avoca (svcs set for 6-22)

Obituaries

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

SHIRLEY J. DAVIS, 78, of Avoca, died Mon., June 20th, at her home. Funeral services for SHIRLEY DAVIS will be held 11-a.m. Wed., June 22nd, at the United Church of Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

There is no public visitation or public burial.

Shirley Davis is survived by:

Her husband – Rex Davis, of Avoca.

Her sons – Craig (Ronda) Davis, of Shelby, & Scott Davis, of Avoca.

Her daughter – Debra (Larry) Manz, of Avoca.

9 grandchildren 15 great grandchildren

Drake Hires New Assistant From University of Utah

Sports

June 20th, 2011 by Jim Field

      DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Drake University men’s basketball
program has added another assistant coach.
     Head coach Mark Phelps said in a news release on Monday that
Stan Johnson will join the staff after three years at the
University of Utah.
     Before joining the Utes, Johnson coached at Cal State Northridge
in southern California; Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar,
Mo.; and Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
     Johnson played ball at Southern Utah University for three years,
then finished his college career at Bemidji State.
     In May, Phelps hired Brett Nelson from Arkansas as an assistant
coach, Jamelle McMillan from Arizona State as coordinator of
basketball operations and former Drake guard Ryan Wedel as graduate
manager.

Pujols Out 4-6 Weeks With Arm Fracture

Sports

June 20th, 2011 by Jim Field

     ST. LOUIS (AP) – St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols
will be out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured left forearm.
     The team announced the results of an MRI and CT scan Monday, a
day after Pujols was injured during a home game against Kansas
City. The team said Pujols has a non-displaced fracture of his left
radius and his arm is in a splint.
     Pujols was hurt on a play at first base in the sixth inning. He
was fielding a long throw and Kansas City’s Wilson Betemit collided
with his glove hand as Pujols was pulled toward home.
     The Cards’ three-time MVP went down to the ground in pain.
Pujols is hitting .279 this year, starting to heat up after a slow
start.
     The team says his left shoulder was sore, but no structural
damage was found.

Page County Law Enforcement Cracking Down on Drunk Drivers This Fourth of July Weekend

News

June 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Page County, Ia.— July 4th celebrations often include cook-outs, picnics, boating, time spent with family and friends and, of course, fireworks.  But for too many Americans, the nation’s annual celebration is filled with tragedy, as it is one of the deadliest holidays of the year when it comes to alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities. That’s why the Clarinda, Essex, & Shenandoah Police Departments along with the Page County Sheriff’s Office will be out in force during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, cracking down on impaired drivers with aggressive Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest enforcement.

Statistics gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the past 25 years show that, on average, nearly half of all deadly traffic crashes over each year’s July 4th holiday involved some level of alcohol. In fact, 410 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationally during the Fourth of July weekend in 2009.  Of that number, 40 percent involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.

The Fourth of July is a time most Americans spend celebrating with family and friends, but it is also one of the year’s deadliest times on our roadways. So we will be out in force cracking down on drunk driving. If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have made it illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher. We want people to be careful all weekend, but particularly at night. The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009 was four times higher at night than during the day.

Impaired driving is one of America’s deadliest problems.  In 2009 alone, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, accounting for nearly 32 percent of all traffic-related fatalities in the United States.  That’s an average of one impaired-driving fatality every 48 minutes in 2009. Impaired drivers not only take the risk of hurting or killing themselves or someone else, the trauma and financial costs of an alcohol-impaired-driving crash or an arrest can be significant.  Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates and dozens of other unanticipated expenses.

Alcohol impairs many of the skills that safe driving requires. So we will be showing zero tolerance, and anyone caught driving with a BAC of .08 or higher will be arrested. It’s simply not worth the risk to you or to the thousands of innocent victims who are hurt or killed each year by drunk drivers. So if you are over the limit, you will get busted.

A message from…

Sheriff Lyle Palmer                                                    Chief Keith Brothers

Page County Sheriff’s Office                                     Clarinda Police Department

 

Chief Kris Grebert                                                      Chief Mike Anderson

Shenandoah Police Department                                 Essex Police Department

C.Bluffs residents advised to move items from basements

News

June 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs residents are being urged to move valuables out of basements to higher ground because of the threat of heavy rain over the next few days as flooding continues along the Missouri River. The city says Monday ground saturation levels and stressed storm sewer systems are contributing to wet basements being reported around town. The city says given the rain forecast over the next 36 hours, residents should move valuable items out of the basement.

The city also says workers are monitoring a pumping station, where backup pumps were used last week after two of the three permanent pumps failed. The city says one of the backup pumps failed over the weekend. It was repaired and is operational.

Cong. Steve King seeks Presidential Disaster Declaration for 6 IA Counties Hit by Flooding

News

June 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King today (Monday) sent a letter signed by Iowa’s entire House delegation to President Barack Obama,  asking him to grant Governor Terry Branstad’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for six counties that have been ravaged by Missouri River flooding. If granted, the disaster declaration will trigger the release of federal emergency assistance resources to Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie and Woodbury counties to aid their response to flooding that began on May 25, 2011 and is continuing. King initiated the congressional letter of support for the state’s request.

King said “Missouri River flooding is doing extensive damage to western Iowa, and I am asking the President to grant the state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.”  He added “From Sioux City to Hamburg, this flood is consuming homes, businesses, farmland, and infrastructure, and the damage will continue to mount as the water remains with us over the summer. With the support of Iowa’s House delegation behind the state’s request, the President should not hesitate to issue a disaster declaration that will allow federal resources to strengthen ongoing recovery and relief efforts.”

King’s letter to President Obama notes that Governor Branstad has asked for a Major Disaster Declaration after determining that the ongoing Missouri River flooding “is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary.”

Red Cross closes 1 of 2 Iowa 24-hour shelters

News

June 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – The American Red Cross has closed one of its 24-hour shelters for Nebraska and Iowa victims of Missouri River flooding. The Red Cross says there is no current major need for the shelter at Missouri Valley, Iowa.

The two 24-hour Nebraska shelters are at Fort Calhoun High School at Fort Calhoun, north of Omaha, and in southeast Nebraska at Peru State College in Peru. The remaining 24-hour shelter in Iowa is at Sidney High School in Sidney, in the southwest corner of the state.

Other shelters are on standby in Cass, Cedar, Dixon, Douglas, Sarpy and Thurston counties in Nebraska, Pottawattamie County in Iowa.

Storms Monday may worsen Missouri River flooding

News

June 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The forecast for rain in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa is worrisome for officials who are already concerned about flooding along the swollen Missouri River. Storms are expected to develop Monday afternoon and again in the evening, and the National Weather Service says there is a moderate risk of severe weather.

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesman John Benson says the storms might drop enough rain to cause local flooding problems. Weather Service forecaster Van DeWald says the first round of storms in the afternoon shouldn’t significantly worsen flooding along the Missouri River because the storm will move across the region.

DeWald says the places most likely to have flooding problems Monday are the places that received heavy rain Sunday, such as Fremont, Neb. and Audubon, Iowa.