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Iowa’s had 43 tornadoes so far this year. How many more will there be?

News, Weather

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – We’re just past the halfway point for Iowa’s tornado season, and while twisters can strike during any month of the year, April, May and June are considered the three prime months for tornadic activity. Meteorologist Mike Fowle, at the National Weather Service in Johnston, says it’s been a very active season so far.  “Our preliminary numbers suggest we have seen 43 tornadoes,” Fowle says. “Interestingly enough, all of those have occurred in the month of April. We are still investigating some reports back from our previous events, say from April 26th, we’re still investigating so it’s possible we could still add a tornado or two from some of these events.” While the tornado tally doesn’t set an Iowa record, Fowle says it -is- an impressive number.

“For 43 tornadoes for a month, that’s pretty darn high,” Fowle says. “We go back generally to about 1950 and forward as our more accurate trend of record, so that would have been the fourth highest number of tornadoes we’ve seen in any month, the highest being May of 2004 with 57.” We do live in tornado alley and some years they’re plentiful, while we’re spared in others. “In 2023, we had a total for the whole year in the state of Iowa of 72, while in 2022, we only had 42 for the entire year, so we obviously surpassed that in one month this year,” Fowle says, “and then if we go back even just one more year to 2021, we had a total of 114 tornadoes.”

The bulk of the 2021 tornadoes occurred on December 15th of that year, in a highly unusual late year outbreak. There were 63 tornadoes in Iowa that day, along with the first-ever December derecho anywhere in the U-S.

2 arrests in Montgomery County over the weekend

News

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report two arrests. At around 5:30-p.m. Saturday, deputies arrested 45-year-old Joseph Earl Smith, of Red Oak, for Driving while barred. His bond was set at $2,000. And, at around 3:20-a.m., Sunday, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 38-year-old Tony Lee King, of Red Oak, for Interference with official acts. King was being held in the jail on a $300 bond.

2 arrested in Red Oak Sunday evening

News

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report two men were arrested Sunday evening in the 300 block of E. Nuckols Street. 38-year-old Jacob Wayne Dykes-Vargas, and 28-year-old Dylan Elwood Taylor, of Red Oak, were taken into custody at around 5:40-p.m., for Accessory after the fact – a Simple Misdemeanor. Both men were transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

67 state boards and commissions being eliminated

News

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Eighty-three state boards and commissions are being eliminated or consolidated. Governor Kim Reynolds recommended even more for elimination, but legislators pared down her list and she has approved the final plan. Iowa-Nebraska N-double-A-C-P president Betty Andrews is raising concerns about shifting power away from the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to a director appointed by the governor. The plan also eliminates several commissions in the Iowa Department of Human Rights.

“It sends a sad, unwelcoming message to communities of color, to people with disabilities and women,” Andrews says, “that civil rights and their interests are not a priority at the highest level of state government.” Reynolds says have the Iowa Civil Rights Commission be an advisory group rather than a decision-making board makes sense.

“We had a part-time board that was really managing things and it’s just too hard to do that. You need somebody that’s there full time,” Reynolds said. “…It’s just a better way for us to really manage the organization.” Reynolds says there’s never been a comprehensive review of all state boards and commissions and it’s a continuation of her efforts to make state government more efficient. A year ago, the legislature approved the governor’s plan to reduce the number of state agencies from 36 to 16.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, May 20, 2024

Weather

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms. High near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms late. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low 61.
Tuesday: Showers & possible thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 80. SE @ 15-35 mph.
Tue. Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 49.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 71. The Low was 56. We received .26″ rain at KJAN, Sunday. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 73 and the Low was 37. The Record High for May 20th was 95 in 1925. The Record Low was 26 in 1894. Sunrise: 5:56. Sunset: 8:36.

Iowa lawmakers’ $2 billion tax cuts put services ‘at risk’

News

May 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – The latest state tax cuts are expected to cost Iowa more than 2-billion dollars over the next two years. Advocates for tax fairness argue lawmakers are not considering the long-term consequences of those cuts on schools, workers, and livability. In the face of a dwindling population and shrinking tax base, Iowa lawmakers doubled down on tax cuts this year, and also passed a measure calling for a constitutional amendment to require any state income tax to be a single rate. Anne Discher with Common Good Iowa says lawmakers chose to cut taxes despite the state’s growing economic demands – like funding Educational Savings Accounts, which allow parents to use public education dollars to pay for private school.

Lawmakers also passed a cluster of bills that will accelerate cuts in the state income tax rate, from 3-point-9 to 3-point-8 percent, which Discher argues will have long-term economic impacts. Supporters of the tax-cut measures, including Governor Kim Reynolds, have promised more fiscal austerity.

The deeper tax cuts mean an average reduction of about 6-dollars to someone in the bottom 20-percent of the income bracket, 402-dollars for the middle 20-percent, and more than 20-thousand dollars for someone making over a million-and-a-half dollars a year. Lawmakers say they plan to cover the tax cuts with Iowa’s budget surplus, which Discher calls shortsighted.

Discher argues implementing a flat-rate income tax would be regressive and hurt lower-income Iowans most. Supporters say it would be more fair and efficient.

Exira-EHK Spartans Baseball Season Preview with Coach Randy Kelly

Sports

May 19th, 2024 by admin

The Exira-EHK Spartans are coming off a 6-0 loss to Alta-Aurelia in the second round of the Class 1A-Region 7 playoff bracket. The Spartans will be coached by Randy Kelly.

Coach Kelly talked about the teams last years playoff loss to Alta-Aurelia.

The Spartans have been getting a few morning sessions in, to help enable other spring sport athletes to join practice.

Coach Kelly talked about who is going to be his stand out players on the team.

Coach Kelly commented on playing in a tough Rolling Valley Conference this season.

The Spartans first baseball game will be Monday May 20th, when they will host AC/GC in a non-conference game. First pitch of that game will be at 7:30 p.m.

Riverside Bulldog Girls Softball Season Preview with Coach Lacie Patterson

Sports

May 19th, 2024 by admin

The Riverside girl’s softball team is getting ready for their 2023-2024 softball season. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-0 loss to Woodbine in the Class 1A – Region 3 playoff bracket. Riverside is going to be coached by Lacie Patterson, who is in her second season.

Coach Patterson talked about the season loss to Woodbine in the post-season last year.

The Bulldogs have managed well despite not having everyone at practice due to other spring sports obligations.

Coach Patterson said Riverside is going to have many pitching options for the season.

Coach Patterson talked about the hardest part of being a Bulldogs coach.

The Bulldogs first softball game will be Monday May 20th, when they take on Missouri Valley in a Western Iowa Conference regular season game. That game will start at 7:30 p.m.

 

Video taken of tornado near Massena

News, Weather

May 19th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Massena, Iowa) – Volunteer Firefighter Levi Lank captured video of a tornado located three-miles southwest of Massena off of Victoria Road, this (Sunday) evening. The twister touched down at around 7:58-p.m.  There were no reports of damage or injuries. (Still frame images from the video, Photo credit: Levi Lank). While the National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southeastern Cass and southwestern Adair Counties just before 8-p.m., there was NO TORNADO WARNING issued. The Cass County Communications Center set-off the sirens in Cumberland and Massena when spotters observed the twister.

The Weather Service one quarter-size hail (1″ diameter) was observed by emergency management at around 8:46-p.m., south of Stuart, and five-miles southeast of Greenfield, at around 8:36-p.m. The NWS in Omaha reports thunderstorm winds of 53-mph were recorded at 10:15-p.m. two-miles S/SE of Clarinda. Thunderstorm wind damage was reported five-miles East of Hepburn, in Page County, at around 8:05-p.m., along with golf ball-size hail (1.75″).

Shelf cloud near Elliott (3 photos) – Submitted to KJAN by Megan Glasgo.

58-mph winds were recorded in Villisca at 7:41-p.m., Sunday. Ping-pong ball size hail fell one-mile SE of Clarinda at 7:55-p.m.  Half-dollar size hail (1.25″) fell in Clarinda at 7:49-p.m.

Tornado dissipating

Tornado on the ground

State Track and Field Photos/Interviews Day 3 (05/18/24)

Sports

May 19th, 2024 by Asa Lucas