Officials with MidAmerican Energy, on Friday, said crews were able to restore service within 24 hours to 99.9% of the 90,000 customers impacted by this week’s string of severe thunderstorms. The severe weather produced storms with wind gusts of more than 60 miles per hour and significant lightning causing large pockets of substantial tree damage, downed wires and broken poles.

MidAmerican and contractor line crews, along with tree crews, began restoration immediately, making safe and efficient progress as each round of weather passed. Early in the week, when the forecast for potential weather impacts became clear, additional contractor crews were secured from Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. MidAmerican crews from nonimpacted areas also traveled to support the restoration efforts in the Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Des Moines areas.

“Despite an extremely active storm season this year, MidAmerican crews and contractors have worked tirelessly to quickly and safely restore power to our customers,” Nick Nation, senior vice president of delivery at MidAmerican, said. “We understand how much our customers count on us to get the job done, and we are prepared to do just that, even when there is a new storm every night.”

“While we were able to restore nearly every customer’s power in less than 24 hours, multiple storms throughout the week hitting the same areas takes its toll, and we are so grateful to our customers for their patience and support of our crews,” he continued.

According to National Weather Service data, this year Iowa has had the second-most tornadoes and severe thunderstorms recorded to date.

(CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa) – A Monona County, Iowa man was sentenced Friday (August 2, 2024), to 16 years in federal prison. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says 35-year-old Allen Jones, of Ute, received the prison term after a March 19, 2024, guilty plea to kidnapping.

Evidence in the case revealed on July 7, 2023, Jones called his employer and stated his car would not start and that he needed a ride to work. Jones supervisor instructed a co-worker to pick up Jones at his residence. When the co-worker pulled into the driveway, Jones lured the co-worker into the garage, pointed a loaded shotgun at him, and said we are “going for a ride.” Jones held his victim at gunpoint, forced him into his (Jones’s) car, and ordered him to drive to a near-by casino. Jones told his victim that he planned “to shoot up the casino” and use the victim as a human shield.

On the way to the casino, Jones instructed the victim to change course, because he wanted to confront a former girlfriend before he committed the mass-shooting. Near Mapleton, Iowa, Jones further directed his victim to stop at a gas station, go into the store, and buy him food and beer. Jones warned his victim not to try to escape. The victim entered the store, selected some items, held them up to the window for Jones to see, but then set the items down and fled out of the back of the store. The victim ran alongside a storage unit, across a field, struggled across the Maple River, crossed another field, and ran onto an airfield where the victim found help.

When law enforcement arrived, they learned Jones had left the gas station on foot. Jones was located and arrested. On his person Monona County Sherriff’s Deputies located methamphetamine and in the truck they located the loaded shotgun. A subsequent search of Jones’ home revealed additional firearms, ammunition, various prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other items of contraband.

Jones has a lengthy criminal history including a 2013 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and a history of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine use.

Jones was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jones was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Jones is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Iowa State Patrol, Monona County Sherriff’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

The State of Iowa has recently created some new housing assistance options for residents that have been affected by natural disasters. Major damage from floods and tornadoes in the state prompted the need for more immediate assistance. Among the options available are the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program (DRTHP), State Disaster Recovery New Housing Grant Program, and the Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program.

The DRTHP has a goal to provide temporary sheltering options for eligible disaster survivors as they pursue long term housing solutions. For this program housing options may include recreational vehicles and travel trailers, for up to six  months at no cost for Iowans whose homes were majorly damaged, destroyed, or deemed not habitable in counties un the federal disaster declaration. This includes the SWIPCO region counties of Harrison, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.

Individuals looking for this assistance will need to start by registering for the FEMA Individual Assistance at disasterassistance.gov. The State Disaster Recovery New Housing Grant Program is meant to provide financial assistance for the development of for sale and rental housing in cities impacted by disasters. Counties in the region include Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. The grant will provide up to $50,000 per unit with a maximum project award of $1,000,000.

The State Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program will provide financial assistance to eligible homeowners affected by recent natural disasters, ultimately helping them to expedite repairs to their homes. Eligible homes must be located in a county approved for FEMA Individual Assistance following presidential natural disaster dedclarations this spring and summer.

SWIPCO region counties include Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. This program could potentially award an affected resident $50,000 for repair/rehab of their affected homes. Other nearby counties that are eligible for all programs are Adair, Adams, Ringgold, and Union.

A full list of eligible counties in the state and more information on all the types of housing assistance can be found at https://www.iowa.gov/resources-0/housing-information . Both State program applications are open at iowagrants.gov. Cities, counties, non-profits, and foundations interested in obtaining pre-constructed housing through the Homes for Iowa Program can contact SWIPCO for information or start by visiting https://www.swipco.org/housing-swihtf/homes-for-iowa/

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Environmental Protection Agency has ended its oversight of clean-up at the eastern Iowa recycling facility that exploded in late 2022. Asphalt shingles were being recycled at the C-six-zero plant in Marengo. Twenty employees were injured and part of Marengo had to be evacuated when the plant exploded. Six months later, after delays in the timeline for clean-up, state officials asked the federal government to start overseeing the removal of contaminated water and soil from the site.

Marengo fire (file photo)

Officials in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will review the E-P-A’s final report and determine if the company should do more hazardous material clean up. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined C-six-zero nearly one-hundred thousand dollars for 15 safety violations. Three employees and an investor who was touring the plant at the time of the explosion also have sued the company.

The State of Iowa has sued the company, as well, seeking one-and-a-half MILLION dollars to cover the cost of cleaning up contaminated water.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by the staff of Green Leaf Tobacco & Vape on Thursday, August 1st, 2024. The Ambassadors gathered to welcome the new business to the community with a ribbon cutting.

Green Leaf Tobacco & Vape officially opened in the Hy-Vee Plaza in June of 2024. Dee Hill-Borger, store manager, has lived in Exira and farmed for 14 years, and made the switch to specialized retail soon after the store opened. Dee shared with the Ambassadors about the vast amount of learning that came with the position and shared she has enjoyed working with the staff and customers to bring a little bit of sunshine to people’s everyday life.

Green Leaf Tobacco & Vape has over 40 retail stores throughout Iowa and Minnesota that specialize in products to help people. Whether that is hobby products such as vapes, cigars, cigarettes, loose tobacco, or CBD products. The store also carries a large variety of leisure products such as incense, lighters, handbags, water pipes and more. The staff is very knowledgeable about the products and encourages potential customers to visit the store to ask questions to better understand the inventory. The staff expressed gratitude towards the community for making them feel welcomed to the area. Green Leaf Tobacco & Vape are open Monday- Sunday from 9AM-9PM.

Ambassadors (Left to Right): Nina Welter, Kelsey Beschorner, DeeDee Kalny, Lana Westphalen, David Kalny, Krysta Hanson, Gene Reed, Kathie Hockenberry, Dee Hill-Borger, John Bricker, Dolly Bergmann, Shy Canfield, Graydon Schmidt, Kevin Littleton, Jeremy Butler, Anne Quist

Green Leaf Tobacco & Vape is located at 1610 E 7th Street Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa/Wisconsin Radio Network) – A felon who walked away from a Madison, Wisconsin halfway house in 1994 has been captured in Iowa.  Seventy-one-year-old George Hartleroad was convicted of rape in Chippewa County in 1983. Several weeks ago, Hartleroad was busted in West Des Moines, for not having a rear reflector on his bicycle. Police say he first gave a fake name, eventually gave his real name, and cops quickly learned he was on the run.

In body-cam footage, a police officer is heard saying, “We don’t know if Wisconsin wants you yet or not,” and Hartleroad replies, “Yeah, you will want me.” Turns out, the state of Wisconsin -does- want him. Hartleroad is now in the Dane County jail. By the way, in West Des Moines, the locals knew him as Homeless Greg.

West Des Moines Police Dept. photo