(Radio Iowa) — The recent U-S Drought Monitor report shows abnormally dry conditions in about 35 percent of the state, with eight west-central counties classified as being in moderate drought. Iowa D-N-R analyst Tim Hall says the state remains in a contrast when it comes to water conditions. “You almost can draw a north-south line along Interstate 35. And to the west of the interstate in the last month — those areas have been short of rainfall. And on the east side of I-35, we’ve had excess rainfall,” Hall says.

The latest drought monitor graph.

While parts of the state are characterized as dry — Hall says there are two different ways to look at it. “In drought terminology we sometimes talk about an agricultural drought versus a hydrological drought,” he says. “And the agricultural drought comes much more quickly because those crops need moisture and they typically get it from the upper part of the soil profile.” The other type of drought impacts more long-term water needs. “For drinking water for groundwater. So, we’re concerned and we are watching it, but right now the impacts are primarily agricultural. But if things don’t improve, then we’ll start to see those impacts move into other parts of the system,” Hall says.

He says not all rain will help get rid of the dry conditions. Hall says we often get thunderstorms this time of year that dump big amounts of rain and that tends to run off the ground quickly, and is not as helpful to crops. He says a slow, steady rain would be the most helpful right now. Hall says the longer the drought continues, the more you have to worry about the time it takes to come out of it. “Drought conditions typically are a long time building up — they don’t come generally very quickly. And on the other side of the coin — to move a drought out of the state doesn’t come in one rainstorm — typically it takes a prolonged period of wet weather,” according to Hall.

Hall says the rains can also be sporadic this time of year and help one area agriculturally — while leaving another area still in need of rain.

A Pottawattamie County man wanted on a Felony 2nd Degree Burglary warrant, was arrested today (Monday) by Red Oak Police. 28-year old Roland Charles Chapin, III, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 12:20-a.m., while being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $10,000 bond.

One person on a motorcycle was seriously injured during a crash Sunday evening, in Crawford County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 37-year old Nathaniel Short, of Denison, was operating a 2019 Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycle northbound at a high rate of speed on 20th Street, when an unidentified sedan turned northbound from 4th Avenue onto 20th Street.

When the cycle hit the rear of the car, Short was ejected. The sedan left the scene and is still unidentified. The crash happened at around 7:20-p.m. Short was flown by helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. The accident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating an eastern Iowa arrest after video posted on social media showed a handcuffed Black man having a seizure and apparently struggling to breathe after officers used pepper spray on him. Dubuque officials say an internal investigation will review the Friday night arrest of Yoosuf Moment. Police say Moment resisted officers before pepper spray was used. Moment was treated at a local hospital and released after he was ticketed on suspicion of driving without a valid license and interfering with police. City Manager Mike Van Milligen said in a statement that officials are aware of concerns about the incident and a thorough investigation will be conducted.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa is now over 35,000. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the number of cases of COVID-19 grew to 35,002 at 10 a.m. Sunday. That is 503 higher than Saturday’s total. There have now been a total of 750 deaths in the state linked to the coronavirus. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness. Of the 35,002 people who have tested positive for the virus, 26,206 have recovered.

CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration wants to restart federal executions this month, 17 years after the last one. Executions carried out by federal authorities have stopped, restarted and stopped again for long stretches since the first one in 1790, when U.S. marshals hanged a mariner in Maine for fatally shooting the captain of a slave ship. The federal government has never been a prolific executioner, putting to death just a few hundred people since the 1700s. States, meanwhile, have executed more than 15,000 people. The vast majority of executions in recent decades have been by lethal injection. That’s the only method authorized for federal executions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The November election is coming with a big price tag as America faces the coronavirus pandemic. The demand for mail-in ballots is surging, election workers are in need of training and polling booths might have to be outfitted with protective shields. But long-promised federal aid to help election officials is stalled in Congress. State officials say they need more money to create a pandemic-ready voting system. Lawmakers are set to debate the funding in the coming weeks, after approving $400 million in help earlier this year. Key Senate Republicans seem likely to support another round of aid despite opposition from President Donald Trump.

Mills County Public Health officials, Sunday, reported four additional, positive cases of COVID-19. Authorities say the cases are all adults age 18-to-40, who contracted the virus through a known contact. The data currently show 51 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Mills County, with 34 persons having recovered. Officials say a total of 2,084 individuals have been tested for the virus, to-date.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating an eastern Iowa arrest after video posted on social media showed a handcuffed Black man having a seizure and apparently struggling to breathe after officers used pepper spray on him. Dubuque officials say an internal investigation will review the Friday night arrest of Yoosuf Moment. Police say Moment resisted officers before pepper spray was used.

Moment was treated at a local hospital and released after he was ticketed on suspicion of driving without a valid license and interfering with police. City Manager Mike Van Milligen said in a statement that officials are aware of concerns about the incident and a thorough investigation will be conducted.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids Police say gunshots were reported around 4 a.m. Sunday in southwest Cedar Rapids. Officers found a person with a gunshot wound who later died at the scene. Police did not immediately release the victim’s identity or any other details about the shooting. No arrests were announced Sunday morning.

All photos submitted to KJAN News

Spontaneous combustion of 1,000 big bales of hay is believed to be the cause of a fire in building in Bridgewater early this (Sunday) morning. Bridgewater Fire Chief Daryl Christensen told KJAN News the call about a fire at 204 W. 1st Street came in at around 12:30-a.m. The property is owned by Dennis Lundy, of Lundy Farms. Just before daylight, a construction excavator was brought-in to gain better access to, and containment of, the flames, but Christensen said once a fire of that nature starts, there’s not much that can be done.

Bridgewater Fire requested mutual aid from more than a half-dozen area fire departments, including Adair, Anita, Atlantic, Fontanelle, Greenfield, Massena, Orient and Wiota.  Numerous tanker trucks were called-in along with additional manpower. Atlantic’s aerial (or, ladder) truck was requested at 1:24-a.m.

Water was being drawn from a dry hydrant at Mormon Trail Lake, near Bridgewater. The Adair County Ambulance was also on the scene to provide fire fighter rehab. Flames were still shooting through the roof of the building, at around 4:15-a.m. By 5-a.m., most of the fire departments were released from the scene.

Chief Christensen said Bridgewater Fire crews were on the scene until around 7-a.m.

The Atlantic Planning and Zoning Commission is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Tuesday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. During their session, the Commission will consider three site plans for:

1. Nishna Valley Cycle – for a new industrial storage building at 2500 East 7^th Street.
2. Cass County Health System – their proposed renovation and a small addition, parking layout change, along with landscaping improvements to their hospital at 1501 East 10^th Street
3. and for TFF, Inc., out of Omaha, which holds the deed to 301 Elm Street (the site for the County’s ambulance service). Midwest Air (which replaced Medivac) wants to build a new addition to the structure that includes living quarters for staff as they await calls.