DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s economic development board has approved $13.5 million in state financial assistance for a series of proposed Sioux City projects totaling $134 million. The Sioux City Journal reports that the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board voted unanimously Friday to approve Sioux City’s Reinvestment District program application.

The money is to be repaid through hotel-motel and sales taxes generated by the new and upgraded properties over a 20-year period. The application features four big-ticket projects, including a five-story, 150-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel that will adjoin the Sioux City Convention Center downtown and renovations to and parking for the convention center.

Other projects include an ag expo center, redevelopment of the former Warrior Hotel and Davidson Building into hotel, residential and commercial retail space and redevelopment of four former industrial buildings.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An eastern Nebraska doctor says ragweed pollen is showing up in significant numbers in Omaha and western Iowa. Dr. Linda Ford, an allergist in Bellevue, tells the Omaha World-Herald that a pollen-collection station for Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, has shown a lot of ragweed pollen of late.

Ford says the amount of the ragweed pollen jumped significantly last week. Ford says ragweed pollen peaks around Labor Day. In addition to medication, Ford says, allergy sufferers should use a saline nasal rinse after spending time outside. Allergy sufferers who have been mowing should wash their hair and change their clothes afterward.

She said they also should keep their windows and doors closed, even on cool nights.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:15 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball officials say there was no grand prize winner in the latest drawing, meaning one of the nation’s largest lottery jackpots will continue growing. Maura McCann of the New Hampshire Lottery says no ticket matched all six numbers following Saturday night’s drawing. The winning numbers are: 17, 19, 39, 43, 68 and Powerball 13. The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is $650 million, which would be the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s economic development board has approved $13.5 million in state financial assistance toward a series of proposed Sioux City projects totaling $134 million. The Sioux City Journal reports that the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board voted unanimously Friday to approve Sioux City’s Reinvestment District program application. The money is to be repaid through hotel-motel and sales taxes generated by the new and upgraded properties over a 20-year period.

LOGAN, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol says two people have been killed in a two-vehicle crash in southwestern Iowa. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that the crash happened late Friday night near Highway 30 and Niagara Trail, between Logan and Missouri Valley. Investigators say an eastbound pickup truck crossed the center line, hitting a car head-on. Authorities have not released the names of the two drivers killed.

MELVIN, Iowa (AP) — The National Weather Service is confirming two tornadoes struck Friday night in northwestern Iowa. Sioux Falls meteorologist Matthew Dux says an EF-1 tornado with sustained 90 mph winds touched down in cropland around the Iowa-Minnesota border just south of Bigelow, Minnesota, around 7:50 p.m. Friday. He says another tornado hit about an hour later around Melvin, damaging crops and at least one farm.

The Red Oak Police Department says no injuries were reported following a collision Saturday morning at the intersection of N. Broadway Street and Alix Avenue. The accident happened at around 10:23-a.m., when a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix and a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, were traveling north on N. Broadway.

Officials say the Jeep, driven by 32-year old Heather Jean Noel Diekmann, of Shenandoah, was making a right turn onto Alix Avenue, when her SUV was struck on the passenger side by the Grand Prix, which was driven by 16-year old Cole Ray Magill, of Red Oak. Both vehicles came to rest in the intersection. Damage from the collision amounted to $4,000. No Citations were issued. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

(In an update to our earlier report) The Iowa State Patrol says two people from western Iowa died and a third was injured during a head-on collision Friday night between Logan and Missouri Valley, in Harrison County. Both drivers in the crash died. They were identified late Saturday afternoon as 18-year old Cody A. Wills, of Logan, and 16-year old Syler J. Haase, of Missouri Valley. A passenger in one of the vehicles, 17-year old Dalton Anderson, of Missouri Valley, was injured in the crash.

The Iowa State Patrol says a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Haase was westbound on Highway 30 at around 10:48-p.m., at the same time a 2013 Ford Focus driven by Wills was traveling eastbound. For reasons unknown the Ford crossed the centerline of the road and struck the other vehicle head-on, just east of Niagra Trail. All of the victims were wearing their seat belts.

According to reports, Haase was a Junior at the Missouri Valley High School, and a member of the 2017 Missouri Valley Big Reds Soccer Team.  Wills was a 2017 graduate of the Logan-Magnolia High School. The accident remains under investigation.

MELVIN, Iowa (AP) — The National Weather Service is confirming two tornadoes struck Friday night in northwestern Iowa. Sioux Falls meteorologist Matthew Dux says an EF-1 tornado with sustained 90 mph winds touched down in cropland around the Iowa-Minnesota border just south of Bigelow, Minnesota, around 7:50 p.m. Friday. He says another tornado hit about an hour later around Melvin, damaging crops and at least one farm.

Dux says no one was injured. Dux says a weather service survey team was at Melvin on Saturday to gather more information about the strength of that tornado.

A nationally-recognized speaker will make an appearance in Iowa next week to talk about the problem of online bullying. Keith Deltano says he’ll share important information with parents about the things they need to know about the risks of cyberbullying. Deltano says, “I give parents the tools they need to help their kids make good decisions with social media and to protect their kids online and to create kids that can function in a society that can be hostile to positive behaviors.”

He says Iowa parents can’t be lulled into thinking that just because they’re in Iowa, they’re immune to the troubles of big cities. “I swim in youth culture and people may think, ‘This is Iowa, we don’t have this,’ but you have it, all right? This is there, sexting, tweeting racist comments,” Deltano says. “All of these behaviors are in Iowa, I’ve been there.”

Deltano lives with his family in North Carolina. He’s presented assemblies on topics including drug awareness, mental health and hazing. Deltano will be in Webster City on August 24th, next Thursday, for a 7 P-M appearance at the Prem Sahai Auditorium. Learn more at: www.dontbullyonline.com

(Radio Iowa)

Two people died as the result of an accident Friday night, in Harrison County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse was westbound on Highway 30 at around 10:48-p.m., at the same time a 2013 Ford Focus was traveling eastbound. For reasons unknown the Ford crossed the centerline of the road and struck the other vehicle head-on, just east Niagra Trail.

Both drivers died from their injuries. No names were released, pending notification of family. The accident remains under investigation.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports deputies responded early this (Saturday) morning to the 800 block of Elizabeth Street, in Thurman, following a call about a noise complaint. As a result of their investigation, four people were arrested, and multiple minors were issued citations.

Among those taken into custody, was: 22-year old Nicholas Benedict, of Sidney, for Possession of a Controlled Substance; 19-year old Devon Goodman, of Thurman, for Disorderly Conduct, and, 44-year old Shon Goodman, also of Thurman, for Public Intoxication.

A juvenile male was transported to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with unspecified charges.

Police in Red Oak Friday evening, arrested 35-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, of Red Oak. The woman was taken into custody at around 5:50-p.m. in the 200 block of N. Broadway, on a valid Montgomery County arrest warrant for Failure to Appear (in court), on an original charge of Driving While License Suspended. Bruce was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $5,000 cash bond.