MCGREGOR, Iowa (AP) — Thunderstorms have powered through northern and northeast Iowa, damaging homes, buildings and crop fields. The National Weather Service says wind gusts to 75 mph and heavy rain were reported Wednesday evening in several locations, and a tornado was reported 2 miles (3 kilometers) west-southwest of Fort Atkinson. No injuries have been reported. Residents and officials report trees and power lines have been knocked down, leaving hundreds of people without electricity. Officials say the city of McGregor has been hit hard, sustaining damage to City Hall and several other structures downtown. St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been pressed into duty as a shelter. Authorities say a semitrailer was blown over on Interstate 35 near Hanlontown.

A new state law designed to protect Iowa’s county fairs and the state fair from lawsuits about contagious diseases isn’t just about the animals catching illnesses like the bird flu. In other parts of the country lawsuits have been filed after visitors to animal exhibits contracted e-coli infections. Tom Barnes, spokesman for the Association of Iowa Fairs, says the law requires signs on the fairgrounds that warn against touching the animals and encourage fair-goers to frequently wash their hands to prevent the spread of disease. Barnes says, “If the fairs do their due diligence and do everything in their power to prevent such a thing, then this hasn’t been tested in court, of course, it’s brand new, but the onus is not on the county fair if something should happen.”

The signs also must warn against bringing food into livestock areas. Barnes says, “There has to be a sign posted at the very first point of entry into the livestock area warning fairgoers of the possible pathogenic diseases.” The law, which took effect July 1st, also spells out requirements for properly cleaning livestock areas before and after the fair. Thirty-four county fairs have already been held this month, but today (Thursday), the gates are open for fairs in 30 OTHER counties.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak, arrested 32-year old Sunshine Marie Bartlett, of Red Oak, at around 10:50-p.m., Wednesday. Bartlett was taken into custody on an active Page County warrant for Accessory After the Fact. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. And, 18-year old Justin Leroy Newman, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 2:50-p.m. Wednesday, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

One person died early this (Thursday) morning in a fiery accident on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance, along with a sheriff’s deputy, responded to the rollover accident that happened at around 1:46-a.m.  Authorities say a vehicle that had been reported driving in a reckless or erratic manner near Anita exit on I-80 westbound, crashed moments later in the Olive Street exit construction area.

The vehicle rolled over and caught fire. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene. The name of the victim was being withheld, pending notification of family.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Iowa State Patrol. The Cass County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:20 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Corrections tells The Associated Press that about 80 inmates at a maximum security prison could face disciplinary action in connection to a large fight this month. That’s a far greater number of people than the state corrections department has publicly said were directly involved in the July 1 melee at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The estimate could add weight to union claims that the state agency previously has downplayed the fight.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republican Sen. Rick Bertrand has called on Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix to resign following the conclusion of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former legislative aide. Bertrand said Wednesday that Dix should resign after a jury awarded $2.2 million to Kirsten Anderson, a former Iowa Senate Republican caucus aide. The jury determined she was fired in 2013 after she reported rampant sexual harassment in the caucus office. A spokesman for Dix says the senator has no comment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Law enforcement officials in central Iowa are warning of a familiar phone scam. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office tells KCCI that people are receiving telephone calls claiming to be from the sheriff’s office. The caller tells recipients there is a signed a warrant for their arrest for not showing up for jury duty. Victims are then told to retrieve a large amount of cash and follow further instructions to avoid being arrested.

ZWINGLE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say one person has been badly injured in a northeast Iowa house fire. The Telegraph Herald reports that the fire broke out early Wednesday morning and destroyed the home in Zwingle. La Motte Fire Chief Joe Kilburg says a man, who was the only person in the home at the time, was flown to an Iowa City hospital. He remained in the hospital’s burn unit Wednesday afternoon. The man’s name has not been released.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue along with Medivac Ambulance, responded to a reported rollover accident early this morning off the Olive Street exit  from westbound I-80. Crews were dispatched at around 1:45-a.m. The vehicle was said to have been on fire and on its side.

There was no immediate word on injuries. No other details were available (as of 2:15-a.m.). Please check back for updates.

An Iowa Army Veteran is hoping to spread the word about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by running across the state of Iowa. During the run in September, Joshua Jorgensen will be wearing a military-issued gas mask. He told KCRG-TV that the mask represents the struggle many veterans face on a daily basis.

“It says I’m struggling with those same things, but I’m getting up every day and I’m doing this. I’m putting myself in an even bigger struggle, because I know there’s an end and I can make it through it so, so can you,” Jorgensen said.

Photo courtesy KCRG

Jorgenson is part of Team Fidelis, a nationwide group working to end the epidemic of veteran suicide. Jorgensen, who lives in Adel, just west of Des Moines, has been training for the past six months for the September run, a total of 330 miles. He is hoping to complete the run in ten days or less, running over 30 miles a day — starting in Council Bluffs and ending in Burlington.

(KCRG-TV via Radio Iowa)

It’s the hottest week of the year so far and some Iowans are finding “No Swimming” signs posted on their nearby beaches, thwarting hopes of cooling off with a dip. One such body of water is Green Valley Lake at Green Valley State Park just north of Creston. Amanda Husband, an environmental health specialist in Union County, says there’s no swimming at the lake until further notice.

“Fishing would be fine,” Husband says. “We just advise folks to make sure they’re cleaning their fish of all of their guts and stuff with clean water and are then cooking them to the proper temperature.” The problem is known as microcystin toxin, which is a byproduct of blue-green algae.

Husband says, “Some lakes are really nutrient-rich lakes and that causes the algae to make blooms and those blooms can give off toxins and those toxins are what we test for to advise folks not to swim.” Coincidentally, the hot weather that prompts many of us to head for the water is exactly the reason why we can’t go swimming.

“I would expect the problem will persist until we have cooler temperatures and some rain,” Husband says. “If it’s any indication as in previous years, we could see this problem all throughout late summer and into early fall.” That toxin can be just as dangerous for pets as it is for people.

“There is a walking trail around there and if pets get that algae on their paws and on their coats, if they lick that algae off, they can get a really high concentration of it and it can be deadly to their pets,” she says. Check the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website (iowadnr.gov) for details on the waterways near you.

(Radio Iowa)

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – July 19, 2017 – Chris Teachout, of Shenandoah, was using cover crops on his family farm long before they became a widely recognized and popular conservation practice in Iowa to reduce erosion and improve soil health and water quality.  Teachout’s innovative approach and dedication to conservation has earned the 5th generation farmer the 2017 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year award, presented on July 17 during the 71st annual Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners Annual Conference in Altoona.

The prestigious conservation award, co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), honors an Iowa farmer who has a proven track record of excellence in soil conservation and water quality improvements and is committed to continuing efforts that continuously improve the land and water.  Now in its 65th year, the Conservation Farmer of the Year Award is designed to help raise awareness about the importance of caring for Iowa’s fertile lands and vital waterways and to acknowledge those who accept the challenge of continuously working to improve conservation.

In addition to being recognized with the prestigious honor, Teachout receives use of a new John Deere 6E utility tractor for a year.  The grand prize is courtesy of Van Wall Equipment of Perry and is valued at more than $12,000.  Teachout will take delivery of the John Deere from his local John Deere dealer, AgriVision of Hamburg, and will have use of the utility tractor for up to 12 months or 200 hours of use.

While cover crops in Iowa have seen exponential growth over the past decade, growing from less than 10,000 acres in 2009 to more than 600,000 acres in 2016, Teachout was a pioneer of the conservation practice, using the cover crops from bedding for their livestock dating back to the 1980s.

Along with no-till acres and cover crops, the Teachout farm has more than 25,000 feet of terraces and 4.7 acres of grassed waterways, which control erosion on his farm.  He’s also installed riparian forest buffers in a 7.6-acre area near his farm pond, a 2.59-acre field windbreak, and a wetland restoration project that covers 26.31 acres.

Teachout is always willing to experiment with different practices to learn something new, which in turn inspires new experiments and research.  While the thought of trying a different practice or planting a new cover crop may sound intimidating to farmers, Teachout recommends that farmers give it a try, and encourages attending soil health field days and meetings to learn more.

“Most likely there’s somebody in your neighborhood that’s doing something,” Teachout says.  “Stop and ask, and start the conversation.  There are a lot of us out there willing to share, and a lot of farming is social.  We need to share and help each other out.”

Regional conservation winners were also recognized during the annual conservation conference, showcasing the statewide commitment to conservation by Iowa farmers.  Regional winners include: Tom Oswald of Cleghorn; Dwight Dial of Lake City; Greg Palmer of Waukon; Steve and Ann Brinkman of Audubon; Steward Baldner of Dallas Center; John Maxwell of Donahue; and Ray Menke of Ft. Madison.

“Leading by example is so important, because everyone has a role to play in protecting our soil and water quality.  Over the years we’ve proudly honored incredible Iowans who lead by example and have made incredible progress in conservation and their efforts encourage others to step up to the plate,” says IFBF President Craig Hill.  “Our role as farmers is to do more than grow food; we must all work towards leaving the land and watershed better for the next generation.”

“Iowa farmers continue to take on the challenge of better protecting their soil and improving water quality.  This award is an opportunity to highlight and recognize a farmer that has gone above and beyond in their conservation efforts and serves as a model of land stewardship in their community and across the state,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said.

(Iowa Farm Bureau Press Release)

A single-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon in Union County resulted in one person being sent to the hospital. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 19-year old Amber Dawn Rinke, of Creston, was transported by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, after the 2002 Chevy Blazer she was driving crashed at around 2:10-p.m.

The SUV was traveling north on Highway 25 when the vehicle slipped onto the gravel shoulder of the road. Rinke over-corrected the vehicles’ path, causing the SUV to veer off to the left, skid sideways across the road and into the west ditch, where it came to rest on its side. Rinke, who was wearing her seat belt, complained of pain, and was taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.

Damage from the accident amounted to $4,100.