The entire state is under the threat for severe thunderstorms later today (Wednesday). National Weather Service Meteorologist Cory Martin says the system is expected to enter western Iowa late this afternoon and push east through the evening and into the early overnight hours. “All modes of severe weather are possible including large hail, strong wind gusts, and also the possibility of a few tornadoes,” Martin said.

The biggest tornado threat appears to be over west-central and southwest Iowa, according to Martin. Heavy rain is also likely. “It remains to be seen if it’s going to lead to any flash flooding concerns. It looks like the storms will be moving at a decent clip. That would alleviate any threat for flash flooding, but it’s something that we’ll monitor,” Martin said.

Dry and cooler conditions are expected for the remainder of the work week and into the weekend.

(Radio Iowa)

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a Lorimor woman reported Tuesday morning, that sometime overnight Monday into Tuesday, sometime entered her property and took several items, including: her son’s wallet, miscellaneous tools, stereos, speakers and money.  The items were valued at $1,030 altogether.

A proposal to try to regulate and tax electronic cigarettes and other so-called “vaping” products sold ON-LINE to Iowans has emerged at the statehouse. Senator Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, says those sales are happening now. “We want to make sure that sellers of vaping products are verifying that the purchasers of those products are at least 18,” Schneider says, “and they ought to be paying sales tax to the state.”

The proposal is included in a massive bill that deals with more than 50 OTHER subjects. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, suggested this is a “secret plan,” inserted in the bill at the last minute to try to avoid scrutiny. (We’re) looking at pretty big policy idea about a really addictive substance that we think now it’s great to sell online in Iowa,” Bolkcom said, “so the process has been a joke.”

The Department of Revenue is still analyzing data to determine how much new sales tax revenue the proposal might generate.

(Radio Iowa)

Nominations are being accepted starting this (Tuesday) morning for the 2017 edition of Iowa’s best breaded pork tenderloin. Kelsey Sutter, spokeswoman for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says competition is intense for the title and last year generated nearly two-thousand nominations. Sutter says, “We’re going to judge the top five with the most nominations in each of our eight districts, so a total of 40 restaurants across the state of Iowa.”

2016 Best Pork Tenderloin – Nick’s in Des Moines

This marks the 15th year for the contest and Sutter says they always get plenty of calls from the state’s restaurant owners who want to get into the running. “We always just tell restaurants to communicate with their customers to nominate you,” Sutter says. “We did design a poster that’s downloadable from our website for restaurants to print off and display at their establishments to encourage nominations from their customers.”

That website is Iowa-pork-dot-org. Nomination forms can also be found there. Sutter says they’ll spend the summer judging pork tenderloins across the state and begin narrowing down the field in September. “We’ll judge the top five with a panel of judges that consists of representatives from our association as well as culinary instructors at culinary institutes here in the state,” Sutter says. “Then, during October Pork Month is when we’ll announce the top five and the first- and second-place winners.”

The deadline for nominations is June 7th. Last year’s winner was Nick’s in Des Moines. Previous, area winners include: Larsen’s Pub, in Elk Horn (2007); Dairy Sweet, in Dunlap (2005), and Darrell’s Place, in Hamlin (2003).

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Creston Police Department today (Wednesday), said a resident reported Tuesday evening that, sometime between 5-p.m. Monday and 5-p.m. Tuesday, someone entered the garage of the property he owns at 604 N Poplar, and stole miscellaneous tools. The loss was estimated at $100. No arrests have been reported.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A nonprofit corporation has signed an agreement with federal officials to raise $30 million for a new veterans outpatient clinic in Omaha. The corporation was created by Heritage Services, a nonprofit civic group that was instrumental in creating such projects as the Holland Performing Arts Center and TD Ameritrade Park. The agreement was announced Wednesday.

In December President Barack Obama signed a measure allowing a public-private partnership to build the clinic on the campus of Omaha’s Department of Veterans Medical Center. The $30 million from the local group will be added to $56 million already appropriated for the Nebraska/Western Iowa Health Care System clinic.

VA officials have said what will be called the Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Center will offer primary, specialty and ambulatory care and operate radiological and surgical facilities.

Police in Red Oak, Tuesday evening acting on a tip, located a man wanted on a warrant. 18-year old Michael Wade Hamilton, of Red Oak, was pulled over in the 700 block of N. Broadway, and taken into custody at around 6:30-p.m. on a Montgomery County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. Hamilton was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An attorney for a former University of Iowa athletic administrator described her as an outstanding employee on track to head a college program until she was unfairly demoted and later laid off for discriminatory reasons.

Attorney Thomas Newkirk gave former administrator Jane Meyer’s view of her firing Tuesday in during opening statements of the trial over her lawsuit against the school. The trial is expected to offer a glimpse into big-time college sports with testimony by athletic director Gary Barta, head football coach Kirk Ferentz and others.

If they agree with Meyer, jurors could award her damages for pay and emotional distress. Assistant attorney general George Carroll responded that Meyer was moved out of the athletics department because of her performance and not due to discrimination.