Police in Creston say a man was arrested late Wednesday night at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. 36-year old Justin Beckwith, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Failure to Comply with his Pre-trial Release conditions, on an original charge for Controlled Substance Violation. Beckwith was later released from the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond.

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

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NODAWAY, Iowa (AP) – Two Kansas men have pleaded guilty in what authorities say was the drug-related slaying of an Iowa man. The Creston News Advertiser reports  that 42-year-old Jon Rubendall and 40-year-old James Bost were convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder after prosecutors lowered their charges. The Hiawatha, Kansas, men are scheduled to be sentenced May 16.

Authorities say they killed 44-year-old Allen Pafford last June. A court document says authorities found Pafford tied up in a workshop near his mother’s home in Nodaway, with a bedsheet wrapped around his head and neck and a bullet wound in the back of his head. The document says Bost told authorities that Pafford owed Rubendall $3,000 for drugs.

Authorities in Denison report a strip club was the target of an attempted robbery early this (Thursday) morning. According to Denison Police, at around 12:50-a.m., a white female, 5’4”-5’5”, approximately 250 pounds wearing glasses, a pink shirt and black pants along with a black male, 5’5”-5’9”, approximately 165 pounds wearing gray sweatshirt and gray sweatpants attempted to rob the Book-em Dano’s.

Surveillance still image of the male and female suspects.

The suspects remained in the business as the owner was attempting to close up. When the owner attempted to escort them out, the male pushed the owner down and held her at gunpoint. A physical confrontation then occurred and the male eventually left the building in an unknown direction.

If anyone has information on this or any other serious crime, contact the Denison Police Department at 712-263-3195 or Crawford County Crime Stoppers at 712-263-4050.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says a man from Nebraska was arrested Wednesday afternoon on numerous charges following an investigation into the distribution of illegal substances in the County. 35-year old Rex Kmiecik, of Omaha, faces charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver, Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and a felony possession of Contraband in a Jail facility, charge. Additional charges are pending.

Rex Kmiecik (Fremont Co. S/O photo)

Authorities say more than 2 ¼-pounds of methamphetamine was seized along with packaging equipment and $500 cash, following a drug transaction that went down. Kmiecik was arrested after he tried to elude deputies. He went into a ditch near the scene shortly after the incident and was taken into custody at around 4:30-p.m..

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol and the Fremont County Attorney’s Office.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The National Weather Service says a tornado that skipped along a few blocks of northwest Omaha was rated EF1, packing winds of 86 through 110 mph. The service says the tornado stayed on the ground for about eight blocks and seemed to bob up and down after it struck around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. It toppled a few trees, damaged others and knocked down some fences before dissipating about four minutes later. No injuries have been reported.

Golf ball-size hail fell near Valley and other Douglas County spots. Downpours accompanied the storms that developed Wednesday from the same system that brought rain Tuesday. The service has issued an alert for possible flooding along the Missouri River for Cass and Otoe counties. A flood warning was issued for Nemaha and Richardson counties.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man early this (Thursday) morning, on a Disorderly Conduct charge. Matthew Joseph Veik, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 2:45-a.m. in the 1000 block of Miller Avenue. Veik was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

And, Red Oak Police arrested 51-year old Larry Eugene Hall, of Red Oak, at around 2:30-p.m. Wednesday, for Public Intoxication. Hall was taken into custody in the 300 block of E. Valley Street and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where his bond was set at $300.

Residents of southwest Iowa saw everything from heavy rain and hail that covered the roadways, to straightline winds and tornadoes that damaged property, but resulted in no injuries that we’re aware of.

In their storm report issued Wednesday night, the National Weather Service says the Stanton Fire Chief saw a tornado four-miles east of Stanton at around 3:15-p.m., that damaged buildings and vehicles at a rural home. Four-miles south of Riverton, in Fremont County, a funnel cloud was seen at around 2:54-p.m.

Stanton Tornado damage 4-27-16 (Photo by Stanton Fire Chief)

A weak, rope-style funnel cloud was reported near Highway 25, 5-miles southeast of Bedford (In Taylor County), at around 5-p.m.  About 15-minutes later, damage to a barn was reported to have occurred 2-miles north/northwest of Clearfield.

Large tree branch falls during Wednesday’s storm about 2-miles west of the Hwy 92/71 intersection in Cass County. (Ric Hanson/photo)

At around 5:43-p.m., a tornado was observed 3 miles south/southwest of Creston, near the airport, heading toward Creston. By 5:47-p.m, the twister had become rain-wrapped as it was only about one-mile southwest of town. A few minutes later, law enforcement reported another tornado 3 miles north/northeast of Creston.

Five-miles north of Stanton, flooding was taking place at around 6-p.m., with creeks rising out of their banks. An estimated 4.5-inches had fallen during the day as of 7:45-p.m. Wednesday, with a two-day total of 7-inches of rain.

Heavy rain was also observed in the Griswold area Wednesday afternoon, by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson, who also saw dime-sized hail covering a two-mile stretch of Montgomery County Road H-14, between Highway 48 east to County Road M-63, at around 4:20-p.m. Quarter-size hail was reported 5-miles north of Stanton at around 3:25-p.m.

Quarter-size hail was also reported in Essex at around 3:50-p.m. And, nickel-size hail was observed 5 miles southeast of Bedford, at around 4:35-p.m.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police have charged an Iowa City man after they found 62 ducks crowded in an abandoned van. Sixty-nine-year-old Francis Prohaska faces an animal neglect charge after police discovered the ducks in an abandoned U-Haul van parked on the north side of Iowa City. The ducks were in stacked cages and covered in feces. Police say 19 of the ducks were dead and there was no food or water available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has approved a bill that is expected to reduce prison sentences for inmates serving time for certain drug offenses. The bill would cut mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain non-violent drug offenders. It would also give judges more discretion in sentencing for crimes like robbery. It would add a mandatory minimum sentence for intentional child endangerment that results in a child’s death.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An attempt to revive talks on legislation that would expand medical marijuana access in Iowa has failed in the state House. The Republican-majority chamber voted down a motion Wednesday aimed at bringing up a bill that would create a system for manufacturing and distributing cannabis oil. Rep. Bob Kressig, a Cedar Falls Democrat, made the motion and says he was trying to keep the issue alive. He acknowledged legislative options for a comprehensive bill are dwindling amid possible adjournment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Legislature has passed an infrastructure bill that doesn’t include designated funding for three state buildings with serious maintenance issues. The Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House passed a budget bill Wednesday that would spend nearly $100 million in the next budget year on a range of infrastructure projects around the state. Democrats and Republicans involved in crafting the bill say the Legislature needs to prioritize building maintenance in future spending.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County responded to a report of a single-vehicle, rollover accident just before 6-p.m., Wednesday, at 190th Street and E Avenue, or about 4-miles east of Shenandoah. Their investigation into the accident determined 34-year old Brandon James Stevens, of Shenandoah, was driving a 2013 Ford Focus eastbound on 190th, when he attempted to turn north on E Avenue.

The car slid into the northeast ditch before rolling onto its top. Stevens was out of the vehicle and was sitting on the shoulder of the road, when witness’s found him. He was taken to the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital by the Shenandoah Ambulance service, for treatment of unknown injuries.

Stevens was then transferred to the University of Nebraska Medical Center by the Shenandoah Ambulance service. Charges are pending. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Shenandoah Fire Department and the Shenandoah Ambulance service.