It was a wild weather weekend for many Iowans, with a little something for everyone, including near-record high temperatures, thunderstorms, flooding, high winds, hail and snow. A tornado touched down around 6 P-M Sunday near Lone Tree in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County, but no damage was reported. Meteorologist Craig Cogil, at the National Weather Service, says it went from balmy to frigid pretty quickly.

“On Saturday, we saw highs in the state well into the 70s and up into the mid 80s,” Cogil says. “Since that time, it’s been downhill to where temperatures in the state this morning are anywhere from the mid 30s in the southeast to mid 20s in the northwest, so a good 50-degree drop in some locations.”

Some Iowans awoke today (Monday) to see their newly-sprouted green grass and tulip leaves covered with a white blanket of snow.  “We’ve had some reports of a half-inch to an inch-and-a-half in various locations in central and northern Iowa,” Cogil says. “It is sticking this morning however, I don’t anticipate it’ll last too long.” He expects temperatures to warm up very gradually this week.

“Today is going to be well below normal,” Cogil says. “We’re going to remain relatively cloudy in most locations with highs only rebounding up into the mid to upper-30s across the state. We’re not going to see better moderation until we get into Tuesday and Wednesday.” Highs on Tuesday are mostly expected in the 40s statewide, with 50s likely on Wednesday. There may be another chance for snow on Thursday.

(Radio Iowa)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports the arrest Saturday evening, of a Clarinda man on drug charges. 21-year old Devin Ray Wallace, of Clarinda, was taken into custody at around 7:20-p.m., following a traffic stop. He faces a felony charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver more than 5 grams of a substance believed to be methamphetamine, and a Possession of Drug paraphernalia charge.

Wallace was being held in the Page County Jail on $100,000 bail or bond.

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An eastern Iowa woman with ties to western Iowa, and her husband, died Friday, when the car they were in collided with an agricultural sprayer Friday night on the west side of Van Horne, in eastern Iowa’s Benton County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2009 VW Jetta driven by 42-year old Paul Hofmeyer, of Iowa City, crossed the center line of 70^th street and hit the eastbound sprayer driven by 42-year old Jeffrey Selk, of Keystone. Selk was injured and transported to a Cedar Rapids hospital, where he was being treated for his injuries and was expected to survive. Hofmeyer, and his wife, 44-year old Dr. Stacy Lynn Thompson, also of Iowa City, died in the crash. The couple were not wearing their seat belts.

Dr. Stacy Lynn Thompson

Dr. Thompson was born in Atlantic, and graduated from the Exira High School before earning her undergraduate degree and medical degree in ophthalmology, graduating with high honors, from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

She is survived by her parents, Mick and Judy Thompson of Exira, her brother, Zachary & wife Kelli, of Austin, TX. A Celebration of Life Memorial service for Dr. Thompson will be held 3-p.m. Wednesday, at the Exira Fellowship Church.

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The Iowa State Patrol says four people, including two from western Iowa were injured and another person was killed, during a crash Sunday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County. The injured were identified as 50-year old Husen Jagir and 34-year old Afa Gella, both of Denison, as well as 27-year old Onkel Dide, of Ottumwa, and 38-year old Salim Gulay, of Des Moines. Jagir, Gulay and Gella were passengers in a 2003 Toyota Corolla driven by Dide. The name of the person who died in the crash was not released.

The Patrol says the Corolla was westbound on Interstate 80 at around  2:05-p.m., when it went out of control and hit the south wall of I-80 before coming to rest partially on the traveled portion of the road. The car was then hit from behind by a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup, driven by 50-year old Mark McClain, of Russell, IA.

The injured were transported by Johnson County Ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. The accident remains under investigation.

The Audubon City Council is set to meet this evening. During their 7-p.m. session at City Hall, the Council will receive a project update from the Stage Committee. They’ll also act on approving the Stipulation of the Bargaining Unit and hear from Councilman Jason Hocker, with regard to the City Clerk’s Job Description and City Organizational Design.

Members of the Elk Horn-Kimballton and Atlantic School District Boards of Education will hold separate meetings this evening. In Elk Horn, the EHK Board will gather at 5:30-p.m. for a regular session in the Family and Consumer Science Room at the High School, during which they will discuss and take action on: Summer 2014 Driver’s Education Fees; Driver’s Education Teachers; Early Retirement Applications and, Approval of a list of seniors for graduation.

In Atlantic, the Board of Education meets at 7:30-p.m. in the High School Media Center. During their meeting, the Board will hear Special Presentations from Frank Spillers, with regard to the “Scary Guy” program, and with regard to graduation credits at A.H.S.

The Board is also expected to act on General Education, Special Ed., and Amended contracts and/or Letters of Assignment, as well as approve volunteer coaching positions and any resignations. In other, Administrative matters, the Board will appoint a Board Treasurer, and  approve: A sponsor name change; Early retirement applications and resignations; A 1-to-1 Computer proposal; The 2014 Summer School program; The 1st or 2nd readings of various Board Policies, and a recommendation to adjust graduation rate credits to 48.

Discussion items include District Cost Reductions, and the Capital Projects Plan.

Slick and/or slushy roads were causing accidents this morning in the listening area. Medivac ambulance was called to the scene of a single-vehicle rollover accident near the Marne exit off Interstate 80, at around 5:35-a.m.  A Cass County Deputy reported from the scene the driver was injured, but the injuries did not appear to have been life threatening. Other accidents along I-80 involved vehicles that slid into the median or ditches.

Roadways are covered with black ice this morning. Along and south of I-80 roads were reported to be partially covered with slush and ice, with the bridges especially dangerous. North of I-80, roads were partially to mostly covered with snow/ice/and-or slush.

Use extra caution when traveling this morning.

Water safety experts are warning canoers, kayakers and boaters that Iowa’s bodies of water have been slow to warm. Certified paddling instructor Darrin Siefken, of Waverly, says even though the air temperature feels spring-like, the water can be ice cold and dangerous. “Our rivers and lakes here in northeast Iowa just thawed out within the last week. So, most of those water temperatures are only about 50 degrees…when the air temperature is in the 60s or so.”

“It’s a good opportunity to dress properly and bring along another set of clothes in a dry bag just in case you would tip over,” Siefken said. Kayaking is becoming increasingly popular in Iowa. Charles City has a world-class course built in 2011 and similar venues are under construction in Manchester and Elkader. Siefken instructs his students, before they hit the water, to let others know where they’re going and when they expect to return.

“And then make sure you follow up and tell them when you get back…it helps with today’s technology that we can get a hold of people pretty easy,” Siefken said. He warns that many rivers in Iowa are full of debris that has washed downstream and could cause navigation problems.

(Radio Iowa)