w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Weather officials say a line of severe thunderstorms and high winds in central Iowa, Thursday, left thousands of customers without power. The National Weather Service says a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect several hours Thursday for various central Iowa counties. At one point, more than 38,000 MidAmerican Energy customers were without power, with a majority in the Des Moines area.

Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg says winds from the storms reached up to 70 miles per hour, but tornadoes were not expected. The system hit the Des Moines area before heading northeast toward Ankeny, Elkhart, Altoona and Bondurant. Kotenberg says reported damage includes dime-size hail in Johnston and fallen tree limbs in Adel. He says minor flooding is expected in parts of Polk County.

In the KJAN listening area; Emergency Management officials reported a 12-inch diameter tree limb was downed by strong winds just after 3-pm Thursday, in Adair; A storm spotter in the Mills County town of Henderson reported 3.5-inches of rain had fallen by 5:30-p.m, Thursday;

photo by Shane Hunter.

Law enforcement in Ringgold County reported a semi tractor-trailer was blown over on Highway 169 about 2 miles north of Tingley, at around 4:15-pm, Thursday; and, a Ham Radio operator near Redfield reported 6-to 12-inch diameter tree limbs had fallen in and near Redfield between 3:10- and 3:30-pm, and there was significant crop damage in the area.

The group Safe Kids Worldwide has released a study that finds an alarming number of children are not being buckled in when they travel in a vehicle. Lisa Roth, coordinator of the Safe Kids Iowa Coalition, says car crashes are the leading cause of death among children.”This study points to the fact that we have one in four parents who say they’ve driven with their child unrestrained at some point. That’s an alarming statistic for me, simply because we advocate for buckling up kids on every ride, every single time,” Roth says. According to the study, in 2011, 679 children under age 12 died in car crashes in the U.S. A third of those children were not in a car seat or buckled in.

The study notes a common reason a parent let their kid ride unrestrained was because they were only traveling a short distance. “We know that 60 percent of crashes involving kids occur less than 10 minutes from their home. So, that certainly is not a good reason not to buckle up a child,” Roth says. Other reasons parents gave for not buckling up a child include: there was no safety seat in the car, they were holding the child in their lap, they were traveling overnight, or they let the child out of the seat as a “reward.” Roth says parents need to remember their behavior can greatly influence their children’s behavior.

“Kids are always learning by watching their parents, so if a parent isn’t buckled or says it’s okay to unbuckle, that just really sends a powerful message to a child,” Roth says. It’s against the law to leave a child unrestrained in a vehicle. Children who are under the age of one or weigh less than 20 pounds must be in a rear facing car seat. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until at least age six. Children should also remain in the back seat until they are at least 13, because of air bags. Roth notes that most parents in Iowa are buckling up their kids, but many aren’t doing it properly. She’s encouraging parents to have their car seat inspected to make sure they have it installed in the proper manner.

Car seat inspections are conducted year-round at the following sites

*=appointment needed:

Atlantic* – CCMH/Home Care Hospice, M-F, 8am-4:30pm. Call 243-8006. Ask for Nancy Gibson or Kristen Templeton; And, on September 26, 2013 Location: Ann Wickman Child Development Center, 703 Linn St., Atlantic Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Appointment Needed: NO.Sponsors: YMCA/Ann Wickman Child Development Center* A CPS Instructor will be present *

Bedford* – Taylor County Public Health (405 Jefferson St.), M-F, 8am-4:30pm. Call 712-523-3405, or 1-800-425-0051 and ask for Jean Gallagher.

Corning – Alegent Health Family Home Care, M-W, Noon-5:30pm. Walk-ins available.

Creston* – Matura Action Corp. (203 W. Adams St.). Call 641-782-8431. Ask for Trista Grossnickle, Makayla Sickles or Sharon Campbell.

Greenfield* – Adair Co. Home Care (117 NW Hayes), M-F, 8am-4:30pm. Call 641-743-6173 and ask for Michal Thompson or Amy DeVault.

Glenwood* – Mills Co. Public Health, M-F, 8am-4:30pm. Call 712-527-9699 and ask for Kim Frink.

Logan* – Harrison Co. Home and Public Health (116 N.2^nd Ave., in Logan). 8am-4:30pm. Call 712-644-2220 and ask for Sherri. Sponsor:  Harrison County Home and Public Health.

(Radio Iowa)

Two current members of the Atlantic City Council won’t seek re-election this fall. According to information released from the City Clerk’s Office following the close of the nomination filing period Thursday, incumbents Shawn Shouse, in Ward 5, and At Large Councilman Steve Livengood, did not file their nomination papers for re-election.

Two persons have filed nomination papers for those respective seats on the Council, however. Lori Stuart has filed to run for the 5th Ward seat, and Bob Cord has filed for the At Large position. As previously mentioned, Mayor Dave Jones and 2nd Ward Councilperson Kathy Somers, have filed their papers for re-election on November 5th.

Authorities in Montgomery County report two people were arrested early this (Friday) morning, on drug charges. Red Oak Police say 32-year old Shawn Donald Gonzalez and 20-year old Mitchell Neil Metcalf, were arrested at 2 and 2:15-a.m. respectively, at North 2nd and Grimes Streets. Both were charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The men were cited for the offense and released.

And, Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County arrested 40-year old Christy A. Coverdell, of Stanton, on a charges of OWI/2nd offense and Open Container. Coverdell was arrested after being pulled over for a speeding violation at around 8:20-p.m., Thursday. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and later released on $2,000 cash bond.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of people are expected to gather at a farm in Iowa’s Loess Hills to celebrate a berry touted for its health benefits. The free North American Aronia Berry Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday at Sawmill Hollow Family Farm north of Missouri Valley.

The festival will include vendors, craftsmen and activities involving aronia berries, which are prized by some for their high levels of antioxidants. On Sunday, the Hy-Vee Healthy You Wellness Tour Bus will be at the festival to offer flu shots. More information is available at www.sawmillhollow.com.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Weather officials say a line of severe thunderstorms and high winds in central Iowa have left thousands of customers without power. At one point, more than 38,000 MidAmerican Energy customers were without power last night, with a majority in the Des Moines area.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new water summary report says most of Iowa remains in some type of drought. The state Department of Natural Resources says Iowa has had below normal precipitation, though it’s in better condition than a year ago at this time.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Le Mars officials say they may restrict flights at the city’s airport to resolve a Federal Aviation Administration ruling blocking the construction of a water tower. The FAA told the city earlier in the summer that a planned 140-foot-tall water tower would be a hazard to planes approaching the Le Mars Municipal Airport. Federal officials ordered that the tower not exceed 86 feet. But the Le Mars Daily Sentinel reports that as of yesterday the city had filed paperwork to require that planes only access the airport to the west.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Three dogs described as pit bulls attacked a 79-year-old man and his dog in in Waterloo, continuing a string of such attacks in the city. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the attack happened Wednesday while Bill Winder was walking in George Wyth State Park with his dog, Snickers. Two women fled the scene with the pit bulls.

A discussion centering around solutions to Iowa’s care gap crisis will take place in Atlantic next Thursday, Sept. 26th. Direct care professionals, consumers, and other stakeholders will start the discussion on solving the care gap crisis. Community members are invited to join in and share their stories.The “Are We Prepared to Care?” – Community forum on the care gap crisis will be held at the Cass County Community Center, 805 W. 10th Street in Atlantic, from 8-am to 9:30-a.m. on the 26th. The event is Co-hosted by IowaWORKS, Iowa Western Community College, AARP Iowa, Iowa CareGivers, Iowa Department of Public Health, and Direct Care Workforce Initiative.

The discussion is necessary, according to event organizers, because Iowa faces a critical shortage of direct care professionals, the front-line workers who provide care and support to people with disabilities or health conditions in individuals’ homes, community-based settings, and facilities. Direct care professionals are already Iowa’s largest workforce, currently numbering about 75,000. Virtually everyone will connect with direct care professionals at some point, whether for themselves or a loved one experiencing aging, illness, injury, or disability.

But demand is growing fast, and the current direct care workforce is not enough. Iowa needs almost 20,000 more direct care professionals by 2020. The problem is made worse by high turnover in this workforce, estimated at 64 percent annually. That costs Iowans too much – about $2.1 billion between 2012 and 2020 – and makes it hard for consumers to have continuity in services. Iowa must build a skilled workforce to meet our communities’ care and support needs.

If you have any questions, contact Stacie Bendixen at 515-237-0338.

An 18-year old from Treynor has plead guilty to lesser charges in his sexual abuse case. The Daily NonPareil says 18-year old Kreighton Elwood entered a plea of guilty Thursday to one count of assault, one count of assault causing bodily injury, and one count of false imprisonment.  The son of Treynor School District Superintendent Kevin Elwood,  Kreighton was originally charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree kidnapping in connection with a pair of incidents that allegedly occurred in 2012.

The teen was sentenced to 14 days in jail, two years probation and ordered to successfully complete a counseling program for sex offenders. He will register as a sex offender in Iowa for 10 years. The paper reports Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Dan McGinn said he was in contact with the alleged victims while working on a tentative agreement with Elwood’s attorney. McGinn said the victims agreed that the younger Elwood needed help, not prison time.

A first-degree kidnapping conviction for adults carries an automatic life sentence in Iowa and would require Elwood to register as a sex offender for life. In November and December of 2012, Elwood allegedly abused two females in separate incidents. In all, five females have levied complaints against Elwood, with three cases in juvenile court.

Elwood is expected to surrender himself 9 a.m. Sunday at the Pottawattamie County Jail. He is no longer a student at Treynor High School.

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows a small percentage of students in Iowa’s K-through-12 schools are classified as “English Language Learners.”  More than 476-thousand students were enrolled in Iowa’s public schools last year. According to the latest Census data, about 49-thousand Latino students are enrolled in Iowa schools this year — and about 17-thousand students are “English Language Learners.”

That means about three-and-a-half percent of Iowa K-through-12 students are learning English. On July 1st of 2012, the Census reports almost 14 percent of Iowa’s Latino population was under the age of five. More preschoolers in Iowa are Latino than any other race, including Caucasian.

(Radio Iowa)