Sheriff’s officials in Cass County report a Lewis woman died from injuries she suffered during a shooting Wednesday evening. Authortities says deputies responded to 503 Minnesota Street in Lewis just after 7-p.m., following a report of a gunshot victim. Initial dispatch reports indicated the wounds suffered by 56-year old Martha Hardy were self-inflicted. Hardy was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Griswold Rescue before being flown by LifeNet helicopter to Creighton Medical Center in Omaha, where she later died. An autopsy is scheduled for later today with the State Medical Examiner’s office.

The incident is not believed to be a public safety concern. Details will be provided as they become available. The Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.

The latest area news with KJAN News Director Ric Hanson…

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The Iowa State Patrol says a 17-year-old female from Omaha was seriously injured in an accident that happened at around 4-a.m. (Thursday) on Interstate 80 eastbound, near the Anita exit, but it wasn’t discovered until about 6:35-a.m., when a truck driver spotted the wreckage. The unidentified driver was trapped in her vehicle.  Anita Fire and Rescue and Medivac ambulance responded to the scene.

She reportedly told the Patrol she left Omaha at around 2:00 a.m. and fell asleep behind the wheel. The teen suffered cuts, bruises and other, possibly serious injuries. She was flown from the scene by LifeNet helicopter to CreightonUniversityMedicalCenter in Omaha.

A Mills County man has been charged with felony Theft by Deception, in connection with a May 27th Omaha convenience store robbery. According to the Omaha World-Herald, 24-year-old Cody Hudson of Emerson, conspired with a Kum & Go store employee to take more than $3,600 in cash during the robbery.

Hudson’s bail was set at $15,000. He’ll have to post 10 percent of that amount in order to be released from the DouglasCounty, NE., Jail. Police say the store employee, who was working at the time of the robbery, told them he mentioned to Hudson that the safe was left open and that there was a substantial amount of money in the safe.

Video surveillance and text conversations indicated that Hudson and the employee were involved in the planning and commission of the robbery, police allege. The store employee was booked May 30th on suspicion of theft by deception, but the paper says he had not been formally charged, as of Wednesday.

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has announced that the Greenfield Municipal Airport will receive $171,000 from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration to extend the airport’s taxiway. Harkin is a senior member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds these initiatives.

Harkin says extending Greenfield Municipal Airport’s taxiway to allow for aircraft turnaround is an important investment. The Greenfield airport contributes more than a quarter of a million dollars in goods and services to the surrounding community every year.

In addition, Harkin says these funds will better equip the Greenfield Municipal Airport with the resources to continue to reach their goal of providing safe, accessible and effective air travel in southwest Iowa, promoting economic development in Greenfield and the surrounding area.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Corn farmers are feeling the impact of a cool, wet spring but are still expected to bring in a record crop this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its monthly report released Wednesday that farmers are expected to bring in 14 billion bushels of corn this year. That’s 135 million bushels less than last month’s estimate, reflecting the impact of the cooler spring. But that’d still beat 2009’s 13.1 billion bushel record. Last year, farmers harvested only about 11 billion bushels because of the drought.

The changes are not expected to significantly affect food prices for consumers. The UDSA says the amount of corn expected to be harvested per acre will be reduced to 156.5 bushels per acre down from 158 bushels estimated a month ago.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BELMOND, Iowa (AP) — Weather officials say multiple tornadoes have touched ground in northern Iowa, causing damage to homes and businesses. The National Weather Service says spotters reported yesterday at least two tornados on the ground alongside one another near Hampton in Franklin County. Another tornado was reported near Belmond in nearby Wright County.

BELMOND, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a restaurant in northern Iowa says a tornado has “demolished” part of his business. Duwayne Abel, owner of Cattleman’s Steaks and Provisions in Belmond, says a tornado swooped in yesterday through his business’ parking lot. He says the south side of the building is “pretty much demolished.” Abel says no one was in the restaurant when the tornado hit.

BELMOND, Iowa (AP) — Alliant Energy says more than 1,200 customers in northern Iowa are without power due to severe weather affecting the region. The company says crews are working to restore power in the Belmond area in Wright County after severe weather damaged transmission and distribution lines. Alliant spokesman Justin Foss says it may take several hours for power to be restored.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a suspicious package that was destroyed in Iowa City was an electronic art piece. Iowa City officials said yesterday that the package that was destroyed by a bomb squad Sunday evening was a piece created by artist Russell Jaffe. The Johnson County bomb squad used a water cannon to destroy the item.

A Pottawattamie County man was arrested today (Wednesday) on an outstanding Audubon County warrant. According to the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, 25 year old Zachary Alan White, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail and transported to the Audubon County Jail. White was charged with eluding and driving while barred.

The charges stem from a pursuit by law enforcement in Audubon County on March 20th, 2013. The pursuit continued through Cass County and ended in Pottawattamie County where he was taken into custody. White is being held in the Audubon County Jail and will appear before the magistrate on Thursday, June 13th.

Much of the country will see severe thunderstorms today and parts could even see a storm called a derecho (Dur-ray-shoh). But National Weather Service meteorologist, Frank Boksa, says don’t expect to see it here. “It would not be in Iowa, or if it was, it would probably initiate in very far eastern Iowa, but it would be more in the Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana area,” Boksa says. Iowa saw a derecho back in July of 2011 that did a lot of damage to homes, trees and power lines.

A derecho is basically a very widespread, long-lived line of thunderstorms. And they are very fast moving and they produce extreme damaging wind. By they I mean 65-70-75-miles-an-hour or more,” according to Boksa. Iowa won’t see anything like that, but will see some heavy thunderstorms. “Thunderstorms will develop kind of over northeastern and far eastern Iowa and then push off into Illinois and Indiana this afternoon,” Boksa says. “We should see some strong storms out of this, but it should be fairly short lived. We should pretty much be done with it in central Iowa by seven p-m and in eastern Iowa certainly by 10.” The weather is expected to continue a pattern of a few dry days followed by thunderstorms and rain through the next week. Boksa says that’s pretty much the norm.

“This is the time of year for thunderstorms. We do get a fair amount of rain and thunderstorms in May and June, so it’s not atypical by any stretch,” he says, “in fact I think the peak of severe weather in June is about the 15th.” The rains are not quite as welcome this June after a record wet spring that’s kept farmers out of the fields and led to flooding in many parts of the state.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), approved increasing the fee for new or renewed licenses for concealed weapons permits. Sheriff Darby McLaren requested the $10 increase to help cover the cost of a laminating machine that will create a photo ID/permit, which will replace the current, paper permit for concealed weapon licenses. McLaren said he based the increase on what other area counties are charging for a similar service, and the service was based on demand. He said a lot of people have requested the laminated permits since the state law was changed to allow those types of permits to be issued in that form. 

McLaren said the new permits can also be used as a second form of identification, when it’s required. The Cass County Emergency Management Agency will use the machine to create IDs for firefighters at no charge. Part of the cost for the lamination machine will be absorbed by the EMA, the other part will be paid for by the increased license fee.

Currently concealed license fees run $50 and the license is good for 5-years. With the increase, anyone renewing or wishing to receive a permit for such weapons, will have to pay $60. And, if your current permit is in need of replacement due to age or damage, you can get a laminated version for the $10 fee, as well.

In other business, the Board of Supervisors approved the full-time appointment ofCathy Downy, of Atlantic, to the Veteran’s Affairs Commission, effective July 1^st. Her term will expire in three-years. Downy was serving in an interim capacity on the Commission, since Jerry Putnam resigned from the post in March, 2012.