DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows all of Iowa and most of Nebraska are suffering severe or extreme drought.  The map shows the east-central portion of the state and a section of southeast Iowa are experiencing extreme drought.  

In Nebraska, the western 75 percent is enduring extreme drought, with the most of rest suffering severe drought. A few counties in central Nebraska are listed as being under exceptional drought conditions, the worst possible listing on the monitor.
 
The drought map is a project shared by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Weather Service. The latest map is based on conditions as of 6 a.m. Tuesday and so doesn’t include rainfall from storms Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Audubon County Fair continues its near weeklong run today, in Audubon. Some highlights include a “Knowledge Bowl” in the Show Barn at 1:30, Children’s Theater at the Grandstand (5:30-p.m.), 4-H Recognition at the Grandstand (6:30-p.m.) and the Queen Contest at 7:30-p.m.

For more information, log on to www.extension.iastate.edu/audubon/

And, for information about other county fairs going on in the State of Iowa, surf to http://www.iowafairs.com/site/aif-member-fairs.php

The 2012 Cass County Fair begins its six-day run today, in Atlantic, with livestock check-ins and other activities. Among them, is the 4-H static exhibit entries and conference judging, and a food sale that takes place in the Community Center at 10-a.m. 

The King and Queen Contest starts tonight at Eight O’clock, and can be heard live here on KJAN. Then at 8:30, there’ll be a Senior Recognition. Highlights during the evening hours of the next few days include: a Bullride at 7:30-p.m. Friday; ATV races at 6-p.m. Saturday; a tractor show Sunday at 4-p.m.; Grand Champion Beef selection Monday at 7-p.m., and the Livestock sale Tuesday, at 8-a.m. 

For a complete rundown of the fair schedule, surf the web to http://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/ and look for the pdf link.

And, for information about other county fairs going on in the State of Iowa, surf to http://www.iowafairs.com/site/aif-member-fairs.php

Storms that blew through parts of western and north central Iowa Wednesday night brought lots of wind, and widely scattered precipitation, with some areas receiving more than one-inch of rain, while others were left deprived…again. The National Weather Service says Carroll County bore the brunt of the wind damage at the onset, with winds gusting anywhere from 61-to as much as 75-miles per hour, between 7:30 and 8-p.m. The winds caused power lines to snap in Carroll and Lanesboro, brought down tree limbs, one of which fell on a porch and house in Carroll, causing damage, but no injuries.

Just north of Arcadia, the Weather Service says thunderstorm winds felled 3-foot diameter trees, and a 30-foot long camper attached to a truck was blown over. Several crops were damaged, as well. Winds gusted to near 60-miles per hour near Earlham, at around 8:30-p.m., Wednesday, according to law enforcement.

And, strong winds passing through Atlantic may have caused a tree limb to come into contact with a power line, causing a brief, small fire, in the 1400 block of Roosevelt Drive, at around 7:47-p.m. In addition, law enforcement reported a sign was down across the road along Highway 71, near Interstate 80. The sign has since been removed.

Trees were blown down in Clarinda, and there were scattered reports of power outages in Page, Adams and Montgomery Counties. Mid American Energy said 28 of its customers in Adams County, and seven customers in Montgomery County, were without power as of 5-a.m., but by 7-a.m., power had been restored to those same customers.

Some unofficial, reported rainfall amounts include: 1.28″ south of Malvern; 1.2″ in Shenandoah; 1.03″ in Clarinda; .92″ in Sidney; ;85 in Emerson; .8″ in Red Oak; .75″ in Villisca; .4″ in Carroll; .3″ in Massena, and .25″ in Lyman.  Atlantic remained dry during the passage of the storms. The last time we received more than one-inch of rain here in Atlantic, was over a month ago (June 23rd), when 1.23-inches made its way into the gauge outside the KJAN studios.

Three men from Sac County have been charged with 1st Degree Kidnapping, a class A Felony, after an investigation into the 2009 alleged assault of a migrant worker in Wall Lake, Iowa.  Those charged are 26 year old Thomas Schroeder II of Wall Lake, Iowa; 26 year old Steven Schroeder of Odebolt, Iowa; and 42 year old Bradley Jacobsen of Wall Lake, Iowa.

Thomas Schroeder II, 26 years

Steven Schroeder, 26 years

Bradley Jacobsen, 42 years

According to criminal complaints levied against T. Schroeder, S. Schroeder, and Jacobsen, the trio is accused of kidnapping migrant worker Raphael Trevino on August 3, 2009.  On that August night, Trevino and the suspects were each at a Wall Lake bar and grill.  Trevino left the bar with a co-worker and was later assaulted at his residence before being forced into a truck.  Trevino was taken to an abandoned factory and assaulted again.  Finally the trio is accused of transporting Trevino once more to the bar and grill where he was assaulted yet again.  As a result of the 2009 assault Trevino suffered multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.

Thomas Schroeder, Steven Schroeder, and Bradley Jacobsen turned themselves into law enforcement today at 2:00 PM.  They were each booked into the Sac County Jail and then released on their own recognizance.

The investigation of the 2009 kidnapping was conducted through the cooperative efforts of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

(Updated to include Adams County and cancels a separate watch for parts of far western Iowa)

THE SEVERE STORMS PREDICATION CENTER IN NORMAN, OK, HAS ISSUED ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1-A.M. THURSDAY, AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA…

AUDUBON CARROLL AND CRAWFORD, CASS, ADAIR, ADAMS AND GUTHRIE.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10-P.M. FOR HARRISON MILLS POTTAWATTAMIE SHELBY AND MONONA COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT HOWEVER, FOR FREMONT, PAGE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.

The Severe Storms Prediction Center in Norman, OK, has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the following counties in western and southwest Iowa: FREMONT…HARRISON…MILLS….MONONA…MONTGOMERY…PAGE…POTTAWATTAMIE… and  SHELBY. The Watch is in effect until Midnight.