A Red Oak teen claims another driver caused her to crash her vehicle Thursday night, east of Stanton. 18-year old Cassy J. Blystone was traveling west on Highway 34 about a mile-west of Viking Lake State Park, when a dark-colored, late-model truck passed her. Blystone told authorities the other vehicle cut her-off as it came back into the westbound lane. The action caused Blystone to veer to the north and lose control of the 1998 Chevy Cavalier she was driving.

The car traveled south across the eastbound lane of traffic before it left the road and went airborne for a short distance and hit the ground. Blystone said she may have hit the accelerator instead of the brake went the car came down. The vehicle continued southwest through a road ditch and became stuck on elevated terrain in the ditch. The accident happened at around 9:20-p.m., just west of the intersection of Highway 34 and Q Avenue.

Blystone complained of a headache, but neither she nor her passenger were seriously hurt. The car, which lost its right rear wheel during the crash, sustained $4,500 damage.

Much of Iowa is in the midst of the state’s worst drought in 24 years. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says Iowa’s rainfall totals over the last two months were less than half of normal amounts for May and June. “Probably the worst off area over that relatively short term would be in east-central and parts of northeastern Iowa,” Hillaker says. “Around Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Dubuque…those areas, in many cases, have maybe received 25-percent of normal rainfall over the past couple of months.”

In addition to the lack of rain, temperatures have been well above normal this spring and summer. The situation is similar to 1988 – the year of Iowa’s last major drought. “1988 is certainly the year that we’ve probably been comparing 2012 with the most often,” Hillaker says. “That particular summer was both unusually hot and unusually dry.” But, Iowa’s received nearly twice as much rain over the first half of this year compared to 1988. A report from the USDA this week found 73 percent of Iowa’s farm acres were either “short or very short” on subsoil moisture — that compares to just two-percent at this time last year. Hillaker says the recent heat wave is stressing crops even more.

“When temperatures are at 100 degrees or so, it basically results in evaporation rates roughly 25 to 30 percent higher than what would be the case if we had more normal temperatures, which at this time of year would be in the mid 80s,” Hillaker said. “It does make quite a bit of difference and dries things out much more rapidly than if we had moderate temperatures.” Monday’s USDA report rated 62-percent of Iowa’s corn as “good to excellent.” That compares to an 82-percent rating in Iowa at this time last year. Scattered showers and storms are in the weekend forecast and more normal temperatures, with highs in the 80s and overnight lows in the 60s, are expected Sunday and Monday.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

331 AM CDT FRI JUL 6 2012

AREA COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD….

…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY…

AFTERNOON HIGHS TODAY WILL ONCE AGAIN REACH THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S…A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN THURSDAY IN MANY LOCATIONS. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH THE 105 TO 110 DEGREE RANGE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY.

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES IS OCCURRING. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS AND PETS.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…THE OCCUPATIONAL AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY – CALL 911.

COUNTIES: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE…

329 AM CDT FRI JUL 6 2012

…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING…

HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB TO AROUND 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON AS HIGH TEMPERATURES TOP OUT AROUND 100 DEGREES. THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BRING AN INCREASED RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE TO THOSE WORKING OR PLAYING OUTDOORS AND FOR THE VERY YOUNG AND ELDERLY.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) say contrary to published reports, I-DOT has not established an online driver’s license renewal system. Reports that a system took effect July 1st are inaccurate. Senate File 2338, an Act relating to government operations and efficiency and other related matters, contained a provision authorizing the Iowa DOT to begin online driver’s license renewal effective July 1st,  however, that bill was vetoed May 25th.

Because online driver’s license renewal is more cost effective to administer and convenient for the public, the Iowa DOT says it remains committed to establishing such a system in the future, however, no firm date has been set. The Iowa DOT says it is presently exploring options that may permit establishment of such a system without necessitating revisions to the Iowa Code. When a system is made available, the Iowa DOT will notify the public.

Meanwhile, the Iowa DOT is making an increasing number of driver services available online. If you want to look at your driving record or receive an electronic reminder when it is time to renew your driver’s license, sign up today at: https://mymvd.iowadot.gov/.

A Page County man was arrested Tuesday evening on a federal warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says 34-year old Rodney Dean Adams, Jr., of Clarinda, was taken into custody without incident at his residence, at around 6:50-p.m.  He is currently being held in the Page County Jail without bond, awaiting extradition by federal authorities.  The federal arrest warrant for Adams, Jr., stems from an earlier incident that occurred on April 27th, 2012, in the 100 block of West Washington Street. Brothers says the Page County Attorney’s Office, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Clarinda Police Department jointly investigated the incident which resulted in the man’s arrest.

Iowa State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency, John R Whitaker today (Thursday),  announced that Administrator Bruce Nelson has made physical loss loans available for 21 Counties in Iowa.  Farm operators who have suffered major physical losses caused by hail, excessive rain, high winds, and tornadoes on April 14th, 2012, may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans.  

The Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification has been issued for five counties as the primary damaged area.  Among the primary counties are:  Fremont,  Montgomery, Page, and Union.  Sixteen Iowa counties are contiguous to the designated disaster area, making those producers also potentially eligible for the program based on the designation.  In the KJAN listening area, the contiguous counties include:  Adair, Adams, Cass, Madison, Mills, Pottawattamie, Ringgold and Taylor.  

The Farm Service Agency may make Emergency Loans to eligible family farmers which will enable them to return to their normal operations if they sustained qualifying losses resulting from natural disaster.  Physical loss loans may be made to eligible farmers to enable them to repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property, including livestock losses, essential to the success of the farming operation.  Examples of property commonly affected include; essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops.  

The applicant must be unable to obtain credit from other usual sources to qualify for the Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Program assistance.  The interest rate for emergency loans is 3.75%.  Each applicant applying for credit will be given equal consideration without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, or national origin.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office this (Thursday) morning, identified the victim of a drowning Wednesday night in the Nishnabotna River, near Lewis. Sheriff Darby McLaren said the woman was 31-year old Nicole Roberts, of Lewis. Roberts was last seen at around 9-p.m. in the river, just south of the “rock cut,” a popular picnic area along the West Nishnabotna River near Cold Springs Park, Southwest of Lewis.

The Cass County 9-1-1 Center received a 9-1-1 call at 9:14-p.m. Wednesday, from a person who reported a possible drowning. Divers from the Midwest Regional Dive Team responded, and recovered Roberts’ body at 11:24-p.m. Memorial services for Nichole Roberts will be held 11-a.m. Monday, July 9th, in the chapel at Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home, in Atlantic.

Authorities in Cass County do not recommend persons swim in the river area of the rock cut. The currents are very unpredictable, and the river is very deep at that location. The area is over three-quarters of a mile from the nearest access road, which makes access to the area by emergency responders, problematic.

Responding to the scene of the incident Wednesday night, was: The Cass County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis, Griswold and Atlantic Fire Departments; Griswold Rescue; Medivac Paramedic Ambulance; Cass County Emergency Management; the Iowa State Patrol, and the Midwest Regional Dive Team. The team consists of members from Cass and Ringgold Counties, along with personnel from the Red Oak and Clarinda Dive Teams.

The Red Oak Police Department reports two teens were arrested early this (Thursday) morning, in connection with recent burglaries. Officials say an unnamed 17-year-old male and a 14-year-old male were both arrested without incident, at around 4- a.m.  The older teen was being held in the juvenile detention center in Council Bluffs, while the 14-year-old was released to the custody of a parent. No other details are available. 

The Red Oak P-D says also, 45-year-old Kevin Wayne Triplett, of Red Oak, was arrested Wednesday evening following a traffic stop. Triplett faces Possession of a Controlled Substance and Drug Paraphernalia charges. The man was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $2,000 bond.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a Villisca man, 23-year old Derek Cooper, was arrested Wednesday. Cooper was taken into custody on charges of Driving Under Suspension and having no SR-22 Insurance. He was booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.