DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The post office in the Fremont County town of Randolph may be headed for closure after the Postal Regulatory Commission voted 2 to 2 on an appeal by the city’s mayor to keep it open. A tie vote means the appeal loses and the closing moves forward. The Postal Service, on track to lose $14 billion by year’s end, wants to close thousands of post offices. Many are small rural operations like Randolph, a town of 170 people in southwest Iowa. Closures are likely to begin in late May or early June unless Congress passes a bill to shore up postal finances. The Senate begins debate on a bill Tuesday. Despite Mayor Vance Trively’s appeal, a commission order posted Thursday affirmed the closing. The estimated annual savings by closing Randolph’s post office is about $45,000.

Congressman Steve King released the following statement today (Friday) after visiting the areas affected by the tornadoes in Thurman and Creston.

Congressman King inspects tornado damage at a house in Thurman, IA

“Today I am reminded of how adversity calls upon the resiliency of Iowans,” said King. “Volunteers from across the state rallied together to help those affected in Southwest Iowa this last week. Several colleges sent volunteers to help clean up the damage and many other Midwestern states pitched in as well. I am thankful that no lives were lost, and more than ever I am aware of the extraordinary efforts that Iowans will offer when a neighbor is in need.”

King toured homes in Thurman that were damaged and also visited Creston’s Hospital as well as Southwestern Community College, both of which sustained damage in the storm.

Sheriff’s officials in  Montgomery County say a Stanton man was arrested this (Friday) morning, on forgery charges. 31-year old Joshua Mastin faces a charge of Theft in the 2nd degree, a Class-D felony offense. Additional charges are possible.

Mastin’s arrest was the result of an investigation that began in Clarinda, and involves locations in Villisca and Red Oak. Mastin was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Four area residents were arrested on drug charges Thursday, in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Department says 43-year old Kevin Scott Lea and 28-year old Melody Lynn Orndorff, both of Audubon, along with 36-year old Karie Capel Palen and 44-year old Robert Lee Olwell, both of Atlantic, were taken into custody. The charges against those individuals were the result of an ongoing investigation and the execution of a search warrant at 203 Washington Street, in Audubon.

Lea was charges with Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Meth, Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Gathering where drugs are used, and Possession with the intent to deliver/marijuana. He was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $50,000 bond.  Orndorff was charged with Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Palen was charged with gathering where drugs are used, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was being held on $5,000 bond. Olwell was charged with gathering where drugs are used, and possession with the intent to deliver/Meth. His bond was set at $50,000.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in their investigation and in making the arrests, by the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Audubon Police Dept., and Iowa State Patrol.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The California-based Internet giant Google is considering making another $300 million investment in Council Bluffs that officials say could give the state and region a big boost. The new project, which would hinge on approval of state support, would bring Google’s investment in Iowa to about $900 million. It would create 35 jobs initially and 15 more later.  Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan says he’s encourage by the type of potential jobs more than the number of workers. He says Google offers high-tech positions that pay well, including current positions that pay more than $50,000 a year. State funding for the Council Bluffs project is being considered Friday by the state’s economic development board, which also is studying proposals that could bring $471 million in investment to Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An unusually divided Iowa Supreme Court has declined to weigh in on the debate over Iowa educational standards. The court upheld a district court judge’s dismissal of a 2008 lawsuit filed by 16 students and parents of students in Davenport, Des Moines and West Harrison schools. The lawsuit alleges Iowa’s schools are not adequately serving students by failing to establish standards. The court emphasizes it was not deciding whether basic education is a fundamental constitutional right. It also says the case doesn’t mean it won’t take future constitutional challenges to state education. The court says the case doesn’t prove state officials violated state law or the Constitution.  Justice Brent Appel disagrees. He says the court rushed to judgment and should have allowed the case to proceed further in the courts.

When a string of tornadoes hit the Central U-S and Great Lakes Region the weekend of April 14^th, communications in some of those areas was knocked out, leaving local officials with no way of calling for help or reporting damage. That’s where HAM radio operator’s stepped-in.

Amateur Radio Operators at work (Photo courtesy Des Moines Radio Amateurs Assoc.)

Tom Reis, SKYWARN Coordinator for the Des Moines National Weather Service Office, says just before an EF-2 tornado hit Creston, causing severe damage to the hospital and other structures, amateur radio, or “HAM” operators in Creston reported storm observations directly to the National Weather Service. Reis says they’re a valuable asset to discerning information that could help save lives.

When severe weather is imminent, the National Weather Service office in Des Moines calls in one of four trained operators to come out and coordinate HAM communications. When the storms hit April 14^th, Reis, who lives nearby, was called into action. He says at 6:59-p.m., he was in contact with an amateur radio operator who lives two-miles west of Creston. One minute later, he spoke with an operator in Creston. Both were reporting hail. He says if the tornado had not been rain-wrapped, it’s likely both operators would have seen it and given warning to the Weather Service before it hit. Reis says the radar signature for the tornado was very brief , and almost imperceptible. He says by the time they could “Pull the trigger” on warning residents, the twister had left the Creston area. After the storm passed, HAM operators began to provide communications support to local officials.

The Weather Service learned from the radio op’s the hospital had been hit and there were injuries. That information Reis says, was very valuable, and enabled officials to direct State resources to the area. He says the day following the storm, officials discovered that the local school district lost the 80 foot tower that is used for the school bus repeater. The Creston Amateur Radio Club offered their antenna, coax and space on their 200-foot to the school.

Reis it doesn’t take much to become an amateur radio operator, and people of all ages enjoy the hobby, which also provides a service. For more information, go to www.dmraa.com. He also recommends everyone attend a free Spotter Training course, and purchase a NOAA Weather radio. The six-digit codes can be programmed with assistance from your local Emergency Management Office, or by finding your county and surrounding county codes at www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwrrcvr.htm.