(Des Moines, Iowa) – The National Weather Service in Des Moines, in it’s latest report on an intense storm system that tracked across the state of Iowa on Friday, March 31st, says the system pulled unseasonably warm and moist conditions into the Midwest, which coupled with a very favorable wind profile, and created quite the volatile environment for severe thunderstorms. This produced several long lived supercells which developed across central Iowa during the afternoon. The storms were prolific hail producers along with a few reports of wind damage as they moved rapidly northeast. Eventually, the storms produced a few tornadoes before exiting into eastern Iowa.

One of the documented tornadoes began in Wapello County northeast  of Ottumwa then tracked northeast into Keokuk County.  The primary damage in Wapello County consisted of three  homes and one hog confinement facility. The first home lost the entire roof and one external wall. The first failure  point was likely the wind entering and lifting the garage which then led to failure of the roof. The home only had  straight nailed connections to the external walls spaced
every 18 inches and less to the roof.

Tornado in northeast Wapello County.
Photo credit: Wapello Sheriff / EM

An unoccupied mobile home on the property was not well anchored and rolled to total destruction. This location was rated 110 mph and EF-1. Two well anchored hog confinement buildings  were totally destroyed and were rated EF-2. The tornado then impacted a location with a well built 2 story brick house. The house suffered some roof and window damage
and a loss of a garage door but sustained little other damage. Other damage indicators at the site suggested
EF-1 winds.

Total destruction of a house occurred just prior to the tornado exiting the county. This older house sat unanchored to the concrete block basement. The house was pushed off the foundation and crumbled. Some trees near the house and a propane tank were mostly left with little damage. A larger tree directly next to the house on the wind side had several large limbs removed. Due to all of these reasons, the wind at this location has been  rated at 135 mph, or high end EF-2.

The Tornado Path extends into Keokuk County. The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities reports “After collaboration with a team of survey experts, we have determined a prelim. rating of low end EF4 for the tornado that tracked from Wapello into Johnson County IA. Max estimated winds around 170 mph. Max width around 600 yards. There were at least three tornadoes reported by the QC NWS office.

(April 1, 2023/DES MOINES, Iowa) – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for 12 counties in response to the March 31 severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grundy, Johnson, Keokuk, Linn, Mahaska, Wapello, and Washington counties. 
 
In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.   
  
The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org. 

A copy of the proclamation can be found here. 

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to ban any Iowan under the age of 18 from having accounts on TikTok, Instagram or any other social media site has cleared its first hurdle in the Iowa House, but bill backers are planning changes in the legislation. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans want to start a conversation about how social media companies are collecting data about children — but, more importantly, about how smart phone apps and online platforms are impacting the mental health of Iowa kids.) “This is a broader conversation than just dollars and cents,” Grassley says.

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says lawmakers should let parents control their children’s social media use.  “We can all be better about social media use. Social media can be a toxic environment and so we have to be careful, of course. Kids have to be careful with social media,” Konfrst says. “Let’s not also forget that social media can be a place of community where kids find each other in a way that can be valuable and meaningful to them.”

Utah has just adopted a law that requires minors to have parental consent for social media accounts. A key G-O-P lawmaker in the Iowa House says the plan is to adjust their bill so Iowa parents would have to sign off on social media accounts for teenagers, but Iowa children under the age of 13 would not be allowed to have one.

A recent study found 40 percent of kids under the age of 13 were using apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

(Radio Iowa) – Tornadoes and hail struck portions of Iowa Friday. Tornado watches or warnings were issued for 40 different counties Friday as severe weather struck the Midwest. Governor Reynolds has approved state assistance to six counties — Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Johnson, Mahaska and Washington.

Emergency shelters were opened in Coralville and Manchester. Damage was reported near Ottumwa and in Keokuk County as well. About half of the residents in Charlotte, a small town in Clinton County, were evacuated because a propane tank was damaged and began leaking.

The storm system knocked out electricity to thousands of customers in Iowa on Friday afternoon and, by midnight, snow had begun falling in northwest Iowa.

(Iowa City, Iowa) – A storm system that formed tornadoes in north-central Missouri early Friday afternoon spread quickly into southern and eastern Iowa, where the twisters caused extensive damage in Wapello County and further north. The National Weather Service reports one tornado veered just west of Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa.

KCRG-TV says at least two tornadoes struck Johnson County Friday afternoon, according to preliminary reports from emergency management. A shelter was opened in Coralville for residents affected by the storm in the community where damage was reported along the Coralville Strip mall area and in nearby neighborhoods. Video showed downed power lines and roofs torn-off of an apartment building in Coralville.

Damage was also reported in Frytown, Hills and Solon. The damage in Hills was said to be significant. The National Weather Service said crews plan to work into the weekend assessing damage and assisting residents impacted by the storms in eastern Iowa.

At least two people were injured, no fatalities have been reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Police in Des Moines say the suspect in the killing of a woman in Fort Dodge Thursday night, shot and killed himself at a gas station in Des Moines, Friday, as police were closing-in.

Officers located 27-year-old Adarius Clayton at a Casey’s store Friday in Des Moines. When they approached him, he pulled out a gun and shot himself, according to Des Moines Police Dept, spokesman, Sgt. Paul Parizek.

No other injuries were reported.

Clayton was believed to have killed 26-year-old Nicole Reza, Thursday night.

(Radio Iowa) – A former southeast Iowa teacher was arrested based on accusations that she assaulted a preschool student.

The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office says 46-year-old Erin Aalfs was a preschool teacher at the Moravia Community School District when on March 10 she kicked and threw rocks at a student and later picked up the child and threw the victim towards a chain link fence causing the child to hit the ground and fence. The incident occurred at the elementary school’s playground during school hours. The child was not injured.

Erin Aalfs

Aalfs later resigned from her position and was arrested on March 29. She’s been charged with two counts of simple assault and interference with official acts after the sheriff’s office says Aalfs resisted arrest and a deputy suffered minor injuries.

CRESTON, Iowa – March 31, 2023 – Motorists who travel on Iowa 148 in the Corning city limits need to be aware of an upcoming construction project that may slow down their trip. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 10 until Thursday, Aug. 31, weather permitting, construction crews will begin a project on Iowa 148 between U.S. 34 and Adams County Road N-28 that includes construction of a bridge approach, asphalt pavement resurfacing, and culvert and sidewalk work.

While construction work takes place weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., intermittent lane closures, flaggers, and pilot cars will be used to direct traffic through the work zone.

Help keep everyone on the road safer. Drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, you should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has denied the appeal of a Manchester man convicted in the cold case murder of a Cedar Rapids teen at a local Mall. Jerry Burns was found guilty in 2020 of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. The case had been cold until police grabbed a straw Burns used at a restaurant and the D-N-A on it matched D-N-A found on Martinko’s dress and car.

Burns argued the evidence on the straw should have been suppressed as it violated his Fourth Amendment right against unlawful search. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the Fourth Amendment does not apply as Burns made no effort to “preserve” the straw “as private,” and left it on the table at a Pizza Ranch. Two of the justices did write dissenting opinions with lengthy discussions about whether the Fourth Amendment applies to D-N-A.

(Clive, Iowa) March 31, 2023 – Pulled pork has gone from a rotating special to a menu favorite at The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown. Now, the classic sandwich has earned statewide attention as the winner of the sixth-annual Pulled Pork Madness, a social media contest sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). The restaurant won the title after advancing through a bracket-style narrowing process similar to the NCAA’s college basketball tournament. The bracket was based on public nominations submitted earlier this month, and The Flying Elbow took down The Lucky Pig Pub & Grill, Ogden, in the final matchup.

Hannah Spurr, IPPA’s consumer outreach director, said “This contest is a way to attract new pork fans and encourages everyone to road trip around Iowa to try different restaurants that are serving up some of the best pork in the nation.”  Nearly 160 pork fans nominated 63 Iowa restaurants for the top honor. The two restaurants with the most votes in each of IPPA’s eight districts made up the “Sweet 16” bracket. Voters then decided which moved on to the “Elite Eight,” “Final Four,” and championship round, which wrapped up March 30.

Garrett Goodman, owner of The Flying Elbow, said winning the contest was a “Cool Honor. ” He said also, “Barbecue was kind of a Sunday tradition when I was growing up, and I love serving people the best food I can.”  The Flying Elbow started in 2017 as a wrestling-themed food truck, selling hot dogs. Burgers were later added to the menu. When the restaurant opened in its current location in September 2021, Goodman purchased a residential-sized smoker and began offering limited barbecue specials. He recently upgraded to a 300-gallon wood-fired smoker, cooking pork shoulders “the traditional way, using old-school techniques” — low and slow over oak and cherry wood.

Prior to smoking, pork shoulders are rubbed heavily with salt, pepper, and garlic. Plus, a little brown sugar is sprinkled on to help ensure a good bark, the flavorful black crust that forms on the outside of the meat during the cooking process, which is about 11 hours. “Classic Pulled Pork” is served with pickles and homemade barbecue sauce on a Hawaiian-style sesame seed burger bun or Texas toast. The meat is topped with coleslaw by request. Pulled pork also is featured in “souped-up” versions of the Classic sandwich, Goodman noted.

At The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown, pork shoulders are smoked for about 11 hours over oak and cherry wood. The “Classic Pulled Pork” sandwich is served with pickles and house-made barbecue sauce, on a Hawaiian-style sesame seed bun or brioche toast. The meat is topped with coleslaw by request. (Photo courtesy IPPA_

“Pig Show” includes cheddar and Havarti cheeses, macaroni and cheese, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and green onion. “Razor’s Edge” is what Goodman calls “an upscale version of a Cuban,” with pulled pork, shaved pit ham, Havarti cheese, honey mustard barbecue sauce, dill pickles, and pickled red onion, served on cheddar jalapeño cornbread. “Pulled pork is a versatile product — you just get such a great flavor and a nice juicy meat,” Goodman said. “We try to offer the classic versions of things for customers, but then also, I like to take classic ingredients and give them new life and use them different ways.” The Flying Elbow is currently averaging about 120 pounds of pulled pork per week. Before starting the food truck business, Goodman spent 11 years in a corporate information technology position.

The Flying Elbow will receive $250 and a Pulled Pork Madness plaque.

See a full list of the 2023 Pulled Pork Madness restaurants that competed in the bracket, HERE. Past winners are Starbeck’s Smokehouse in Cedar Falls (2022); Smokin’ Butt Barbeque in Davenport (2021); Whatcha Smokin’? BBQ + Brew in Luther (2020); Warehouse Barbecue Co. + Brewhouse in Ottumwa (2019); and Moo’s BBQ in Newton (2018).