With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report says the number of doctors practicing in Iowa has risen again.
The Iowa Board of Medicine report says more than 6,800 physicians worked in the state last year. That’s up 2 percent from 2012 and 12 percent from 2006.

The Des Moines Register reports that despite the increase, the state still has fewer doctors per capita than the U.S. average and faces a marked shortage in some medical specialties and rural regions. But the number of doctors has risen much faster than the state’s population over the past three decades.

The state and federal governments have programs that encourage doctors to move to rural Iowa. Rewards include assistance in repaying student loans, and, for foreign doctors, visas they can use to stay in the United States.

Here’s a reminder that you can help send-off area veterans as they prepare to depart for their Honor Flight to Washington, D-C this (Monday) evening. Event Coordinator Steve Livengood says residents of Atlantic and anyone else who wants to receive and wave an 8×10-inch American flag while the veterans’ motorcade passes, can gather at any one of numerous locations along the route.

The buses and their motorcycle escort will leave the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic at approximately 7:30-p.m. and turn left (west) onto 10th Street. The motorcade will then turn east onto 7th Street and travel through Atlantic before continuing east on Highway 6 through Wiota and Anita on the way to the exit near Adair.

You may wave your own flag, or receive one of about 2,000 complimentary flags that will be available at the following distribution points:

10th street and Highway 6; Lindeman Tractor/skating rink; The Atlantic City Park; Iowa Western Community College; Ann Wickman Child Care Center; 7th and Gade Insurance; the former Custom Auto Body & Sound building on 7th Street; Orscheln Farm & Home; the Hy-Vee Food Store; Wal-Mart Supercenter; Nishna Valley Cycle and Outfitters Plus…all in Atlantic.

In Wiota, at the Post Office and Wiota Methodist Church. In Anita, at the Anita Public Library/City Ark, and at the Jesse James Monument off Highway 6 near Interstate 80. Plan to arrive about 6:30 PM to find your place along the route.

The 150 veterans on the Honor Flight are from all branches of the military. 84 are from Atlantic, 120 are from Cass County, including Atlantic. The oldest is 93, the youngest is 31. There are four women and 146 men who will be making the trip. The veterans will spend the night in Des Moines before departing at Sunrise Tuesday their flight to D. C.

The National Weather Service says severe thunderstorms are possible across Iowa, today. Scattered thunderstorms may develop this morning and may contain an attendant large hail threat up to the size of quarters. More vigorous activity is expected to develop by mid to late afternoon over northwest Iowa then shift east into this evening.

Very strong storms are expected with this activity. Initial storms may produce very large hail and a few tornadoes before evolving into a damaging wind threat by mid to late evening. Heavy rainfall is possible as well, especially over northern Iowa. Localized flash flooding may occur with storms producing intense rainfall rates.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – A fire forced closure of a dining center on the west side of the Iowa State University campus in Ames. The fire at the Union Drive Marketplace dining room was reported early Sunday morning. The Des Moines Register reports that flames were isolated to the grill area. An automated fire suppression system helped put out the blaze.

No injuries have been reported. University spokeswoman Annette Hacker says the damage doesn’t seem severe. The fire cause is being investigated.

Police in Red Oak report one person suffered possible injuries but refused medical treatment, following a collision Sunday afternoon in the 1200 block of north 5th Street. Officials say at around 2:25-p.m., the boom portion of a truck that was backing out of an alley, struck a car that had just backed out of another alley, and had proceeded to head north on north 5th street.

The driver of the 2000 Dodge van struck by the boom truck on the left rear side, was identified as 73 year old Kathryn Baker, of Red Oak. The driver of the truck was identified as 42-year old Trevor Hale, of Red Oak.

Officials say the booms may have obstructed Hale’s view as he was backing out of the alley. Damage from the accident amounted to $4,000. No citations were issued.

And, Red Oak Police report the arrest Sunday night of 52-year old David Lawrence Howe. Howe, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:35-p.m. in the 100 block of S. 4th Street, on a charge of Trepass. He was being held Sunday night on $300 bond, in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center.

The more than 14-hundred delegates gathered Saturday in Des Moines for the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention heard calls for unity from party leaders, but as soon as the convention ended, the party’s chairman was asked to resign. Iowa Republican Party chairman Danny Carroll delivered a short speech to delegates Saturday morning, urging factions within the party to quit criticizing other Republicans. “As we kick off this election season, a unified party has never been more important and you know unity is not something that can be achieved by a just few people in leadership or someone who can give a good speech,” Carroll said. “The word itself, unity, suggests everyone doing their part.”

The new Iowa Republican Party state central committee took over late Saturday afternoon, right after the convention ended, and asked Carroll to resign. He refused and the party’s board of directors has scheduled a meeting for Saturday, June 28th to hold a leadership election. Iowa’s Republican National Committeewoman Tamara Scott will be voting in that meeting, but she is among those who have argued Carroll should stay. “It’s time we start bickering between ourselves and start battling the real enemy,” Scott told delegates Saturday afternoon. Scott urged the party’s rank-and-file to stop “grumbling” and start “rumbling” through their neighborhoods to round up votes for Republicans.

“It’s hard to grow a party when you’re busy tearing each other apart,” Scott said. Carroll, who is from Grinnell, is a former state legislator and lobbyist for the Christian conservative group The Family Leader. Carroll has been party chairman for less than three months. He was elected on March 29th to replace A.J. Spiker of Ames who resigned as party chairman to take a job with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s political action committee.

Governor Terry Branstad has repeatedly said it is up to the party’s state central committee to decide who should be G-O-P chairman, but Branstad’s reelection campaign took steps in January to get the governor’s supporters to participate in the precinct caucuses and those Branstad backers displaced so-called “liberty movement” activists who had helped Ron Paul supporters gain a majority on the party’s governing board two years ago.

(Radio Iowa)

It’s one of the most famous movie lines of all time. “People will come, Ray,” actor James Earl Jones says in the film. “People will most definitely come.” And people did come – thousands of them – for the “Field of Dreams” 25th Anniversary Celebration this past weekend. Fans from around the world and celebrities, too — including the movie’s star, Kevin Costner — all made the trip to Dyersville, Iowa to spend time at the site where the movie was filmed 26 years ago. To mark the silver anniversary of the film’s release, celebrities like Costner and fans gathered on the field Friday night to watch the movie together on the big screen.

“It’s nice to know people feel the same way about the film 25 years later,” Costner said. At a press conference on Saturday, Costner told the crowd that Friday night had been a special moment for him, since it was the first time he got to watch the movie with his three young children. Some other members of the cast were there, too. Actor Timothy Busfield portrayed Costner’s skeptical brother-in-law in the movie. “I don’t know if anybody thought that it would be 25 years later and we’d still be an iconic movie,” Busfield said. “You don’t aim for the fences. You try to do your best job 12 hours a day…and what’s its become you don’t ever expect.”

Dwier Brown, the actor who played Costner’s father in the movie, appears in one of the most emotional moments of the film, but Brown says the scenes he likes best are the ones that make you laugh. I like when Tim walks in front of the pitch. Every time the movie’s going on, I have to watch that bit,” Brown said. “I also like it when Kevin’s arguing with them about why he doesn’t get to go into the field and he says” ‘I’ve done everything and I’ve never asked: “What’s in it for me?” And they say: ‘What are you saying?’ And he says: ‘What’s in it for me?'” N-B-C sportscaster Bob Costas was also in Dyersville for the film’s anniversary celebration. He shared his favorite moments from “Field of Dreams” during Saturday’s news conference.

“Everybody remembers: ‘Dad, want to have a catch?’…and they remember James Earl Jones’ speech, but Burt Lancaster as ‘Moonlight Graham’ has a little speech of his own that he delivers to Kevin in his office now that he’s a doctor and you can see that whether it’s Baby Ruth or Shoeless Joe Jackson or somebody that played half an inning in the Big Leagues, they understand what the game can mean and what the beauty of the game and how it stays inside them, and then when he reappears here and revives…Annie and Ray’s daughter and then walks back across the field and when Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson says, ‘Hey you were good,’ he validates that he was a good ball player, even though he only played a handfull of moments in the Major Leagues,” Costas said. “I like that part.” The cast and crew took part in a celebrity softball game at the field Saturday, along with other celebrities, such as actors Colin Egglesfield and Joel Murray, actress Kristy Swanson, model Kim DeJesus and baseball greats Bret Saberhagen and Glendon Rusch. Rusch says it was an incredible experience.

“I’d never been to the Field of Dreams, so to come here and be a part of this with the cast, you know, it’s like a childhood dream, really,” Rusch says. “…It’s like being a little kid.” Thousands of fans filled the bleachers and sat along the entire perimeter of the field to watch the game, which included an appearance by the Ghostplayers. The Ghostplayers, all local guys who dress up as old White Sox ball players –just like the movie — played with Costner’s three kids as Costner and his wife watched and smiled. Denise Stillman, who now owns the “Field of Dreams” farm and movie site, says it was a special weekend for Costner.

“It’s been fantastic,” Stillman said. “Having Kevin here obviously ads a huge electricity to the event and I know the event means a lot to him because he’s had his family with him here this weekend. He’s got two little boys that are just absolutely adorable and they were having a catch yesterday and having that great, special time to really soak up and share this piece of his history with his family was special to watch.” Stillman says people from all over the world came to Dyersville for the anniversary celebration.

“People from Switzerland, people from other parts of Europe — I believe we have one family from somewhere in the Caribbean and we’ve got some folks from Asia, so it’s been truly an international event and it’s been a labor of love from the town (of Dyersville),” Stillman says. “We’ve had thousands of people supporting us and I think, literally, half of them working the event.” Doug May drove several hours from Woodburn, Iowa to come to the field. He was playing a game of catch with his son Saturday after watching the screening of the movie Friday night.

“I was surreal to be there, you know, you’re like: ‘Oh, we’re sitting right where they’re playing the game or right where that ghost is coming. We’re right there!'” May says. “It’s just surreal that you’re part of history.” Tim Horn came all the way from Arizona to share this Father’s Day weekend with his son.  “A good father-son bonding experience and we actually watched the movie for the first time this morning,” Horn said, and his son added: “It was pretty good.” Horn asked his son: “What was your favorite scene?” The younger Horn replied: “When he pitches the ball, but falls down, apparently.” The elder Horn followed up: “Did you like the ghosts coming out of the corn fields?” The boy replied: “Yes!” All twelve thousand of the free tickets for this weekend’s events were claimed.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa gambling regulators plan to consider whether it’s time to stop building more casinos in Iowa at a meeting next month after narrowly voting to approve one for Jefferson. The five-member Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved Thursday on a 3-2 vote the $40 million casino in Jefferson. Two consulting firms have recommended no more casinos, and commission chairman Jeff Lamberti says that will be discussed at the July 31st meeting in Johnston.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 21-year-old Des Moines woman has been crowned Miss Iowa and will represent the state in the Miss America pageant in September. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Alysa Lou Olson won the title Saturday and earned a $10,500 scholarship. Olson is majoring in vocal performance at the University of Iowa.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The city of Sioux Falls and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are working together to gather volunteers to cleanup a portion of the Big Six River. KELO-TV reports officials are seeking volunteers for the 12th annual A Watershed Awareness River Expedition project that will run from July 12th through the 19th. Interested volunteers must register by June 20th.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the drowning death of a 36-year-old Iowa City man. The Johnson County sheriff’s office says rescuers were called to Scales Point just before 5 p.m. Saturday. After searching for nearly four hours, authorities recovered the body of Somphaeng Syvixay of Iowa City.

Members of the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors will meet Monday evening in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. During the meeting, the Board will receive updates from Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring, on: The Summer 2014 Recreation Program (Including a pool, swim team, tennis and slow pitch softball update); Capital Projects (Including the status of grading for the Senior Recreation Area, Renovation of the Camblin fire pit and/or shelter, and Kiddie Korral, as well as line painting on the basketball and pickle ball courts).

They’ll also receive an update on the Boy Scout cabin, various grants, and other matters. The Park and Rec Board meeting begins at 5;15-p.m., Monday.