ST. LOUIS (AP) – A new report shows that the nation’s worst drought in decades has worsened for a second straight week, after conditions had improved for more than a month.  The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday shows that 62.7 percent of the continental U.S. was in some form of drought as of Tuesday. That’s up from 60.1 percent the previous week.

The portion of the lower 48 states in extreme or exceptional drought – the two worst classifications – also rose, to 20.12 percent from last week’s 19.04 percent.   The dry conditions intensified sharply in Oklahoma, where 90.5 percent of the state is in extreme or exceptional drought. That’s up 19 percentage points.

The portion of South Dakota in those two classifications rose more than 8 percentage points, to 63.32 percent.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Two southwest Iowa men were arrested on drug charges over a period of less than six-hours recently. Authorities in Red Oak report a Fremont County man was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, on drug charges.  According to the Police Department, 23-year-old Jonathan Lee Million, of Farragut, was arrested on the following charges: Possession with Intent to Deliver/Methamphetamine;  Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana; Possession of drug paraphernalia, and Operating a motor vehicle While under the Influence/drug related, 2^nd offense.  In addition, Million was charged Driving While Suspended.

Officials say Red Oak Police Officers confiscated more than 2 grams of a substance suspected of being methamphetamine, and nearly 2 grams of suspected marijuana from a vehicle Million was in, during a traffic stop in the 100 block of West Elm Street, at around 2:30-a.m., Thursday.  Million was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $50,000 cash bond.

And, a four-month long investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at a Red Oak residence just before 9-p.m. Wednesday. Afterward, 37-year old Markus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak, was arrested on felony drug charges. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Moore. Following the  search of a home at 301 4th Avenue, Johnson was charged with three counts of delivery of methamphetamine, one count of possession of meth with the intent to deliver, and one count of bringing contraband into a jail facility. Authorities also seized a number of items of drug paraphernalia, scales and packaging equipment.

One person was transported to a hospital in Des Moines Wednesday, following a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 in Adair County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 35-year old Benjamin Mark Newton, of St. Paul, MN, was taken by Stuart Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, after the 2000 Chevy Blazer he was driving left westbound I-80 near the Greenfield Exit and entered the north ditch, spun around and came to rest facing east, in the ditch. The accident happened at around 9:30-p.m.

A fire at an apartment complex in Harlan Wednesday night gutted the building and left about a dozen people homeless, but no major injuries were reported. One person did however, suffer from smoke inhalation. The blaze at 707 Durant Street, broke out just after 6-p.m.

Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen told our sister-station KNOD in Harlan, that seven area fire departments were called to help control the flames, including Atlantic (which sent its aerial unit and six firefighters), Avoca, Defiance, Earling, Elk Horn, Kirkman and Westphalia. Bissen said the fire began on the east side of the 1st floor, and quickly spread to the rest of the house. The main reason the fire spread so quickly he said, was because of the age of the building. “This old of a structure you deal with a balloon type structure so there isn’t a break in between floors.” The building, which is located very near the Harlan City Hall, is 102-years old.

Bissen said he thinks there were about 5 tenants inside at the time. , Authorities said the dozen occupants in the apartment building were temporarily relocated to the Settle Inn in Harlan. Volunteers with the American Red Cross provided food, clothing and additional shelter, as needed.

Monetary donations and clothing items can be delivered to: Terry Irwin at 608 Dodge Street in Harlan; West Central Community Action on the east side of the square in downtown Harlan; or, the Town and Country Credit Union 1414 Chatburn Avenue in Harlan.

(All photo’s are courtesy the Harlan Newspapers)

Harlan Apartment Fire Video 11-28-2012

(Video Courtesy Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday, that charges are pending against a Clarinda man, as an investigation in underway into the neglect of cattle in rural Page County. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says the investigation, which remains ongoing, began Saturday, following a report of animal neglect at 2773 X Avenue. During the course of the investigation over a period of several days, authorities consulted a veterinarian, who determined 17 cows, 1 bull and 15 calves, which were located on property owned by Kiel Martin Brittain, of Clarinda,  were severely malnourished.

The animals were seized. Additional information will be released by authorities when charges are filed.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday, that an Essex man wanted on a warrant out of Adair County, was arrested Tuesday at the Pierce Creek Campground. Officials say 36-year old Daniel Elmer Bright was wanted for Failure To Appear on a traffic charge. Bright was brought to the Page County Jail and was unable to post a $2,000 cash bond. He was held in the jail until deputies from Adair County could arrange for him to be transported to the jail in  Greenfield.