OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Residents in parts of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa are cleaning up after severe thunderstorms — some producing hurricane-force winds — shattered homes, tore down trees and left thousands without power.

The National Weather Service in Valley, just west of Omaha, says storms blasted Omaha and surrounding areas with heavy rain, hail and winds reaching nearly 90 mph. The service has not confirmed any tornadoes, but has sent teams to northeastern Nebraska and Bellevue, just south of Omaha, where the most damage has been reported. No injuries have been reported.

Some homes in Bellevue were torn apart, and Offutt Air Force Base just south of the city has requested that only essential personnel report to the base Saturday as crews work to clean up damaged homes and downed trees.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — The adoptive brother of 16-year-old girl who died of malnutrition in her family home has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in connection to her death. The Des Moines Register reports, 21-year-old Justin Dale Ray pleaded not guilty Friday to two counts of child endangerment, and two counts of willful injury.

Police say he “drop-kicked” Sabrina Ray down basement stairs sometime between April 15 and May 1, leaving her unable to walk, talk, eat or drink normally. He remains jailed on $100,000 bond.

The girl’s body was found May 12 in the Perry home she shared with her adoptive parents, who have also been charged. The girl weighed just 56 pounds. A cousin and grandmother of the teen also face charges in her death.

w/ Chris Parks

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Friday night’s storms resulted in widespread damage across southwest Iowa, and in Atlantic, a condominium was struck by lighting. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said a woman had just returned home at around 9-p.m., when lightning struck.

The bolt traveled along the gutters at the house and exiting at two corners at 1513 E. 18h Street, but not before rupturing water lines and corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) leading to the furnace. The homeowner was able to shut off the water to the broken pipe. Atlantic Fire shut off the gas. A neighboring town home was also filling with gas. Her neighbors to the east lost electronic equipment in their homes.

McNees said CSS tubing is used in many new construction and even when properly grounded has caused many fires throughout the U-S.  Atlantic Fire and Alliant Energy both responded to the scene Friday night. The AFD was on scene for about two-hours.

Lightning exits the gutters at a condo in Atlantic Friday night (Photo courtesy Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees)

Severe storms rumbled across Western Iowa for the second straight night on Friday and strong winds were responsible for damage and utility outages across the area this time around.

Structure damage has been reported at numerous locations including the Glenwood area in Mills County as well as near Shelby.  Downed trees and tree limbs were a common occurrence throughout the storm path as well.

Menard’s Distribution Center near Shelby. Photo courtesy Michele McConnell Andersen.

Mid American Energy was still reporting at 7:00am on Saturday that approximately 2,100 customers were without power in the Council Bluffs and Southwest Iowa region.  Alliant Energy reported just around 150 customers without services at 7:00am as well.

The Red Oak Police Department responded to a two-vehicle accident at about 10:39pm on Friday night. No one was injured in the accident that occurred at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue and West Walnut Street in Red Oak.

It was determined that a 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by 19-year-old Megan Ann McCall of Villisca did not yield long enough at a stop sign and pulled out in front of a 2008 Chevy Impala driven by 34-year-old Michelle Lee Szymarek of Red Oak.  The Impala struck the front right side of the LeSabre after being stopped at a stop sign in a parking lot headed west towards West Walnut Street.  The LeSabre had to be towed from the scene and sustained an estimated $5,000 damage. The Impala was able to be driven to a nearby residence and also sustained an estimated $5,000 damage.

Some photos of damage taken along I-29 near the Highway 34 intersection (west of Glenwood). Photos courtesy Quinn Hall, from Red Oak.

DEWITT, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged a man with two counts of murder in the deaths of his parents, whose bodies were found in the eastern Iowa city of DeWitt. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office on Monday charged Gavin Glasz with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 51-year-old Brian Paul Glasz and 54-year-old Michelle Renee Glasz. They were found dead Tuesday in their DeWitt home.

Clinton County Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the home after Brian Glasz didn’t show up at work. Deputies found Gavin Glasz outside and later discovered the body of Brian Glasz in a laundry room and the body of Michelle Glasz in the basement. Both were wrapped in blankets and had died of “multiple sharp force injuries” and strangulations. Brian Glasz also suffered blows to his head.

DeWitt was jailed on a $1 million bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that two men who committed felonies as juveniles and were sentenced to more than 17 years in prison without parole must be resentenced. The court concluded in a 4-3 opinion that long juvenile sentences without the possibility of parole should be uncommon.

The ruling means Christopher Roby, of Waterloo and Jarrod Majors, of Bedford, are likely to be paroled. Both were sentenced to more than 17 years without parole, Roby for sexual abuse and Majors for attempted murder.

The case sets Iowa apart from most other states in its practice of telling judges that mandatory minimum prison terms for juveniles should only be short sentences and should be rare after careful individual review based only on evidence and expert testimony.

Council Bluffs Police say a truck driver from Nebraska was cited following a fiery accident early this (Friday) afternoon on Interstate 80. Authorities say 74-year old Lester Fox, of Ashland, NE., was driving a semi tractor trailer eastbound on I-80 at around 12:25-p.m. near mile marker 1, when the rig left the road and struck a collapsible attentuator and several Jersey barriers.

Upon impact, one of the semi’s fuel tanks ruptured and a large fire ensued. Fox was able to escape from the cab of the truck. He was transported to Mercy Hospital and treated for minor injuries. Police cited Fox for Failure to Maintain Control of a Motor Vehicle.

During the incident, traffic was re-routed to I-480 into Iowa, as I-80 was closed for about 3-hours.