WASHINGTON, Iowa (AP) – The National Weather Service has confirmed that two tornadoes caused some eastern Iowa storm damage. The service says the first tornado touched down around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday in northeastern Jefferson County and lifted about four minutes later near Lake Darling in Washington County. It was rated EF-1 with winds reaching 110 mph that damaged farm outbuildings and trees.

The second struck around 6:35 p.m. in northeast Washington County and lifted six minutes later. It also was rated an EF-1 twister, damaging outbuildings, power lines and trees. No injuries have been reported.

The Creston Police Department reports 32-year old Jesse Edward Ramey, of Orient, was arrested at around 7:15-p.m, Thursday. Ramey faces a charge of Interference with Official Acts. He was brought to the Union County Jail and later released upon paying a $300 cash or surety bond.

Authorities said also a Creston resident reported Thursday evening, that sometime between the hours of 7:45- and 8-a.m., Thursday, someone damaged two tires on his vehicle parked outside his residence located in the 300 block of N. Division Street. And, a car stereo, four fishing poles, a tackle box, and a power washer were taken from his property. The value of the damaged and missing property was estimated at $850.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Cass County Extension Staff and Vo-Ag Teachers from Atlantic, CAM and Griswold schools will be teaching a 24-hour tractor and machinery safety certification course for local youth June 5-16 at the Cass County Fairgrounds. This training is required by law for any 14 or 15 year olds who want to safely operate a tractor over 20 HP and other machinery on a farm, acreage or any other business.

Any youth who want to work in an operation that requires equipment operation must have this certificate. Youth aged 13 must be turning 14 during the summer of 2014 in order to be eligible for the certificate. 24 hours of training, including both a written and driving test, are required for participants to be certified.

While the certificate is required for 14 and 15-year olds to be eligible for employment, anyone age 13 or older, including adults, is welcome to register for the class, as a wide variety of tractor, machinery and general farm safety topics will be taught.

Participants will get some time “hands-on” driving farm machinery, as well as class time with Extension/Vo-Ag instructors and representatives from other local businesses and organizations.

The class dates are June 5, 7, 9, 12, 15 and 16 from 9 AM to 1 PM. A $40 registration fee covers all class materials, including a light lunch for all 6 days of the course. A $40 registration fee covers all class materials, including lunch for all 4 days of the course. Registration forms can be picked up from the Cass County Extension office or any Cass County Vo-Ag instructor.

Forms are also available online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass to print and return. Pre-registration is requested by Friday June 2 to ensure enough materials and food are available for course participants. For more information, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu.

The Sioux City Police Department is investigating after one person died in a crash between a car and a train on the north side of Sioux City Thursday. Lieutenant Mark Kirkpatrick was at the accident scene. “At this point in time we believe the train was stationary — it was not a moving train. And we are still investigating how and why the accident actually happened,” Kirkpatrick said.

Kirkpatrick said the man who was driving the car was found dead inside after it struck the train. “Our preliminary indication is that it was traveling at a higher rate of speed. Apparently it did go around the stop arm, because the stop arm is still intact.

The victim’s name has not been released. The accident happened around 9 a-m Thursday.

(Radio Iowa)

The longtime band director of a northwestern Iowa high school is retiring this month and his band’s final march could set a new world’s record. Steve Connell is in his last days as director of the Pride of the Dutchmen Marching Band at M-O-C-Floyd Valley Senior High School in Orange City. At this weekend’s tulip festival, all previous band members are being invited to return to march and play. “It’s one of the more unique things that happens in the country,” Connell says. “People who haven’t played their horns for 20 years or 30 years or 40 years get their horns out and without any practice, they line up on the street and march just like they did when they were 18 years old.”

After 42 years of waving the baton, Connell is retiring at month’s end, so this will be his final time leading the marching band comprised of current students and alumni. “Since it’s my retirement, there’s just a lot people who are going to come back,” Connell says. “I’ve probably taught two- or three-thousand kids and a lot of them are coming back to march in this alumni band for the last time.”

Based on the cards, letters, emails, phone calls and social media postings, Connell says this year’s band will be like none other and will include many hundreds, perhaps thousands of his former students. He says it could set a new world’s record for pick-up marching band performances. “We’ve played the same song for probably 40 years now,” Connell says. “Everybody knows the song. We’re doing the same twirling routine. We’re doing the same flag routine. They all know those things. They come back and form on the street. There’s no practice involved. When they march down the street, you would think they’ve been practicing for months.”

That song is known as “Championship” and it was originally used on the CBS-TV program “NFL Today” some four decades ago. Connell says the alumni band is a wonderful tradition that’s been enjoyed for decades.  “When you’re 60 years old, not many people can go back and relive that great high school basketball game they had with their friends or that great football championship they had. You just can’t do it,” Connell says. “But you can still get out your horn and relive a high school memory that was important to you and I think that’s what’s bringing people back.”

The big band is scheduled to march down Orange City’s Central Avenue at 6:30 P-M Saturday to close out the city’s annual Tulip Festival.

(Radio Iowa)

Shelby County Sheriff Neil Gross reports Deputies Wednesday evening arrested 22 year old Brandon L Anderson, of Harlan. Anderson was taken into custody at around 7-p.m., and charged with interference with official acts, and disorderly conduct, both simple misdemeanors.

The charges were the result of officers being called to a disturbance at the 1700 block of 8th St in Harlan around 6:45-p.m., Wednesday. Anderson was arrested and brought to the Shelby County Jail, where his bond was set at $300.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The Waterloo Police Department has destroyed surveillance video of a 2010 incident in which an officer used “unnecessary force” against a juvenile in a department holding cell. Police Chief Daniel Trelka said Thursday that the video involving officer Corbin Payne was likely destroyed in April 2016, six years after Payne was suspended without pay over the incident. He says department policy requires such records be kept for six years.

Trelka recently demoted Payne from lieutenant to officer after an off-duty road rage incident in which Payne confronted and used force against a motorist. Trelka says that force was “very similar in nature to” the force he used against the juvenile in April 2010. Trelka says a television station anchor inquired about the video after the road rage incident, but that it was gone by then.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Planned Parenthood says it’s closing four of its 12 clinics in Iowa after the Republican-led Legislature cut its state funding. Local affiliate Planned Parenthood of the Heartland said Thursday the closings will reduce its facilities in the state that provide abortions from eight to five. Republican lawmakers agreed last session to give up millions in federal Medicaid money to create a state-run family planning program that excludes organizations that provide abortions.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Investigators say a 16-year-old girl found dead last week in the central Iowa home where she lived weighed just 56 pounds and was severely malnourished. Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn said Thursday at a news conference that Sabrina Ray was found dead inside the Perry home Friday evening after a 911 call was placed from the home. Vaughn says the girl’s adoptive parents have been arrested and each charged with child endangerment resulting in death and other counts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Norwalk man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the heroin overdose death of a West Des Moines woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Des Moines Register reports that 30-year-old Travis West was sentenced Wednesday in Polk County District Court. A jury found West guilty in March of involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa police supervisor with a history of misconduct has been demoted after an off-duty road rage incident in which he was drinking and grabbed a driver by the neck. A disciplinary decision shows that Waterloo Police Chief Daniel Trelka believed he could have fired Lt. Corbin Payne for failures in “judgment, discipline, professionalism, and integrity.” But Trelka instead demoted Payne, while acknowledging his service exposes the city to liability for “negligent retention.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More stable crop prices have improved the economic outlook for rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states, but bankers expect little growth in the next few months. The overall economic index for the region crept into positive territory above 50 at 50.1 in May from April’s 44.6. This is the first time the overall index was above neutral since August 2015.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the slightly better commodity prices helped improve the outlook, but the bankers surveyed remain concerned about farmers. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.