(Atlantic, Iowa) – KJAN listeners and social media followers provided photos of funnel clouds that formed late Sunday evening south of Wiota, near Anita, and northwest of Atlantic. The first reports of a funnel being seen was south of Wiota, at around 5:12-p.m.

A short while later, two separate funnels were spotted near Lake Anita and the Anita Sale Barn. KJAN received several pictures of both phenomenon, referred to by the National Weather Service as “Cold Air funnels.”

A little after 5:30-p.m., the Weather Service sent out a Special Weather Statement advising “Funnel clouds are possible due to current atmospheric conditions. These funnel clouds are typically brief, drop only a few hundred feet from the cloud base, and rarely become a tornado or cause damage.”

They urged persons seeing them, to report their observances to the National Weather Service. Another funnel was observed northwest of Atlantic, just before 6-p.m., Sunday.

There were no confirmed reports of any funnels reaching the ground, and no injuries were r

Ashley Andrew (photo)

eported. Check out the photos in posts on our Facebook page. Here are just a few of the images we received….

Travis moon (photo)

Travis moon (photo)

Leo Dennis (photo)

Callie Marie Chamberlin (phot0)

Chad Frieze (photo)

(Courtesy Kristen Hilpipre-Calhoun)

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa Department of Education analysis shows there are statewide teacher shortages in over two dozen specialties, like world languages. The Algona School Board recently approved the use of an online learning program to teach upper-level high school Spanish courses for the next school year. Joe Carter is Algona’s superintendent.

“We have not been able to hire a high school Spanish teacher,” Carter said. “…We found some options that a number of the schools in the state, including some in the North Central Conference, are using. It’s Logra Learning.” The company is among the 14 private companies the state has approved as online content providers and the only one that focuses solely on teaching Spanish. It offers tutoring as well live Zoom sessions for students.

“It’s developed by licensed teachers who have taught Spanish in the classroom as well as taught Spanish online, so they’re very experienced at doing this,” Carter said. ” They have thousands of students who are part of their program currently.” Based on the per student cost, Carter estimates the company will bill the school district about 29-thousand dollars for online Spanish classes for just over 100 high school students.

“We certainly would prefer an in-person teacher for our kids,” Carter says. “We don’t have that option right now and I think this is the next best option.” Carter says the district advertised its opening for a high school Spanish teacher for quite some time — and had no applicants. The Iowa Department of Education’s list of teacher shortage areas shows there aren’t enough math, science, music and art teachers — and there’s even a shortage of P-E teachers.

According to a Texas company that offers online teaching options, there were over a thousand unfilled teaching slots in Iowa schools in the 2024-25 school year.

(written by Mark Moran; Iowa News Service) – Despite the elimination of a handful of alternative energy tax incentives in the new federal budget, Iowa corn farmers will benefit from one that was extended.

Tax breaks and rebates encouraging investment in solar and wind power in Iowa were eliminated in the federal spending plan. However, the Trump administration extended an incentive enabling farmers in Iowa to produce more corn. The Hawkeye State is the nation’s top corn producer, much of which is used to produce ethanol.

Chris Bliley, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for the biofuel trade organization Growth Energy, said grain-based fuels burn cleaner and are more environmentally friendly.

“The credit actually goes for production of lower carbon fuels that are used for transportation,” Bliley explained. “It includes on-road fuels as well as sustainable aviation fuel. And so, the lower in carbon, the higher the credit.”

The Trump administration has made efforts to extract more fossil fuels, which it said will move the U.S. toward energy independence.

Lawmakers in Iowa and neighboring Midwest states have introduced their own tax incentives for biodegradable jet fuel, which Bliley noted will create economic benefits for ag producers.

“To remain competitive, plants in Iowa and Nebraska and throughout the Midwest are investing in some of these key projects to lower their carbon intensity,” Bliley observed.

The commercial airline industry is aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to the International Air Transport Association, which could continue to benefit Iowa farmers who provide corn for ethanol production.

(Lowden, Iowa) – A car struck a legally parked semi early this (Sunday) morning in eastern Iowa, resulting in two people being sent to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened at around 1:40-a.m. in Lowden, when a 2013 Audi A6 driven by 23-year-old Blake J. Johnson, of Aledo, IL, left Main Street in Tipton and struck an unoccupied 2005 Freightliner semi, which was in a parking lot.

Johnson, and a passenger in his vehicle, 20-year-old Adam Dean Duncan, of Lowden (IA), were injured in the crash. Both were transported by ambulance to the UIHC (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics).

The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Tipton Police, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarence and Lowden Fire Departments.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Dallas County was arrested Saturday night in Red Oak, on a charge of Sexual Assault without injury, an aggravated misdemeanor. Red Oak Police say 42-year-old Aristeo Diaz, of Perry, was arrested at around 11:25-p.m. in the 1800 block of N. 4th Street in Red Oak. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Red Oak Police were assisted in the arrest, by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on a felony charge of assault this (Saturday) morning. 47-year-old Clifford Norman Byrd, III, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 1200 block of Summit Street, and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense (A Class-D Felony).

Byrd was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an initial court appearance.

(Farragut, Iowa) – Sheriff’s Deputies in Fremont County responded Friday evening to a serious injury accident in the 100 block of Clay Street in Farragut. Upon arrival, deputies learned that a 1953 Allis-Chalmers WD45 tractor had struck a 56-year-old male who was reportedly working on the tractor. The accident happened at around 5:30-p.m. Following the initial impact, the tractor continued across an alley and struck a fence.

The driver of the tractor was identified as 39-year-old Kyle Glen Hale, of Shenandoah. Following an investigation at the scene, Hale was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI)/2nd Offense.

Kyle Glen Hale (Fremont County S/O photo)

He was later released on bond, with additional charges pending as the investigation continues. The victim of the accident suffered serious injuries and was transported by LifeNet to a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, for medical treatment.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Farragut Fire Department, Farragut Rescue, Shenandoah Fire Department, and Shenandoah Rescue.

It should be noted that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

(Atlantic, Iowa/Cass County ISU Extension) – The 4-H motto is “To make the best better.” One way 4-H members fulfill that motto is by participating in conference judging at the Cass County Fair. All members who exhibit at the fair are awarded ribbons based on conversations with judges, but how can this make the best 4-H member better? Discussions on goals, accomplishments and lessons learned, in a one-on-one setting with trained judges, can help the 4-H’ers grow as exhibitors and individuals.

Throughout fair week, over forty judges will work with 4-H and FFA members during each evaluation process, whether in the show ring, at communication contests, or during static exhibit judging, to help members learn more about themselves and their exhibits. Life skills are emphasized in recognizing 4-H and FFA members who have reached their goals.

All contestants and exhibits are evaluated based on a set of judging criteria, and ribbons are awarded as purple, lavender, blue, red or white to the participants. Ribbon colors are assigned based on the learning of each exhibitor, as well as the quality of the final product.

In all competitions, exhibits are judged based on learning done and expectations met. In some contests, participants also compete against their fellow exhibitors for a placing or rank. During static exhibit judging, participants are competing only against themselves and their ability to present a quality exhibit that is the result of a goal, a plan, and the learning that took place in creating it.

During conference judging, youth have the unique opportunity to talk with a judge face-to-face, explain their project goals and learning, and walk away with the knowledge gained from that judge’s expertise and questions as well. This allows the 4-Her to get immediate feedback from the judge, as well as explain why the project, exhibit or activity was important to them and what was learned.

Fair may only be a once-a-year event for many people, but for local 4-H, Clover Kid, and FFA members, it is a chance to showcase skills and projects they have been working on for the past year. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to view exhibits in the Community Center and tour the livestock barns to see the variety of projects local 4-H, Clover Kid, and FFA members have been working on throughout the year.

(Radio Iowa) – RAGBRAI (The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa)  will start more than 20 miles away from the Missouri River in Orange City, Sunday, but bikers can still do the traditional tire dip in the Missouri River water.

Orange City is filling their downtown canal in Windmill Park with Missouri River water today (Saturday), symbolizing Iowa’s western border. Bike riders can access the canal in Windmill Park all day Saturday and dip their rear tire, take a photo and commemorate the official start of the annual ride across Iowa.

Radio Iowa file photo

Volunteers will be on site to help capture the photo.