Severe storms popped-up late Tuesday night and early this (Wednesday) morning across parts of western Iowa, bringing winds gusting up to 75-mph, and heavy rain. The National Weather Service reports thunderstorm winds caused power lines to fall in the Crawford County community of Schleswig just before 11-p.m.  Not long afterward, pea size hail fell, and winds blowing at an estimated 75-mph, caused tree damage at the Denison Airport.

Similar winds of 60-to 70mph caused trees to fall in the Sac County town of Lake View just before 11:30-p.m., Tuesday. Quarter-size hail fell on Aracadia at around 11:30-p.m., while winds gusted up to 65-mph.  And, just before midnight, winds estimated at 59-mph were measured by an automated weather site two-miles north/northwest of Carroll.

Early this morning, the Weather Service issued an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory (Until 8:45-a.m.), for western Montgomery, Mills, and south central Pottawattamie Counties. Doppler radar indicated as much as 3-inches of rain had fallen over the area, causing some minor flooding.

The Cass County Conservation Board is holding a “Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop”, July 16th The free public program will be held at the Campground Shelter at Cold Springs Park in Lewis, from 9-a.m. until Noon.

During the workshop, you’ll learn how to make a breakfast, lunch entrée, and dessert in a dutch oven. You’re asked to bring your own place setting for samples. A Free will donation for supplies will be accepted. You DO NOT have to be a registered camper to attend the program.

The City Council in Walnut, Thursday evening, will consider and possibly act on a Resolution “Designating the bridge over Interstate 80 on Antique City Drive and Pottawattamie County Road M-47, as the ‘Officer Kerrie Orozco Memorial Bridge,” and the placement of appropriate signage denoting the designation. On Tuesday, the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors gave its blessing to north-south road bridge designation. The Iowa DOT will have to approve signs for the east and westbound sides of the Interstate before they can be placed near the exit.

Orozco, a native of Walnut and 2004 graduate of the Walnut High School, was 29-years old when she lost her life on May 20^th, 2015, while serving as an Officer for the Omaha Police Department. She was the first female officer of the department to die in the line of duty.

Orozco was fatally wounded when a convicted felon, Marcus Wheeler opened fire on officers who were trying to arrest him. Wheeler was killed when another officer returned fire. Orozco was one day away from going on maternity leave to care for the daughter she had delivered prematurely three months earlier.

Governor Terry Branstad, this week, appointed several western Iowans to various State Boards and Commissions. The appointments became effective last Friday, are unpaid, and are not subject to Iowa Senate confirmation.

Among those persons appointed to:

The Southwest STEM Advisory Board – Alan Ladd, of Atlantic; Gilbert Thomas, of Clarinda; Barbara Crittendon, of Creston; Lisa Hilder, of Red Oak, and Lane Plugge, of Council Bluffs.

The Iowa Arts Council – Ken Sidey, of Greenfield.

Advisory Council on Brain Injuries – Roxanne Cogil, of Jamaica and Jennifer Durfey, of Council Bluffs.

State Building Code Advisory Council – Marsha Bannister, of Panora.

Statewide Independent Living Council – Monalisa McGee, of Council Bluffs.

Medical Assistance Advisory Council – Brandi Jensen, of Earlham, Richard Crouch, of Malvern, and Marsha Fisher, of Adel.

Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council – Robert Fisher, of Adel.

Iowa Council on Homelessness – Diogenes Ayala, of Winterset.

Rural Health and Primary Care Advisory Committee – Patrick Pucelik, of Whiting.

Police in Red Oak arrested a familiar face early this (Wednesday) morning. 46-year old Shelby JoAnn Olivares, of Red Oak, was taken into custody just after midnight, for Public Intoxication. Her arrest took place at the intersection of N. 1st and E. Elm Streets. Olivares, who has been arrested numerous times in the past on a variety of charges, was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Sioux City Police Department says it received a higher number of calls than normal over the Fourth of July weekend even though the holiday was free of reported pyrotechnic accidents. Sioux City Police Officer Lori Noltze tells the Sioux City Journal that dispatchers received a total of 294 fireworks calls from July 1 through July 4. Noltze says the department has received around 200 calls during former holiday weekends.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lottery official says no winning ticket was sold in Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. The numbers in Tuesday evening’s drawing of the “Mega Millions” game were: 29-46-53-64-73, Mega Ball: 10, Megaplier: 5

Virginia Lottery spokesman John Hagerty tells The Associated Press that means the jackpot for the next drawing on Friday will be an estimated $508 million. Tuesday’s was worth an estimated $454 million. It marks the 34th time the jackpot has rolled over without a winner. The previous record was 22 rolls.

WESTFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Deputies responding to a report of debris in a northwestern Iowa road found a wrecked van overturned in a creek and a man’s body inside. The Sioux City Journal reports that Plymouth County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the rural county road just before 5 a.m. Tuesday. While investigating the debris, the deputies realized a vehicle had hit a nearby bridge railing, and then found a van on its top in the creek below.

The deputies were checking the wreckage when they found the body of 49-year-old Kevin Fant, of Ireton, inside the van. Investigators believe Fant missed a curve in the road, hit the guardrail and went airborne, landing in the creek.

No serious injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision Tuesday evening, in Atlantic. Atlantic Police Officer Dustin Pieken told KJAN News a Honda cross over-style SUV driven by an adult female was traveling westbound on 7th Street, when she ran the red light and her vehicle collided with a van carrying two adults and five children. The van was traveling south on Olive Street. The airbags on the Honda deployed during the impact. The crash happened at around 5:34-p.m. No names have officially been released.

A public hearing will be held Wednesday evening in Atlantic, with regard to the plans, specifications, and form of contract for street and alley improvements, in Atlantic. Iowa Code requires a public hearing to be held before the City enters into a contract with a construction company. The hearing takes place during a meeting of the Atlantic City Council, which begins at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall.

City Administrator John Lund says Henningsen Construction was the low bidder for the projects, in the amount of $1.13-million, which Lund says was well below the $1.58-million the City had budgeted for. He says Henningsen was able to bid lower than expected, due to the fact their asphalt plant would be located near Atlantic this summer for their other major projects, and because of the continued low oil prices. Oil is used in the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) process. The savings, according to Lund, will permit the City to easily accommodate any change orders, and will be carried over into the 2017 Capital Improvement Plan.

In other business, City Administrator John Lund will provide the Council with a report on a Highway 71 Speed Study. The Iowa DOT conducted the study, and determined that which people are speeding on Highway 71 in the City limits, the lack of major accidents does not justify changing the posted speed limits.

Lund will also report on the Tax Abatement Program that was approved by the Council in the Fall of 2014. The Council’s meeting will conclude with a closed session per Iowa Code, to discuss matter presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent, and where its disclosure would likely prejudice or disadvantage the position of the City.