A truck driver from Florida escaped injury after the semi he was driving toppled over on Interstate 80 due to high winds. The Iowa State Patrol reports 30-year old Alexandru Coclenci, of Orlando, Fl., was traveling on I-80 eastbound two-miles west of the Avoca exit just before 2-p.m., when a severe weather event…possibly a tornado..blew the 2010 Kenworth semi across the interstate. The rig came to rest in the westbound ditch.

The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Avoca Fire and Rescue, and deputies with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush brought his presidential campaign to Atlantic on Wednesday.  Speaking before a large crowd and national media gathering at the Atlantic Bottling Company, Bush addressed the crowd and took questions just a day after the most recent debate in Milwaukee.  Bush was asked how he plans to accomplish reforms as president.

He says the best way to get things accomplished is to appoint men and women with talent and life experience and have their back.  He was also asked about the Renewable Fuel Standards and the future of Iowa agriculture.  Bush said he would depend on certain things…including the price of corn and soybeans, changing the regulatory system…including the Waters of the United States rules, and embracing free and fair trade.  But he is not a fan of farm subsidies.

Bush also addressed questions on social security reform, VA hospitals and immigration.

Intense thunderstorm winds caused a semi to be blown over off Interstate 80 in Cass County and near Avoca in Pottawattamie County, this (Wednesday) afternoon. The accident in Cass County happened just before 2-p.m. The other accident happened at about the same time just west of Avoca. Early reports indicated the injuries appeared to have been minor. A semi was also blown over in Adams County on Highway 34 at around 2:15-p.m.

Semi blown over in Cass County (Mike Kennon/Cass County EMA)

Elsewhere, storm damage, apparently created by a tornado or straight-line winds, was reported: Near Avoca; On the west side of Corning (where a employees at an industrial park saw a tornado that damaged trees, roofs and oxygen tanks); Northwest of Maloy (In Ringgold County); A barn lost its roof one mile north of Bridgewater, and numerous power lines were down in Ringgold County, near Delphos.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – The Council Bluffs school board has approved the sale of a former elementary school building that is slated for demolition. The Daily Nonpareil reports the school board approved the sale of Walnut Grove Elementary School Tuesday evening to nonprofit organization NeighborWorks Home Solutions for $104,000.

The nonprofit plans to build 14 new homes on the property once the building is demolished. The district shut down the elementary school at the end of the 2013-14 school year because the building was below standards and the cost to repair it would have been between $12 million and $15 million. Students were reassigned to four other schools.

Superintendent Martha Bruckner said the board decided the nonprofit’s plans for the property was a chance for the school district to do something good for the neighborhood.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 534 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES…

DALLAS MADISON RINGGOLD UNION ADAIR ADAMS CASS TAYLOR AUDUBON CARROLL CRAWFORD GREENE GUTHRIE FREMONT HARRISON MILLS MONTGOMERY PAGE POTTAWATTAMIE SHELBY.

PROBABILITY TABLE:
PROB OF 2 OR MORE TORNADOES : 60%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE STRONG /F2-F5/ TORNADOES : 20%
PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE WIND EVENTS : 60%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE WIND EVENTS 75 MPH : 20%
PROB OF 10 OR MORE SEVERE HAIL EVENTS : 30%
PROB OF 1 OR MORE HAIL EVENTS 2 INCHES : 10%
PROB OF 6 OR MORE COMBINED SEVERE HAIL/WIND EVENTS : 60%
MAX HAIL /INCHES/ : 1.5
MAX WIND GUSTS SURFACE /MPH/ : 70

Two-time Iowa Caucus winner Bob Dole has endorsed 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush. “He’s a great American, a great patriot,” Bush said. “I’m a huge Bob Dole fan.” Bush is campaigning in Iowa today (Wednesday). At about nine o’clock this morning, Bush arrived at Hy-Vee in Johnston where veterans were being treated to a free breakfast. Bush poured coffee and shook hands for about an hour before talking with reporters about last night’s candidate debate in Milwaukee.

“How do you improve on last night’s performance?” he was asked as he walked to the waiting campaign van. Bush replied: “I’ll do better. I thought it was fine. I did well. I talked about issues that are important to people. We need to start thinking about, ‘Who’s the person who can beat Hillary Clinton?’ rather than trying to get into small differences between each campaign. The big different is Hillary Clinton will double-down on a failed economic policy and I have the leadership skills to fix these complex things to allow people to rise up again. That’s what I’m going to focus on.”

As Bush climbed into the van, a reporter asked for the secret to his improved debate performance and Bush quipped: “Smiling more.” Then Bush rolled down the van’s window to reply to a question about playing bocci ball in Wisconsin before the debate. “One bowl and I won. Couldn’t drink the beer with the guy, though. I had to leave. It was in the middle of a hotel lobby,” Bush said. A reporter noted there was a ping pong table in the hotel lobby as well. “Yeah, I don’t get it. Milwaukee rolls differently than we do in Miami.”

Bush’s campaign van then rolled out, headed to a midday town hall meeting in Atlantic. The meeting, at the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, gets underway at 12:30.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa State Patrol says deer on the road contributed to an accident early this (Wednesday) morning on Interstate 80, in Adair County. Officials report 42-year old Sean Lee Clapp, of Omaha, was traveling east on I-80 about 1.5-miles west of Adair at around 5:30-a.m., when he swerved to miss deer on the road.

The 2015 International straight truck he was driving – registered to National Everything Whole Sales, in Omaha, went out of control and ran off the right into a high tension cable barrier, before tipping over and coming to rest on the driver’s side. The tractor trailer blocked both lanes of the eastbound interstate for a little more than two-hours, while crews worked to upright the truck and remove the debris. Authorities re-routed traffic south off the interstate to Anita from exit 70, and then back east to exit 75.

Clapp, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered undisclosed injuries. He was transported by Adair Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.

Brett Irlmeier, Chair of the Audubon County Community Foundation, has announced that $41,170 in grants was awarded to Audubon County nonprofit agencies. With these grants, the Audubon County Community Foundation has distributed over $1.3 million in grants and scholarships over the last 15 years.

The following nonprofit organizations, which submitted applications to the Audubon County Community Foundation by the September 1st deadline, were awarded grants by the Audubon County Board of Directors (Organization name/Project/$ Award):

• Audubon Country Players Community Theater – Truss system to mount lighting for dinner theater productions in Agri Hall, $750.
• Audubon County Agricultural Society – Add a concession stand and restrooms near Livestock Pavilion, $12,500.
• Audubon Recreation Foundation – Construction of recreation center in Audubon $10,920.
• Exira Community Club – Phase 2 of Exira Rec Center renovations $18,000.
• Exira Park Committee – Renovate brick path in Memorial Flood Park $1,000.00

Of the $41, 170, approximately $2,500 from the Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund went to the Exira Community Club; $2,900 from the Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund, $690 from the Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund; $1,200 from the Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund; and $490 from the Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund went to the Audubon Recreation Foundation; and $490 from the Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund went to the Exira Park Committee project.

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible.
Audubon County agency representatives received their checks on November 10th.

The Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create permanent funds that address the changing, vital community needs and interests. Donating to a permanently endowed fund helps your neighbors today AND you help build a stronger community tomorrow. Not only that, you’ll be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit for each donation, in addition to any Federal tax benefits for which you may qualify.

The Audubon County Community Foundation invests and administers these funds and distributes grants to deserving, qualified nonprofit organizations. For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact any of the Board Members, or call Dennis Nissen, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458.

Iowans who still have leaves to rake may soon find they’ve all blown away, as a wide section of the state will be under a High Wind Warning tonight (Wednesday) and into tomorrow (Thursday). Meteorologist Jeff Zogg, at the National Weather Service, says it’ll get more blustery as the day goes on. “We have a very strong storm system that will be lifting northeast into Iowa later today and moving further northeast tonight and the winds will really increase around the back side of this system,” Zogg says, “with surface winds speeds sustained as high as 40 miles per hour, possibly gusting up to 60 miles per hour.”

Iowans need to take precautions, he says, as the winds could be severe. “With strong winds like we’re expecting tonight, people need to secure outdoor objects, things that may blow around easily, trash cans, lawn furniture,” Zogg says. “Also if you’re traveling, high-profile vehicles are especially at risk, just from the surface area they present to the wind. With that strong wind, it can cause issues if you’re driving those kind of vehicles.”

Those winds are just one key element of a massive storm system that’s stretching across much of the central U-S, likely bringing thunderstorms to Iowa this afternoon. “The greatest threat of severe weather later today will be from southwest into southeast and up to central Iowa, the greatest threat being primarily south of Highway 30,” Zogg says. “The primary threat will be strong winds, however, if we get enough sunshine to destabilize, we may see a couple of tornadoes with some of the stronger storms.”

If there’s a silver lining to the cloudy forecast, it’s that snow is unlikely for Iowa. “There is the possibility, as the system lifts out tonight, we may see a brief change over to snow or a rain-snow mix across northwest and north-central Iowa,” Zogg says. “However, by the time it cools off enough, the precipitation will be lifting out, so we don’t expect any kind of accumulation from the snowfall.”

Parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado are under a Blizzard Warning, with several inches of snow expected along with severe winds, likely bringing white-out conditions.

(Radio Iowa)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports on Monday, November 23rd, the Clarinda Police Department and Clarinda E-911 Communications Center will begin Operation Blessing 2015. The community project embodies the spirit of Christmas by helping to make sure every child in Clarinda receives a gift on Christmas day. Retired Police Chief Joe Newton and retired 911 Communications Supervisor Diane Newtown will be managing the program again this year.

Children may be signed up for involvement in the program by calling the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194. A Clarinda E-911 Communications Specialist will take the child’s name, age, sex, and address and two gift requests per child/children. Names of children can be submitted beginning Monday, November 23rd, 2015 and will be accepted through Monday, December 21st 2015.

Cash contributions in c/o of Operation Blessing 2015 can be dropped off at the Clarinda Police Department or mailed to the Clarinda Police Department, 200 South 15th Street, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Cash contributions will be used by the Clarinda Police Department to purchase gifts for the children. If you wish to purchase a specific gift for a child, please contact the Clarinda Police Department and ask to speak with Joe and Diane Newton to make arrangements to purchase a specific requested gift item(s).

Families will be contacted by the Clarinda Police Department when the gift items are ready to be picked up.