At least one tornado touched down in rural southern Iowa last (Sunday) night, near the towns of Creston, Cromwell and Williamson. National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Vachalek can’t yet confirm whether there were multiple twisters.

“There may have been just one tornado,” Vachalek says. “We sent out a survey team today to take a look at that. That occurred in Adams County so we’ll have folks out there surveying the damage this morning and we’ll have some results from that later on this afternoon, probably before about 5 o’clock.”

While some crops were torn up and a few farmsteads were hit by the likely tornado, there are no reports of anyone being hurt. “From what we understand, from some of the photos we’ve received that will help us with the survey, it did damage some farms and cut through some fields, so there’s some significant damage,” Vachalek says. “Fortunately, we did not see it go through any major towns or cities last night.”

Before last night’s storms, there had only been 25 tornadoes reported statewide this year, far below the annual average of 46. Last year, there were 55 twisters reported across Iowa. Damage reports were scattered across central and southern Iowa from last night’s bout of severe weather.

“These thunderstorms that developed around the Des Moines metro area and then filled in quickly over the southern counties, did produce a number of large hail reports, some in excess of 1.75 inches, or golf ball-sized or larger,” Vachalek says.

Large hail was reported in the following counties: Adair, Dallas, Marion, Jasper, Taylor and Union. A possible microburst knocked over a semi-truck near Des Moines while Chariton reports winds of almost 60 miles an hour. Vachalek says we’ll see somewhat cooler weather most of this week, with rain possible much of the next five to seven days.

(Radio Iowa)

MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) – It has been about five years since a man won $1 million in the Iowa Lottery Mega Millions game, and he mostly has kept the same lifestyle.  A friend of Bob Boehm tells the Sioux City Journal that Boehm “hasn’t changed a bit.”
With his winnings, Boehm has purchased two trucks and gone on a cruise to the Bahamas. He also paid for his nieces and nephews’ trip to Germany, which cost around $14,500.

But he still lives in the same home in Denison and works at GFG Agri-Service in Charter Oak, where he’s worked for around 25 years.  A friend drove Boehm to the Iowa Lottery headquarters, where he took a lump-sum payment of $700,000 after taxes.

A business that caught fire early this (Monday) morning in Oakland is a complete loss. Flames consumed the Buck Snort Restaurant at 310 Dr. Van Zee Road. Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Reynolds told KJAN News the fire began at around 3-a.m., after being seen by employees of the Casey’s Store across the Street.  Upon arrival, a Deputy dispatched to the scene found heavy smoke coming from the business, which was reportedly being sold.

The fire apparently started in the kitchen area and spread from an old roof line to a new roof line before flames spread further. Firefighters were forced to enter into a defensive mode when the smoke and flames became too intense for them to enter.

Firefighters from Oakland, Carson, Hancock and Macedonia battled the flames. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been notified, as part of a standard procedure.

More area and State news from Ric Hanson.

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Three people were arrested on separate charges early Sunday morning, in Creston. According to Creston Police, 45-year old Randy Etheridge, of Lenox, was arrested at around 1:45-a.m. for OWI/1st offense. At around 2:35-a.m., 28-year old Adam Drake, of Creston, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. And at approximately 4:10-a.m., 43-year old Steven Jehn, of Creston, was arrested for 2nd offense Public Intoxication.

Jehn and Etheridge were subsequently released from the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond, each, while Drake was released from custody on a promise to appear later, in court.

The 7:05-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A July survey suggests there will be slow to no economic growth over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states. A survey report issued Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index slumped to 50.6 in July from 53.0 in June.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says businesses tied to agriculture and energy “continue to report pullbacks in economic activity, and this is spilling over into the broader regional economy.”

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A tornado has ripped through farm fields in southern Iowa as thunderstorms elsewhere in the state dropped heavy rain and loosed hail that approaching the size of baseballs. Thirty-year-old Mike Gillespie told The Des Moines Register that he watched the tornado switch directions and miss his parents’ farm north of the township of Williamson in Adams County late Sunday evening.

The storm tore up fields of corn and other crops and also damaged farm buildings. No injuries have been reported.

The National Weather Service says a preliminary storm survey is set to take place today (Monday) in Adams County, with regard to the severe thunderstorms that passed through the area Sunday evening. At least four tornado events were reported in the county, near the Adair-Adams-Union County lines, with video and photographic evidence of some tornadoes on the ground. Damage was also reported just before 7-p.m., to some rural buildings and other structures near Cromwell, at 120th and Urban Avenue.

In addition to the confirmed tornado on the ground near Cromwell Sunday at about 6:30-p.m., there were numerous reports of hail ranging in size from marbles near Creston, in Union County, to golf ball-sized near New Market, in Taylor County. In east central Iowa’s Jasper County, tennis ball-size hail was reported at around 6:20-p.m., near Monroe. Winds in Lucas County gusted up to nearly 60 miles per Sunday evening, as well.

A survey team will begin their storm damage assessment in southern Adair County this morning and proceed from there, in an effort to determine the track of a tornado or tornadoes.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man Sunday night on a serious misdemeanor charge of Driving While Revoked. 28-year old Donnie Clark Patterson, of Emerson, was also cited for Failure to Provide proof of insurance, after the vehicle he was driving was stopped at around 11:30-p.m., in Red Oak. Patterson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond. The citation for having no proof of insurance will cost Patterson nearly $398.