w/Marissa Hovde

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Partial sunshine is expected today with temperature mainly in the 80s across Iowa. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to push into the state late tonight with periods of thunderstorms on Sunday into Sunday night. Severe weather appears likely on Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening with the threat of large hail…damaging winds and even a few tornadoes.

Using federal money to extend passenger rail service from the Quad Cities to Iowa City is less likely due to votes taken in the Iowa House and Senate Friday. Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, has been an advocate of expanding passenger rail service in Iowa. “It’s a set back,” McCoy says, “but not a fatal set back.” Senate Democrats wanted to set aside some of the state’s gambling taxes to fulfill the obligation to provide state matching funds for the project, but House Republicans rejected that proposal and a bill that passed both the House and Senate Friday did not include any money for passenger rail. McCoy says tens of millions in potential federal support is slipping away because the state’s not coming up with five-and-a-half million dollars in matching funds. “It is a set back for those folks who believe the $87 million is a missed opportunity if we don’t step up in some way,” McCoy says.

In October of 2010, Iowa and Illinois won a 230-million dollar federal grant to expand passenger rail service, with the ultimate goal of a 110-mile-per-hour train running between Chicago and Omaha. However, when Republican Governor Terry Branstad took office in 2011, he raised concerns the state would have to sink too much money into the rail line and the top Republican in the Iowa House has said it doesn’t make sense, financially, since there’s already a passenger train that runs through southern Iowa cities like Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa and Creston. Senator McCoy is still holding out hope of a last minute reprieve for the project. “We’re looking for the governor to exert leadership with this legislature and say that we’re still committed to passenger rail,” McCoy says. “…We think that there’s other options and available sources of funding if we decide to fully fund passenger rail…There’s still time.”

The 2013 legislature hasn’t adjourned for the year. All legislators are due back in the state capitol Tuesday. Republican Governor Terry Branstad submitted a budget proposal to legislators back in January which called for setting aside five-and-a-half million dollars in the Iowa D-O-T’s budget that would have met the state match for that federal funding of a Chicago to Omaha passenger rail line,.

(Radio Iowa)

Two southwest Iowa men were injured during a single vehicle accident Friday night, in Taylor County. The Iowa State Patrol says an SUV driven by 23-year old Levi Baker, of Clarinda, was traveling south on Colt Avenue, about 3-miles south of New Market at around 9:45-p.m., when the 1992 Chevy Blazer went out of control and rolled. Baker, and his passenger, 25-year old Brock Fister, of New Market, were injured and transported by Clarinda and New Market Rescue squads to the Clarinda Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

The Council Bluffs Police Department reports that an accident occurred on one of the carnival rides Friday in Bayliss Park which is part of Celebrate Council Bluffs Week. Five-year old Trace Harman along with his four-year old brother Van Harman and eight-year old friend Opal Sund all of Council Bluffs were on the “Monster Truck Ride” which is a carousel owned by a private company. For unknown reasons at this time, the car flipped upside down as it was going up the incline of the track, striking the car in front of them. The car did come loose from its hoist. All the boys were belted into the car.

Trace was transported to University of Nebraska Medical Center by Council Bluffs Rescue Squad with head injuries. At this time, Trace is in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. He was held overnight for observation. Van and Opal received minor injuries and were treated and released.

A representative from the State of Iowa Department of Elevator and Amusement Park Rides was notified for inspection of this incident. At this time the investigation is ongoing.

The Trustee in the bankruptcy case of G&R Feed and Grain, Co., Inc., in Portsmouth, has announced a training session will be held 7-p.m. Thursday, May 23rd, on how to bid at the online auction of the company’s physical assets. Trustee Deborah L. Petersen says the session will be at Club 191 in Portsmouth.  Petersen says persons interested in the online bidding process will be able to register for the sale the evening of the session. To register, simple bring identification with your name and address on it, provide an e-mail address, and have a valid Mastercard, Visa or Discover Card.

The online auction is available for bidding now, with items beginning to close in the live board on Tuesday, June 11th, at 10-a.m. You may register at any time, review the catalog of all items available for sale, and view a video explaining the bidding process, at www.delpeterson.com.

Questions about the online bidding process or auction should be referred to Del Peterson and Associates, at 1-800-492-9090. The training is provided by the Bankruptcy Trustee for all persons interested in bidding at the sale of all equipment and property of G&R Feed and Grain. You may also bring a laptop computer, of you wish.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa woman has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 15-month-old son. The Sioux City Journal reports District Judge Jeffrey Neary said in a ruling Friday that the actions of 25-year-old Ashley Cameron, of Onawa, did not rise to the level of murder. She also was convicted of child endangerment causing the death of a child.

Cameron faced a first-degree murder charge in the death of Markis Dahms. She testified that she held Markis under a running faucet after he had vomited. She later found him face down in the water. Neary says in the 19-page ruling that Cameron was negligent but never intended to cause Markis’ death. Her attorney suggested that the boy may have had a seizure.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Powerball officials say the jackpot has climbed to an estimated $600 million, making it the largest prize in the game’s history and the world’s second largest lottery prize.  Lottery officials say the prize is growing quickly Friday because so many people have been purchasing the $2 tickets. The jackpot has grown by an estimated $236 million since the last drawing on Wednesday.

The last jackpot was won on March 30, so it’s been growing for about six weeks. The next drawing is Saturday night.  The largest jackpot ever was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won in March 2012. The prize was split three ways with winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.   Odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 175 million.

A Lenox Police officer enroute to a motorcycle accident early this (Friday) morning, escaped injury after his patrol cruiser was involved a collision with a deer. The Lenox P-D reports Officer Pitt was traveling to the scene of the cycle accident four-miles west of Lenox at around 5:10-a.m, on Taylor County Road J-20,  when his vehicle had a run-in with a deer. 

The Officer was able to continue to the accident scene. Officials say the victim of the accident was transported by air ambulance from the scene. The Taylor County Sheriffs office is conducting the investigation into the motorcycle accident. No other details were released.

A western Iowa woman who had been charged with 1st degree murder in connection with the drowning of her son in a bathtub, has instead been found guilty of lesser charges. According to KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Ashley Cameron, of Onawa, was found guilty by a jury in Monona County District Court, of Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Endangerment. Sentencing is set for June 28th.

Investigators testified during her trial, that Cameron told them 15-month old Markis Dahms had vomited in the bathtub, and that she held his head under a running faucet to clean him. She repeated that process as he vomited four or five more times.  Cameron testified that she’d left him in the tub to get some items and found him face down in the water when she returned. Her attorney suggested that Markis may have had a seizure.