SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials at a Sioux City casino estimate that more than 1,000 people applied for jobs at the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino during the first day of a job fair. The job fair began Wednesday and was continuing Thursday as the casino moves to hire more than 500 people before the $128.5 million operation opens August 1st.

Hard Rock human resources director Pat Lund told the Sioux City Journal the number of job seekers exceeded their expectations. No one will be hired during the job fair, which was designed to let candidates learn about the company, see what jobs are available and meet supervisors.

Lund says top prospects from the event will be invited back for interviews. Most of those hired will start work in mid-July.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Marshalltown is having a difficult time hiring a fire chief. The Times-Republican reports the central Iowa city has been seeking to fill the position since last fall, when the Fire Chief Steve Edwards retired. The job will pay from $79,000 to $94,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

WEVER, Iowa (AP) — Lee County supervisors in southeast Iowa are meeting with a resident before moving forward with plans to let a company install a water main near his property. The Daily Gate City in Keokuk reports Ron Meller of Wever told supervisors during a recent meeting that he wanted more input and information about the plans.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A Coralville police officer has sustained minor injuries after a semi-trailer hit his parked squad car along Interstate 80. Police Chief Barry Bedford tells Waterloo television station KWWL Officer Jeffery Barkhoff was assisting other officers yesterday morning when the wreck occurred.

CARLISLE, Iowa (AP) — A Pleasant Hill man has been accused of kidnapping and sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he met online. The Carlisle Police Department says 29-year-old Daniel Lee Ward went to the girl’s house Monday after communicating on Kik, a smartphone messaging system. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported Ward faces charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse, enticing away a minor and lascivious acts with a child. He was booked at the Warren County Jail on $500,000 cash bond.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man was arrested Thursday evening. According to Red Oak Police, 52-year old David Lawrence Howe, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 6-p.m. in the vicinity of north 4th and Oak Streets. Howe was charged with Public Intoxication. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

The National Weather Service in Valley, NE., says damage in Oakland during Tuesday evening’s storms was caused by an EF-2 Tornado. On Wednesday, a storm survey team looked at damage around Oakland. The results showed a large area of intense hail and wind damage across eastern Pottawattamie County.

Wind damage exceeded 100-miles per hour in some areas, with structures blown down, a roof torn off of a home, and sheds and barns flattened. A four-mile stretch of high tension power poles were bent and numerous trees were blown down. In addition, there were swaths of very large hail damage to homes and businesses. Within the second swath of wind and hail damage, a short-track tornado was detected.

The tornado’s start time has yet to be determined, but it formed slightly over 8-miles west-northwest of Oakland and traveled nearly six-miles to the west of Oakland before it diminished. At the onset, the E-F 2 twister with winds estimated at 115-miles per hour, downed numerous trees. It proceeded east-southeast and hit a farm house and destroyed a garage, a barn, and severely damaged several other sheds.

The tornado’s path was 2.9-miles long and 575 yards wide. An EF-2 tornado is considered “Strong.” It can pack winds from 111-to 135-miles per hour.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers in Iowa and Nebraska are on waiting lists for treatment, but the facilities say they’re unaware of any unauthorized lists like those uncovered in other states. A regional VA spokeswoman said Thursday that Iowa and Nebraska facilities were included in a federal investigation of specific sites. Spokeswoman Sharyl Schaepe says the facilities do not expect to have any problems, but they won’t know for sure until they’re told what the review found.

A summary of VA audits released last week showed widespread falsification of waiting list records and unreported treatment delays at facilities nationwide. Conditions at individual sites were not given. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa says his office wants to know whether any secret lists existed in Iowa.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests Wednesday. 26-year old Kacie Lee Schleis, of Audubon, was arrested on a charge of Driving Under Suspension. Schleis was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released on her own recognizance later that day.

36-year old Timothy Orville Welch, of Red Oak, was arrested Wednesday in Cass County, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Welch was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $25,000 bond.

And, 24-year old Michael Russell Robinson,  of Massena, was taken into custody Wednesday, on a charge of Violation of a No Contact Order. Robinson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he is being held awaiting hearing before the Magistrate.

Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report the arrest on Wednesday, of an Oakland man. 37-year old Billy Hunter was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault and Obstruction of Emergency Communications.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has announced that Farmers Market Nutrition Program applications are now available for eligible WIC recipients and low-income older Iowans. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs provide eligible Iowans with checks that can be redeemed for fresh, locally grown produce at authorized farmers markets and farm stands from June 1 through October 31st, 2014.

Northey says “Iowa has great fresh fruits and vegetables that can be found at farmers markets throughout the state and these programs are designed to give WIC participants and low-income seniors better access to these fresh and nutritious foods.”  The Farmers Market Nutrition Programs are administered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department on Aging.

The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides eligible WIC recipients with nine checks valued at $3 each. The program is implementing two changes for the 2014 season. This year checks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible individuals may pick up checks at arranged appointments or at regularly scheduled clinic appointments. A second change this year is that checks will be distributed on a statewide basis. Previously, checks were only distributed in 68 of Iowa’s 99 counties, but this year the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa Department of Public Health have broadened the distribution to include the entire state.

The state’s twenty local WIC agencies have begun to distribute checks and nutritional education information. WIC recipients interested in obtaining the benefits are encouraged to contact their local WIC clinic or visit www.idph.state.ia.us/wic/ for more information.

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides eligible seniors with ten checks for $3 each. Applicants throughout the state are offered the checks on a first-come first-served basis and the checks are available through Area Agency on Aging offices. A combination of state and federal funds will be used to make benefits available to more than 20,000 eligible seniors this year.

Eligible seniors must be sixty years of age or older with a household income less than $21,590 if single or $29,101 for a married couple. Iowa seniors will be asked to complete a one page application verifying their eligibility, by providing their birth dates and the last four digits of their social security numbers.

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have begun to distribute checks and nutritional education information. To find an Area Agency on Aging near you, contact the Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging (i4a) toll free at 866-468-7887 or at www.i4a.org.

w/ Ric Hanson

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