(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad this (Tuesday) evening issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for one county in response to Tuesday’s storms. The Governor’s proclamation, for Pottawattamie County, allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the storms.

As of 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, no other Iowa counties have requested state assistance. The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Governor’s Office continue to closely monitor the situation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Election officials sought shelter in Pottawattamie County after a severe storm interrupted voting in a quarter of the western Iowa county’s polling places.  Auditor Mary Jo Drake says at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, poll workers and voters in 10 of the county’s 40 precincts were forced to seek shelter in the buildings where voting was taking place. Drake says several polling places were “right in the eye of the storm.” She says elections officials suspended voting but returned to normal after the storm passed.

No polling places had lost power, but Drake says, “It’s nasty here. It’s as black as the ace of spades.”  Stormy weather also prompted election officials in neighboring Montgomery County to close and evacuate all polls from 5:40 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.

Time              Event                                                      Location

5-a.m. (6/4)  Rainfall total in Atlantic 2.47″.

10:45-p.m.    Rainfall in Atlantic (at KJAN) 2.10″ .

8:29-p.m.     Quarter-sized hail SW of Lenox in Taylor County

8:10-p.m.     Rainfall in Atlantic (at KJAN) 1.8″.

7:40-p.m.     Several trees reported down in Red Oak.

7:20-p.m.     Heavy rain (2.5″) 7 miles w/sw of Cumberland.

7:12-p.m.     1″ of rain in 30 minutes in Mills Co.,  2 miles n. of Glenwood.

7:09-p.m.     Tstorm wind damage in Diagonal (Ringgold Co.): many trees & utility poles down; numerous outbuildings down in and around Diagonal.

6:57-p.m.     EMA reports trees down on homes in Corning & severe tree damage County-wide. Multiple roads closed due to downed trees.

6:56-p.m.     Power outages and several miles of damage between Silver City and Mineola in Mills County.

6:55-p.m     Golf ball sized hail 4 miles e. of Sharpsburg in Taylor County; Shallow water over the road; 5-inch dia. tree branches down near 170th & Tennessee.

6:53-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind damage 2 mile east of Clearfield in Ringgold County. Significant wind damage south & east of Clearfield; Trees across roads; Power poles snapped in-two; steel shed destroyed.  6:48-p.m.: 80mph winds & gold ball sized hail 1 mile s. of Clearfiled. Car windshield shattered.

6:40/6:46-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 75mph 3-miles east of Lenox in Taylor County. Golf Ball sized hail. Damage to outbuilding.

6:37-p.m.    Thunderstorm wind gust 86mph 2 mile north/northeast of Massena, in Cass County. Also Ping Pong to egg-sized hail.

6:35-p.m.     T-storm wind damage: 3 miles N. of Clearfield in Taylor County. Large Camper trailer blown over & several trees destroyed. (report delayed to 6/4)

6:30-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 90mph 1 mile west of Missouri Valley, in Harrison County. Downburst winds tore roofs off two motels.

6:30-p.m.     Rainfall in Atlantic at KJAN amounts to 1.39″.

6:26-p.m.    T-storm wind damage 1.5 miles E. of Lenox: Large shed completely destroyed.

6:25-p.m.     2″ diameter Hail in Lenox,

6:18-p.m.     2″ diameter (egg size) hail in Lenox.

6:06-p.m.     Tstrm wind damage to trees north of Corning.

6:04-p.m.     86mph wind 2 miles N/NE of Clearfield in Taylor County

6:00-p.m.     T-storm wind damged 4 miles sw of Corning; Significant damage to a home near Brooks, siding & shutters wrecked, windows broken by hail. (report released 6/4 10:45-a.m.)

6:00-p.m.     Tstrm wind damage in Massena (2-3 foot diameter tree limbs down

5:59-p.m.     Golf ball-sized hail 4 miles west of Corning in Adams Co. along Hwy 34.

5:57-p.m.     Quarter-size (1″ diameter) hail & 50mph winds 3 miles w/sw of Carbon in Adams County/

5:51-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 65mph 5 miles s/se of Atlantic. Torrential rainfall.

5:50-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 60mph 5 miles east of Griswold. Heavy rain. Small tree limb damage.

5:44-p.m.     Heavy rain in Griswold. Street flooding. Water flowing hubcap deep down the streets.

5:40-p.m.     Flash flooding in Council Bluffs around 17th and 2nd Avenue.

5:36-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 83mph 5 miles northeast of Emerson in Montgomery County.

4:55-pm        Thunderstorm wind gust 61mph at the Council Bluffs Airport.

4:40-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 80mph between Crescent & Underwood.

4:30-p.m.    2.75″ diameter hail (Baseball size) 9 miles s. of Mt. Ayr (Ringgold County). Spotter reports more than 5″ of rain fell with their gauge overflowing. A neighbor had 6″ of rain over the past 24-hours ending at 11-a.m. Wed. (6/4).

It probably wasn’t a Ninja who took it. Authorities in Red Oak are investigating the theft of a Samurai sword. Officials with the Red Oak Police Department say they were notified Tuesday afternoon about the theft of an antique sword from the Montgomery County Historical Society in Red Oak.

Officials say sometime between May 20th and June 3rd, someone took a World War II Japanese Officer Samurai sword with sheath from the museum.  The sword was described as being military green with aluminum fittings and the blade is etched with cherry blossoms.  It’s in excellent condition and valued at $2,000.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-623-6500 or Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Election officials are seeking shelter in Pottawattamie County as a severe storm interrupts voting in quarter of the western Iowa county’s polling places.  Auditor Mary Jo Drake says at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, poll workers and voters in 10 of the county’s 40 precincts were forced to seek shelter in the buildings where voting was taking place.

Drake says several polling places were “right in the eye of the storm.” She says elections officials suspended voting but would return to normal after the storm passes.  No polling places had lost power, but Drake says, “It’s nasty here. It’s as black as the ace of spades.”

The Atlantic City Council is expected to act Wednesday, on approving the third and final reading of an Ordinance pertaining to “Flood Plain Regulations.” The second reading was held during the Council’s meeting on May 21st. City Administrator Doug Harris has said the State of Iowa has asked the City to adopt technical changes to its Flood Plain Regulations, in order to keep them compliant with FEMA requirements. The Council is expected to adopt the ordinance following the third reading.

In other business, the Council will hold a public hearing and the first reading of an Ordinance entitled “Airport Land Use & Height Overlay Zoning.” As a matter of record, any zoning changes require a public hearing plus three readings of the ordinance, and, since the Atlantic Municipal Airport is located outside the City limits, the Cass County Board of Supervisors will also need to act on adopting the ordinance, which is required by the F-A-A. The ordinance has already been reviewed and approved by the Airport Board.

And, the Atlantic City Council will act Wednesday on a motion to approve a request to close 6th Street between Chestnut — west to the alley between Chestnut and Poplar Streets – next to the City Park, for the “Produce in the Park” events. The closure would be in effect from 4-to 7-pm on Thursdays, beginning June 12th and continuing through October 30th. The request comes from Keith Leonard, on behalf of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Atlantic City Council meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their newly renovated chambers at City Hall.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County have issued an update on a fatal fire that occurred over the weekend east of Council Bluffs. Sheriff Jeff Danker says an autopsy conducted Sunday by the State Medical Examiner’s Office, identified the victim of the fire at 24684 Hackberry Road to be 101 year old Vivuan Swain.

The report shows Swain died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke and soot inhalation. The manner of death was deemed accidental. Two other persons escaped the home during the fire, that was reported just before 7-p.m., Saturday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Firefighters from McClelland, Underwood, Treynor and Lewis Township all responded to the scene.

The Harlan Police Department reports a Harlan man was arrested Monday on an active Shelby County warrant. 30-year old Kieth Wyatt was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Wyatt was transported to the Shelby County Jail. Also arrested Monday on an active Shelby County warrant, was 28-year old Charles Hayes, of Harlan. Hayes was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was booked in for violation of parole.

Harlan Police cited 27-year old Steven Riley, of Harlan, on Sunday, after his pit bull, “Two Face,” allegedly bit a neighbor. Riley was cited for failing to have a vicious dog registered, vicious dog allowed to run at large, failure to produce rabies vaccination records for a vicious dog, and failure to provide confinement of a vicious dog as outlined in the city ordinances.

On Saturday, officers with the Harlan P-D arrested 40-year old Curtis Boell and 40-year old Victoria Gonzales, both of Harlan. The pair were taken into custody after officers were called to a domestic disturbance. Gonzales was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault and Boell was later taken into custody and also transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was also charged with domestic abuse assault.

Two subjects were arrested Thursday in Harlan, following a traffic stop. 25-year old Andrew Nielsen, of Harlan, was taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, simple possession of a controlled substance, carrying weapons, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of prescription drugs (2 counts) and prohibited acts penalties. And, 26-year old Jackie Thielen, of Harlan, was cited for open container, passenger, and released.

And, an investigation into a shoplifting incident last Wednesday reported to the police by Casey’s General Store, resulted in charges against 38-year old Jason Potts, of Harlan. After the investigation, which included surveillance video from Casey’s, Potts was identified as the person who committed the theft. Potts was served with the complaint charging him with theft 5th at the Shelby County Jail where he was being held on other charges.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident this (Tuesday) morning, in Massena. Authorities say deputies responded at around 8:30-a.m., to a report of an accident on Main Street in Massena. Farm equipment driven by 31-year old Justin Wayne Masker, of Atlantic, was northbound on Main Street in Massena when the equipment struck a parked 2012 Ford Edge owned by Alan Kent Hartman of Cumberland. Damage to Hartman’s vehicle is estimated at $10,000; damage to the farm equipment is estimated at $700.

Sheriff’s officials report also, the arrested on Monday of 33-year old Steven Robert Pedersen, of Atlantic. Pedersen was taken into custody on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Delivery of a Controlled Substance. He was also charged with Assault on a Peace Officer following a traffic stop. Pedersen was brought to the Cass County Jail where he was being held on $50,000 bond.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is alerting area businesses to stolen checks. Executive Director Rhonda Larsen says if area business owners or personnel see checks belonging to Robert A. Newman, of Omaha, NE (Wells Fargo Account #1160001783), they should call the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512.