The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education is expected to act on passing a resolution during their meeting this evening, pertaining to Redistricting on Director Districts, District Maps and the Method of Election. The discussion leading up to tonight’s vote was made necessary following the results of the 2010 census.

If the Board votes to re-district, there would be four geographical districts and three board members elected At-Large, instead of the current seven different districts and one person from each district on the board.  In other business, the Griswold School Board will act on executing a service agreement with Piper Jaffrey, and set May 1st as the sale date for Public Bonds. The bonds would allow the district to borrow against the penny sales tax revenue into the future, on approximately $2.2-million, so that the money is available for current and future projects.

The Board will also act on approving the list of 2012 graduates, garage door bids, and the setting of bid specifications for buses. The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. in the Central Office Board Room at the Middle School/High School Building.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governor Terry Branstad has issued an emergency proclamation for two southwest Iowa counties in the wake of Saturday’s severe storms. The declaration allows state resources to be used to help communities in Fremont and Union counties recover. Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds reviewed the damage in Creston yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.

The National Weather Service says Saturday’s tornado in Creston was packing winds of up to 130-miles per hour when it destroyed or damaged several buildings, and flipped over parked cars. The tornado was classified as in E-F 2 on the Fujita Scale. Officials say

It began at around 6:55-p.m., about 1.5-miles east of Cromwell, and tracked through northwest Creston at around 7-p.m. Saturday, destroying the Green Valley Area Education Agency (AEA) building, damaging structures on and near the Southwestern Community College campus, and causing significant damage to the Greater Regional Medical Center.

The twister continued to track northeast and damaged several farmsteads northeast of Creston before dissipating about 10-miles north of town, at around 7:15-p.m. The overall path of the tornado measured 14-miles. It was approximately 600-yards wide and lasted for about 20-minutes. Initial reports suggest 10-people were injured, but there were no fatalities.

A Stanton man was arrested Sunday afternoon on a Trepassing charge. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 31-year old Joshua Edward Mastin was taken into custody at around 3:40-p.m. Mastin was being held Sunday in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reducing the amount of water released into the Missouri River following heavy rains this weekend in Nebraska and Iowa. The corps says that releases from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota were lowered Sunday from 28,000 cubic feet per second to 26,000 and will be lowered Monday to 22,000. Similar reductions are under way at other upstream reservoirs. The corps’ Jody Farhat says the reductions are needed to prevent flooding along the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The river is expected to temporarily fall below the navigation target of 31,000 cubic feet per second in Sioux City.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

For their complete report, including aerial view of the tornado path and graphics, click on this link: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/dmx/StormSurveys/2012/2012-04-14_Creston_Writeup.pdf

Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman is asking residents of the County who may have damage resulting from Saturday’s storm, to call his office so that the damage can be documented. Hamman said Sunday afternoon that at that time, he was only aware of a few rural Montgomery County residences that sustained damage to barns, out buildings, trees, and homes. If your property has sustained damage in Montgomery County, call Brian Hamman at712-623-3749, and leave a message.