Tornadoes Seen In Sioux County
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A tornado was spotted in Sioux County yesterday afternoon near Boyden, but little damage is being reported. Sioux County Sheriff’s Deputy Nate Huizenga says Sioux County was fortunate.
Otherwise, Thunderstorms that raced across Iowa have left power outages, damaged buildings and injuries in their wake.
Authorities in Butler County say a farmer was hurt when a building fell on him during the storms Wednesday, and a trucker was killed when his semitrailer overturned. It’s unclear, however, whether the truck accident was directly caused by the weather.
Tripoli Police Chief Daniel Banks says one storm struck as the elementary school was dismissing. He says a tree fell on a van full of children, but nobody was hurt.
The National Weather Service office in Davenport says it’s deploying survey teams to verify reports of short-lived tornadoes in the area.
MidAmerican Energy said Thursday morning that nearly 4,600 of its Iowa customers remained without power.
Orange City To Celebrate Tulip Festival
(Orange City) — The Orange City Annual Tulip Festival begins today and will continue through Saturday. The event that celebrates the Dutch heritage will feature parades, the Queen’s court, wooden shoes, horse-drawn trolley rides, the Dutch Dozen singers, carnival rides, street scrubbing, Vogel old wind mill, plus
many other features. KLEM radio will be broadcasting live today’s parade beginning at 2:00 p.m. with Dave Ruden and Dan Kraai.
Branstad To Declare Disaster Areas For Two Iowa Counties
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s governor says he’ll issue a disaster proclamation for two northern counties.
Gov. Terry Branstad said the proclamation will be signed Thursday for Kossuth and Webster counties in response severe weather Tuesday.
The action allows state resources to be used to aid in recovery efforts. It also activates the Individual Assistance Program for residents of the counties.
The program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The money can be used for such things as home and car repairs, temporary housing expenses or replacement of clothing
or food.
Fatal Guthrie Center Fire Considered As Arson
GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa (AP) – Investigators say arson was the cause of a house fire in central Iowa that killed two girls and severely injured their uncle.
Law enforcement officials said Wednesday that the girls, who were cousins, have been identified as 16-year-old Shakiah Cockerham and 12-year-old Melanie “Paige” Exline, both of Guthrie Center.
Their uncle, 54 year old William Long III, suffered severe burns to his upper body in the Monday afternoon fire and was flown to an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital, where he remained Wednesday. The girls’ 74-year-old grandmother, Shirley Exline, suffered minor injuries.
The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office found arson to be the fire’s cause, and a criminal investigation has begun
Guthrie Center is about 50 miles west of Des Moines.
