IOWA – After more than two weeks without any major weather events, strong hail and damaging winds came ahead of 2-4″ of rainfall across a larger portion of Iowa on Monday. Reports of one-inch in diameter hail — and one instance of near baseball-sized stones in Osceola, were shared with the National Weather Service in the late afternoon before multiple rounds of moderate-to-heavy rainfall impacted many. Several central Iowa communities approached four inches of precipitation.

DES MOINES – Emergency managers and law enforcement leaders in Iowa are asking Governor Kim Reynolds to veto a fee for 911 upgrades approved in the final days of the Legislative Session. KCCI-TV reports the appropriations bill requires 911 boards to pay for communications equipment, which may hinder local budgets, according to those leaders. Lawmakers included the fee because they believe many areas of the state are behind in technology related to the service.

IOWA – Little or no precipitation and warm temperatures last week allowed Iowa farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting made rapid progress. There were scattered reports of replanting as early planted crops in some areas had struggled to emerge with the dry conditions. Topsoil moisture condition rated 8 percent very short, 37 percent short, 53 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Corn planted reached 91 percent complete, 12 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Eighty four percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted just over 2 weeks ahead of last year and 1 week ahead the 5-year average.