A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for central Lancaster County until 4:30 p.m., northern Pottawattamie County until 4:45 p.m. and Nemaha, northeastern Pawnee and northwestern Richardson counties until 5 p.m. A tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday for southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, including Omaha, Council Bluffs and Lincoln.
Contractors in Iowa will soon begin work on more than $330 million in road and construction projects funded by federal economic stimulus dollars.
The stimulus cash has allowed local and state governments to fast-track dozens of transportation projects in Iowa, including replacing bridges and filling potholes.
An analysis by The Des Moines Register shows that some of the biggest winners in the state have been the smallest counties.
State records show that 49 percent of the stimulus money intended for road repairs will go to counties with fewer than 20,000 people.
The money also has allowed the Iowa Department of Transportation to catch up on projects that have been delayed in recent years because of tight budgets.
