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District Judge questions Bluffs man’s ability to understand proceedings

News

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A District Court Judge in Pottawattamie County, Thursday, questioned the competency of a man who was accused of attempting to abduct a child. The Daily NonPareil reports 20-year old Nathan Busse, of Council Bluffs, appeared at a court hearing and apparently had trouble answering questions about whether he understood why he was being charged. His actions caused 4th District Court Judge Timothy O’Grady to continue a hearing on the matter until a later date.

Busse is accused of attempting to abduct a 10-year-old from a Council Bluffs elementary school. He had been scheduled to plead guilty to child stealing – a Class C felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to Iowa Code – and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Jon Jacobmeier said the prosecution and defense attorney Jennifer Nelson Solberg plan to meet later today (Friday) to decide whether to continue working toward a plea deal or take the matter to a trial. While discussing O’Grady’s decision, the prosecutor noted that Busse suffers from mild developmental disabilities.

The family of the victim was, understandably upset at the proceedings. Busse was originally charged with third-degree kidnapping, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, child stealing and enticing away a minor under the age of 13 for sexual abuse and exploitation.

According to police, around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2013, near Edison Elementary – located at South 23rd Street and Second Avenue – a 10-year-old fifth-grader was walking on Fourth Avenue, about a block from the school, to meet a family member for a ride after finishing her duty as a crossing guard.

The suspect approached her and said, “What’s up?” Busse allegedly grabbed the girl’s arm and forced her to walk with him for several feet. The youngster was eventually able to break free of his grasp and run to the family member. The suspect fled the area and was later located by the victim’s father, who detained Busse until police arrived.

The girl and her family did not know Busse.

Posted in News |

OPAL GRACE NEEDHAM-KRUSE, 94, of Council Bluffs (Svcs.

Obituaries

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

OPAL GRACE NEEDHAM-KRUSE, 94, of Council Bluffs,  died Thu., Aug. 7th, at the Risen Son Christian Village in Council Bluffs. Funeral services for OPAL KRUSE will be held on Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 2:30 PM at the Hancock United Methodist Church. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be on Saturday, August 9, 2014 from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM at the Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland.

Interment will be at the Oaklawn Cemetery.

OPAL NEEDHAM-KRUSE is survived by:

Her children – Margaret Ann Renfeld and husband Gordon; Diana Jane Dahl and husband Marlyn, and Rosalinda Rathman and husband Paul.

Her step son – Verdean Kerdean Kruse and wife Linda.

7 grandchildren; 2 step-grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 4 step great-grandchildren; 6 great-great grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.

 

Posted in Obituaries |

KENNETH EGGERSS, 85, of Avoca (Svcs. 8/11/14)

Obituaries

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KENNETH EGGERSS, 85, of Avoca, died Thu., Aug. 7th. Funeral services for KENNETH EGGERSS will be held 10-a.m. Mon., Aug. 11th, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is from 6-to 9-pm Sun., Aug. 10th, with the family greeting friends from 6-to 8-pm.

Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery at Avoca.

KENNETH EGGERSS is survived by:

His wife – Darlene, of Avoca.

His sons – Marty (Carol) Eggerss, of Woodbury, MN, & Scott Jergens, of Avoca.

His daughters – Linda Eggerss, of Omaha; Darla (Chris) Jensen, of Des Moines; Regina Hayes, of Aurora, IL, & Donna (Dean) Schuemann, of Avoca.

6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

Posted in Obituaries |

CURTIS C. MASTELLER, 83, of Atlantic (Svcs. 8/11/14)

Obituaries

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

CURTIS C. MASTELLER, 83, of Atlantic, died Thu., Aug. 7th, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Celebration on Life services for CURTIS MASTELLER will be held 11-a.m. Mon., Aug. 11th, at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Atlantic. Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation is open at the funeral home from Noon until 4-p.m. on Sunday (8/10). There is no family visitation. Online condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

A family burial will be held at 10-a.m. Monday in the Atlantic Cemetery, prior to the service.

CURTIS C. MASTELLER is survived by:

His wife – Rosalie (Schaaf) Masteller, of Atlantic.

His sons – Mark, of Ames; Brian, of Wiota; Bruce (Coni) of Lindsay, NE; Steve (Andrea), of Clive, & Jeff (Kelli), of Burleson, TX.

12 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

Posted in Obituaries |

Red Oak man arrested for assault Thu. evening in Villisca

News

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Deputies in Montgomery County arrested a Red Oak man Thursday evening. Officials say 22-year old Cody D. Johnson was charged with Simple Assault, following an investigation into a disturbance at a residence in the 100 block of w. 6th Street, in Villisca. During the investigation, it was determined Johnson had been involved in a physical confrontation with one of the residents in the home.

Johnson was brought to the Montgomery County LEC (Law Enforcement Center) and held on $300 bond.

Posted in News |

Study details millions of tons of Iowa farmland lost to soil erosion

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A new study shows significant soil erosion in Iowa this year. Craig Cox, with the Environmental Working Group, says soil erosion is a major problem for water quality, and it also hurts farm production while damaging the environment. “From this spring through June, about 15-million tons of Iowa soil was eroded from farm fields,” Cox says. “That estimate doesn’t include the amount of soil from these ephemeral gullies which is what our study looked at.” The study found almost one-third of that lost soil came from just four counties: Adair, Cass, Clayton and Pottawattamie.

The report surveyed 63-million acres of cropland and found about 35-million acres had a moderate-to-high need for more conservation measures. Cox, the E-W-G’s senior vice president of ag and natural resources, says the study found evidence of farming conservation practices that have helped recently, but he says more needs to be done to reduce soil erosion.

“There were additional conservation measures taken and in four of the five cases there were new grassed waterways or there were grassed waterways that were fixed,” Cox says. “In one case, there was a cover crop and it worked, those practices worked incredibly well and they really solved these problems.” Cox says it’s unfortunate that federal policymakers have cut back on funding for conservation and the Conservation Reserve Program has faded to only 25-million acres nationwide, including about one-and-a-half million acres in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Dunkerton man finally getting tractor back

Ag/Outdoor

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — After 15 years, a northeast Iowa man is getting his tractor back. Kenny Kass told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that he first agreed to lend his restored 1915 Waterloo Boy tractor to the Grout Museum District in Waterloo for six months. Then they wanted it for a year. And now, 15 years have passed. Kass, who lives near Dunkerton, says “I just wanted it out here.”

The tractor, which Kass restored over two months in 1985, will join his collection of 75 to 80 other restored tractor. The Waterloo Boy tractor followed the invention of the first gasoline-powered tractor by John Froelich, who joined with others to organize the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Co. The business was sold to Deere & Co. in 1918.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor |

Omaha man gets 10 years for Iowa bank robbery

News

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Nebraska man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for his role in robbing an Iowa bank last year. Michael Clayton, of Omaha, must also serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence and must pay $12,500 in restitution to the Citizen’s State Bank in Fort Dodge. A jury convicted Clayton on a bank robbery charge in February.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau says in a statement trial evidence indicated the 44-year-old Clayton called Fort Dodge police on Feb. 7, 2013, and threatened to shoot up an elementary school. The call, intended to divert police attention away from the bank, was two months after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.

While police responded to the school, prosecutors say Clayton robbed the bank.

Posted in News |

KJAN listening area weather forecast: Fri., 8/8/2014

Weather

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

400 AM CDT FRI AUG 8 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG. EAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

TODAY…CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 60S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTHEAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S.

MONDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH AROUND 80.

Posted in Weather |

Chiefs beat Bengals 41-39 in preseason opener

Sports

August 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sean Smith and Malcolm Bronson returned interceptions for touchdowns, De’Anthony Thomas brought back a punt 80 yards for another score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals 41-39 in their preseason opener Thursday night. Andy Dalton was sharp in his only series for the Bengals after signing a new six-year deal this week. He hit wide receiver A.J. Green for a 53-yard pass to set up the opening field goal.

He quickly gave way to backup Jason Campbell, who was just 6 of 15 for 72 yards. And while he threw a pair of touchdown passes, he also was responsible for the pick-6s by Smith and Bronson before getting banged up midway through the third quarter. The Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick also returned an interception for a touchdown.

Posted in Sports |