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NWS Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Wed., 6/18/2014

Weather

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Today Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 101. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9pm. Increasing clouds, with a low around 72. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Friday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

2014 World Food Prize recipient to be named

Ag/Outdoor

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The World Food Prize Foundation is announcing the winner of its annual award at a ceremony in Washington featuring Secretary of State John Kerry as the keynote speaker. The prize was founded in 1986 by Norman Borlaug, recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1970 for boosting agricultural production in what has become known as the “Green Revolution.”

The prize honors individuals who have made vital contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. Past laureates have come from more than a dozen countries and the United States.

The World Food Prize Foundation is based in Des Moines. It will host the recipient at the Iowa State Capitol in an award ceremony on Oct. 16 with more than 800 invited guests.

Racing and Gaming begins instituting new law on greyhound racing

News

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

State regulators have set the process in motion to get the casinos in Council Bluffs and Dubuque out of greyhound racing. The legislature passed and the governor signed a bill that shuts down the Dubuque track and shifts the management of dog racing in Council Bluffs to the Iowa Greyhound Association. It also creates a retirement fund for greyhound owners and breeders who want to get out of the business. Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says they’ve decided to send out a Request For Proposals (RFP) to hire a consultant to help them.

“The commission will have to write rules, but this will be an additional step where prior to the rulemaking process –if there is an acceptable bidder for the R-F-P — we can allow them to go through a process, get input from all of the stakeholders, and make a recommendation to the commission,” Ohorilko says. Ohorilko says the consultant is important because there aren’t any other situations they can look to as an example. “There is not. There has been instances where jurisdictions have passed legislation to end greyhound racing, but there is no instances where that has occurred and there’s been a fund that would be distributed back to the industry,” Ohrilko explains.

The deal reached in the legislation has the Council Bluffs casino pay 65 million dollars over the next seven years, and the Dubuque casino will pay one million dollars a year in the fund. Half of that money goes into the retirement fund and the other half can be used by those who remain in the industry to run the Dubuque Greyhound Park. Ohrilko says it could take until fall to the actually get things going. “Essentially, that process to review the bids and select someone will take a few months,” Ohrilko says. “And then if the commission selects a vendor, we will want that vendor to have time to meet with all the stakeholders and participants.” It could take until the end of the this year to have everything in place. “I think it’s reasonable to assume that once a bidder is selected then the bidder would have three to four months to work through that process,” Ohorilko says.

The bill says the Bluffs Run track in Council Bluffs should close, and the management of the Dubuque track should shift by December 31, 2015.

(Radio Iowa)

5 arrested in Harlan over the past week

News

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report five people were arrested on separate charges over the past week. On Monday, officers arrested 29-year old Reid Hemminger, of Harlan,on an active Shelby County warrant for probation revocation. Hemminger was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

27-year old Kenny Smith, of Harlan, was arrested Sunday, after officers were called to a disturbance in the 1900 block of Industrial Avenue. As a result of the investigation Smith was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault. And, 33-year old Jessica Tody, of Shelby, was arrested Sunday in the 1000 block of 6th Street and taken to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with intoxication in public, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of prescription drugs.

On Saturday, Harlan Police arrested 29-year old Amanda Wicker, of Harlan, on an active Shelby County warrant charging her with theft, 5th degree. Wicker was transported to the Shelby County Jail. Last Friday, officers in Harlan were called to the 1900 block of Chatburn in reference to an assault. As a result of the investigation charges were filed with the Shelby County clerk of court charging 50-year old Tracy Kobold, of Harlan, with domestic abuse assault for allegedly assaulting Terrianne Rushton, Council Bluffs.

Chiefs’ Houston no-show for mandatory minicamp

Sports

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl pass rusher Justin Houston was a no-show Tuesday on the first day of the Kansas City Chiefs’ mandatory three-day minicamp. Houston, who is entering the final year of his contract, also skipped three weeks of voluntary workouts. He is due to make about $1.4 million this season.

In other news, tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Kyle Williams and cornerback David Van Dyke did individual workouts but were mostly limited. Kelce is coming off knee surgery, Williams a torn ACL and Van Dyke a hamstring injury.

Cornerback Sean Smith was absent with an illness, and rookie running back De’Anthony Thomas appeared to overheat in the hot, humid weather. He spent several minutes slumped in the shade before being escorted to the locker room.

Wacha gets key outs, Cardinals beat Mets 5-2

Sports

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha escaped a pair of jams with strikeouts, and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped a fifth-inning tie en route to a 5-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Yadier Molina hit his first homer since May 24 for the Cardinals, who have won eight of nine and will go for a three-game sweep on Wednesday. David Wright hit his first homer since May 28, and Lucas Duda also connected for the Mets, who have lost 11 of 14.

Mets manager Terry Collins batted the pitcher eighth with Eric Young Jr. hitting ninth for the second straight game in an effort to stimulate the offense. During the 14-game slump, the Mets have scored two or fewer runs seven times. Daisuke Matsuzaka worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Mets starter Jonathon Niese.

 

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., June 18th 2014

News

June 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) — A group of scientists have found a mammoth bone at a dig site in southern Iowa’s rural Mahaska County. The group was cleaning up mud and other debris when they made the discovery Saturday. Researcher Holmes Semken says the bone shows evidence of fractures.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has issued disaster proclamations for five Iowa counties following strong storms. Branstad issued the proclamations for Cedar, Lyon, Plymouth, Pocahontas and Sioux counties. The action lets state resources be used to prepare for, respond to and recover from storms and flooding on public land or private land that might threaten public health and safety.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A Marshalltown man accused of setting two fires in April says he wanted to commit a crime so he could be incarcerated. Forty-eight-year-old Van Gentry made the comments during a probation revocation hearing linked to a separate forgery case. Gentry is accused of setting a local church building and trailer home on fire in April. Records say Gentry later went to a police station and admitted to both crimes.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — Fort Madison police have identified a 13-year-old girl who shot herself after an officer began to approach her on a city street. Police identified the girl as Samantha Brooke Chismark, of Fort Madison. She shot herself June 11 and died the next day. Police say before an approaching officer could reach her, Chismark took a handgun from her purse and shot herself in the head.

MILDRED PEARL “Millie” KOENIG, 79, of Des Moines & formerly of Griswold (Svcs. 6/20/14)

Obituaries

June 17th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

MILDRED PEARL “Millie” KOENIG, 79, of Des Moines (& formerly of Griswold), died Tue., June 17th, at her home in Des Moines. Funeral services for MILLIE KOENIG will be held 2-p.m. Friday, June 20th, at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold.

Visitation with her family will be held from 5:30-to 7:30-p.m. Thu., June 19th, at the funeral home.

Interment will be in the Noble Center Cemetery.

MILLIE KOENIG is survived by

Her children: John Koenig, of Griswold; Diane (Corey) Butcher, of State Center; Janet Huff, of Grimes; and Dale (Joy) Koenig, of Pleasantville.

8 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law, Mary Lee Livengood, other relatives and friends.

Big 12 hoops teams reload in offseason

Sports

June 17th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A string of underwhelming NCAA tournament performances obscured the fact that the Big 12 was perhaps the best league in the country in 2013-14. A flurry of moves in the past two months should help keep the Big 12 stocked with talent next season.

Texas recently signed the nation’s top remaining recruit in forward Myles Turner. League champion Kansas added point guard Devonte Graham following the departure of Naadir Tharpe last month. Iowa State replaced DeAndre Kane with another one-and-done senior, former UNLV star Bryce Dejean Jones.

It’s no coincidence that the Longhorns, Jayhawks and Cyclones will be among the favorites in a conference that should again be loaded in 2014-15.

Lawmakers who supported Iraq war are wary now

News

June 17th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

WASHINGTON (AP) — One Republican senator says the conflict between Iraq’s Shiites and Sunnis has been going on for 1,500 years — and he says, “Whatever we do, it’s not going to go away.” Richard Shelby of Alabama is among the lawmakers who voted to authorize military force in Iraq 12 years ago, but are now voicing doubts that U.S. air strikes will turn back the insurgents who are threatening the Iraqi government. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says, “After a decade of war, we’ve all had enough.”

As President Barack Obama considers what to do in Iraq, there is little agreement in Congress on what steps he should take — despite some Republican voices calling for air strikes and stepped-up military action. Sen. John McCain is among those Republicans.

A Democrat who voted for the Iraq invasion in 2002 — Tom Harkin of Iowa — now calls it “one of the worst votes” he ever cast. And as the U.S. again considers intervention in Iraq, Harkin says that vote is “weighing heavily” on his mind.

Obama will discuss the situation in Iraq with House and Senate leaders of both parties at the White House tomorrow.