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Holiday travelers likely to encounter some construction zones across Iowa

News

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Thousands of Iowans will be hitting the road over the Memorial Day weekend and they’re being reminded to watch out for construction zones. Mark Bortle, with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says one of the bigger projects in central Iowa is along Interstate 35 from West Des Moines, south to just beyond the town of Cumming.  “We still will be maintaining two lanes in each direction, but traffic will be a little bit more congested due to the closeness of the construction activity,” Bortle says. That project, which carries a price tag of just over $32 million, is expected to be completed later this year.

Other roadwork will impact travelers in western Iowa. “We have ongoing projects in the Council Bluffs metro area as we continue to rebuild the interstate system there and up in the Sioux City area…that will impact Interstate 29 traffic up in Woodbury County,” Bortle says. In northeast Iowa, motorists may be slowed down a bit if they pass through Waterloo.

“We’re doing some work on the I-380 bridge over San Marnan Drive and traffic is restricted to one lane in that normal three lane section,” Bortle says. While the DOT will not be doing work in most construction zones over the holiday weekend, Bortle says motorists should still slow down when they see the black-on-orange warning signs and merge into the appropriate lanes as soon as they can.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

I-29 reopened late Tues. night after hazardous materials spill

News

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A portion of Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs was closed for several hours, Tuesday, after a semi tractor-trailer leaked acid onto the road. Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department said the northbound lanes of I-29 and I-680 southbound was closed near the 25th Street exit on the west side of the City.

The incident occurred sometime around 5-p.m. Traffic was allowed to resume a normal flow on the affected section of roads by around 8:30-p.m. No injuries were reported, and no other details were released.

Posted in News |

Frost damages crops in western Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State University crops specialist, Joel Dejong (Dee-young), says last week’s freezing temperatures have caused some widespread damage to western Iowa corn fields.  “A lot of northwest Iowa and actually even into southwest Iowa — although they didn’t even freeze — they had some damage in some fields also from radiation frost where it got cold so fast,” DeJong says. “We had temperatures in the mid 20’s, so obviously that’s going to cause come crop damage.” DeJong says in many instances corn had already emerged when the cooler temperatures had hit, and he believes most of the crop will recover.

“As I go dig fields, it looks like most plants have grown quite a bit since we had that frost and these nicer sunnier days help,” DeJong says. He says some plants look like they lost a leaf, but he says they will continue to regrow. DeJong says while the corn was damaged, soybeans are a different story.

“Soybeans once they emerge, their growing point is above ground. So, southwest Iowa reported several fields where they did freeze off emerged beans. I am not sure if I know of any emerged beans (in northwest Iowa) — maybe there was field or two out there. If there was, they are probably hurt pretty seriously,” DeJoung explains. Statewide, 40 percent of the soybeans have been planted and DeJong believes northwest Iowa farmers have perhaps planted as much as 60 percent of the intended soybean acreage. DeJong says farmers will want to start scouting for black cut worms based on their tracking of the adult larvae.

“We trap adults as they start moving up, they don’t live through an Iowa winter, so traps went out in mid-March and the first part of April,” DeJong says. He says the adults started showing up mid-April and he says they predict the worms will be big enough to start cutting off the plants by around May 27th. The agronomist says the day length and temperatures will determine how fast the cutworms will move into this area. He says as the corn growth slows down, so do the insects and other pests.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Youth Basketball Camp set for July 26th

Sports

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Montgomery County Family YMCA in Red Oak, says the Y will be hosting a one day youth basketball camp for area students entering grades 3 through 11 in July. Boys and girls was welcome to attend this camp, which will be under the direction of players and staff members of the 2014-15 Nebraska Women’s Basketball Team.

The camp will be held at the Montgomery County Family YMCA in Red Oak, Iowa on Saturday, July 26th, from 9:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Participants will receive a camp t-shirt. The registration deadline is July 12th.

For more information, including the cost, contact YMCA Operational Manager John Blomstedt at 712-623-2161 or email prodir@mcymca.com

Posted in Sports |

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Wed., May 21st 2014

Podcasts, Weather

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis Weather Forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather information for Atlantic.

Here are some of the reports of hail that fell during storms the evening of Tue., May 20th 2014 (as compiled by the National Weather Service & scanner reports.)

8-p.m. Pea-to dime-sized hail near Highway 6 and 29th Street in Atlantic (Cass Co. 9-1-1 Director).

7:10-p.m. Golf ball-sized hail 3 miles North of Shelby (Law enforcement report)

4:48-p.m. Quarter-sized hail 4 miles Northeast of Audubon.

4:30-p.m. Penny-sized hail 5 miles southeast of Harlan.

4:25-p.m. Penny-sized hail 3 miles southeast of Shelby and 6 miles southwest of Grey.

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Posted in Podcasts, Weather |

Red Oak woman arrested Tue. night

News

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak report the arrest Tuesday night of a local woman. 44-year old Holli Anne Burgess, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:30-p.m. in the 400 block of East Coolbaugh Street, for a Probation Violation. Burgess was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 bond.

Posted in News |

2 from Creston arrested in Adams County Tue. night

News

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Two people from Union County were arrested late Tuesday night in Adams County, following a traffic stop. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding on Highway 34 at around 11:50-p.m., Tuesday. During an investigation, it was determined the driver, Skylar Cook, of Creston, had no valid driver’s license. Cook was arrested for Driving While Suspended, and brought to the Adams County Jail, where he was held on a $566 cash bond.

A passenger in Cook’s vehicle, Katlyn Hughes, of Creston, was charged with Minor in Possession of Alcohol (Under the age of 21), Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Posted in News |

NWS Forecast for the KJAN listening area: Wed., May 21st 2014

Weather

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

345 AM CDT WED MAY 21 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY UNTIL EARLY MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 50S. NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. EAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 50S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S.

SATURDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 70S.

Posted in Weather |

Cardinals baseball News

Sports

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright threw a one-hitter, facing one hitter over the minimum, and the St. Louis Cardinals ended an eight-game home run drought with long balls from Matt Adams and Jhonny Peralta in a 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Working on six days rest because of a rainout and day off, Wainwright retired the first 11 batters before Paul Goldschmidt doubled off the wall in center with two outs in the fourth.

Peralta hit his team-leading ninth of the season in the sixth and added one of the Cardinals’ five doubles for a second RBI against Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo had been 3-0 with an 0.39 ERA in May and hadn’t allowed a homer his last four starts. Arroyo gave up five runs in seven innings.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have activated reliever Jason Motte from the 15-day disabled list. The 31-year-old Motte had elbow surgery last May and missed the entire season. He had 42 saves in 2012, tied for the National League lead. The right-hander was available for Tuesday night’s game against the Diamondbacks. He appeared in six games during a rehab with Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis and did not allow a run in 6 2-3 innings. Left-hander Sam Freeman was optioned to Memphis.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Home plate umpire Brian O’Nora left Arizona’s game at St. Louis after three innings due to illness, Tuesday night. The game resumed after a delay of about 11 minutes while Marvin Hudson, who had been at second base, put on equipment. The Cardinals led 2-0. Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright was warming up before being notified, and then walked off the mound and from the dugout rolled the ball back to the mound. Last April, O’Nora was the plate umpire when he left a Phillies-Mets game in New York in the bottom of the first due to flu-like symptoms.

Posted in Sports |

Chiefs sign Love, Cudjo in series of moves

Sports

May 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs signed defensive tackles Kyle Love and Jermelle Cudjo and placed defensive tackle Cory Grissom and linebacker Ridge Wilson on waivers in a series of roster moves Tuesday. The Chiefs also signed defensive lineman Kona Schwenke, a rookie free agent.

The 6-foot-1, 315-pound Love spent some time with the Chiefs last season, and has also played for New England and Jackson. The 6-2, 304-pound Cudjo spent his first four seasons with the Rams, starting four of the 38 games that he played.

Schwenke played collegiately at Notre Dame. The Chiefs begin a three-day rookie minicamp this weekend. They begin full-squad organized team activities next week.

Posted in Sports |