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RAYMOND HOWARD, 82, formerly of Menlo (Svcs. 12/14/13)

Obituaries

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

RAYMOND HOWARD, 82, formerly of Menlo, died Mon., Dec. 9th, in Barryville, AR. Funeral services for RAYMOND HOWARD will be held 10-a.m. Sat., Dec. 14th, at the Menlo United Methodist Church. Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is from 6-to 8-pm Friday. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Menlo.

NWS forecast for the KJAN listening area: Wed., 12/11/13

Weather

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny and cold, with a steady temperature around 7. Wind chill values as low as -15. North northwest wind 8 to 14 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 8 by 5am. Wind chill values as low as -15. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28. Wind chill values as low as -10. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as 5. South southwest wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 28. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 17.

Saturday: Cloudy, with a high near 22.

Iowa DNR uses social media for wildlife questions

Ag/Outdoor

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are turning to social media to answer questions about the state’s wildlife. The state Department of Natural Resources says wildlife supervisors will be on the social networking site Facebook on Dec. 19 to answer questions.

Karen Kinkead and Willie Suchy of the Wildlife Diversity Program will monitor a specific post for questions on anything ranging from animals in a backyard to out in the field. People can also post questions ahead of time on the agency’s page.

The pair will answer questions between noon and 2:30 p.m.

January 15 is deadline for applying for new commercial property tax credit

News

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Thousands of commercial property owners in Iowa face an important deadline in five weeks, as they have to submt an application for the new tax credit Iowa policymakers have established. Courtney Kay-Decker is director of the Iowa Department of Revenue. “Just like when you first buy your house, you have to apply for the homestead credit, this is the first time that you’re going to be eligible for the commercial property tax credit and you have to apply,” Kay-Decker says, “and it’s by January 15th.” Some counties have the applications available online, which others require commercial property owners to submit paper forms.

“Each county is doing it slightly differently, because it’s local government,” Kay-Decker says. Commercial property owners who fail to meet that January 15th deadline will have to wait another year to apply for the credit. The governor and legislators hammered out a deal this spring which would reduce commercial property tax RATES in Iowa by 10 percent within three years, but the plan also created a new property tax credit for commercial property. Counties will get 50-million dollars from the state to create that tax credit at the local level. That means math must be done to calculate how to divvy up that money and determine how much the credit will be worth to each individual commercial property owner.

“So we’re working on software between the Department of Revenue and all of local governments which involves not only the assessors…but also the treasurers and the auditors to come up with how to do it, the technology to do it,” she says. “We’re, in fact, testing right now.” That computer software is being tested today (Wednesday) by officials in each of the 99 counties as well as the Iowa Department of Revenue. Kay-Decker says commercial property owners will find out in August or September how much of a credit they’ll receive.

(Radio Iowa)

Harlan woman hurt in Bluffs crash last week

News

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs report a woman from Shelby County was injured during a crash that took place last week. Information released this week indicates 51-year old Melinda Mathiasen, of Harlan, suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries during the crash that took place Dec. 5th  on Interstate 29, near South 24th Street, in Council Bluffs.

Offcials say Mathiasen’s 1992 Lincoln Towncar was struck by a 2007 Nissan Sentra driven by 23-year-old Stephanie Jones, of Council Bluffs. The accident happened at around 8:30-a.m.  as Jones was traveling west on I-29 and attempting to merge into the left lane. As she was switching lanes, Jones’ car hit Mathiasen’s vehicle, which caused the Lincoln to strike sand-filled barrels along the road. Both cars spun around before coming to a stop.

Matheny is impressed with Peralta

Sports

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals hold their players to a high standard of conduct, and manager Mike Matheny is certain Jhonny Peralta will fit right in. The Cardinals’ new shortstop was suspended last summer along as part of Major League Baseball’s investigation into the Biogenesis clinic. Peralta served a 50-game drug suspension and returned to the Tigers at the end of the regular season.

Several players around the majors expressed anger when Peralta signed a $53 million, four-year contract with St. Louis in November. But Matheny sees a player who popular with his teammates and is working to make amends. “Been very proud just from the outside of him being part of our club now and watched how he’s handled this. He’s been very remorseful but taking it like a man. He made a mistake. This is what’s happened. Now I’d like to move on. And I get that,” Matheny said.

Tuesday Boys High School Basketball Results

Sports

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Hawkeye 10:

  • Atlantic 66, Red Oak 31
  • Carroll 65, Denison-Schleswig 50
  • Glenwood 65, Lewis Central 58 (OT)
  • Creston 94, Shenandoah 67
  • Kuemper Catholic 71, St. Albert 50
  • Maryville, MO 48, Clarinda 44

 Western Iowa:

  • Griswold 53, Audubon 35
  • IKM-Manning 63, Treynor 57
  • Missouri Valley 52, Riverside 46
  • Underwood 52, A-H-S-T 28

Rolling Valley:

  • Boyer Valley 62, CAM 38
  • Coon Rapids-Bayard 55, Adair-Casey 34
  • Paton-Churdan 48, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 32
  • West Harrison 58, Glidden-Ralston 42
  • Ar-We-Va 75, Woodbine 45

Others:

  • Bedford 57, Southwest Valley 37
  • Abraham Lincoln 61, Thomas Jefferson 47
  • East Mills 66, Fremont Mills 50
  • Essex 47, Clarinda Academy 43
  • Guthrie Center 47, West Central Valley 36
  • Heartland Christian 57, Stanton 55
  • Nodaway Valley 58, Lenox 37
  • Panorama 64, Earlham 51
  • Sidney 86, South Page 35

Iowa News Headlines: Wed., Dec. 11th 2013

News

December 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The settlement of a lawsuit challenging a closed-door meeting last year regarding a former Des Moines superintendent has been finalized. A judge approved the settlement Tuesday between the Des Moines School Board and a former board member. The board will release audio and transcripts from a portion of an 80-minute May 2012 meeting. The settlement also includes the board’s acknowledgement it acted inappropriately by discussing matters that should have been public.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A memo sent by a former prosecutor was the latest focus of a trial in U.S. District Court in Sioux City alleging discrimination by a former U.S. attorney. The Sioux City Journal reports that one of former prosecutor Martha Fagg’s supervisors cautioned her about sending the memo to then-U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose. The memo raised concerns that a personnel move could be seen as age discrimination.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Construction of a new Sioux City casino has been halted until litigation can be resolved between Iowa gaming regulators and the owner of the Argosy riverboat casino. The Sioux City Journal reports that Polk County Judge Robert Hanson granted a motion for a stay Tuesday in favor of Penn National Gaming Co. Penn claims the state violated the company’s constitutional protections, as well as state and federal law, in awarding a license to Sioux City Entertainment in April.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources says wildlife supervisors will be on Facebook on Dec. 19 to answer questions from the public. Karen Kinkead and Willie Suchy of the Wildlife Diversity Program will monitor a specific post for questions on anything ranging from animals in a backyard to out in the field. People can also post questions ahead of time on the agency’s page.

Judge halts construction of new Sioux City casino

News

December 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has halted construction of a new Sioux City casino until litigation can be resolved between Iowa gaming regulators and the owner of the Argosy riverboat casino. The Sioux City Journal reports Polk County Judge Robert Hanson granted a motion for a stay Tuesday in favor of Penn National Gaming Co.  The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission awarded a license in April to Sioux City Entertainment to build the $128.5 million Hard Rock casino. The land-based casino is set to replace the Argosy.

Penn claims the commission violated the company’s constitutional protections, as well as state and federal laws in awarding the license to Sioux City Entertainment. They also say the commission ignored deficiencies in the winning bid.

IA Transportation Commission approves FY 2015 Traffic Safety Improvement Program projects

News

December 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Transportation Commission Tuesday, approved the fiscal year 2015 Traffic Safety Improvement Program projects. More than $8.7 million in safety improvements were approved for 46 projects. Among the projects in southwest & western Iowa:

Montgomery County received a requested half-million dollars to add six-feet of pavement to County Road H-34, to create a 24-foot wide pavement and rumble strips, and wide painted edges. The improvements are along a 3.25-mile segment of H-34, one-mile east of A Avenue to Fernwood Avenue. The total cost of the project is $546, 812.

The City of Crescent received a requested $50,000 from the Commission for work on the Old Lincoln Highway. The works entails a cut back from the south hillside, improve site triangle at the intersection of Old Lincoln Highway and Powells Addition. The project is expected to cost $50,000.

And, the City of Carroll received a requested One-half millions dollars for the widening of U-S Highway 30 to provide east-and westbound left turn lanes. The projects involves the replacement of traffic signals, providing protected/permissive east/west left turns, and an improve intersection radii, at the intersection of U-S 30 and Grant Road. The total project cost is $713,000.

Other funding from the Commission includes: $105,000 to replace traffic signals and mast arms in Denison, at the intersection of Iowa Hwy 39 and Avenue C. and $31,830 to removes traffic signals and replace them with 4-way stop signs in Onawa, at the intersection of Iowa Highway 175 and 10th Street.

If the total project amount is greater than the grant amount, the grant recipient will be responsible to provide additional funding.