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Former Ralston teacher guilty of groping students

News

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A 59-year-old former Ralston, NE., teacher has been convicted at his second trial for inappropriately touching young students.  On Thursday a Douglas County, NE, District Court jury found Nicholas Richter guilty of three counts of sexual assault of a child. In August Richter’s first trial ended in a hung jury.

Three boys ranging in age from 10 to 12 testified that Richter groped them during classes. A middle-age man also testified that Richter groped him three decades ago, when Richter was teaching in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Richter faces up to five years in prison on each of the three counts.

(Podcast) 7:07-a.m. Area News/Funeral Announcements, 12/13/13

News, Podcasts

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson…

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Thursday Wrestling Results

Sports

December 13th, 2013 by Jim Field

  • Creston/O-M 51, Atlantic/CAM 24
  • Clarinda 52, Atlantic/CAM 22
  • Creston/O-M 35, Clarinda 34
  • Harlan 69, Kuemper Catholic 12
  • Harlan 58, Red Oak 12
  • Red Oak 61, Kuemper Catholic 18
  • Maple Valley 54, Exira/EHK 24
  • Westwood 72, Exira/EHK 9
  • Westwood 56, Maple Valley 15
  • Carroll 57, Denison-Schleswig 18
  • Boone 48, Denison-Schleswig 27
  • Boone 43, Carroll 27
  • Tri-Center 45, Treynor 27
  •  East Mills 56, Southwest Iowa 18
  • Bedford-Lenox 44, Guthrie Center 33
  • Riverside 52, Guthrie Center 30
  • Coon Rapids-Bayard 36, Guthrie Center 31
  • Pleasantville 48, Nodaway Valley 25
  • Nodaway Valley 36, Martensdale-St. Mary’s 12

NE man sentenced to 5-years in prison for crimes committed in NE & IA

News

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A Nebraska man was sentenced this week to a term of not less than 5-years in prison in connection with incidents that occurred in NE and Iowa in late September. The Omaha World-Herald reports 32-year old Michael A. Beard, of Lincoln, NE., received his punishment from a judge after pleading guilty to a charge of 3rd degree burglary. Four theft charges, two other burglary charges, a criminal mischief charge, an assault charge and an interference with official acts charge have been dismissed.

Beard was arrested after a string of events that began in Lincoln with the theft of a car. The vehicle was later found on fire southeast of Ceresco, NE. Soon afterward, a small pickup parked nearby was stolen. That vehicle was later found in Saunders County, NE, where a nearby electrical company’s truck was stolen. Authorities say at some point, Beard stole a Ford F-150 truck and drove to Iowa. A Harrison County roads crew found him rummaging through a vehicle parked at the county shed south of Modale.

Beard punched a roads crew worker and rammed a vehicle driven by another roads worker before abandoning the F-150 and running off. The next day, the Omaha police helicopter found Beard hiding in a cornfield.

Once Beard has served his time in Iowa, he will be handed over to authorities in Saunders County, Neb., where he faces burglary, theft and possession of stolen property charges. The Lancaster County, NE., Attorney’s office will decide whether to file charges against Beard in the next few weeks.

Red Oak man arrested on an assault charge

News

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A Red Oak man was arrested Wednesday night after he allegedly used a baseball bat in the commission of an assault. 31-year old Bill Joe Gillespie was taken into custody at around 8-p.m., after authorities received a 9-1-1 call from a residence on East Elm Street. Gillespie was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $2,000 bond following his arrest on aggravated assault charges.

An investigation into the incident continues.

Accident in Red Oak Thursday morning

News

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

An accident in Red Oak Thursday morning caused $1,600 damage, but no one was hurt. Red Oak Police report 16-year old Jessie Dean Houston, of Red Oak, was traveling west on East Nuckols Street at around 8-a.m., when he lost control of the 1993 Ford F-150 pickup he was driving on the snow and ice covered road. The pickup crossed the center line and hit a legally parked 1996 GMC Blazer. Houston was cited for Careless Driving.

ANN MARIE McDERMOTT, 45, of Harlan (Svcs. 12/14/13)

Obituaries

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ANN MARIE McDERMOTT, 45, of Harlan, died Thu., Dec. 12th, at Myrtue Medical Center. A Mass of Christian Burial service for ANN MARIE McDERMOTT will be held 11-a.m. Sat., Dec. 14th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is from 6-to 9-pm Friday (12/13), with a Rosary a 7-pm.

Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.

ANN MARIE McDERMOTT is survived by:

Her mother – Charlotte McDermott, of Harlan.

Her sister – Dianne (Tim) Blum, of Portsmouth.

Her brother – Richard (Lisa) McDermott, of Missouri Valley.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Fri., Dec. 13, 2013

Podcasts, Weather

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis weather forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather data for Atlantic…

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NWS forecast for the KJAN listening area: 12/13/13

Weather

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

351 AM CST FRI DEC 13 2013

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. NO ICE ACCUMULATION. HIGH AROUND 30. SOUTHEAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE EAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW AND PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE UNTIL EARLY MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW EARLY IN THE MORNING. LOW AROUND 15. NORTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

SATURDAY...CLOUDY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. LOW 15 TO 20.

Council Bluffs & Omaha look to combine efforts to market metro area

News

December 13th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Instead of trying to market individual states, many in the business world are now looking at economic development from a metropolitan perspective. Consultants are working to create a unique joint effort to spark growth that would join forces between a southwest Iowa community and its larger neighbor in Nebraska. Jeff Beals, executive vice president for the World Group in Omaha, explains the goal.

Beals says, “Omaha and Council Bluffs could become the first bi-state metro area in the entire country to truly integrate their economic development efforts.” On the other side of Iowa, there’s a flurry of advertising done by the Quad Cities, to promote Davenport, Bettendorf and their metro neighbors Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. Beals says the Council Bluffs-Omaha effort would be different in its marketing strategy in a way that could benefit the entire region.

“You would be bringing two states to the table,” Beals says. “If one state has better incentives for a certain type of factory, you highlight that place. Meanwhile, the whole metro area benefits because of increased jobs.” Beals says no final decision has been made on launching the project.

(Radio Iowa)