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Though Trump leads on most issues in Iowa Poll, Harris gains ground on abortion, unity

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The most recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows that while Vice President Kamala Harris has made a significant dent in former President Donald Trump’s lead in Iowa ahead of the 2024 presidential election, more Iowans still favor Trump on issues like inflation, immigration and U.S. international relations. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Iowa Poll results published Tuesday (Sept. 17) found 58% of likely voters responded that they believe Trump would do a better job than Harris on “keeping America secure,” and 50% responded they believed he would do better on “bringing about real change” than Harris at 46%. Trump was also favored by a percentage point over Harris as the better candidate on “winning the respect of world leaders” and “caring about people like you.”

Harris was chosen as the better candidate by 47% of poll respondents on “being more trustworthy” than Trump, and 46% of likely voters said they believed the vice president would do a better job of “successfully unifying the country.” Trump was the choice of 45% on trustworthiness and 39% on unifying the country.

The poll also found a majority of likely Iowa voters believe Trump would do a better job than Harris on the issues of inflation, immigration, relations with China, the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, as well as on housing prices. The only issue Iowa voters favored Harris on in the most recent poll was abortion, with 53% saying Harris would do a better job and 42% supporting Trump as the best choice to tackle the issue.

The largest margin between the candidates was on inflation, with 57% choosing Trump as the better candidate for addressing the issue compared to 41% for Harris. Though the poll found that the former president still has a lead in his race against Harris,  J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co. that conducted the poll, said “the race has tightened significantly.” Part of the shift comes from increased engagement in the election, with 81% of Iowa poll takers saying they will definitely vote in the general election, an increase from 76% in June. Compared to the last poll, there was a 10 percentage point increase in Iowans younger than age 45 who said they were likely voters, and an 8-point increase among women voters — both demographics that the poll identified as more likely to support Harris.

The results seem to reflect what some Iowa Democratic leaders have predicted about Harris’ impact on the race. But Republican leaders disputed the poll results showing a positive shift for Democrats ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The Iowa Poll was conducted from Sept. 8-11 with 811 Iowans — 656 who identified as likely voters. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points with likely voters, and a 3.4 percentage points margin of error for questions asked of all Iowans.

Posted in News |

Montgomery County Engineer’s report from 9/17/24

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert, Tuesday, provided the Board of Supervisors with the weekly, Secondary Roads activities and maintenance report.

Montgomery County Supervisor’s meeting, 9-17-24

Posted in News |

High School Volleyball Match Results from Tuesday

Sports

September 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten

Atlantic Triangular (4A #7 Glenwood, Clarinda)

Glenwood 3, Atlantic 0 (25-8, 25-9. 25-11)

Glenwood 3, Clarinda 1 (20-25, 25-12, 25-15, 25-23)

Clarinda 3, Atlantic 0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-14)

St. Albert Triangular (3A #7 Kuemper Catholic, Red Oak)

Kuemper 3, St. Albert 1 (16-25, 25-10, 25-15, 25-16)

Kuemper 3, Red Oak 1 (25-22, 24-26, 25-20, 27-25)

Carroll 3, Denison Schleswig 2 (25-14, 25-19, 26-28, 19-25, 15-5)

Corner Conference

Griswold @ #15 Stanton

#9 East Mills 3, #13 Sidney 1 (25-20, 25-17, 23-25, 25-17)

Fremont Mills 3, Essex 0 (25-7, 25-17, 25-6)

Hamburg @ Lourdes Central Catholic

Pride of Iowa

Nodaway Valley Triangular (East Union, Martensdale St. Mary’s)

Martensdale St. Mary’s 2, Nodaway Valley 0 (25-15, 25-17)

Martensdale St. Mary’s 2, East Union 0 (25-17, 25-18)

SE Warren Triangular (Southwest Valley, Lenox)

Southwest Valley 2, Lenox 1 (24-26, 25-21, 15-5)

Southwest Valley 2, SE Warren 0 (25-15, 25-20)

Lenox 2, Southeast Warren 1 (25-20, 16-25, 15-13)

Mount Ayr Triangular (Central Decatur, Wayne)

Mount Ayr 2, Wayne 1 (25-21, 24-26, 15-13)

Mount Ayr 2, Central Decatur 0 (25-16, 25-17)

Wayne 2, Central Decatur 1

Rolling Valley

CAM 3, Ar-We-Va 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-17)

Exira EHK, 3, Woodbine 1 (12-25, 25-19, 25-18, 26-24)

West Harrison 3, Paton-Churdan 0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-10)

Boyer Valley 3, Glidden Ralston 0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-11)

Western Iowa

Underwood 3, Audubon 0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-13)

#2 Riverside 3, Logan Magnolia 0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-19)

Missouri Valley 3, AHSTW 0 (25-9, 25-20, 25-9)

Treynor 3, IKM Manning 2 (25-11, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 15-7)

Posted in Sports |

UI astronomer: Approaching asteroid will become temporary ‘second moon’

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An asteroid is approaching the Earth which the experts say will come close enough to be caught in our planet’s gravity well, technically becoming a second moon, at least for a few months. University of Iowa physics and astronomy Professor Casey DeRoo says this asteroid will be captured by the Earth’s gravitational pull around September 29th, it’ll slow down, then go into a sort of U-shaped orbit. “For a horseshoe orbit, it’s something that starts off in front of us and ends up behind us as we are orbiting the sun,” DeRoo says. “Really, it’s going to do just a single slingshot around the Earth and sort of an oblong or ellipse, and then carry on its way behind us, having approached from the front.”

The asteroid known as “2024 PT5” is only about 33 feet in diameter, or about as big across as a school bus. While it will come relatively close to Earth, close in astronomical terms, DeRoo says there’s no chance the asteroid will hit us. “They are easy to pick out, their trajectory versus the stars, because they’re the things that are moving more rapidly than the stars themselves, right? And so with just a couple of observations over the course of a few days, you can actually get quite a bit in terms of orbital parameters,” DeRoo says, “and those orbital parameters tell you essentially how that orbit will evolve within our solar system. So we are 100% confident on this kind of trajectory.”

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of this wandering space rock, you’re wishing on the wrong star, because even though it’ll be in our orbit, it’ll still be many tens of millions of miles away. “If you imagine trying to see a school bus from the distance of the moon, that would be the difficulty that you’re trying to actually encounter here. So it is a really faint object,” DeRoo says. “This is the kind of thing that you pick out with dedicated ground-based observatories or telescopes. So you’re going to have a difficult time finding this from the ground, unless you’ve got, say, a two- to three-foot telescope lying around.” By that, he means a two- to three-foot diameter lens would be needed.

The experts say the asteroid will slingshot out of orbit around November 25th, after about 56 days as our looming moon. Where did it come from? There are various theories. DeRoo says it could have been created many millennia ago when the Earth and Moon first separated, or it may have fallen out of the asteroid belt that hovers between Mars and Jupiter. We’ll likely never know for sure.

Posted in News |

Jones County bar burns

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The State Fire Marshal has been called in to help determine the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a Jones County bar Tuesday. The Jones County Sheriff’s Office says emergency personnel were called to Jones County Local about two miles southwest of Anamosa, shortly before 6 a-m. When firefighters arrived, they were met with heavy smoke and fire inside the building.

Fire heavily damaged the Jones County Local bar Tuesday. (KMCH photo)

The business was not open at the time. No employees were present, no injuries reported. The inside of the building sustained heavy heat, smoke and fire damage.

Posted in News |

Adams County Sheriff’s Office investigating potential social media threat to schools

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Corning, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Adams County are investigating a potential threat of violence in the Southwest Valley School District. The threat on social media was reported at the high school in Corning, Tuesday morning. School officials said the high school was made aware of a potential threat of violence via Snapchat to a student.

After initiating an investigation, authorities deemed the situation safe, and said there was no concern of a threat at this time. In a post on the district’s Facebook page, Superintendent Chris Fenster said classes have resumed. Read the Superintendent’s letter to parents and students, below:

Posted in News |

Montgomery County Supervisors reinstate Compensation Board; Leave Public Comment time unchanged

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, Tuesday, unanimously voted to reinstate the County’s Compensation Board, but decided to leave their policy for public comment during their meetings, unchanged, for now. Their current policy has a two-minute public comment period that follows the reading and approval of the previous Board meeting minutes, near the top of the weekly agenda.

Supervisors Chair Mike Olson proposed limiting the number of people speaking on a particular topic, and prohibiting personal attacks against board members. He said the policy would be similar to what the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors placed into effect, after comments regarding wind energy got out of control.

Supervisor Randy Cooper objected to some who wanted the public comment period moved to the end of the meeting. He said it would inconvenience some residents wanted to briefly attend the meeting and then get back to their jobs. Supervisor Donna Robinson suggested any changes should be made after she and Cooper – who are not running for re-election – leave at the end of the year.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Wed., Sept. 18, 2024

Weather

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly sunny. High near 86. South wind 10-25 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy w/a slight chance of showers & thunderstorms after midnight. Low 67.
Tomorrow: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms in the morning, otherwise mostly sunny. High near 89. S winds @ 10-20 mph.
Tom. Night: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms, otherwise mostly clear. Low around 58.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Fri. Night: Mostly cloudy w/a 50% chance of showers & thunderstorms late. Low around 61.
Saturday: A 60% chance of showers & possibly a thunderstorm. High near 79.
Sunday: Showers likely, and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 70.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 87. The Low was 68. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 83, and the Low was 42. The All-time Record High in Atlantic for Sept. 18th, was 99 in 1893. The Record Low was 26 in 1901. Sunrise today: 7:03-a.m.; Sunset: 7:25-p.m.

Posted in Weather |

AG Brenna Bird joins letter urging EPA to deny California electric vehicle trucking rules

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has joined-in a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency to deny California’s request for a waiver to implement new standards that she said could ban traditional gas-powered trucks in the state. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports California requested a preemption waiver to implement administrative rules under 2023 California regulation called “Advanced Clean Fleets,” imposed by the California Air Resources Board.

The rule would ban the sale of larger diesel vehicles beginning in 2036 and ban internal-combustion engines in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. The letter, headed by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, called for the EPA to deny the state’s request because of its impacts on other states.

image from Phys.org

The letter says “Through Advanced Clean Fleets, California is attempting to export its radical climate agenda to our States, using its large population, market share, and access to international ports on the West Coast to force nationwide compliance with its ban on internal-combustion trucks… An electric-truck mandate in California means more battery electric trucks traveling in our States—a mandate our States did not ask for and do not support.”

Bird also joined a lawsuit headed by Nebraska opposing the regulations, which she and other opponents argue would force trucking companies across the country to have entirely electric vehicle fleets by 2042. In a May news conference, Bird said allowing California to adopt these state regulations would result in supply chain problems and increase costs for consumers, as trucking companies would have to comply with these standards to operate in the state, even if the companies are based outside of California.

Bird reiterated these arguments in a Tuesday statement on joining the letter, saying “California does not get to make the rules for the rest of the country.”

Alongside Iowa and Nebraska, attorneys general in 22 other states signed onto the letter.

Posted in News |

Agency director says state auditor’s analysis of nursing home inspections is faulty

News

September 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A state administrator says a report from the state auditor on the frequency of nursing home inspections is inaccurate and incomplete. State Auditor Rob Sand released an analysis Monday showing nursing home inspections were occurring, on average, every 17 months — and that’s about four months beyond the federal standard.

Larry Johnson — director of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing — says the federal data the state auditor relied upon did not provide a snapshot of all the inspections that had been conducted before June 1st — because there’s a lag time in completing the paperwork. “Had he contacted us both before, during and after his audit, we would have provided accurate information,” Johnson says.

Johnson says data for the current federal fiscal year shows the statewide average time between Iowa nursing home inspections is now under 13 months. “So we are exceeding what is expected of us,” Johnson says. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pays 86 percent of the salaries for state nursing home inspectors. Johnson decided to use some of that funding to pay overtime to state inspectors, speeding up the annual reviews of Iowa nursing homes.

“We only have 13 nursing homes left to do and we have two weeks left to do it,” Johnson says. That’s because the federal fiscal year ends September 30th.

Posted in News |