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Nebraska woman arrested in Stuart has BAC more than 3x the legal limit

News

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Stuart Police Department reports a woman from Nebraska was arrested at around 6-p.m. Sunday, after she was pulled over for allegedly driving erratically on Interstate 80 in Adair County. Motorists reported the woman had come close to crashing several times. Iowa State Troopers and Adair County Deputies were not in position to stop the vehicle at the time of the reports, but Stuart Police Officers stopped Melissa Ruge of Decatur, NE, after her vehicle exited I-80 at the Stuart exit.

Authorities say Ruge was determined to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) nearly three and a half times the legal limit. She was charged with OWI 1st offense and booked into the Adair County Jail.

Got a spot you think would be a great movie location? Now’s your chance for fame!

Ag/Outdoor

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Is your farmstead pretty enough to be the next “Field of Dreams”? The state is launching an effort to get Iowans to show off properties they’d like to see featured on the silver screen, on T-V or as the backdrop for a catalog shoot. Jeff Morgan, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, explains the campaign. Morgan says, “What we’re looking for is for Iowans who have a home or a property that could be featured in a movie and also if they know of a scenic view or a vista that might be appropriate for a film production to go onto www.produceiowa.com and register and submit their information and photographs.”

It’s free to submit photos to the Media Production Directory, but he says the home or property does have to be within the state of Iowa. Morgan says, “This is actually to build an online media directory that can be available to production companies from California and all around the world 24 hours a day for them to see what Iowa has to offer in terms of site locations.”

It’s not just farmsteads, but any Iowa homes, unique buildings and even entire main streets or downtowns which could be featured. Morgan says, “We’re looking to convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, homeowners, location scouts who work in Iowa, people from all corners of the state to submit information and photographs.”

Some tips for submitting photos include: use a digital camera, each photo should be no larger than 1MB, title each photograph, 10 total images per property, include distinct features and use a wide-angle lens or landscape view. Besides site locations, Produce Iowa is taking submissions about Iowa’s media production workforce and support service companies. He encourages local talent, production crews and hospitality businesses like hotels, restaurants and caterers to register their services and round out the directory.

(Radio Iowa)

Deere to lay off 100 more workers at Ankeny plant

Ag/Outdoor

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Deere & Co. says it will lay off 100 more workers from its plant in Ankeny plant. The Des Moines Register reports  that the layoffs are being described as adjustments to meet market demand.

The Moline, Ill.-based maker of farm and construction equipment says it told workers in mid-August that layoffs would take place in mid-September and early November. About 40 plant workers were placed on indefinite layoff in mid-September. Deere spokesman Ken Golden says the 100 or so workers were notified Friday about the layoffs in early November.

MILDRED “JOY” SIEVERS, 99, of Avoca & formerly of Walnut (Svcs. 10/22/13)

Obituaries

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

MILDRED “JOY” SIEVERS, 99, of Avoca (& formerly of Walnut), died Sun., Oct. 20th, in Avoca. Funeral services for JOY SIEVERS will be held 10:30-a.m. Tue., Oct. 22nd, at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Walnut. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the 1st Presbyterian Church from 9:30-to 10:30-a.m. on Tuesday (one-hour prior to the service).

Burial will be in the Layton Township Cemetery, in Walnut.

MILDRED “JOY” SIEVERS is survived by:

Her sister-in-law: Arlene Sievers, of Walnut, many nieces and nephews.

Red Oak pair face felony burglary & other charges

News

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A man and a woman from Red Oak face felony Burglary and other charges, after police responded to a report of two subjects making a forced entry into a residence. Officials say 26-year old Christopher James Colebank and 24-year old Megan Renea Guffey, both of Red Oak, were charged with Burglary in the 3rd degree, a class-D felony, and a serious misdemeanor charge of Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. Colebank and Guffey were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond, each.

The pair were taken into custody at around 5:40-p.m.  One of the suspects was caught leaving the property in the 100 block of East Joy Street. The other was apprehended about a block away, on East Corning Street. Red Oak Police were assisted in making the arrests, by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Officials also thank the public for its assistance in nabbing the suspects.

 

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Mon., Oct. 21st 2013

Podcasts, Weather

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis/Weather.Net forecast for the KJAN listening area, and weather information for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson…

Play

Red Oak woman arrested Sunday night

News

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 10:40-p.m. Sunday, of a Red Oak woman. 37-year old Angela Elizabeth Baier was charged with Driving While License Revoked. Baier was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Cass County Public Safety/E-911 Boards to meet tonight

News

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The topic of privatizing Cass County’s 9-1-1 calling center operations will be the subject of two separate meetings tonight (Monday). The Cass County Public Safety Commission is set to take up the matter during their meeting, which begins at 5:30-p.m. in the Supervisor’s Board room at the Courthouse. And, the County E-911 Service Board will discuss the issue during their meeting at 7-p.m., in the same location.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors briefly discussed the possible privatization of 9-1-1 services during their meeting last Wednesday, in Atlantic. Board Chair Mark Wedemeyer said he had been looking into using the services of the Cranston, New Jersey-based iXP Corporation. Since many questions still remain regarding the potential use and cost of the service, and benefit or lack thereof to the County, no action was taken, and several more meetings are planned to discuss the privatization issue.

The Public Safety Board is also expected to discuss and possibly act on the proposed new communications center and location options, which includes the Cambridge Law firm building almost directly across the street from the courthouse, and a report on a tour of the Rutherford building at 2410 East 7th Street, as another possible site for a new comm. center.

Cass County 911 Director Rob Koppert will update the E-911 Service Board on the 911 system upgrade during their meeting tonight, along with information on the radio system upgrade and other matters.

The latest NWS forecast for the KJAN listening area (10/21/13)

Weather

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

343 AM CDT MON OCT 21 2013

EARLY THIS MORNING…PARTLY CLOUDY. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COOLER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTH WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. TUESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. WEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S.

Lights out on sections of I-29 in Council Bluffs

News

October 21st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Thieves have left motorists traveling along a nearly one-third mile stretch of Interstate 29 in the dark, in the Council Bluffs area. According to the Omaha World-Herald, authorities and Iowa Department of Transportation officials are frustrated by the covert theft of copper wiring from circuit boxes and other access points along the interstate, where thieves yank out as much as 300-or more feet of wire, causing street lights to go dark. About a dozen streetlights aren’t working because of the thefts. And, Council Bluffs Police have reported a spike in thefts of copper wiring and tubing from construction sites and vacant homes over the past few months. In some cases, two-to three-cases of theft are reported per day.

Jim Bane, DOT district maintenance manager for southwest Iowa told the paper the thieves typically strip the wire on site, hiding in bushes or under a bridge, then haul the copper away, leaving the rubber coating behind in the grass. Since July 1, 25,000 feet of wire had been stolen from lighting systems along Interstates in the Council Bluffs area.

With the wire valued at about $3 per foot, the thefts cost Iowa taxpayers roughly $75,000 just to buy new wire. The Department of Transportation does not know when the lights will be working again on I-29 between 25th and 28th Streets. The I-29/I-480 interchange just east of downtown Omaha was in the dark for several weeks recently after someone stole wire there. Those lights are back on…at least for now.

Officials think a person or persons with skills in electronics are responsible for the thefts, because of the high amount of voltage that passes through the wiring at street light sites. A person unfamiliar with how to handle up to 400 volts of energy is likely to be electrocuted. Transportation officials have installed tamper-resistant circuit box covers and taken other steps in an effort to curb the copper thefts, but the thefts continue.

About 3,000 feet of wire was stolen along I-29 near Nebraska Avenue on Wednesday night, leaving some lights out at the interchange near the Ameristar Casino Hotel.