United Group Insurance

Monday Atlantic Tennis Results

Sports

May 1st, 2012 by Jim Field

Girls at Atlantic — Shenandoah 9, Atlantic 0

Singles:
#1 Kimberly Graf 12 over Tori Dolch 11 10-0
#2 Mackenzie Johnson 12 over Leah Tjepkes 10 10-2
#3 Tarynne kinghorn 11 over Lexi Allen 10 10-3
#4 Ashton matheny 12 over Hope Bowker 11 10-4
#5 Emma Christensen 10 over Lisa Gearheart 10 10-4
#6 Jordan major 9 over Abby Johnson 11 10-1

Doubles:
#1 Graf/Major over Dolch/Allen 10-3
#2 Johnson/Christensen over Tjepkes/Bowker 10-2
#3 Kinghorn/Matheny over Gearheart/Libby Gifford 11 10-2

Coach Shawn Petersen Comments:
Shenandoah girls were the preseason favorite, in my mind to win conference — they have lost tight duals to both Red Oak and Denison, who are excellent teams as well, and proved to be very tough; i thought this was as well as the girls have played in some time — we kind of hit the wall last week and didn’t play very well vs Audubon and Red Oak.  The scores didn’t show it, but I was quite pleased with how well we competed on the day; Tori ran into the foreign exchange student from Switzerland, who is right up with any girl in the conference; Leah fought her backhand and serve a little bit, but kept battling against their very tough #2; Hope was up 4-1, then got off track and couldn’t right the ship; Lisa and Abby probably played as well as they have all year — I was very pleased with how they played in singles.  The girls are off until Saturday, when they will compete in the Des Moines Lincoln Invitational in Indianola.

Boys at Shen — Atlantic 7, Shenandoah 2

Singles:
#1 Mitch Leiferman 12 (A) over Jacob Holmes 11 (S) 10-3
#2 Tyler Fischer 11 (A) over Trent Turney 12 (S) 11-10 (7-1)
#3 Gunnar Blum 12 (A) over Bradley Young 10 (S) 10-2
#4 Kyle Fischer 11 (S) over Matt Cook 12 (A) 11-9
#5 Noah Welter 11 (A) over Ryan Niccoli 9 (S) 10-3
#6 Jake Arneson 10 (A) over Josh Miller 9 (S) 10-2

Doubles:
#1 Leiferman/Fischer (A) over Holmes/Turney (S) 10-2
#2 Young/Fischer (S) over Welter/Arneson 11-10 (7-1)
#3 Blum/Rob Nichols 12 (A) over Niccoli/Miller (S) 10-2

Coach Shawn Petersen Comments:
Shenandoah is a quality team — very tough at the top, and they’ve been playing well, knocking off Creston last week in a tight match that Creston probably should’ve won — nevertheless Creston handled us pretty easily earlier in the year, so to come out on top at Shen was probably our best win of the year; I anticipated perhaps a split in singles, and we were able to wrap up the dual in singles play — that’s something we haven’t done against a good opponent in some time; Mitch was down early and then got on a roll vs the very tough Holmes; Fischer probably got his signature win of his career against the big-hitting Turney — Tyler has been close and I was very proud of him — no one deserves a big win more than Tyler; Gunnar got us a key win at #3 — he got out to a big lead early and is learning how to finish now; Matt was down early, and then battled back but didn’t quite have enough for the win; Noah and Jake got us easy wins at 5 and 6, which they’ve done a good job of lately; in doubles, I though #1 was another swing match, and once we figured out their Australian-style of play, Tyler and Mitch dominated the match; Noah and Jake were up 9-6 and let their match get away — probably the only disappointment of the night — I would’ve liked a sweep in doubles — they need to keep working to finish matches.  Gunnar teamed up with Rob Nichols, and they played well and put away their younger inexperienced opponents.

Boys host Clarinda Friday in a make-up before competing Monday at Glenwood in Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast for Tue., May 1st 2012

Podcasts, Weather

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here’s the (podcast) forecast for the KJAN listening area & the weather stats for Atlantic….

Play

Pacific Junction woman cited in Red Oak fire truck accident

News

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County say a Mills County woman was responsible for a hit-and-run accident with a Red Oak Fire Department pickup Sunday night. Authorities Monday afternoon said an investigation determined 45-year old Lisa Annette French, of Pacific Junction, was the owner and operator of a dark colored sedan which struck the right side of a pickup driven by 24-year old Rudee DeMarce, of Red Oak, at around 9:30-p.m. Sunday. No injuries were reported following the collision. French left the scene of the accident. She was cited for Failure to have insurance (accident related), and following too closely. She was released from custody on those citations.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report also, 32-year old Renee Marie Owns, of Corning, was arrested at around 2:25-p.m., Monday, on a charge 5th degree theft, in association with an alleged shoplifting incident at the K-mart Store in Red Oak. Owens was released from custody on $300 cash bond.

ERMA W. HAEFLINGER, 100, of Audubon (Svcs. 5-2-12)

Obituaries

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ERMA W. HAEFLINGER, 100, of Audubon, died Sun., April 29th, at the Friendship Home in Audubon. Funeral services for ERMA HAEFLINGER will be held 1:30-p.m. Wed., May 2nd, at the 1st United Methodist Church in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is from 7-8:30pm Tue., May 1st.

Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon.

ERMA HAEFLINGER is survived by:

Her daughters – Ione (Charles) Hardy, of Clarksville; Jeanine (Francis) Franck, of Hideawat, TX; & Treva (Jerry) Jensen, of Audubon.

Her sister – Ethel Mack, of Audubon.

9 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

CONNIE JEAN JOHNSON, 53, of Brayton (Svcs. 5-3-12)

Obituaries

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

CONNIE JEAN JOHNSON, 53, of Brayton, died Sun., April 29th, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon. Funeral services for CONNIE JOHNSON will be held 10:30-a.m. Thu., May 3rd, at the Exira Lutheran Church. Kessler Funeral Home in Exira has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is from 5-8pm Wed., May 2nd.

Burial will be in the Exira Cemetery.

CONNIE JOHNSON is survived by:

Her husband – Gary Johnson, of Brayton.

Her children – Katie Johnson, of Exira, & Jacob Johnson, of Ames.

Her step-children: Julie Johnson, of Exira; Nick (Tyana) Johnson, of Rudd.

Her mother – Betty (Ken) Berg, of Shelby.

Her brother & sister – Rod Wede, of Audubon, & Donna & special friend Jeff Wickersham, of Cedar Falls.

1 step-grandson, other relatives & friends.

Forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: May 1st , 2012

Weather

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

349 AM CDT TUE MAY 1 2012 NWS/Des Moines

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. WARMER. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 80S.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S.

SATURDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S.

Food bank serving western Iowa reports increase in demand

News

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Despite reports the economy is improving, more people are being forced to seek out charities to feed themselves and their families. Brian Barks, spokesman for the Omaha-based Food Bank for the Heartland, says a new report shows a growing number of people in the 93 counties the agency serves are looking for help with hunger. “The statistics show there’s just over 208-thousand people who would be considered food insecure,” Barks says. “This represents about 12% of the people who live in that 93-county area, which encompasses 77 counties in Nebraska and 16 in western Iowa.”

The food bank distributed ten-million pounds of food in 2011 — a ten-percent increase from 2009. Both Iowa and Nebraska have relatively low unemployment rates, but Barks says that doesn’t begin to tell the full story. “What we have a problem with here in Nebraska and western Iowa, along with the rest of the country, is under-employment,” Barks says. “We have folks who may’ve had a couple of jobs, now just have one. We have folks who may’ve lost a job that have taken a job but are making far less money than they did previously.” He says a recent trip to the Nebraska communty of Grand Island shows there is a need for services in the more rural areas of the state.

“We weren’t sure exactly how many people were going to show up,” Barks says. “Four-hundred-and-fifty showed up and we took somewhere in the vicinity of 10-thousand pounds of food and we ran out of food and actually had to turn some people away.” Learn about how you can donate food, funds or time at the website: “omahafoodbank.org”.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Iowa early News Headlines: Tuesday, May 1st 2012

News

May 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Ankeny police are looking for suspects who fired on the police station over the weekend, hitting the building with several rounds. Police Chief Gary Mikulec says shots were fired from a street Saturday night into early Sunday. No one was injured. Mikulec says building video tapes are being reviewed to determine the exact time of the shooting. Bullets were recovered in the second-floor lobby of the police station, which is occupied around the clock. Mikulec says the trajectory and pattern of the gunfire show it was clearly aimed at the building.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors are being defensive about their use of an obscure law to indict two recreational Iowa pilots whose low flying may have disturbed thousands of resting migratory birds. Paul Austin and Craig Martin are charged with violating the Airborne Hunting Act. Prosecutors say they flew separate small planes 20 feet above Saylorville Lake last November, causing a large group of waterfowl and white pelicans to take flight. Prosecutors say they violated the law, which prohibits using an aircraft to harass animals. Austin and Martin are asking a judge to dismiss the indictment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad wants lawmakers to approve changes to Iowa’s property tax system. He says if lawmakers adjourn without passing a property tax bill, it would be a “tragic disservice” to Iowans. The governor is proposing an across-the-board cut of 40 percent in business property taxes over eight years, while Senate Democrats wanted a much smaller reduction aimed at small businesses. Lawmakers were scheduled to end the session on April 17.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state is balking at funding the removal of small dams that are in place on rivers throughout Iowa and have been blamed for the deaths of 18 people since 1998. The Des Moines Register reports that since 2008, the state has spent from $200,000 to $1.8 million a year to replace or lower such dams. Governor Terry Branstad vetoed a spending measure last year. Lawmakers haven’t approved any money for the task this year.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A woman convicted of stealing more than $537,000 while working in the Black Hawk County Clerk of Courts office has been given parole. That after serving about 70 days of her 10-year prison sentence. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier says the prison release of Tina Zieser surprised Black Hawk County’s chief prosecutor. Parole officials say Zieser is considered a low risk to reoffend and poses no safety threat to the public. She remains on parole until August 2016.

Paving around Lake Anita State Park is almost complete & other area trail news

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Persons attending the Bike and Trails Expo in Atlantic Monday night heard some exciting news with regard to a trail around the Lake Anita State Park. Wendy Wittrock, with the group “Friends of Lake Anita State Park,” said work is about to begin on paving the trail. Wittrock said the contractor is on site, and will be completing the paving of the trail, which will mean 3.3-miles of the trail will be paved altogether, with another seven-tenths of a mile on a roadway. Wittrock encourages everyone to bring their bikes to the Lake area soon, because “you’re really gonna like the new trail.”

Another trail under development is the “Little Mermaid Trail,” which will connect Elk Horn and Kimballton. Bob Mortensen, co-chair of the Little Mermaid Trail Committee, said their current project includes paving of the “Friendship Walk,” which leads from the Bedstemor’s House in Elk Horn, to the Danish Immigrant Museum. Mortensen said they’ll be opening bids for the project this week. He says as part of the fundraising effort for the project, on Monday, May 7th, they will hold an all-you can eat mexican taco bar, for your free will donation. He says “You’ll have to go see the Mermaid for the margaritas.” The cost of the drinks are extra. For more information, go to www.danishvillages.com.

And, Debbie Copic, Chairperson of the 4th Annual “Tour de Tivoli” bike ride May 27th (Memorial Day weekend), announced that there will be two routes this year for that event. The standard route is 26-miles, and will pass by Prairie Rose State Park onto Highway 44 into Kimballton. The longer route is 50-miles, and includes a loop to Hamlin on the T-Bone Trail into Exira and then into Elk Horn. The event coincides with the Annual Tivoli Fest celebration, May 27th and 28th.

The pre-registration deadline for a one-of-a-kind jersey, or t-shirt on the day of the ride, is this Friday, April 27th. For more information, call Deb Copic at 712-249-7257, or e-mail debbiecopic@gmail.com. The registration fee prior is $20 for the ride alone, or $30, which includes a t-shirt, SAG stations & refreshments, chances to win door prizes, and a meal, along with free entertainment at the Danish Windmill. $60 registers you for the ride, and includes the jersey, which features the 2012 Tivoli Fest logo and theme, “A Burst of Tivoli Fest.” The jersey will cost $65 on the day of ride.

Huge crowd at Bike and Trails expo in Atlantic, Monday

News

April 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A crowd of more than 115-people packed a section of the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic Monday evening, during the Bike and Trails Expo. Those in attendance learned about bike trail development in the area, along with the potential for economic development and wellness benefits.

Mark Wyatt with the IA Bicycle Coalition speaks in Atlantic

The evening began with guest speaker Mark Wyatt, from Iowa City, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. Wyatt said bicycling has a huge economic impact on the state, as determined by a study conducted with the assistance of the University of Northern Iowa.

The study found bicycling has a $364.6-million dollar impact on spending in Iowa, which Wyatt said is three-times the impact of the wine industry, four-times the impact of snowmobiling. The numbers he said are “conservative,” and didn’t account for out of state travelers, and it even rivaled golf, as a leisure time activity. The study also collected health information from bicyclists, and by comparing the health of those bicyclists to insurance data, it showed a $73-million dollar health care cost savings. Wyatt said there’s still more work to do though, in the area of bicycle safety.

Ed Kail with the Nishna Valley Trails group, said to encourage bicycle safety, especially among young people, the Atlantic Police Department under the direction of Chief Steve Green, is offering rewards young people who wear a helmet. Kail said during the month of June, Officers with the A-PD who catch a young person wearing a bike helmet will stop them, and offer reward ticket for ice cream. The reward is partially funded by the Trevor Frederickson Foundation. In addition, the Police Department is conducting a “Safe Riding” reward program, because the Chief has been disappointed at the number of kids who are not wearing a helmet. When an officer catches a young person riding safely, that persons name will be taken down and handed in to Chief Green, who will draw two names at the end of the summer. Those two persons will win a new bike, purchased with funds from the Police Youth Fund.

In other developments, NVT President Dave Chase announced progress is being made on the efforts to link-up the Schildberg Quarry Recreation Area in Atlantic with the Atlantic Baseball Complex just east of the KJAN Studios on North Olive Street. Chase said despite some “bumps” last year in getting permission from a local land owner to connect the trail, they have since agreed to allow that to proceed. The trails group Chase said, has re-instituted a study to establish a pedestrian bridge across Troublesome Creek. Sndyer and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm reminded the audience that the City of Atlantic and Nishna Valley Trails combined forces, and were the recipients of a enhancement grant from the Iowa Dept. of Transportation, for the preliminary and final design phases of the pedestrian bridge across Troublesome Creek. He says those plans are now back on track. Sturm says they should receive authorization later on this Summer to proceed with the design, which includes the hydrology of the creek, and the expected level of traffic on the bridge. That study should be completed in the Fall, and from there Sturm says, “It’s hurry up and wait for more grants” until it can be built.