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Record setting temps end in Atlantic

News, Weather

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The first three days of this week saw record breaking temperatures set in Atlantic, but there’s little liklihood today will come close to the record high for this date. Wednesday’s high in Atlantic was 60, which broke the old record of 58, set back in 1987. Today’s record high was 66, in 1992, but the forecast only calls for a high of around 56-degrees.

A major change in the weather is set to take place late Friday night into Saturday night, as a snowstorm sets its sights on Nebraska and Western Iowa. Right now, it appears snowfall amounts will range from 4-to 7-inches, but that could change, depending on the track of the storm, and how late the rain we get on Friday, changes to snow.

A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect for most of the listening area, from late Friday night into Saturday night. Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate Friday night, with reduced visibilities due to blowing heavy snow, and slushy road conditions.

Oakland-Riverside Voters head to the polls Tuesday

News

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Patrons of the Oakland-Riverside School District will be heading to the polls next Tuesday, to vote on a $13.3-million bond issue. Jim Sutton, Superintendent at Oakland-Riverside said if approved, funds raised by the sale of bonds, would be used for a project that’s very similar to one proposed last Spring, which calls for the combining of their educational centers located in Oakland, Carson and Macedonia, into one building. Sutton said getting to this point has been a multi-year process. He says the Riverside School Board opted for another bond issue attempt because 53 percent of the voters supported the project last time around. According to Sutton, there would be a cost savings of close to $250,000 per year, by combining the educational centers. Those savings he says, could be used to pay for additional teachers. 

While the total cost of the project is around $21.6-million, Sutton says there will be $2.5-million in savings. He says there is also a little under $6-million which will be borrowed from the remaining sales tax that’s available. The district’s taxpayers will likely see an increase of $2.70 per thousand dollars taxable valuation, which will generate the $13.3-million dollars to pay for the project. Sutton says if you have a $100,000 home, it will cost about $11 more per month in taxes, or about $134 per year, to pay for the bonds, or about $2.25 more per acre of agricultural land. He says there are only six school districts across the State of Iowa with a lower tax asking rate than the Oakland-Riverside District, which is currently at $10.19 per thousand dollars assessed valuation.

Sutton says with interest rates at historically low levels, now is the prime time to lock in the bids for any new construction, and because the builders are being very competitive. At a public meeting held January 23rd, it was pointed out that the district has the money now to build the project as proposed, but it will not be able to have that money if it continues to spend sales tax money to add new roofs and elevators to outdated buildings that are landlocked, and it will add extra costs to the district in various other ways.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Feb. 2nd, 2012

Podcasts, Weather

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic, and the KJAN listening area, plus the weather stats for Atlantic.

Play

ROGER L. RUBEL, 72, of Audubon (Svcs 2-4-12)

Obituaries

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ROGER L. RUBEL, 72, of Audubon, died Tue., Jan. 31st, at the Exira Care Center. Funeral services for ROGER RUBEL will be held 2-p.m. Sat., Feb. 4th, at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Audubon. Hockenberry-England Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

An open visitation (without the family present) will be held from 4-7pm Fri., Feb. 3rd.

Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the 1st Presbyterian Church in Audubon.

ROGER RUBEL is survived by:

His Mother – Wilma Rubel, of Audubon.

His brother – Darrell (Paula) Rubel, of Hailey, ID.

Clarinda woman to appear in court on theft charges

News

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A Clarinda woman accused of taking nearly $30,000 from the Clarinda High School Booster Club over a three-year period, is scheduled to appear in court Monday, for an arraignment hearing. 51-year-old Cynthia Ann Gerdts, faces a felony charge of 1st Degree Theft.  Gerdts, who was previously employed at the Page County Federal Savings Association, and served as the Booster Club’s treasurer, allegedly used a number of elaborate techniques to embezzle the money. Her pre-trial hearing will take place March 5th,  with the trial set for April 10th. If convicted on the charge , Gerdts could get up to 10 years in prison and have to pay a $10,000 fine.

Forecast for Cass & surrounding counties on Thu., Feb. 2nd 2012

Weather

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

423 AM CST THU FEB 2 2012 NWS/Des Moines

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR MOST OF THE KJAN LISTENING AREA (Cass, Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Shelby & Union Counties)

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. NOT AS COOL. LOW IN THE MID 30S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…RAIN…BREEZY…COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. EAST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN NEAR 100 PERCENT.

FRIDAY NIGHT…RAIN THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN SNOW AND RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. LOW AROUND 30. NORTHEAST WIND 20 TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION NEAR 100 PERCENT.

SATURDAY...SNOW…BREEZY…COLDER. MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. NORTHEAST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW NEAR 100 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOW IN THE MID 20S.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW. HIGH IN THE MID 30S.

(updated 5-a.m.) Winter Storm Could Bring 6 or more inches of snow to the listening area

News

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of southwest, western and northwestern Iowa. The watch covers Cass, Adair, Adams, Audubon, Crawford, Carroll, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Union Counties in our listening area, and will be in effect from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon in northwest Iowa, and Saturday evening in western/southwest Iowa. The forecast calls for up to six-inches of snow in the southwest counties, with six or more inches possible in the western/west central and northwest counties of the state.

Rain with mix with and change over to all snow Friday night, and continue through the day on Saturday, before ending Saturday night. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, according to forecasters, as to the exact track of the storm, when the rain will change to snow Friday night. The sooner the rain changes to snow, the greater the snowfall accumulations will be. If the changeover is delayed, lesser amounts of snow are expected.

Travel is expected to become difficult Friday night, with heavy snow, and winds of up to 25-miles per hour, reducing visibilities and making for slippery travel conditions. Stay alert for further weather statements on this

Winter Storm Watch in effect late Friday into Sat. for parts of western IA

Weather

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…

COUNTIES AFFECTED IN WESTERN IA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY- FREMONT

…POTENTIAL WINTER STORM HEADED TOWARD REGION…

RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY…ENDING SATURDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER IS POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA.

THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM SYSTEM. IN ADDITION…THERE IS ALSO  UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHEN THE RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE SOONER RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW THE HIGHER THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE. IF THE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IS DELAYED…LOWER SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL BE EXPECTED.

ONCE THE RAIN DOES CHANGE TO SNOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT…TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT. DUE TO THE WET NATURE OF THE SNOW…ROAD SURFACES WILL BECOME SLUSHY MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT. HEAVY SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL ALSO LEAD TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

 

LAURA “LILLIAN” LANDIS, 93, of Griswold (Svcs 2-7-12)

Obituaries

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

LAURA “LILLIAN” LANDIS, 93, of Griswold, died Wed., Feb. 1st, at the Griswold Care Center in Griswold. Funeral Services  for LILLIAN LANDIS will be held on Tue., Feb. 7th, at 11:00-AM, at the Griswold United Methodist Church.Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

There will be an open visitation at the funeral home: on Monday (2/6) until noon. Open visitation will continue at the Griswold United Methodist Church after 1:00 PM. Visitation with the family will be from 5-7 PM at the Griswold United Methodist Church on Monday; Visitation with the family will continue on Tuesday morning, at the Griswold United Methodist Church starting at 9:30 AM until the time of the service.

Interment will be at the Whipple Cemetery, West of Griswold.

A memorial fund has been established.

LAURA LANDIS is survived by:

Her husband Clarence Landis, of Griswold, IA.

Her children and spouses:   Laura Amos and husband Milton of Griswold, IA, Sharon Kettelsen and husband Steve of Verdon, NE, Bill Landis and wife Jo of Sycamore, IL, and Marilyn Swanson and husband Don of Omaha, NE.

10 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends, especially the many great care givers at the Griswold Care Center.

Iowa tops Minnesota 63-59

Sports

February 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — For about 37 minutes, Iowa and Minnesota played a weird game that leaned slightly toward the Gophers. Then Devyn Marble took over, providing an emphatic finish to a game that wasn’t clear until the final seconds. Senior Matt Gatens scored 18 points, Marble added 12 and Iowa rallied to beat Minnesota 63-59 on Wednesday night and snap a three-game losing streak. Marble keyed Iowa’s 9-0 run to close the game, following a 3-pointer with an emphatic one-handed dunk to tie the game at 59 with 1:43 left. Bryce Cartwright gave the Hawkeyes (12-11, 4-6 Big Ten) the lead with a pair of free throws, and Gatens hit an easy layup off a Marble feed with eight seconds left to seal the victory. Minnesota (16-7, 4-6) lost despite shooting 10 of 19 from 3-point range. Ralph Sampson III had 13 to lead the Gophers, who lost for just the second time in six games.