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O’Henry Bars (1-17-12)

Mom's Tips

January 17th, 2012 by Jim Field

  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup light Karo

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Combine in glass dish 3 to 4 minutes oatmeal and margarine.  Microwave 3 to 4 minutes.  Add brown sugar and Karo; microwave 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  Put into greased pan (10 x 6 inch glass dish).  Put topping in microwave 2 minutes and put on top of bars.  Refrigerate until set.

Wild Rice Soup (1-17-12)

Mom's Tips

January 17th, 2012 by Jim Field

  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1/2 lb. bacon
  • 1/2 cup chopped ham
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup grated carrots
  • 1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms
  • 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth (or use chicken bullion cubes and water)
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Wash rice.  Boil rice for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Fry bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan, drain and crumble.  Use 3 tablespoons drippings.  Saute celery and onion until tender.  Blend in flour; gradually add broth.  Stir in rice and mushrooms, grated carrots, chopped ham, bacon and mushroom soup.  Dilute with some milk, if you desire.

 

Atlantic Parks and Rec Board approves Capital Improvement Program Plan

News

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors Monday evening approved a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan for Fiscal Year 2013, which begins on July 1st, amounting to about $556,500. The funds would come mostly from bonds and the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), along with other sources, such as grants. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring provided a break-down of the costs and related projects.  The most expensive part of the CIP is a new $246,000, 4,000 square foot Park Maintenance Building, which would tentatively be situated south the of skate park, but the location itself has not been finalized.

Conceptual drawing of the proposed Park & Rec Maintenance Bldg.

The building, according to Herring would be larger than the current building, and last some 20-to 30-years. He said it would not be “luxurious,” but functional and handicapped accessible. He says it would house the Park Director’s office, a uni-sex restroom, a climate-controlled shop, four-garage doors, and storage area. The building would also be connected to water and electricity, which is something the current building does not have. A majority of the funding for the building would come from the Capital Improvements fund (i.e. bonding). Approximately $10,000 would come from the Local Option Sales Tax fund.

Another part of the CIP plan calls for a new fence around the Sunnyside Park softball field, along with fabric for a backstop. That, along with regrading of the infields, would cost about about $23,000 altogether. Herring said there may be opportunities for cost-sharing with Frederickson Foundation, as well.  The CIP plan also includes reconstruction of the tennis courts at Sunnyside Park. Herring says at least two of the courts are “unplayable”, as far as tournament play is concerned, due to hazardous cracks. Herring says he will meet with Atlantic School District officials next week to discuss cost-sharing on the project. The projected cost of the project is $235,00. The City of Atlantic, according to Herring will likely bond for $92,000. He hopes the district is willing to pay an equal share. An additional $50,000 is available from the U-S Tennis Association. The tennis court project would not include work on the restrooms.

Other projects the Park and Rec Board approved as part of their Capital Improvement Plan, include replacement, grading and widening of a full length section of sidewalk in the Atlantic City Park, along Poplar Street, and the repair of a portion of the “spoke” sidewalk from the northwest corner of the park toward the center of the park. The project is expected to cost $25,000, and would be included in the bond package. The CIP also includes work on a walkway and shelter at Holt Park, which is located between 17th and 14th Streets, on Olive Street. The $4,000 pricetag would be paid for using LOST monies.  And finally, Herring said he wants to include in the CIP, the repair and enclosing of the ends to the half-pipe at the Sunnyside Park skateboard area. It’s expected that will cost about $7,000, which will come from the Local Option Sales Tax fund.

The Board will present its CIP to the City Council during its meeting Wednesday evening.  In other business, the Parks and Rec Board approved renewing a contract with the Nishna Valley YMCA, for their various parks and rec programs. The annual fee of $10,300 is unchanged from last year. Part of that money is used to pay the Sunnyside Pool Manager. Speaking of the Sunnyside Pool, Herring said the CIP includes $16,500 for improvements such as new chairs and/or lounge chairs, umbrellas for tables around the pool, and for the life guard stands, new lighting in the shower areas, and upgrades to the locker rooms. Herring says $5,000 would come from bonds to pay for the project, while the remaining $11,500 would come out of the LOST.

Tonight (Jan. 17th) on KJAN – Iowa vs. Purdue in Men’s Hoops

Sports

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Hawkeyes are looking for their third Big Ten road victory in four tries when they take on Purdue this evening at Mackey Arena. The Hawks have won at Wisconsin and Minnesota. Tonight’s game will be their first return game with a conference opponent this season. Purdue won 79-76 in Iowa City in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 28th, with Robbie Hummel leading the way with 16-points and 11-rebounds. Purdue swept the season series with Iowa three times in the last four years. The Boilermakers have lost two of their last three games, the latest a 67-62 setback to Wisconsin at home. Iowa has defended the three-point line well in its three Big Ten victories, holding opponents to 15 of 82 (18.3%) from long range in those games.

Pre-game coverage on the Hawkeye Radio Network begins at 6-p.m., with the tip-off at 7, here on KJAN.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast for Tue., Jan. 17, 2012

Podcasts, Weather

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

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

Play

Corps of Engineers: Missouri River levees in “critical condition”

News

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Missouri River levees that were damaged by last year’s floodwaters remain vulnerable, with spring a little over two months away. Congress has appropriated money for emergency repairs and more money is promised. Colonel Robert Ruch, Commander of the U-S Army Corps of Engineers’ Omaha District, says they’re focused on repairing the critical sections of levee first.  “Most of those levees held up very well through the flood of 2011,” Colonel Ruch says. “We know where our greatest weaknesses are and that’s where we’re putting our greatest strength.” Floodwaters breeched some levees in western Iowa and eastern Nebraska, damaged others, and put great strain on all the levees downstream. Ruch says it will take months to restore the basin’s levee system to where it was in early 2011.

“We probably need a full year to get things completely restored back to pre-flood conditions,” Ruch says. “We have ideas as to what the critical things are that need to be ready for as early as March 1st, when we consider the runoff season to begin and where we could be in some danger of rising waters.” Kim Thomas, chief of the Corps’ “Readiness Branch” in Omaha, acknowledges the Missouri River levee system remains vulnerable.  “Those levees are definitely in critical condition,” Thomas says. “We’ll get them closed up. We’ll get the bridges closed up. We’ll get all the critical repairs done but there’s still a lot to go there. We have a lot of seepage concerns that we have to go through and get geotech investigation on, do analysis, do design.” Thomas says the first order of business is to repair the sections of levee that are most severely damaged.

“Those pieces will be fixed,” she says. “It’s the under-foundation seepage issues that require extensive analysis and that takes time.” Some estimates indicate it could be late this year or even 2013 before repairs to the levee system are complete.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

NWS Forecast for Tue., Jan. 17, 2012 – Cass & area counties in IA

Weather

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

356 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012

TODAY…CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW THROUGH MID MORNING…THEN MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. BREEZY. MUCH COLDER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. COLDER. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. WEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW 10 TO 15. WEST WIND AROUND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH AROUND 20. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOW 10 TO 15. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S.

FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 15 TO 20. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

Beltran Pickup Gets Big Thumbs Up From Team

Sports

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — No St. Louis Cardinals player can be happier to have Carlos Beltran on their side than pitcher Kyle Lohse. The new right fielder is a .564 career hitter against Lohse with four home runs, six doubles and 12 RBIs. Add in 11 walks and the switch-hitting Beltran has a stunning .647 on-base percentage. Lohse, a 14-game winner last year, joked at the team’s Winter Warmup that Beltran was the greatest player in history. The 34-year-old Beltran got a two-year, $26 million free agent deal after a strong comeback season with the Mets and Giants, rebounding from two injury-plagued years. The Beltran pickup helps the World Series champions move on from the loss of Albert Pujols. The title team, minus Pujols, will be honored at the White House on Tuesday.

Monday High School Basketball Results

Sports

January 17th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

BOYS BASKETBALL
  • Lewis Central 63, Thomas Jefferson 48
  • East Sac County 66, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 44
  • IKM-Manning 56, Coon Rapids-Bayard 51
GIRLS BASKETBALL
  • Lewis Central 52, Iowa School for the Deaf 18
  • Abraham Lincoln 63, St. Albert 47
  • East Sac County 75, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 45
  • West Monona 52, Woodbine 45
  • Clarke 52, Creston 47
Corner Conference Tournament
First Round
  • Villisca 50, Sidney 29
  • Fremont-Mills 40, Clarinda Academy 18
  • Stanton 57, East Mills 29
  • Nishnabotna 49, Essex 41

    Special Weather Statement for parts of west central/Central IA

    Weather

    January 16th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

    ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD COUNTIES

    934 PM CST MON JAN 16 2012

    …SNOW HEADING INTO IOWA OVERNIGHT…

    AN AREA OF SNOW WILL DEVELOP TO THE WEST OF IOWA AND OVERSPREAD A LARGE PART OF SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL…AND NORTHEAST IOWA OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN AREA OF SNOW WILL BEGIN OVER SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA AROUND MIDNIGHT…AND SPREAD TO THE NORTHEAST COUNTIES BY 3 OR 4 AM. THE SNOW WILL END WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 BEFORE SUNRISE…AND OVER NORTHEAST IOWA BY MID MORNING. TOTAL NEW SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE ONE TO THREE INCH RANGE…WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

    NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 30 MPH…RESULTING IN DRIFTING OF THE SNOW…ALONG WITH  PATCHY BLOWING SNOW LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY.