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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – A jury in Davenport will soon start deliberations on the case against the man accused of murdering 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts nearly three years ago as she was jogging in her hometown. It comes a day after Cristhian Bahena Rivera testified that he did not kill Tibbetts and claimed two masked men forced him to participate in the crime. Prosecutor Scott Brown delivered closing arguments this (Thursday) morning.
Brown spoke to the jury for an hour. Shortly after 11 o’clock, Bahena’s defense attorney started his closing arguments. Chad Frese asked the jury not to seek vengeance for Tibbetts, but to apply logic to what they heard in court and make a judgement based on the facts presented. Frese suggested Bahena had been spoon fed a confession and investigators had not followed leads on other suspects.
(check back for updates throughout the day)
Atlantic, IA – The Cass Health Foundation recently awarded the Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarships. The recipients are McKenzie Waters, Jennifer Steffens, and Genevieve Martinez.
The Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarship was established through the generosity and careful planning of these two life-long Cass County residents. The Hansen’s believed in higher education, so much so that over 70% of their estate was bequeathed for that purpose, including a gift to the Cass Health Foundation.
Under the supervision and guidance of the Cass Health Foundation, scholarship opportunities are provided yearly. As per the Hansens’ wishes, scholarship candidates must have graduated from a Cass County high school and be enrolled in and accepted to an accredited nursing or medical doctor school pursing a degree as LPN, RN, BSN or MD.
Exira-EHK High School Administrative Assistant Jan Greving, today (Thursday), released to the media the name of 2020-21 Exira Middle/High School Honor Roll students. The 2nd Quarter/4th Semester lists follows, below:
2nd Semester HS Honor Roll High Honor Roll (3.50 and above)
Seniors
Hunter Andersen Madison Carey Wyatt Fahn Imagen Gessert Tatum Grubbs Madison Larsen Brooklin Marxen Mia Muller Camryn Paulsen Blake Petersen Tyler Petersen Reid Schlueter |
Juniors
Justice Doherty Macy Emgarten Brody Haag Ashley Hansen Kate Hansen Jack LaCanne Davis Larsen Easton McCarthy Alisa Partridge Mollie Rasmussen
|
Sophomores
Katie Andersen Shay Burmeister Madelyn Christensen Joshua Despenas Quinn Grubbs McKenna Larsen Easton Nelson Ella Petersen Trey Petersen Makenzie Riley Molly Schneider |
Freshmen
Hailey Berns Emily Bricker Aiden Flathers Gemini Goodwin Jameson Kilworth Hannah Nelson Jaiden Pettepier Hailie Snider Eric Wilson |
Honor Roll (3.0-3.49)
seniors
Alexa Andersen Claire Schlueter |
Juniors
Haley Harris Aiden Potts
|
sophomores
Gavin Bengard Cole Fahn Jessi Marshall Braxton Marxen Madison Miller Colby Smith Shayle Young |
freshmen
Kenyen Bolin Cash Emgarten Jonas LaCanne Desiree Lopez Myrna Schneider Mariah Traver |
2nd Semester JH Honor Roll
HIGH HONOR ROLL
(3.50 and above) Brylie Andersen Mara Christensen Augustus Greving Owen Juhl Josten Kilworth Sophie Kitelinger Jakob LaCanne Austin Rasmussen Ries Andersen Gracie Bartz Hailey Bieker Jasmine Doherty Harlee Fahn Alex Hansen Levi Jessen Mayne Jorgensen Gideon King Irelynd McCarthy Bella Muller Gracie Olsen Shelbi Partridge Anna Potts Jacey Smith |
HONOR ROLL
(3.0-3.49) Bryce Brabham Graic Hill-Borger Isabelle Thibodeaux Edyn Halterman Cannon Hansen Hannah Jensen
|
4th Quarter HS Honor Roll High Honor Roll (3.50 and above)
Seniors
Hunter Andersen Madison Carey Wyatt Fahn Imagen Gessert Tatum Grubbs Madison Larsen Brooklin Marxen Mia Muller Camryn Paulsen Blake Petersen Tyler Petersen Claire Schlueter Reid Schlueter |
Juniors
Justice Doherty Macy Emgarten Brody Haag Ashley Hansen Kate Hansen Davis Larsen Easton McCarthy Alisa Partridge Mollie Rasmussen
|
Sophomores
Katie Andersen Shay Burmeister Madelyn Christensen Joshua Despenas Quinn Grubbs McKenna Larsen Easton Nelson Ella Petersen Trey Petersen Makenzie Riley Molly Schneider
|
Freshmen
Hailey Berns Emily Bricker Cash Emgarten Aiden Flathers Gemini Goodwin Jameson Kilworth Hannah Nelson Jaiden Pettepier Hailie Snider Eric Wilson |
Honor Roll (3.0-3.49)
Seniors
Alexa Andersen |
Juniors
Jack LaCanne Trisha Nichols Aiden Potts |
Sophomores
Gavin Bengard Cole Fahn Braxton Marxen Madison Miller Colby Smith |
Freshmen
Kenyen Bolin Kolten Christensen Jordan Jensen Jonas LaCanne Desiree Lopez Myrna Schneider Mariah Traver |
4th Quarter JH Honor Roll
HIGH HONOR ROLL
(3.50 and above) Brylie Andersen Mara Christensen Augustus Greving Owen Juhl Josten Kilworth Sophie Kitelinger Austin Rasmussen Ries Andersen Gracie Bartz Hailey Bieker Jasmine Doherty Harlee Fahn Alex Hansen Mayne Jorgensen Irelynd McCarthy Bella Muller |
HONOR ROLL
(3.0-3.49) Bryce Brabham Isabelle Thibodeaux Cannon Hansen Levi Jessen Gideon King Gracie Olsen Shelbi Partridge Anna Potts
|
After being canceled last-year due to concerns over COVID-19, the 41st Annual TivoliFest will take place Friday and Saturday, May 28th and 29th, in the western Iowa Danish communities of Elk Horn and Kimballton. Lisa Steen-Riggs, event organizer, says the event is being dubbed “TivoliFest Lite.”
Some of Sunday’s events were moved to Saturday, but there were still be a tractor drive Sunday morning there are still many things to see and do. Things get started Friday afternoon, when the Iowa Beer Tent arrives in Elk Horn, and culminates with a big fireworks show Saturday night. Steen-Riggs said people come in from all over the country to explore their Danish heritage.
TivoliFest features bands and other forms of musical entertainment, to name a few.
The Museum of Danish America will have free admission from 10-a.m., until 4-p.m., both days, there’s a Viking Encampment with demonstrations, a working blacksmith shop and wood working area, as well as axe throwing. For more information on the events in Elk Horn and Kimballton, go to: https://www.danishwindmill.com/event/tivoli-fest-2021/ or follow Tivoli Fest Elk Horn Iowa, on Facebook.
(Radio Iowa) – A pedestrian walking on Interstate 80 near Des Moines was killed by a car early this (Thursday) morning. The state patrol says the unidentified woman was walking in the traffic lane near mile marker 142 in Altoona when she was struck and killed around 4:15 A-M. No charges are filed against the motorist.
It’s the second time this month a woman has been hit and killed as she walked along a Des Moines metro area interstate. Thirty-eight-year-old Stephanie Waddell of Oskaloosa died on May 9th when she was hit along I-35 in West Des Moines. This week, 19-year-old Frank Davidson of Earlham was arrested on multiple charges in Waddell’s death.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The building that has housed the Coca-Cola Center and Museum in Atlantic since 2011, and was owned by Margaret Slepsky, was closed in 2020 in-part, due to concerns over COVID. The virus, and Margaret’s passing in June 2020 took a toll on the ability of museum volunteers maintain the collection, which was available to view through free-will donations. In addition, the family has other plans for the building.
As a result of the closing, items in the museum at 207 Chestnut Street will be sold-off Friday and Saturday, as part of the City-wide garage sale. Museum volunteer Christi Garrett says many Coke collectors have loaned items to the museum, and those have been returned, but other items that were donated, will be available for sale.
Items small and large will be available for you purchase during the garage sale.
Museum volunteer Charlene Johnson said there will also be a table with non-Coke related items, with low prices.
All of the display cases and shelving, anything museum relates, will be available for purchase. The sale takes place Friday, from 1-p.m. to 6-p.m., and Saturday, from 8-a.m. to 1-p.m. There are four rooms and hallways to view and purchase. And, the Atlantic Kiwanis will honor Margaret Slepsky, by having their food trailer set-up, with light snacks and hot food available. All proceeds will be directed toward scholarships. The idea for the Atlantic Coca-Cola Center and Museum started as a way to promote Atlantic, enlarging on an already existing annual festival: Coca Cola Days, which brings Coca Cola collectors from all over on the fourth weekend of September.
Maps for the rest of the City-wide garage sale are available at all three Atlantic Casey’s, Olsen’s BP, Fareway, Hy-Vee and the Chamber.
(Radio Iowa) – Fire departments from eight northwest Iowa communities battled a fire last (Wednesday) night that destroyed a factory near Orange City. The Kiezer Aluminum Wheel Company makes high performance aluminum wheels used primarily for race cars. The fire started at about 9:30 p.m. and firefighters were at the scene for more than four hours. Orange City Fire Chief Denny Vander Wel says he isn’t certain as to what may have caused the fire, but he estimates damage to be in excess of four million dollars with the building and manufacturing contents all destroyed.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests and one minor injury accident. Authorities say last Sunday (May 23), 29-year-old Samuel Daniel Martinez-Alvarado, of Atlantic,was arrested on a Cass County warrant for failure to appear. Martinez-Alvarado was transported to the Cass County Jail, and later posted bond. On May 22nd, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28-year-old Alexandria Aquailia Knapp, of Exira, on a charge of OWI 1st offense. Knapp was transported to Cass County Jail and later released on her own recognizance.
On Monday, May 24th, at around 3:50-p.m., Cass County Deputies responded to an accident in the 59000 block of Highway 83, near Marne. Authorities says Donald Albert Ward, of Lewis, was traveling westbound, driving a 2007 Ford F150, when he looked down to reach for a cell phone. When Ward failed to negotiate a curve, his pickup entered the north ditch and rolled over before coming to rest. Ward suffered minor injuries. He refused medical attention.
(Updated) The Iowa Department of Public Health, today (Thursday), said there were 128 new COVID-19 positive tests reported since 10-a.m. Wednesday, and five additional deaths. The latest numbers include one additional death in each of Guthrie and Pottawattamie Counties, where the pandemic total is 32 and 171, respectively. The health department reported 401,432 total positive tests, and 6,044 total deaths since the start of the pandemic, including 2,364 at Long-Term Care facilities. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is 2.7%. The 7-day average is down to 2.4%.
There are 120 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Iowa reports 31 patients in ICU, 23 COVID patients were admitted, and 16 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are: seven patients hospitalized with COVID or symptoms of the virus; three people with COVID are in an ICU; There was one person admitted, and no one on a ventilator.
There remain three long-term care facilities that are reporting active COVID-19 outbreaks. The latest is a facility in Cerro Gordo County. The other two facilities (as previously reported) are in Pottawattamie and Wright Counties. Health officials say there are a total of 22 positive cases among patients/staff at the three facilities, and four persons who have recovered from the virus.
In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,473 cases; 54 deaths
Adair, 991; 32
Adams, 352; 4
Audubon, 537; 10
Guthrie, 1,307; 32
Harrison County, 1,931; 73
Madison County, 1,781; 19
Mills County, 1,796; 23
Montgomery, 1,112; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,299;171
Shelby County, 1,372; 37
Union County, 1,370; 34