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Minden Mayor issues a plea for federal assistance

News

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

MINDEN, Iowa [KETV] — The mayor of Minden, Iowa, says funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, can’t come fast enough. Last Thursday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds requested an expedited Presidential Disaster Declaration for nine counties, including Pottawattamie, where Minden is. Mayor Kevin Zimmerman said the state and county can only do so much.

KETV in Omaha reports FEMA Region 7 external affairs director Michael Cappannari said damage assessments in Mills County are complete. On Tuesday, FEMA looked at damage in Shelby and Pottawattamie counties. Cappannari said the assessments should be done by Wednesday. That’s when communities like Minden will be one step closer to getting federal funds.

Monday twisters in southwest Iowa receive preliminary ratings

News, Weather

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Omaha/Valley, NE.) – Officials with the National Weather Service in Omaha, Tuesday, reported that on Monday, May 6, three Tornadoes swept through a portion of southwest Iowa. Tornado number 1 (rated an EF-2) touched down near Glenwood at approximately 8:48 p.m. It was 250 yards wide and carried wind speeds as high as 110 miles per hour. It traveled northeast for 5.66 miles before lifting at 8:55 pm.

The second tornado (an EF-1) touched down at around 9:07-p.m.near Carson and Macedonia. It was approximately 200 yards wide and carried with it 93 mile per hour winds. It was on the ground for 1.53 miles.

The third and final tornado (Also an EF-1) touched down at around 9:13-p.m. Tuesday, east of Minden and Shelby. The Weather Service says it was 450 yards wide and had winds of up to 110 miles per hour. The twister traveled northeast for 4.05 miles, and lifted at 9:19 pm.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., May 8, 2024

Weather

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly sunny w/a 30% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 73. S/SW winds 5-to 10 mph becoming E/SE.
Tonight: Partly cloudy w/A 40% of showers & thunderstorms. Low around 48.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy w/a 50% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 62. North wind 10 tos 20 mph.
Tom. Night: P/Cldy w/a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 43. N
Friday: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 71.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 73. Our Low this morning, 54. We received .01″ (One-one hundredth) of an inch of rain late yesterday into early today. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 82 and the Low was 57. The Record High was 95 in 1895. The Record Low was 25 in 1980. Sunrise: 6:09. Sunset: 8:25.

May is Motorcycle Safety Month

News

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – There have already been 14 motorcyclists killed in accidents this year and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the Iowa D-O-T are trying to raise awareness of the problem. G-T-S-B spokesperson, Colleen Powell, says some people are not following basic safety rules.

“We know speed has been a factor even in our passenger cars, that people are just driving way too, fast excessive speeding. We may also be seeing that on motorcycles people being distracted,” she says. Powell says being distracted in a car or on a motorcycle can lead to bad results as you need to have all your attention focused on driving. She says there’s also another trend in the motorcycle deaths.

“Seventy-four percent of our motorcycle fatalities are unhelmeted, and that’s compared to the national average which sits closer to 38 percent,” She says. “So we’re almost double here in our state.”Powell says motorcyclists can give themselves more protection with a helmet. “We’re one of three states without a helmet law — right now people’s choice but we always encourage people to be protected, the same way we encourage people to wear seatbelts when they’re in a vehicle,” Powell says.

Motorcycles make up three tenths of one percent of all registered vehicles in the state, and point-33 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. But last year motorcycle deaths accounted for 16 percent of total traffic fatalities.

Governor signs literacy bill into law

News

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says a focus on what’s called “the science of reading” will improve the reading skills of students. The governor went to Adel Tuesday afternoon and sat among a group of first graders as their teacher led them through a reading lesson. The Adel-DeSoto-Minburn district adopted the science of reading three years ago in all grades and Travis Welker, the administrator in charge of the project — says they’ve had amazing results. Four years ago, tests showed a quarter of the district’s students were not skilled readers. This year’s results show 95 percent are proficient at reading and writing.

“Our teachers have taken this on at all levels. We’ve asked our high school teachers to engage in this, not just our lowest grade levels, ” he said, “and the results speak for themselves.” Reynolds chose an A-D-M board room as the site for signing a bill into law that requires Iowa schools to develop a plan for each student in first, second or third grade who is not reading at grade level. The law also requires testing of Iowa college students who want to be teachers to gauge their knowledge of the science of reading. Reynolds says the most recent data shows 35 percent of Iowa third graders aren’t reading at grade level.

Governor Kim Reynolds sat in the back row as ADM teacher Erin Koelker led her first graders through reading exercises.

“That’s why we’ve made it a priority to empower all teachers and school districts with the tools they need to implement the science of reading in their classrooms by providing critical training at no cost to 6000 teachers and 600 administrators,” Reynolds said. Nine-million dollars is set aside in the state budget for that training. “Stay tuned because I think this is something we’re going to be able to show progress year after year and really have some good wins to talk about,” Reynolds said.

The governor spoke with reporters at the end of a hallway the school had named “Literacy Way.”

Millions in state’s opioid settlement fund in limbo

News

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Nearly 27-million dollars in state funding that could have been used for prevention and treatment of opioid use won’t be spent. States are getting money from legal settlements with pharmaceutical companies and distributors accused of fueling the opioid crisis, but Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate can’t agree on how money in the Iowa’s Opioid Settlement Fund should be spent. Republicans in the Senate favored letting Iowa’s attorney general and the Department of Health and Human Services distribute the money. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans in the House had a different idea.

“Where we wanted to get is assign some of those dollars to specific projects, but at the same time not just blanket hand those dollars over to the department,” Grassley says. “…We wanted to at least set up an advisory board that the legislature would have some input on.” The state’s Opioid Settlement Fund will eventually receive 144 million dollars over the next several years. That is to be split evenly between state and local governments in Iowa. House Republicans proposed that new council made up of opioid experts in state government and the private sector review grant applications and make recommendations to the legislature for approval.

“To get those kind of dollars that you’re talking about out the door, I think the legislature should be involved in that conversation and ultimately that’s where the differences boiled down to,” Grassley says, “turn it over to the department or have a little bit more control by the legislature.”

Grassley made his comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

FRANCES STANDLEY, 81, of Creston – formerly of Greenfield (Celebration of Life 5/13/24)

Obituaries

May 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

FRANCES STANDLEY, 81, of Creston  (formerly of Greenfield), died Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston.  Celebration of Life services for FRANCES STANDLEY will be held 10:30-a.m. Monday, May 13, 2024, at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Burial is in the Greenfield Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Frances Standley Memorial Fund to be established at a later date.

FRANCES STANDLEY is survived by:

Her son – Don Standley, of Creston.

Her daughter – Stacie (Tony) Davis, of Greenfield.

Her brother – Dean (Karen) Cass, of Fontanelle.

Her sister – Betty Weinheimer, of Fontanelle

1 grandson; 3 step-grandchildren; 2 step great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law: Joy Standley, of Greenfield; other relatives and friends.

Audubon Wheelers Boys Track Season Update with Coach Tony Konkler

Sports

May 7th, 2024 by admin

The Audubon Wheeler’s boys track team finished sixth place in their recent meet at AC/GC Meet on Monday. The Wheelers had a total of 55 points. Aaron Olsen won the 100 meter dash. The team of Brody Schultes, Mason Steckler, Aaron Olsen and Zeke Konkler won the 800 Sprint Medley. The Wheeler team of Mason Steckler, Adam Obrecht, Brody Schultes and Zeke Konkler won the Distance Medley.

The Audubon Wheelers were satisfied to get so many meets in this season.

Coach Tony Konkler was pleased with how the Wheelers last meet in Guthrie Center went.

The Wheelers are trying to prepare for the relay events on Thursday.

Coach Konkler commented on his advice to the team heading into Thursday’s meet.

The Wheelers next track meet will be Thursday May 9th when they will be part of the Class 1A-Region 3 meet in Earlham. That meet will start at 4:00 p.m.

Atlantic Trojans Girls Golf Team Picks Up Hawkeye Conference Tournament Win on Monday

Sports

May 7th, 2024 by admin

The Atlantic Trojans girls golf team earned themselves a Hawkeye Ten Conference Tournament win on Monday in Glenwood. Senior Belle Berg shot a low score of 91, while teammate junior Emma Rose shot a 96.

Coach Kathy Hobson commented on how well her team played at the Hawkeye Ten Conference Tournament.

The Trojans have been led by three top performers who have been playing consistently as of late.

The Trojans will host the regional meet next Wednesday and coach Hobson talks about the advantages of playing on their home course.

Coach Hobson summarizes what team will do to get ready for next weeks regional meet.

The Trojans next golf meet will be Wednesday May 15th they will host the Class 3A-Region 2 meet at Nishna Hills Golf Club. The meet start time is still yet to be determined.

 

Company To Pay Fine For Employing Kids At Sioux City Plant

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Labor Department says a Tennesse-based cleaning company will pay $649,000 in penalties for employing children at facilities that included the Sioux City Seaboard-Triumph pork plant.

An investigation earlier this year found that children, some as young as 13, were put on overnight sanitation shifts at the Sioux City plant and Perdue farms facility in Virginia. At the Seaboard Triumph facility, federal investigators witnessed children concealing their faces carrying glittered school backpacks before starting their overnight shift.

They learned children were assigned to use corrosive cleaners to clean dangerous kill floor equipment. Seaboard Triumph has since fired the company.