A traffic stop at Ingrum Avenue and Highway 34 Saturday morning resulted in two arrested on drug charges. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 22-year old Gabriella Cheyanne Mixan and 24-year old Blake Marshall Reed, both of Glenwood, were arrested at around 1:35-a.m. Saturday, for: Possession of a Controlled Substance; Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Reed was additionally charged with OWI/1st offense, and Possession of Carrying of a Dangerous Weapon. His bond was set at $5,000. Mixan’s bond was set at $1,300.

Officials with Audubon County Public Health said this (Monday) morning, that a case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Audubon County. The patient is between the ages of 61-and 80. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the individual is self-isolating at home. Audubon County Public Health Director Robert Nelson said “While this is Audubon County’s first case, it may not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority.”

As experts have continuously stressed, those actions include:
• Washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm.
• Staying home when ill.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) — A person from Linn County with COVID-19 died Saturday night. State public health officials say the person was between the ages of 61 and 80. It’s the fourth death in the state connected to the pandemic. A total of 336 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed within the state. Sarah Reisetter, of the Iowa Department of Public Health says projections indicate the number of cases will continue to climb. “We’re thinking we might see a peak, a first peak, in the next two to three weeks, so that’s the best information that we have right now,” Reisetter says. “I would reiterate that things are changing on a daily basis and we continue to look at numbers both here in Iowa and what’s happening in other states.”

Reisster is urging Iowans who live in a county where a positive case of COVID-19 has not been reported to stay vigilant about personal hygiene and staying home, if possible. “It should be every Iowan’s assumption that the virus is currently circulating in their community,” Reisetter said. “Although I know we all stand up here and sound like a broken record, but those mitigation strategies are so very important regardless of where you live in Iowa at this time.”

Governor Reynolds emphasizes that the incubation period for the virus is up to 14 days. “Iowans who have recently traveled for spring break and may have been exposed to the virus are are still in that incubation period,” she says. The latest figures from the Iowa Department of Public Health indicate 51 Iowans were hospitalized on Saturday night for treatment of COVID-19. Experts say 80 percent of those who get the virus will either not have any symptoms or their symptoms will be mild and they’ll be able to recover at home.

PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Firefighters are battling a fire at a church in south-central Iowa that erupted before dawn Monday. Several firetrucks were dispatched to the Pleasantville Christian Church before 6 a.m. Water was sprayed down from a nozzle mounted on an aerial ladder as flames danced and heavy gray smoke billowed from the multilevel building. No injuries have been reported. The fire cause will be investigated.

Three people were arrested over the past few days in Creston. Authorities say 61-year old Edward Gunter, of Creston, was arrested Saturday afternoon for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was cited at the scene and released on a summons to appear in court. On Friday, 34-year old Joshua Weeks, of Lorimor, was served with a  Union County warrant at the Union County Jail, for Violation of Probation on an original charge of OWI/3rd offense. He remains held in the jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate. And, 67-year old James Goodman, of Diagonal, was arrested Friday in Creston, for Violation of a Protection Order. He was released on a Promise to Appear in court.

Creston Police said also, a man residing in the 500 block of S. Birch Street, reported Sunday evening, that sometime between 6-p.m. Saturday and 1-p.m. Sunday, someone entered two vehicles on his property and took loose change along with a vehicle ignition key. The loss was estimated at $125.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — An agency wants to fine an eastern Iowa animal food operation for workplace safety violations, saying it has exposed employees to risks that include long falls. The Telegraph Herald reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants to impose fines of more than $74,000 on Devenish Nutrition. The company is based in Fairmont, Minnesota, and has a feed mill in Maquoketa. Company officials have declined to comment.

Inspectors said after a Dec. 2-3 check that they found a lack of proper protection from falls along the Maquoketa building’s catwalk. Inspectors also say employees were exposed to explosive dust hazards.

(Radio Iowa) — Recovery efforts will resume this (Monday) morning for the body of a missing Mason City man who fell into the Winnebago River near Hanlontown Friday afternoon. The Worth County Sheriff’s Department says 43-year-old Adam VanSyoc was fishing when the boat he was in struck cables from an old footbridge, causing him to enter the water. Search efforts started shortly after law enforcement’s arrival on Friday afternoon and have been taking place all weekend, but have been hampered by the swiftly-moving waters of the river, which is at a high level.

(Radio Iowa) — The outlook for spring planting in Iowa is much improved over last year thanks to less rain and snow during the past winter. Iowa State University Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong, based in Le Mars, says at this time a year ago, farmers in many parts of the state were already dealing with significant challenges. “Last year, we were just getting rid of snow cover and it came with a massive quantity of other water and, of course, all the low-land flooding,” DeJong says. “At this time last year, the flooding was just starting. Our soil moisture is still full. We kind of almost had a wintertime drought so the amount of precipitation we’ve had in this region hasn’t been excessive. We’ve got some surface drying.”

With the soil already saturated, DeJong says there is no room for any additional — or even normal — spring rain. “Top five feet around here will hold about 10 to 11 inches of water,” DeJong says. “Our history is, on November 1st, we could have numbers that are 6 to 8 is normal. I didn’t even pull samples this fall because the math said we were at 11. That’s the gap that we can typically absorb and hold some water in the spring and we don’t have that space this year.”

The 90-day outlook from the National Weather Service calls for above-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. DeJong says heavy rain could quickly change the planting outlook. “When you get this much water in the system, it’s hard for me to think that we’re going to be drier-than-normal in the spring,” DeJong says. “My best advice is to make sure everything is ready to go and when we have opportunities, we’re in the field and we’re not waiting to fix equipment we could’ve had done before that window came open.”

DeJong says most farmers got fall fertilizer on their fields but not much tillage was done, so that narrows the spring planting window even more.