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(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 1/22/21

News, Podcasts

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

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

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Eight-year-old male arrested for Vehicle Burglary in Neola

News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says an eight-year-old male was arrested Wednesday afternoon for Burglary in the 3rd Degree-Theft from a vehicle/1st offense. Deputies were dispatched to Midstates Bank in Neola just before 4-p.m., following a reported burglary of a 2001 Chevy Impala. The boy was referred to Juvenile Court Authorities. No other details were released.

Heartbeat Today 1-22-2021

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

January 22nd, 2021 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with Cass County Director of Public Health Beth Olsen about plans for Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination plans to begin in February.

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(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 1/22/21

Podcasts, Sports

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Creston business reports vandalism incident

News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Creston Police Department say Cook Video and Appliance reported Thursday afternoon, vandalism had been perpetrated on to two U-Haul vehicles with in the past 24 hrs. The first vehicle had two side mirrors destroyed. The second vehicle had the catalytic converter removed from it. The loss was estimated at $1,300 altogether.

 

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & Funeral report, 1/22/21

News, Podcasts

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

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

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Red Oak man arrested Thursday for Criminal Mischief

News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak, Thursday, arrested a man for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. Authorities say 64-year-old John Wayne Goodall, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 8:50-a.m., after he allegedly “damaged, altered and destroyed property intentionally that was not his,” in the 500 block East Elm Street in Red Oak. Damage to the unspecified property is estimated at $850.

John Wayne Goodall

Goodall was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

Iowa COVID-19 update for 1/22/21

News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Public Health (as of 10-a.m. Friday) reports 1,319 new positive COVID-19 cases since Thursday. The IDPH said there have been 33 additional deaths since 10-a.m. Thursday, for a total to-date, of 4,478. Long-Term Care facility deaths are up to 1,839.  In southwest Iowa, one additional death was reported Friday (today) in each of Madison, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties. COVID-19 deaths attributed to Underlying causes amount to 4,076, while COVID was a contributing factor to 402 of the total deaths.

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 is at its lowest level since October 7. There are now 450 Iowans hospitalized with the virus, down from 457 the previous day. The number admitted in the last 24 hours dropped from 77 to 66. There are 89 patients in ICU and 34 patients on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (Western/southwest Iowa hospitals): 34 are hospitalized w/Covid; 11 are in an ICU; 3 were admitted Thursday, and 2 are on a ventilator. The number of long-term care facilities reporting COVID-19 outbreaks is 69. The state reports 1,868 positive cases and 1,031 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities.

The health department reports 310,596 total Positive cases, and 273,021 total recoveries since the pandemic began. Positivity rates continue to decline in Iowa. The 14-day Positivity rate declined from 11.3% Thursday to 11.1% today. The 7-day positivity rate also declined from 8.5% to 8.3%. There have been 1,439,736 Iowans tested for COVID-19, with 3,466,465 tests administered in the state.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that Iowa’s vaccination data would be available on the health department website starting next week.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

  • Cass, 1,147 cases; {+14}; 43 deaths
  • Adair, 693; {+2}; 20
  • Adams, 298; {+0}; 3
  • Audubon, 417; {+0}; 8
  • Guthrie, 1,036 {+1}; 24
  • Harrison County, 1,574; {+4}; 62
  • Madison County, 1,227; {+13}; 10
  • Mills County, 1,381; {+6}; 17
  • Montgomery, 874; {+4}; 24
  • Pottawattamie County, 9,093; {+27}; 115
  • Shelby County, 1041; {+5}; 27
  • Union County,  1,102; {+3}; 23

Grassley says Trump EPA’s last-minute ethanol waivers ‘a disgrace’

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(By Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is blasting the Trump Administration for granting more ethanol waivers to the oil industry, just before Joe Biden became president. “What we saw in the final hours of the Trump Administration was a disgrace to the biofuels community,” Grassley told reporters.

A federal court already has temporarily blocked the three waivers Trump’s EPA granted to small refineries, excusing them from the requirement to blend ethanol into gasoline. Grassley said the waivers are part of a flawed system. “One of the problems we’ve had with how that program’s administered is there’s not enough transparency in it,” Grassley said.

Due to the way the EPA has run the program, it’s still not clear which refineries were granted these last-minute waivers. Republican Joni Ernst, Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, has not commented on the last-minute Trump Administration waivers from ethanol blending requirements.

Gangway! Great gobs of geese are gathering in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 22nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – If it seems like there’s an inordinate amount of Canada geese flocking around Iowa right now, you’re not imagining things. While many of the distinctive black-and-white-necked birds live here year-round, others are in the midst of a migration from Canada to parts south. Orrin Jones, a waterfowl biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says Iowa’s city-dwellers are likely noticing the gobs of geese the most. “The geese are actively seeking out the metropolitan areas,” Jones says. “That’s a very attractive place for them right now. It has a combination of open water sources, food, and relative safety.”

Hunting season on geese in central Iowa just ended last weekend. The D-N-R is tabulating figures from a recent Canada goose count that pegs the Des Moines population at around 20-thousand, though statewide numbers aren’t quite ready yet. Iowans can’t help but spot the big birds in places where they usually congregate — and elsewhere. “Right now, we have a mixing of a lot of different populations of geese and their movement patterns coincide with a lot of people’s daily commutes,” Jones says. “When the birds are very active, that’s when people are very active and it leads to this perception that there’s just a huge amount of geese in the area — and there are a lotta’ geese.”

The goose population is not too high, he assures, saying the current numbers are within the state’s objectives for the feathered creatures. While some of the geese are permanent Iowa residents, Jones notes that others are in the midst of an annual migration. “Whether they stay here or go farther south or go back north will depend upon the weather,” Jones says. “If the winter gets more severe, they’ll continue farther south. If it becomes more mild, they’ll spread out or maybe move farther north or maybe distribute across Iowa.”

If you’re tempted to toss some bread to those geese, don’t. Jones says the wild waterfowl need to be able to find food on their own. Plus, he says human food is often detrimental — and can be dangerous — for geese.