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High School Softball Regional Championship Scores from Tuesday

Sports

July 17th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Class 1A

Region 3 

Collins-Maxwell 4, Earlham 1

Region 6

Wayne 11, Twin Cedars 1

 

Class 2A

Region 4

East Marshall 11, Ogden 1

 

Class 3A

Region 2

PCM 13, Clarinda 1

 

Class 4A

Region 3

Dallas Center-Grimes 10, Perry 0

Region 4

ADM 6, Winterset 0

Region 5

Carlisle 2, Xavier 1

Region 6

Norwalk 4, Pella 0

2 arrested following an assault investigation in Red Oak Tue. night

News

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak – assisted by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies – responded late Tuesday night to 305 E. Nuckols Street, for a reported physical assault that was taking place. When officers arrived, the tenants of the unit refused to let law enforcement into their residence. As police were making entry, one of the tenants attempted to leave out the rear of the building. Officers made contact through the back door with other tenants. Police executed a search warrant on the unit due to illegal items that were seen. Two men were subsequently taken into custody:

36-year-old Jason Rolfe Aherns, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid Adams County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine-3rd Offense (A Class-D Felony), and Domestic Abuse Assault, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple misdemeanors). He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

28-year-old Dylan Elwood Taylor, of Red Oak, was arrested for Control of a Firearm/Offensive Weapon by a Felon (Class-D Felony), and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond was set at $5,000.

Body of missing boater recovered in Iowa lake

News

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The body of a 47-year-old California man was recovered from an Iowa lake a day after an abandoned boat was located near Honey Creek State Park.

According to the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a report of the abandoned boat on Rathbun Lake shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday. When the boat was located, officials found two dogs and personal property, but no occupant.

Authorities learned the boat’s occupant was last seen fishing on the south side of Rathbun Lake around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The man’s body was recovered from the lake at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, in approximately 25 feet of water. Officials say the man was visiting family and friends in Iowa and was an avid fisherman at Rathbun Lake. The man’s name is not being released by authorities at this time.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Non-injury accident in Creston, Tue. afternoon

News

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say no one was injured during a collision Tuesday afternoon between two SUV’s. Authorities say a 2014 Chevy Equinox driven by 17-year-old Zoey Vandevender, of Creston, was stopped at stop sign located at the 4-way stop intersection, of Elm and Montgomery Streets in Creston, facing west.

The teen began to turn left (southbound) onto Elm Street, when her vehicle was struck by another 2014 Chevy Equinox. The driver of that SUV, 89-year-old Mary McDonald, of Creston, failed to stop as she was traveling south on Elm Street. Her vehicle hit Vandevender’s SUV in the middle of the intersection, causing minor damage to the front end of both vehicles. Both vehicles were driven away from the scene, with damage estimated by police to be around $3,000 altogether.

The accident report says while McDonald ran a stop sign, no citations were issued.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Weather

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind at 5 to 10 mph this morning.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 77. E/NE winds @ 5-mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Friday Night: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after midnight. Low around 61.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy w/a60% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 72.
Saturday Night: A 40% chance of showers. Low around 60.
Sunday: Partly sunny w/a 30% chance of showers through mid-day. High near 76.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 80. Our Low this morning, 60. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 76 and the Low was 54. The All-Time Record High in Atlantic on July 17th, was 109 in 1936. The Record Low was 45 in 1911. Sunrise: 6:00; Sunset: 8:51.

Iowa QB Cade McNamara says he is healthy and ready for new season

Sports

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara says he is back to full health as he prepares for the upcoming season. McNamara had his first season with the Hawkeyes cut short with an ACL injury early in a week five victory over Michigan State.

McNamara was cleared late in the spring and says it took some time to build trust in his knee.

McNamara says the most difficult part of the injury was psychologically.

A.G. Bird criticizes VP Harris’ record on police

News

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird used her prime time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention to tout former President Donald Trump’s approach to crime-related issues, but she began with her own biography.  “A few years ago, I was a local prosecutor, locking up bad guys, but in 2022 I ran for Attorney General and beat the incumbent Democrat who was first elected when I was just two years old,” Bird said, to laughter and applause.

Bird says she was elected because Iowans want a judicial system that protects them, not the criminals. “Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have made life miserable for law enforcement,” Bird said. “They treat police like criminals and criminals like victims.” Bird focused on Vice President Harris, a former local prosecutor who was California’s attorney general for six years.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024. (Photo from Bird’s staff.)

“Democrats like Harris use words like ‘reimagine’ the police,” Bird said. “…The Democratic Party is the party of defunding the police. They said it, they mean it and they can’t wiggle out of it.” Bird says Trump has repeatedly shown his support for law enforcement and will put criminals in jail where they belong. “The radical left believes in handouts, not handcuffs,” Bird said.

The Biden campaign points to recent data showing violent crime is at a 50 year low and the number of murders in America declined 13 percent between 2022 and 2023. Bird is the only statewide elected official who endorsed Trump before the Iowa Caucuses and Trump has predicted she’ll be Iowa’s governor some day.

AARP ‘road trip’ educates IA caregivers where they are

News

July 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – AARP Iowa is on a road trip, taking knowledge to family caregivers wherever they are and helping them learn more about the resources that may be available to them. It is part of the association’s larger effort to educate people about caregiving in Iowa.

AARP Iowa data show the state’s 330,000 unpaid family caregivers provide $310 million of care every year in the state, which is valued at more than $5 billion. Brad Anderson, state director for AARP Iowa, said caregivers are busy and often do not know what to expect or where to get information. “For example, they need to know, ‘How do I get in touch with the Area Agency on Aging?’ They need to know, ‘How does Medicare work?’ They need to know, ‘Is my loved one on the right prescription drug program?'” Anderson outlined.

AARP is traveling the state from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River in a big red RV to distribute information. Anderson noted they are making stops at grocery stores, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies; the most likely places to run across people who have just inherited caregiving duties.

There are other, more ‘hands-on’ things caregivers need to know but Anderson added since most people fall into the role, there is no real formal training and they have to learn their new role on the fly.

“How do I feed my loved one? How do I care for a wound? Maybe how do I even lift this person up and help them into bed?” Anderson explained. “These are all things that sometimes happen, literally, overnight.”

The informational tour is scheduled to last into August.

Tornado confirmed in Davenport, work continues to restore electricity

News, Weather

July 16th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has confirmed a tornado hit Davenport during last night’s storms. Meteorologist Brian Pierce says they don’t know the full extent of the damage or the exact time  the tornado touched down, but they do know with some confidence the size and scope of the tornado.

“We have a width of 100 yards and a maximum windspeed of about 100 miles an hour, so it was EF-0 to borderline EF-1,” Pierce. The tornado moved about 8 miles through the city, and ultimately crossed the Mississippi River. Pierce says pinpointing the time the twister touched down may take time due to the scope of last night’s storms. “We did have straight line winds with windspeeds of about 70 to 75 miles an hour coming through the Quad Cities area. Up around the Dubuque area, winds were pushing 100 miles an hour,” he says.

The Des Moines area weather office confirmed at least one tornado touched down Monday night in Urbandale and Windsor Heights.

MidAmerican says around 50,000 people were without power at the peak of the storms, including 31,000 in the Quad Cities. Mid-American Energy spokesman Geoff Greenwood says they’ve called in a lot of help. “This is an all hands on deck type of situation,” Greenwood says. “And in addition to our own crews, we’ve brought in additional tree crews from elsewhere, and even contract line crews, some crews from other utilities here in the Midwest. Those line and tree crews come from Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

“They’re all focused on efforts in the Quad Cities, and we’ll have crews working throughout the night as we expect these efforts are going to have to continue through Wednesday,” he says.  Mid-American Energy anticipates power to be restored to most Quad Cities customers by Wednesday.

(By Grant Winterer,Iowa Public Radio)

Gov. Reynolds announces FEMA’s approval of Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program, opens applications

News

July 16th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Governor Reynolds today announced that the state’s Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program has received approval from FEMA and applications are now open. “In the course of eight weeks, Iowa was hit with three extreme weather systems, impacting more than 5,000 homes, of which, it’s estimated that more than 2,000 were destroyed,” said Governor Reynolds. “There is no more urgent need than ensuring displaced Iowans have temporary housing in the communities they call home while they recover and rebuild.”
As the governor announced last week in a press conference, the program provides temporary housing, which may include recreational vehicles and travel trailers, for up to six months at no cost for Iowans whose homes were majorly damaged, destroyed, or deemed not habitable in counties currently under a federal disaster declaration.
The following counties are currently eligible: Adair, Adams, Buena Vista, Cedar, Clay, Emmet, Jasper, Lyon, Montgomery, O’brien, Plymouth, Polk, Sioux, and Story. The recovery process and damage assessments are still ongoing and additional counties may become eligible.
Iowans whose primary residence is in a qualifying county must first apply for FEMA disaster assistance to be eligible for the program. You can register for FEMA Individual Assistance in the following ways:
  • Call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
  • Download and use the FEMA app
  • Visit any Disaster Recovery Center to apply or get application assistance
Homeowners must also have filed a claim with their insurance company and have received final approval or denial of their claim. Applicable FEMA and insurance documentation is requested as part of the application process, including, but not limited to their FEMA Individual Assistance case number.
Applications are open now at DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov. Additionally, a call center will be open beginning Wednesday, July 17, at 3 p.m., to assist Iowans who may not have access to a computer and those who may need general assistance. Beginning Thursday, July 18, the call center will be open daily, including Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. TTY and translation services are available.
To apply for the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program:
  • Go to DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov to complete an application
  • Call Center: (608) 480-8808 or toll-free at (833) 307 6030
    • Hours of Operation: 7:00 AM -8:00 PM; 7 days a week
    • TTY and Translation services are available
For more information on disaster-related programs and resources available to Iowans, visit DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov.