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(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 3/24/2018

News, Podcasts

March 24th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

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Community Giving Gardens the topic of a meeting in Atlantic, Tuesday (3/27)

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 24th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The public is invited to learn how a community garden became a source of fresh food for those in need, in Glenwood, and how it may be useful in Cass County. Representatives of the Glenwood Giving Garden will tell their story at the Cass County Master Gardener meeting on Tuesday, March 27th, beginning at 6:30-p.m.  The meeting takes place at the Cass County Community Center.

The Glenwood Giving Garden began in 2011 with donation of some land. A group of Mills County Master Gardeners with support from ISU Extension began the garden. Many community businesses and volunteers also got involved. This year begins the eighth year with a cumulative harvest since its beginning of 44,000 pounds of produce. Produce has been shared with those in need in the community. Over 500 families hav received fresh produce.

Anyone interested in community gardens is welcome to attend the meeting. Hear how the Glenwood Giving Garden was developed and gain practical ideas for beginning or improving a local community garden. The Cass County Community Center is located on the Fair Grounds, 805 West 10th Street, Atlantic.

NWS discouraging travel in some parts of Iowa, today (3/24)

News, Weather

March 24th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says a strong weather system is moving east over the state early today. Rain will mix and change to snow central with heavy snow and near-blizzard conditions across the north. The storm will slow down this morning and produce snowfall amounts of 1 or more inches per hour across the north and northeast and farther south later this morning. Travel is discouraged todayespecially over much of northern, eastern, northeastern and northwest Iowa. Southern Minnesota is also getting heavy snow today. Stay safe – Stay home. For the latest road conditions go to 511ia.org, or call 511.

Supreme Court says Sioux City man who confessed to crime should get another look

News

March 24th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Supreme Court has issued a split opinion saying a man who plead guilty can have his case reviewed after the victim changed his story. Jacob Lee Schmidt of Sioux City pleaded guilty to incest and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse on a younger relative. He asked to have his conviction vacated after the victim recanted. The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says sometimes an innocent person is choosing the lesser of two evils: pleading guilty despite his or her actual innocence because the odds are stacked up against him or her, or going to trial with the risk of losing and the prospect of receiving a harsher sentence.

In its first ruling on the subject, the court says the Iowa Constitution allows freestanding claims of actual innocence, so applicants may bring such claims to attack their pleas even though they entered their pleas knowingly and voluntarily. The court ordered the case sent back to the district court. There were two dissenting opinions from justices Waterman, Mansfield and Zager. The dissent says Schmidt closed the door to an appeal when he pleaded guilty in court and admitted what he had done. It says the majority opinion relies too much on cases in which the defendant steadfastly maintained his or her innocence through trial and all subsequent appeals.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, 3/24/18

News

March 24th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Mexico say they found no signs of violence when they discovered the bodies of an Iowa couple and their two children in a condo in the Yucatan Peninsula. The Quintana Roo state prosecutor’s office tweeted Friday that four bodies had been found in a tourist compound in Tulum. The office said “no signs of violence were found on the bodies or in the room.” Authorities in Iowa say the family was reported missing by relatives early Friday, about a week after leaving for Mexico.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport man has been sentenced to up to 55 years in prison for the 2017 shooting death of another man in the front yard of a home. The Quad-City Times reports that 28-year-old David Levy Jr. was sentenced Friday. A jury had found Levy guilty in February of second-degree murder and a firearm count for the death of 33-year-old Lasabian Walker.

KINGSLEY, Iowa (AP) — A propane explosion has injured two people in northwestern Iowa and destroyed four rural buildings. Kingsley Fire Chief Paul Huth tells the Sioux City Journal that crews were called to the explosion at a hog farm near Kingsley before 7 a.m. Friday. Huth says the explosion happened when two men walked into a hog nursery building on the property. Huth says a propane leak inside the building likely touched-off the explosion and resulting fire when door was opened, kicking on an automatic heater.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — From hog producers in Iowa to apple growers in Washington state and winemakers in California, farmers are expressing deep disappointment over being put in the middle of a potential trade war with China by the president many of them helped elect. After President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on products including Chinese steel, China responded Friday with a threat to slap tariffs on a variety of U.S. products, including pork, wine, apples, ethanol and stainless-steel pipe.

2 men injured, 4 buildings destroyed in rural Iowa explosion

News

March 23rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

KINGSLEY, Iowa (AP) — A propane explosion has injured two people in northwestern Iowa and destroyed four rural buildings. Kingsley Fire Chief Paul Huth tells the Sioux City Journal that crews were called to the explosion at a hog farm near Kingsley before 7 a.m. Friday.

Huth says the explosion happened when two men walked into a hog nursery building on the property. Huth says a propane leak inside the building likely touched-off the explosion and resulting fire when door was opened, kicking on an automatic heater. The blasted severely injured the two men, who were taken to a Sioux City hospital. Their condition was not known Friday afternoon.

Authorities say the four destroyed buildings were empty, and no hogs were killed.

Trump draws ire of farmers targeted in Chinese trade dispute

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 23rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — From Iowa hog producers to Washington apple growers and California winemakers, farmers are expressing deep disappointment over being put in the middle of a potential trade war with China. President Donald Trump announced plans Thursday for tariffs on products including Chinese steel to punish Beijing for stealing American technology.

Beijing responded Friday with a threat to slap tariffs on American products such as pork, wine, apples, ethanol and stainless-steel pipe. Farmers voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016. But now many worry about the economic blowback from his combative approach.

Iowa farmer Wayne Humphreys says producers have invested a lot of time, talent and treasure in developing markets worldwide. And with the stroke of a pen, he says, that investment has been jeopardized.

(Update) No signs of violence in Mexico – Creston family deaths

News

March 23rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — The bodies of an Iowa couple and their two children were found in a rented condo in Mexico on Friday, though it wasn’t immediately clear what caused their deaths, according to investigators.

The family was reported missing by relatives in their hometown of Creston, Iowa, earlier in the day, about a week after the family left for vacation. Creston police contacted the U.S. Department of State, and the bodies were found during a welfare check at the condo in Tulum, on the Yucatan Peninsula.

In Mexico, the Quintana Roo state prosecutors office tweeted that the bodies were found in a tourist compound. The office said that “no signs of violence were found on the bodies or in the room,” though authorities said it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the deaths. Autopsy reports were pending. Iowa authorities identified the family as 41-year-old Kevin Sharp; his wife, 38-year-old Amy Sharp; and their children, 12-year-old Sterling and 7-year-old Adrianna.

Reached Friday, the developer of the condo complex where the deaths occurred declined to comment. The family flew to Cancun, Mexico, on March 14. According to her sister, Amy Sharp texted their mother the next day to say they’d reached Tulum, but relatives hadn’t heard from the family since then.

The sister, Renee Hoyt, said the Sharps were scheduled to return to the U.S. this week. They were scheduled to depart from the Cancun airport on Wednesday and fly to St. Louis on a non-stop flight. The family had planned to then drive about 200 miles to Danville, Illinois, to watch a basketball game Thursday, Hoyt said.

When the family didn’t arrive in St. Louis, family members contacted authorities, she said.

S.W. IA Burglary suspects arrested in southern IA

News

March 23rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in southern Iowa’s Decatur County report two suspects being sought in connection with burglaries in Montgomery and Ringgold Counties, have been arrested thanks to an observant resident. Authorities say that at around 10:50-a.m. Thursday, the Decatur County dispatch center received a call from a Leon resident  saying that there were two suspicious individuals at his residence.

The citizen said he had seen various press releases on social media from other counties west of Decatur that residents should be on the lookout for a maroon GMC Yukon occupied by a black male and a black female, and recognized the vehicle and occupants from those posts. Leon Police Chief, Jason Weir and Chief Deputy Chris Lane were able to locate the vehicle and initiate a traffic stop north of Leon on Highway 69, near J20.

Burglary suspects

During the traffic stop Clarke County Chief Deputy Lucas Darby arrived on scene with his K9, Diesel. Diesel “hit” on the vehicle, indicating the presence of an illegal substance. Soon thereafter, officers were able to identify items that had been reported stolen in Montgomery and Decatur County, Iowa. The three occupants of the vehicle were identified as 28-year old Victor Lamont Gaston, of Warner Robins, Georgia; 29-year old Jenea Yervone Gaston, of Macon, Georgia; and 25-year old Ja Shawn Lamar Clayborne, of Toledo, Ohio and were detained for further investigation.

Upon execution of a search warrant of the vehicle, officers located item reported as stolen from Decatur, Ringgold and Montgomery Counties along with several other items believed to have been stolen but not yet identified. Information obtained during the search of the vehicle led officers to a Motel 6 in St. Joseph, Missouri where numerous other items of stolen property were located.

Each of the three suspects have been charged with Burglary in the Third Degree and two counts of Possession of Stolen Property in Decatur County and are awaiting their initial appearance before a Judge. Additional Burglary charges has also been filed in Montgomery County, Iowa and their bond has been set at $40,000 cash on each.

Agencies involved in the investigation include the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, the Leon Police Department, Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, the Drug and Narcotic Enforcement Agency and the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department. The matter remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding this investigation, please contact the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department at 641-446-4111.

Glenwood man sentenced on meth distribution charge

News

March 23rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports 36-year old David Joseph Jay, III, of Glenwood, was sentenced Thursday in U-S District Court in Council Bluffs, to 20-years in prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Jay was also ordered to serve 10-years of supervised release following his incarceration.

The investigation began with a citizen complaint regarding possible drug trafficking at a residence in Glenwood. Following subsequent investigation, a search warrant was executed at  Jay’s residence.  Methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), along with prescription pills and marijuana were discovered.

The investigation was conducted by the Glenwood Police Department, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.