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MARILYN EHRSAM, 92, of Greenfield (Visitation 4/2/20)

Obituaries

March 30th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

MARILYN EHRSAM, 92, of Greenfield, died Sunday, March 29, 2020, at the Good Samaritan Society in Fontanelle.  An open visitation for MARILYN EHRSAM will be held from 2-until 5-p.m. Thursday, April 2nd, at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield (the family will not be present at any specific time).

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Private family graveside services will be held at the Greenfield Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the E.E. Warren Opera House, in Greenfield, or the Greenfield Public Library.

Reynolds says temporary ban on surgical abortions will preserve medical supplies

News

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says surgical abortions are included in her temporary ban on elective and non-essential surgeries to preserve medical supplies in the midst of a pandemic. “Making sure that we have the personal protective equipment to care of those Iowans who are on the front lines serving Iowans and those in need,” Reynolds said Sunday, “…to make sure that we have our health care providers and our first responders healthy so they can take care of Iowans.”

The governor’s proclamation put a halt to all scheduled elective and non-essential surgeries in Iowa until April 16th.

“Everyone is making is making sacrifices,” Reynolds says. “Everyone.” Planned Parenthood officials say they are assessing the governor’s action. The organization is suing Texas over a similar order that bans medication abortions as well as surgical abortions.

Current IOWA law bans abortions after 20 weeks in a pregnancy, unless the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother.

COVID-19 confirmed in Crawford County

News

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Late Sunday afternoon, officials with Crawford County Home Health, Hospice & Public Health, said that a positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed in County resident. The patient is an adult between the ages of 61-and 80. No further information was released. Earlier in the day, Iowa health officials had confirmed 38 more cases of the coronavirus and a fourth death. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that the state now has 336 positive cases, up from 299 on Saturday. There have been a total of 5,013 negative tests to date.

The latest death was a Linn County resident between the ages of 61 and 80. The virus has now been found in 51 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Aside from Crawford County, the new cases include 10 in Polk County, six in Linn County and four each in Johnson and Dubuque counties.

WILLIAM “BILL” HOSACK, 66, of Harlan (Celebration of Life at a later date)

Obituaries

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

WILLIAM “BILL” HOSACK, 66, of Harlan, died Saturday, March 28th, in Harlan. A Celebration of Life service for BILL HOSACK will be held at a later date. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Online condolences may be left at www.burmeisterjohannsen.com.

WILLIAM “BILL” HOSACK is survived by:

His wife – Carmen Hosack, of Harlan.

His daughters – Katie (Andrew) Sandquist, of Harlan, & Jenny (Dillan) Hamilton, of Avoca.

His sons – Tom (Sarah) Hosack, and David (Annie) Hosack, all of Des Moines.

His sister – Mary (Ron) Lisec, of Wichita Falls, TX.

6 grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Additional COVID-19 cases in Iowa, additional death confirmed

News

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) said today (Sunday) they have been notified of 38 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 336 positive cases. There have been a total of 5,013 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.

According to IDPH, one Iowan with COVID-19 passed away Saturday night, an older adult (61-80 years) from Linn County.

According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 38 individuals include:

  • Cedar County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
  • Cerro Gordo County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
  • Dallas County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
  • Dubuque County, 1 child (0-17 years), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
  • Henry County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
  • Iowa County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
  • Jasper County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
  • Johnson County, 2 adults (18-40), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years)
  • Linn County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 3 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
  • Marshall County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
  • Polk County, 2 adults (18-40 years), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years) 5 older adults (61-80 years),1 elderly adult (81+)
  • Tama County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
  • Washington County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years), 1 elderly adult (81+)
  • Winneshiek County 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
  • Woodbury County, 1 adult (18-40 years)

Tornado damages apartment building in northeast Iowa

News

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

OELWEIN, Iowa (AP) — Severe storms damaged an apartment building in northeast Iowa Saturday night and knocked down power lines in the area. A tornado that was spotted in Oelwein, Iowa, tore off part of the wall of a 12-unit apartment building and damaged the siding of a second building in the complex.

Oelwein police said no serious injuries were reported. Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher said the storm knocked down branches and some power lines elsewhere in Oelwein and in rural parts of the county. Residents of the apartment complex whose homes were damaged sought shelter in a nearby hotel.

MADELENE McCALL, 98, of Bridgewater (No services)

Obituaries

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

MADELENE McCALL, 98, of Bridgewater, died Sunday, March 29, 2020, at the Heritage House in Atlantic.  Her body and that of her husband were donated to Des Moines University for study. There are no services planned for MADELENE McCALL. Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle has the arrangements.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Memorials may be directed to the Bridgewater Fire and Rescue or to the Heritage House in Atlantic.

MADELENE McCall is survived:

Her daughter – Ruby (Curis) Towne, of Griswold.

Her sister – Wava Ruch, of TX.

2 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and two great-great grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

A former Harlan Cyclones Coach passed away

Sports

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Our sister station KNOD in Harlan reports former Harlan coach Bill Hosack has died after a battle with cancer. The 66-year old Hosack was a longtime assistant football and head girls track coach, spending 38 years coaching in the Harlan football program and 25 in girls track.

Hosack was a part of the football program’s 11 state championships from 1977 to 2014 while leading the girls track squad to eight Hawkeye Ten championships in a nine-year span between 2005 and 2013.

Tributes to the former coach have been pouring in throughout social media, including from Harlan alum and Glenwood activities director Jeff Bissen: “He was a great coach, a great educator and an even better person.”

Supreme Court rules in Wapello County hog confinement lawsuit

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Supreme Court, this past week, said two people who dropped lawsuits against the owners of animal confinement operations have to pay the company’s legal costs.

Michael Merrill of Batavia and Karen Jo Frescoln of Libertyville were part of a group of 70 people who filed nuisance lawsuits against Valley View Swine which runs two pork confinements for J-B-S Live Pork in Wapello County. The first lawsuit was dismissed because they had not exhausted their mediation option.

Merril and Frescoln filed a second lawsuit, but then voluntarily dismissed it. The district court ordered them each to pay around 92-hundred dollars in costs to Valley View. They argued they should not have to pay any costs because there was no judgment from the court.

The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling that the dismissals showed this was a “losing cause of action” and the claims were frivolous.

NWS forecast for Atlantic & the area: 3/29/20

Weather

March 29th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

**WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1-p.m.**

Early this morning: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Windy, with a west northwest wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 56. Windy, with a west northwest wind 20 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 32. West northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 69. The Low was 37. We received .05″ rain in Atlantic. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 46 and the Low was 34. The Record High here on March 29th, was 90 in 1986. The Record Low was 5 in 1969.