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U of Iowa art museum being renamed for $10M benefactors

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Board of Regents has agreed to rename the University of Iowa art museum for a Muscatine couple donating $10 million for construction of a new museum. The Des Moines Register reports that the regents were told Wednesday during their telephonic meeting that Richard and Mary Jo Stanley committed the money last month. Richard Stanley, who died in November, earned his master’s in engineering from the university in 1963. His parents also earned degrees at the Iowa City campus.

The new name will begin being used in spring. The name: University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art. The building that had housed the museum and its 15,500 pieces of artwork and artifacts was extensively damaged during the 2008 June floods.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 12/7/2017

News, Podcasts

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

Play

Man whose twin baby girls had broken bones is imprisoned

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Falls man whose twin baby daughters had fractured bones and signs of malnutrition has been sent to prison. Court records say 29-year-old Jason Olomon was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison. He’d pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment causing injury and misdemeanor child endangerment. He’d been arrested in February 2016.

Police say Waterloo hospital employees became suspicious during a September 2013 visit with Olomon’s then 3-month-old daughters because they seemed to be in pain while being fed. Both were underweight, and X-rays revealed they had fractured bones. The girls’ mother, Lucy Schnieders, was sentenced to prison in 2014 on child endangerment charges.

2 Lenox men arrested on drug charges in Montgomery County

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop in the 1200 block of Highway 34 at around 3:40-a.m. today (Thursday), resulted in two men being arrested on drug charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Benjamin Parra Moreno, and 22-year old Edward Izell Davis, Jr., both of Lenox, were taken into custody. Moreno faces a Possession with the intent to deliver/marijuana charge. His bond was set at $5,000. Davis., Jr, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

The Montgomery County K9 Unit assisted in the investigation and eventual arrests. During the course of the traffic stop, over 90-grams of suspected marijuana, and a .45-caliber handgun were seized.

Another suspect arrested in Nov. Farragut burglary

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

In an update to our report yesterday with regard to an ongoing burglary investigation in Fremont County. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his Deputies arrested 32-year old Justin Michael Evans, of Randolph.  The man was taken into custody in Hamburg, on a valid Fremont County warrant charging him with Conspiracy in connection with a Nov. 28th burglary incident in Farragut.

On Wednesday, Aistrope said 31-year old Marcus Washington, of Clarinda, 36-year old Alfred Mutchler, and 29-year old Mindy Irvin, both of Shenandoah, were taken into custody. Washington and Mutchler are being charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Irvin was charged with Conspiracy. They were being held in the Fremont County Jail on $5,000 cash bonds, only.

Additional information is being gathered, and additional arrests are possible as the investigation continues. Shenandoah Police, as well as Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery and Page Counties are assisting in the ongoing investigation.

No electric rate change in Atlantic next calendar year, but water rates to increase

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Some good news and a little bad news was announced during Wednesday’s City Council meeting in Atlantic, with regard to electric and water usage rates. Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) General Manager Steve Tjekpes, told the Council the good news is that there will be no increase in electric rates for next year. The last increase was 3-percent, in Dec. 2015.

He said also, that a rate survey by the National Public Power Association, shows that out of the 183 electric utilities in Iowa, there are only seven communities with residential rates lower than Atlantic’s 8.6-cents per kilowatt hour. On the Commercial side, only six utilities have a lower rate, and for industrial-size utilities, only four utilities have a lower rate than Atlantic.

On the other side of the coin, the water rates will be going up by 3-percent. Tjepkes said a public hearing will be held during AMU’s next Board meeting, with the increase taking effect Feb. 1st. He says for the average residential customer, that amounts to an extra 70-cents per month, to as much as one-dollar. The increase is necessary, he says, to keep up with the cost of operating the utility.

NE man injured in Mills County rollover accident

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The driver of a car that went out of control and rolled over in Mills County, Wednesday afternoon, was injured but refused transport to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports 33-year old Jurkug Deng, of Omaha, was traveling north on Interstate 29 at around 4:37-p.m., when his 2005 Mazda went from the right to the left lane, in order to get around another vehicle.

The Mazda went out of control, left the road to the right and rolled into the east ditch before coming to rest on its top. Deng, who was wearing a seat belt, told authorities he had earlier changed a flat tire and was using the small spare to drive on, when the accident occurred.

He was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

State Housing Trust Fund Grants to Spur Affordable Housing

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors, Wednesday, approved a total of $7.4 million in grants to 25 Local Housing Trust Funds to support local affordable housing initiatives which will assist more than 2,600 Iowa families. The funding is provided from the State Housing Trust Fund’s Local Housing Trust Fund program.

The grant funds will be used for initiatives such as preserving aging housing stock, subsidizing local down payment assistance programs, providing low-interest loans or grants to assist Iowans in home rehabilitation, financing construction of new single-family housing for low-income Iowans and supporting housing for persons with disabilities and homeless assistance programs.

In our area:

  • The Council Bluffs Housing Trust Fund, Inc. received a grant amounting to $168,345.
  • Council of Governments (COG) Housing, Inc. (Serving Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac Counties), received a $262,007 grant.
  • The Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund, Inc. received $204,203 for the Dallas County area.
  • The Southern Iowa COG Housing Trust Fund was awarded a $253,673 grant for their service area, which includes Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and Union Counties.
  • The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund, Inc. was awarded $331,727 for their service area, that includes: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie (excluding the city of Council Bluffs) and Shelby Counties.

The State Housing Trust Fund was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2003. Since its inception, the program has provided $63 million in affordable housing assistance that has benefited nearly 23,000 Iowa families. This funding has leveraged another $152 million in other funds or $2.42 for every dollar of State Housing Trust Fund investment.

The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least 60 percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by the Iowa Finance Authority as a Local Housing Trust Fund. The remaining funding goes to the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. The Iowa Finance Authority administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.

DNR investigating manure spill in Willey in Carroll County

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

WILLEY, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a report from manure applicator Neese Inc. late Tuesday of a manure tanker tipped over near a ditch near Willey, Iowa in Carroll County.

DNR staff investigated the incident late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Upon investigation, it was observed that manure spilled on the road. Some manure reached the Willey Branch. ​Berms were quickly ​constructed to stop the flow in the ditch and equipment was used to clean up the remaining manure on the road. The amount of manure spilled is unknown. Water samples were collected and submitted for analysis.

The manure was being hauled from the Matt Gehling confinement and land applied by Neese, Inc.

The investigation is ongoing and further enforcement may be considered. ​​

Iowa early News Headlines: Thursday, 12/7/17

News

December 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A lawyer for an Iowa hunter injured in a rifle explosion says internal records show the manufacturer knew for years about extensive problems with that model’s barrel. Attorney Steve Crowley says Savage Arms has released a list of 300 customers who returned stainless steel 10 ML-II muzzleloaders due to bulging or split barrels. He said documents detailing the rifle’s history show the problem “is much deeper than the company has ever acknowledged.” Savage Arms says the gun isn’t defective.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 46-year-old man has died in a workplace accident in eastern Iowa. Television station KCRG reports that the man was run over by a semitrailer at DuPont Industrial Bioscience in Cedar Rapids. Police and emergency medical technicians responded to the business just before 10 a.m. Wednesday for a report of an employee who had been run over. Police say the man died at the scene. His name has not yet been released.

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a hunter in south-central Iowa has made an initial court appearance in the case. The Daily Iowegian reports that 27-year-old Ethan Davis, of Promise City, appeared Wednesday in Appanoose County District Court, where a judge set his bail at $1 million. Davis is suspected of killing 31-year-old Curtis Ross, of Cedar Falls, whose body was found in a remote area of Appanoose County on Saturday.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — An employee at the farm supply store in Storm Lake has been arrested, accused of stealing more than $7,000 in cash from the store. The Sioux City Journal reports that 19-year-old Abigail Clark, of Early, was arrested Tuesday and charged of ongoing criminal conduct, second-degree theft and five counts of forgery. Storm Lake police say Clark forged customer names and completed fraudulent returns for cash within the Bomgaars store where she worked, and then kept the money.