A legislative forum featuring State Senator Tom Shipley, from Nodaway, and State Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, will be held this afternoon, in Atlantic. The event takes place at the Farmers Walnut Street Diner, beginning at 1-p.m. The event is sponsored by Farm Bureau, and offers you a chance to hear from our area legislators about the issues they have voted on, those yet to come, and to answer your questions.

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

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Today (Saturday) marks the start of F-F-A Week in Iowa. Scott Johnson, executive secretary for the Iowa F-F-A Association, says the theme for the week-long observance is “Transform: Purpose to Action.” The week signals not only the 70th annual F-F-A Week but another special date for the program. “On the 23rd will be the 100th anniversary of the federal Smith-Hughes Act, passed on February 23rd of 1917,” Johnson says. “The Smith-Hughes Act is actually what established what was called vocational agriculture at the time in public schools.”

That laid the foundation for creation of the F-F-A just 11 years later. Johnson says there will be special events statewide to honor of F-F-A Week, including Drive Your Tractor to School Day in some areas. “You see a little bit of everything,” Johnson says. “Some will do an Ag Olympics, they’ll have appreciation breakfasts, pancake feeds, activities that engage the community, school, students, FFA members, staff dress-up days.”

Iowa has 232 chapters of F-F-A and last year counted 14-thousand-700 members statewide. On the web at http://www.iowaffa.com

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak arrested a local man on an assault charge, Friday. 39-year old Edgar Ralph Wilkins, Jr., of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 9:45-p.m. in the 200 block of E. Hammond Street, on a charge of Aggravated Assault. Wilkins, Jr. was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash bond was set at $2,000.

A traffic stop early this (Saturday) morning in Fremont County resulted in the arrest on drug charges, of a Pottawattamie County woman. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports 19-year old Taylor Murdock, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st Offense, after her vehicle was pulled over at around 12:30-a.m. near Percival and a K9 search was conducted. Murdock was being held in the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on a $1,000 bond.

Taylor Murdock

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has signed into law limitations to most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state, yet some changes could take years to go into effect. For some of the roughly 180,000 public sector workers directly affected by the measure, key provisions that remove most of their collective negotiating authority would apply after their current employment contracts expire.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with the 1995 slaying of an Iowa City woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after making a deal with prosecutors. Authorities say Steven Klein killed 38-year-old Susan Kersten, whose body was found in her burned-out car near Iowa City. He was charged with first-degree murder, but the Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that on Friday, Klein entered an Alford plea to arson, willful injury causing serious injury and suborning perjury in the death.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Developers of a pork processing plant under construction in Sioux City have announced plans for a second shift expected to increase its number of jobs to around 2,000 _ nearly double the original estimate. The Sioux City Journal reports that the expansion will raise the cost of the Seaboard Triumph Foods project by $31.4 million, to just over $300 million. The 600,000 square-foot plant is expected to open July 31 with a single shift of around 1,100 employees.

PARKERSBURG, Iowa (AP) — Parkersburg officials and the state auditors are squabbling over the town’s finances, including paying the town administrator for digging graves. Auditors questioned whether Parkersburg should have paid its city administrator nearly $33,000 over his base salary over nearly five years for overtime, compensatory time, record keeping and grave digging. The town says Luring isn’t a manager and that extra pay for extra job duties is fiscally responsible.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has moved its hunting rules listening session in Council Bluffs to Iowa Western Community College due to a scheduling conflict at the previous location. The meeting will now be held at Iowa Western Community College, 2700 College Road, in Loft Hall, Room 24, in Council Bluffs. The DNR is hosting public meetings over the Iowa Communications Network on February 22 from 6 to 9 p.m., to listen to the public’s thoughts on the hunting and trapping regulations for this fall.

These meetings are part of the process for making rules in state government. “Any rule changes must be discussed with Iowa’s citizens who might be impacted by the changes before the rule changes are proposed. The process helps ensure that rule changes serve the public’s wishes and do not impact Iowa’s economy,” said Dr. Dale Garner, chief of the wildlife bureau.

At each meeting DNR staff will facilitate a discussion about what went well last fall, what didn’t, and what changes hunters and trappers would like to see for this fall. These discussions along with the data that the wildlife bureau collects on harvest and population numbers will be used to develop recommendations for any rule changes. Any changes must be approved by the Natural Resource Commission and then go back to the public for further comment before taking effect next fall.

Meetings will be held in Ankeny, Boone, Calmar, Centerville, Clinton, Correctionville, Council Bluffs, Creston, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sac City, Sheldon, Spencer, Tripoli and West Burlington.

Complete ICN locations are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting

(DNR Press Release)

Officials with Cass County Extension, in Atlantic, said Friday (today), that Shelby Williams, of Adair, was recently hired as the Youth Programs Coordinator at Cass County Extension. She began her role as Cass County Youth Coordinator on January 30th, and has jumped right in to working with youth, parents and volunteers across the county. The Youth Program Coordinator role is a Full time position, with responsibility for youth outreach programming and 4-H program management in Cass County.  Williams replaces Beth Irlbeck, who held the position for the past three and a half years.

Shelby Williams

Shelby grew up on a small family farm in Pella, Iowa where her family raised hogs and had a cow-calf operation. She was very active in both 4-H and FFA throughout school, and exhibited swine and beef at the Marion County Fair. In her junior year of high school, her family moved to Adair, where she graduated from Adair-Casey High School in May 2013. Her first year of college was spent at Southwestern Community College where she played women’s golf. She was then offered a golf scholarship to play at Northwest Missouri State University, so she transferred to Maryville, and recently graduated from Northwest in December of 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Science.

Williams said “Working with children and agriculture have always been passions of mine. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Cass County Extension and 4-H program, and I cannot wait to see where this next adventure takes me.”

Stop by the Cass County Extension Office at 805 W. 10th Street in Atlantic and welcome Shelby to her new position.  She is available to answer questions you may have regarding 4-H and youth programming as well as providing information on resources available through Iowa State University Extension in Cass County.  Shelby can also be reached by calling the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, by email at shelbyrw@iastate.edu or by visiting www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad today (Friday) signed the following bill into law…House File 291: an Act relating to employment matters involving public employees including collective bargaining, educator employment matters, personnel records and settlement agreements, city civil service requirements, and health insurance matters, making penalties applicable, and including effective date, applicability, and transition provisions.

“I’m very pleased to sign this bill into law,” said Gov. Branstad. “These necessary reforms to our antiquated 43 year old public employee collective bargaining law bring fairness for Iowa taxpayers and flexibility to public employees. This bill also gives local governments, schools and state government greater freedom in managing their resources with the opportunity to reward good public employees. I want to thank all of the legislators who worked diligently and thoroughly to pass these much needed reforms, including Speaker Linda Upmeyer, Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, Majority Leader Bill Dix, President Jack Whitver, Chairman Dave Deyoe, Representative Steve Holt and Chairman Jason Schultz.”

Lt. Gov. Reynolds also applauded the reforms adding, “I’m excited about the long overdue reforms that have been put in place today. My experience as county treasurer for 13 years gave me a firsthand look at how out of balance the system had become. Finally, Iowa taxpayers have a seat at the table and local governments are empowered to make decisions in the best interests of their communities and schools. These changes will improve our educational system by giving local districts the ability to recruit and retain the best teachers in every classroom across the state. This new, balanced system is something all Iowans can celebrate.”

The bill passed the Iowa House 53-47 on Feb. 16, 2017 and the Iowa Senate on Feb. 16, 2017, 29-21.

The Red Oak Police Department said today (Friday), 27-year old Bruce Anthony Kaimann, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree.  Kaimann, Jr. was taken into custody a little after 9-a.m. in the 1400 block of Forest Avenue, after he allegedly damaged a kitchen table and chairs valued at $1,500. His bond was set at $5,000.