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Mason City man arrested after one pound of meth was found in his storage unit

News

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A Mason City man is in jail after authorities allegedly find more than a pound of methamphetamine in a storage unit. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department says they executed a search warrant based on an ongoing investigation at two storage lockers at 630 6th Southwest in Mason City. Authorities allegedly found more than a pound of suspected meth with a street value of more than $20,000, as well as a large sum of money. 59-year-old Mark Hobbs was charged with possession of meth with the intent to deliver and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.

He’s currently being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $20,000 bond. Hobbs was arrested in April for allegedly stealing Ritchie Valens memorabilia during the Winter Dance Party in Clear Lake.

Posted in News |

(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 8/28/19

Podcasts, Sports

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Posted in Podcasts, Sports |

Former officer gets probation for painkiller thefts

News

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) — A former police officer accused of stealing painkillers from a southeastern Iowa veterinary clinic has been given five years of probation. Jefferson County District Court records say 31-year-old Ryan Mills was fined $1,000 and given a deferred judgment at his sentencing Friday. Under deferred judgments, convictions can to be removed from court records if the convicted fulfill their probation terms. Mills had pleaded guilty to burglary.

A criminal complaint says Mills was caught stealing 57 tablets of Tramadol from The Veterinary Clinic in Fairfield before business hours on Jan. 1. Later he admitted entering the clinic on several occasions to steal the opioids from a medicine cabinet. Tramadol is a controlled narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain and is highly addictive.

Mills was a police officer in Fairfield.

Posted in News |

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & Funeral report, 8/28/2019

News, Podcasts

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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

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Posted in News, Podcasts |

Cass County Extension 8-28-2019

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

August 28th, 2019 by Jim Field

w/Kate Olson.

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Posted in Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts |

Disease killing hundreds of deer in south-central Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a virus has killed hundreds of deer in south-central Iowa. The Iowa Natural Resources Department says the outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease is concentrated in and near Warren County. The disease is spread by female midges that feed on the dead animals. The disease causes high fever in deer. The cell membranes in their hearts, lungs and diaphragms weaken and burst. The department says the disease kills animals every year but not usually at the rate of this outbreak.

The disease outbreak remains active until rain disperses the deer, wind disperses the midges or a heavy frost kills them. Experts say epizootic hemorrhagic disease has not been shown to affect people.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area – Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Weather

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny. High 78. W @ 10-15 mph.

Tonight:Partly cloudy w/a chance of showers late. Low 60. SW @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: Isolated morning showers; P/Cldy. High 83. SW-NW @ 10-20.

Friday: Mo. Cldy w/a chance of showers. High 75.

Saturday: Mo. Cldy w/a chance of showers. High 72.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 76. Our Low this morning was 52. Last year on this date our High was 81 and the Low was 51. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 100 in 1984. The Record Low was 35 in 1967.

Posted in Weather |

Pheasant numbers right around last year

Ag/Outdoor, Sports

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — The results of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources survey show there will be plenty of pheasants available when the season opens in October. D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz, oversees the survey and says the numbers didn’t crater despite some rough winter and spring weather. “Yeah they are down a little — but I think it could have been a lot worse. I think we even had a couple regions that showed a slight uptick,” Bogenschutz says.

The August roadside survey showed an average of 17 pheasants per 30 mile route, down from 21 per route last year. But he says two areas caused the overall average to drop. “The south-central and south-east had a lot of ice down there last year and of course they had an abundance of rain in May. So the counts are way down in those two regions — 40 to 50 percent — and that kind of drove our overall statewide number,” Bogenschutz says. “The rest of the numbers are up a little, down a little, none of them significant.”

The west-central region saw an 18 percent increase in pheasants and the north-central region saw a 14 percent increase. He says seeing the roadside count numbers close to last year is a win for hunters. “Last year was our best year in ten years — so that’s pretty good I think,” Bogenschutz says. The pheasant numbers have been building back up after several years of decline brought on by bad weather. While the birds will be available, he says the hunting conditions are going to make it more difficult to find them. “Because crop planting was so late this year there it’s probably a high likelihood on our opener that most of the crops are going to be standing. And that’s going to make for a tougher opener because bills will have a lot of cropland they will be able to move off to and basically you won’t be able to hunt them,” Bogenschutz explains.

He says acres of standing corn make a great place for birds to hide. “All the birds — especially when the season opens at the end of October — I mean they are using the crop fields as things are maturing they are starting to use them as a food source and are in them anyway. And a little bit of hunting pressure and they are going to figure out quick that’s the place to be so they won’t be bothered,” Bogenschutz says. “I fully expect because of how far behind the planting season was this year we’re going to have a lot of crops the opener.”

He expects hunters to take around 200-thousand roosters again this year — but says that could be much higher if more hunters went out. “Fifteen years ago we had 100-thousand hunters and last year we barely broke 50 (thousand). Our harvest is partly driven by how many guys get out there and chase them. Our hunter numbers have been slowly creeping back up, they had gotten down into the 40-thousand range,” Bogenschutz says. He says the number of birds taken could more than double if more hunters hit the fields. “If we had the hunters we had 15 years ago I think our harvest last year would have been half a million. I think the birds were there,” Bogenschutz says.

The pheasant season will open up on October 26th.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, Sports |

Farmers’ Almanac predicts ‘polarcoaster’ winter ahead for Iowa

News, Weather

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — The new edition of the Farmers’ Almanac predicts a freezing, frosty winter is ahead for Iowa and the rest of the Midwest. Sandi Duncan, the publication’s managing editor, says they’re calling for above-normal snowfall and below-normal temperatures.Duncan says, “We’re calling this winter a ‘polarcoaster’ winter because we think there’s going to be quite a few thrills and chills up and down the thermometer this winter.”

The Almanac is forecasting what it calls a “memorable” storm that will produce “hefty snows” for the region between January 20th and 23rd, followed by bitter cold as low as 40-below zero. “We’re looking at the coldest outbreak of the season to be at the end of January and the beginning of February,” Duncan says. “Overall, in your region we’re calling for a frigid and snowy winter.”  This past spring was lousy for many farmers in the region, with prolonged cold, wet weather and widespread flooding. The Almanac is predicting essentially a repeat for next spring. “We do see a very slow start to spring once again with chilly, wet conditions hanging on into April,” Duncan says. “The good news is, we also have a summer forecast, and we see scorching temperatures with not the greatest but near-normal precipitation. Hopefully, things will even out a little bit as summer continues to take hold in 2020.”

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service often put little stock in forecasts more than a few weeks out, but Duncan notes the Farmers’ Almanac has been predicting the weather for -longer- than the National Weather Service. The Almanac’s forecasts extend out from six to 16 months and they’re based on a formula established two centuries ago. “It was set on a bunch of rules that we’ve altered slightly but we still consider a lot of the rules that our founding editor in 1818, we still follow them,” Duncan says. “They are rules that talk about sunspot activity, tidal action, the Moon, the position of the planets. They apply them to different weather conditions and they’ve been doing a pretty good job for us.”

She says those who follow the publication’s long-range outlooks say they’re 80-to-85-percent accurate.

Posted in News, Weather |

Midwest Sports Headlines: 8/28/19

Sports

August 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Nate Stanley will enter his senior season with a chance at becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history. Stanley is content to focus on winning and letting his legacy take care of itself. Stanley threw for 52 touchdowns in his first two seasons as a starter, the best two-year stretch for a Hawkeye. He is just 23 TD passes away from passing Heisman Trophy runner-up Chuck Long for the top spot. Iowa opens the season Saturday against Miami (Ohio).

AMES, Iowa (AP) — No. 21 Iowa State heads into the season with an offensive line it considers a strength. That has not always been the case for coach Matt Campbell, who is now in this third season. The five players who will start on Saturday against Northern Iowa have combined to start 114 games at Iowa State. Only four Bowl Subdivision teams have a unit with more combined starts. Campbell says he expects the four seniors and a sophomore to play like a veteran group.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Yadier Molina hit two home runs and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals matched a season high with their sixth straight win, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 on a rain-delayed game inside Miller Park. Play was halted in the seventh inning as rain poured through the open roof and fans rushed to the covered concourses. The delay lasted about nine minutes as the retractable roof closed. Cardinals right fielder Dexter Fowler made a jumping catch at the wall with two on to end it.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two people familiar with the situation tell The Associated Press that the ownership of the Kansas City Royals is open to the possibility of selling the franchise if the right buyer is found. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sale. The Athletic reported Tuesday that team owner David Glass was in discussions with a group led by Kansas City native and Cleveland Indians vice chairman John Sherman.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Semien provided just enough early offense and Mike Fiers and three Oakland relievers combined to shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 2-1 victory. Semien had hits in his first two at-bats of the game, coming around to score in the first inning and driving in a run in the second. Fiers scattered eight hits in his 5 1/3 innings and has won 11 straight decisions, dating to May 7, to tie Mark Mulder for the second-longest winning streak in Oakland history.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The final preseason game is where the final spots on the roster are typically won and lost. That’s no different for the Kansas City Chiefs, where everything from the backup running back to wide receiver to defensive backfield positions will be settled.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks has been charged with illegally possessing firearms. The U.S. attorney’s office said Monday in announcing the charges against 40-year-old Saousoalii Siavii Jr. that he was twice stunned with a Taser after he resisted arrest when he was taken into custody in August.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State coach Chris Klieman inherited a roster without a single scholarship running back when he took over the program. But the arrival of three touted transfers, including former Ball State running back James Gilbert, has Klieman feeling optimistic. The season opener is Saturday against Nicholls State.

Posted in Sports |