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Castro calls for ‘pause’ in construction of large-scale livestock confinements

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro — the former mayor of San Antonio — says there “absolutely” should be some federal regulation of large-scale livestock confinements. “I’ve heard plenty of community members here in Iowa who have talked about the environmental impact of some of these factory farms,” Castro says. “I know that there’s concern even with whether there should be any factory farms in the future or the ones that do exist should be allowed to expand.”

Castro says there should at least be a moratorium or what he calls a “pause” on new construction of large-scale animal feeding operations. Castro is the first among the Democratic candidates to release a broad plan addressing animal welfare issues. He calls it “PAW — Protecting Animals and Wildlife.” “We ensure that we’re investing in wildlife preservation, for instance,” Castro says, “that we’re working with communities across the United states to get to ‘no kill’ status in shelters throughout our country.”

Castro is calling for an end to the practice of euthanizing healthy pets if animal shelters grow too crowded. Castro also proposes that animal abuse be a FEDERAL crime. Castro spoke about his proposals during this weekend’s episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa Public Television.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Search underway for missing NW Iowa man at Lake Okoboji

News

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Authorities in northwest Iowa are searching for a man who was reported missing over the weekend. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department is looking for 24-year-old Vincent Harvey. Harvey was last seen around 11:30 Saturday night near the docks at Parks Marina on Lake Okoboji. The sheriff’s office is working with the Spirit Lake Fire Department and the Arnolds Park/Okoboji Underwater Search and Rescue Dive Team searching both land and water around the area Harvey was last seen.

Harvey is a 2014 graduate of St. Edmond high school in Fort Dodge and played football and wrestled for Iowa Central Community College before graduating in 2016. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Harvey is asked to contact the Dickinson County Communications Center in Spirit Lake.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: Monday, 8/26/19

Weather

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. High 75. SE @ 10-15.

Tonight: Becoming partly cloudy. Low 54. NW @ 10-15.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 75. NW @ 10-20.
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny. High 78.
Thursday: P/Cldy. High near 80.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 69. Our Low this morning, 63. We received .01″ rain early this morning. Last year on this date, the High was 85 and the Low was 71. The All-time Record High on this date in Atlantic was 100 in 1955, and the Record Low was 39, in 1904.

Posted in Weather |

Coast to coast bike trail would cut across 465 miles of Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News, Sports

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A bold plan is being proposed to create a nationwide biking and hiking trail from Washington D-C to Washington state that would also cut a path through the heart of Iowa. Lisa Hein, senior director of conservation programs for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, says the route across Iowa would encompass 465 miles of trail from Council Bluffs to Davenport. Already, 246 miles are complete, but don’t pump up your bike tires in anticipation just yet.

“In Iowa, trails have to apply for competitive grant funding and in the State Recreational Trails Fund there’s a million dollars,” Hein says. “That might do three miles of trail. At that rate, it’s going to take a few years but folks are plugging away at it.” Many of the trails in Iowa are existing, but creating the links between them would be a long process.

Still, the concept of a 37-hundred mile coast-to-coast trail of this sort is staggering — and alluring. “There’s a lot of interest and support across the country because it’s not just for bicycling,” Hein says. “People can get out and walk and run. These trails are really linear parks. Being able to connect across the country is pretty exciting from a transportation as well as recreation and tourism standpoints.”

Many segments of the proposed Great American Rail-Trail are to be built on former railroad beds, but it takes time to acquire other connecting tracts of the land, clear it, grade it and build the trails. “I’m optimistic that the interest and action and implementation of this will just continue to grow, especially as big visions like this are put forth by national organizations,” Hein says. “Iowa can be a very important piece to the entire puzzle.”

Current Iowa trails that would be incorporated under the plan include: Cedar Valley Nature Trail, High Trestle Trail, Raccoon River Valley Trail, the Heart of Iowa Trail and the T-Bone Trail. It will likely be several years before a truly statewide bicycle trail exists in Iowa, reaching from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. “I don’t know that we have really put a timeframe on it at this point,” Hein says. “This whole concept was just launched this spring. Folks are still getting a handle on it and working on how this vision could be implemented in Iowa.”

Learn more about the proposal at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation website: http://www.inhf.org/blog/blog/the-great-american-railtrail/

Here’s a full list of the Iowa trails that would be incorporated in the effort:
• Government/Arsenal Bridge
• Mississippi River Trail/Riverfront Trail
• Running River Trail System
• Kent Stein to Deep Lakes Park Trail
• Hoover Nature Trail
• Cedar Valley Nature Trail
• Gilbert Drive Trail
• Evansdale Nature Trail
• River Forest Road Trail/Cedar River Levee Trail
• Cedar Valley Lakes Trail
• South Riverside Trail
• Cedar Prairie Trail
• Sergeant Road Trail
• Pioneer Trail
• Iowa River Trail
• Linn Creek Recreational Trail
• Iowa 330/US 30 Trail
• Heart of Iowa Nature Trail
• High Trestle Trail
• Raccoon River Valley Trail
• T-Bone Trail
• Railroad Highway Trail
• Valley View Trail
• Lake Manawa Trail
• Veterans Memorial Trail
• Western Historic Trails Center Link
• Iowa Riverfront Trail
• Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News, Sports |

EDWARD M. BLUM, 81, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 8/29/19)

Obituaries

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

EDWARD M. BLUM, 81, of Harlan, died Sunday, August 25th, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. A Mass of Christian Burial for EDWARD BLUM will be held 11-a.m. Thursday, Aug. 29th, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in Panama. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

The family will greet friends at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Panama, from 5-until 7-p.m. Wed., Aug. 28th, with a Rosary at 7-p.m.

Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery at Panama.

EDWARD BLUM is survived by:

His Wife – Jolene [Wilwerding] Blum, of Harlan.

His sons – Douglas Blum, of Gretna, NE; Dennis (Vicky) Blum, of Peosta (IA); Steven (Glenda) Blum, of Omaha; Thomas (Christina) Blum, of Clear Lake, and James Blum, of Bellevue, NE.

His daughters – Jacqueline (Kelly) Hansen, and Shari (Jarel) Jensen, all of Omaha, and Connie (Chris) Dresen, of Polk City.

His brothers – Richard Blum, of Manilla, and Paul Blum, of Omaha.

His sister – Esther Wageman, of Omaha.

12 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and his sister-in-law Marlene Blum, of Manilla.

Posted in Obituaries |

DEAN LEONARD KLEIN, 56, of Panama (Mass of Christian Burial 8/28/19)

Obituaries

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DEAN LEONARD KLEIN, 56, of Panama, died Sunday, Aug. 25th, at Myrtue Medical Center, in Harlan. A Mass of Christian Burial for DEAN KLEIN will be held 10:30-a.m. Wed., Aug. 28, at St. Mary’s of the Assumption in Panama. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

The family will greet friends on Tue., Aug. 27th, from 5-until 8-p.m. at St. Mary’s Parish Center, where a Rosary begins at 7-p.m., Tuesday.

DEAN LEONARD KLEIN is survived by:

His Mother – Margaret [Kramer] Klein, of Harlan.

His Wife – Connie Klein, of Panama.

His son – Brian Klein, of Panama.

His daughter – Megan Klein, of Panama.

His brothers – Larry Klein, of Earling, and David (Sara) Klein, of Omaha.

His sisters – JoAnn (Gary) Kenkel, of Harlan; Edna (Mike) Keenan, of Storm Lake, and Leone (Ed) Grace, of Omaha.

Posted in Obituaries |

Red Oak man arrested Monday morning

News

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak report 21-year old Steven Cody Esquivel, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:30 this (Monday) morning, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

Red Oak Police arrested 22-year old Daniel Joseph Pate, of Atlantic, Sunday night for Public Intoxication. Pate was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond. In a separate incident, Red Oak Police arrested 28-year old Randi Lynn VanLeuven, of Red Oak for violation of a no-contact order. Her bond was also set at $300.

Posted in News |

Midwest Sports Headlines: 8/26/19

Sports

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Carpenter broke out of his slump with a homer and three hits, Dexter Fowler drove in three runs and the St. Louis Cardinals cruised to an 11-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies after a long rain delay. St. Louis, which has won seven of eight and 13 of 16, swept the four-game series by a combined score of 31-12. The Cardinals moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Cubs in the NL Central.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, sending Kansas City to a 9-8 win over the Cleveland Indians, whose playoff hopes were rocked by losing third baseman Jose Ramírez to a broken right hand. The Indians scored four in the ninth to tie it before O’Hearn’s homer helped the Royals salvage a wild series finale. Ramírez will have surgery Monday in New York and miss Cleveland’s playoff push.

UNDATED (AP) — In the past week, three pitchers were taken out with no-hitters in progress in the sixth inning or later, part of a growing trend in which managers are willing to go to the bullpen even when the starter has a chance to make history. In an era when complete games are rare, this isn’t a surprise, but it’s noteworthy all the same.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska softball coach Rhonda Revelle will continue leading the program after being placed on administrative leave in July. Athletic director Bill Moos announced Revelle’s return. He had placed Revelle on leave while school officials looked into concerns raised by players. The nature of the concerns were not disclosed.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, August 26, 2019

News

August 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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

SEATTLE, Washington — KTIV in Sioux City reports Captain Al Haynes, who has been considered a hero for his abilities during the United Airlines Flight 232 crash, died on Sunday, at a hospital in Seattle. The flight crashed in July 1989 at the Sioux Gateway Airport, due to complete loss of all hydraulic lines when a tail fan failed. One hundred and twelve lives were lost in the crash. However, within 40 minutes, all 184 survivors had been found, triaged, and transported to local hospitals. Funeral services for Haynes have not yet been confirmed.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The city of Davenport is considering changes in its landscaping near the Mississippi river to ensure that it has room for bigger barriers in future floods. City officials are considering spending $180,000 to remove two road dividers filled with dirt and plants to make way for the bigger barriers.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A sinkhole will continue interfering with traffic in downtown Dubuque for about another month. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports city officials estimate that it will take that long to figure out what is causing the hole under a lane of White Street downtown and fix the problem.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A man convicted of second-degree murder for a crash that killed two people has been sentenced to 70 years in prison. The Coloradoan reports 20-year-old Marcos Orozco was sentenced Friday in the deaths of Nicole Nees of Fort Collins and her father, John Nees of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The crash occurred Thanksgiving Day. Authorities say the victims were stopped at a red light when Orozco, driving a stolen pickup, crashed into the rear of their vehicle at 90 mph

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man sentenced last year to 25 years for attempting to kill his wife in Dubuque now is seeking a competency evaluation, saying he should not have been allowed to enter a plea in the case. The Telegraph Herald reports that 52-year-old Clifford Smiley has filed a petition seeking the exam, saying he was bipolar, off his medication and addicted to heroin when he entered an Alford plea to attempted murder last August. A judge recently granted Smiley’s request, but prosecutors are objecting.

Posted in News |

Storage shed burglary in Adair Sunday morning

News

August 25th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Guthrie County  authorities are looking for two females who are allegedly responsible for a storage shed burglary in Adair at around 6-a.m, Sunday. If you recognize the vehicle in the video, contact the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office.

Posted in News |