The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.0MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Officials with Scooter’s Coffee say concerns of the Atlantic Planning and Zoning Commission, with regard to a drive through/coffee kiosk site on east 7th Street, are without merit. In a letter to the Commission last week, Mike Michaelis, Scooter’s Vice President of Development, asks the Commission to unanimously approve a previously discussed site plan, which calls for the triangular entrance/exit to the U-S Cellar/Verizon & McDonald’s entrance, to be the access and exit routes for motor vehicle traffic. The P&Z will further review the site plan during their meeting 5:30-p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 27), in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall.
During their meeting August 13th, the Commission expressed concerns about traffic congestion to the access drive, as well as vehicle “queuing” (backup), in the drive. At that time, Scooter’s Construction Manager Dan Forsland said he would contact the Iowa DOT about having the turning lane be both east and westbound from the site, instead of the current westbound only.
Michaelis said in his letter, that the site, as proposed, is similar to their coffee kiosk site in Holdredge, Nebraska, and that vehicle stacking at that location averages 3-to 4 vehicles during peak traffic conditions. They estimate the peak traffic times for the Atlantic Scooter’s (If approved), would be between 7:45-to 8-a.m.
Michaelis said their landlord (East Atlantic Holdings, LLC., based in Urbandale), was not able to reach an agreement with neighboring property owners Oinker’s Lounge and Noddles Development Co., with regard to access from those properties.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque man has pleaded guilty to taking estate money without permission and giving it to charities. The Telegraph Herald reports that 45-year-old Robert Young Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21. He’d pleaded guilty after making a deal with prosecutors. Court documents say Young had been appointed personal administrator of the estate of Thomas Palmer, who died March 3, 2017, at the age of 58. The documents say Young paid off Palmer’s bills and then donated more than $31,500 to charities without a court’s permission.
Both the defense and prosecutors recommend in the plea agreement that Young be put on probation for two to five years and be given a deferred judgment. Under a deferred judgment, the theft conviction can be removed from his record if he successfully completes probation.
A traffic stop at around 3:19-a.m. today (Monday), on Highway 34 in Adams County, resulted in two people being arrested on drug charges. Adams County Deputies pulled over a vehicle for having a defective headlight, near Fig Avenue and Highway 34. Upon making contact with the driver, 34-year old Waymond Lee Foster, SR., of Creston, a small baggie of marijuana was observed in plain view. A probable cause search was conducted, during which more than 18 ounces (504 grams) of marijuana and THC products were found. The items had recently been purchased in Colorado.
Foster was arrested for Possession with the intent to deliver, Failure to affix a drug tax stamp, possession of drug paraphernalia, and Violation of a No Contact Order. His passenger, Ashley Nicole Foster, was arrested on the same charges. Ashley Foster was also charged with three counts of Unlawful Possession of prescription drugs.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man accused of killing a Nebraska man in Sioux City has pleaded guilty. Woodbury County District Court records say a judge accepted the plea Friday from 31-year-old Daniel Levering. The charge was second-degree murder. Prosecutors had lowered it from first-degree murder after making a deal with Levering.
Prosecutors say Levering stabbed to death 36-year-old Vincent Walker on July 23, 2017. Walker lived in Winnebago, Nebraska.
The plea agreement says Levering will be sentenced to 50 years in prison and must serve 35 years before he can become eligible for parole. He also agreed to pay $150,000 in restitution to Walker’s heirs. The judge ruled in July that Levering was competent to stand trial.
(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.
(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.
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.
(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
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.