More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Iowa Congressman Steve King says he might be interested in a new position next year — in Donald Trump’s administration. “I just don’t know. I worked a lifetime to be in a position to have maximum impact in a time like this and we’ll have to see what opportunities might be offered up or not and that’s not something I have a lot of control over,” King says. “But my life in the last 20 years is to serve and so this is a time to really roll up our sleeves and go to work and I look at it as a real, real opportunity for Iowans and for Americans.”

King cites the Homeland Security agency as a place that might lure him away from serving in the House. Trump did a fundraiser for King’s 2014 reelection campaign, but King wound up endorsing Ted Cruz before the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. Trump mentioned their complicated history this past Sunday during the Trump campaign rally in Sioux City. “Congressman Steve King, great guy,” Trump said. “I even liked him when he was endorsing Ted…It took him a little while, but he came around, right?”

King just won an eighth term in congress. The pollster King has used for a dozen years is Kellyanne Conway. In August, Conway took over as Trump’s campaign manager. King says Conway is “brilliant.”  “When Kellyanne came into the Trump campaign, you could see that she started to shift it around and she started to restrain and control some of the things that were going on that were undisciplined…You also saw the messaging come in,” King says. “…I think the Trump campaign was finely-tuned by Kellyanne Conway and she is a most essential component to his victory.”

King considers Conway a leading contender to be the press secretary for President-elect Trump because of her “utility” as a communicator. King made his comments during taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program that will air Friday night.

(Radio Iowa)

Creston Police arrested two people on drug charges, Wednesday morning. 27-year old Kurtis Fooken and 37-year old Justin Beckwith, both of Creston, were arrested at their residences at around 7-a.m., Wednesday. Both faces charges that include: Possession a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to Affix Drug Stamp, and Gathering Where Controlled Substances are used. Fooken was also charged with Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense, while Beckwith faces an additional charge of Dominion/Control of a Firearm by a Felon. Both men were being held in the Union County Jail on a $100,000 bond, each.

And, Wednesday afternoon, Creston Police served a warrant on Justin Beckwith while he was incarcerated in the Union County Jail. The warrant was for Parole Violation on an original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Beckwith continued to be held in the Union County Jail on an additional $5000 bond, for a total bond amount of $105,000.

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

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The Iowa-based offices of the U-S Small Business Administration report a big boost in loans to Iowa entrepreneurs with the fiscal year that ended September 30th. S-B-A spokesman Dave Lentell, at the agency’s Iowa district office, says it’s their mission to get capital into the hands of small business owners across the state who need it. “The SBA approved 484 guaranteed loans in Iowa, totalling $197.3 million,” Lentell says. “That’s a 9% increase in numbers from Fiscal Year 2015 and a 46% increase in dollars.”

The number of small business loans made by SBA rises annually at the national level, but with a relatively small population like Iowa’s, the state numbers don’t always hit new peaks every year. “Here in Iowa, it tends to fluctuate a little bit but for the last two years, our numbers have been slightly up,” Lentell says. “We attribute that to our increased efforts here in the state to better educate and inform small businesses on SBA programs and services.”

The report says the 484 loans approved during the fiscal year created nearly 25-hundred jobs in Iowa and retained another 34-hundred.  “The small business community here in Iowa is a very strong one. Over 98% of all businesses in the state are considered small. They are the engine that drives the economy,” Lentell says. “The important message is that SBA programs and services, including our financial programs, are here to help people start, grow and expand their own small businesses.”

The S-B-A has offices in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids and is available round-the-clock at www.sba.gov/ia

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Council Bluffs arrested a man this (Thursday) morning, for allegedly trying to steal copper wire from behind a former supermarket building. Officials say 33-year old Dustin Adkins faces charges that include 1st Degree Theft and 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief.

Officers on patrol at around 3:40-a.m.  in the area of 18th and W. Broadway saw a man behind 1817 West Broadway (the former-No Frills Supermarket). Upon further investigation, they discovered the man was in the process of stealing large gauge copper wire from the back of the building. Adkins was placed under arrest.

During the investigation, Adkins was also found to be in possession of methamphetamines, and had a valid warrant for his arrest (for Probation Violation- original charge Burglary and Possession of Controlled Substance). Adkins was being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Dustin Adkins

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Officials say Iowa’s Transportation Department director has resigned. Department spokeswoman Andrea Henry told Des Moines television station KCCI on Wednesday that department employees have been notified about Paul Trombino III’s resignation. His reason for stepping down has not been announced publicly.

It’s unclear who will run the department after Trombino leaves his post, reportedly on Nov. 28. He was appointed director in May 2011. Before taking the post, Trombino worked 17 years for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

A manufacturing facility in northwest Iowa that currently employs 140 people will shut down by next October. Jim Michels, spokesperson for Eaton Corporation, says employees at the Spencer Eaton Hydraulics Plant were told the news on Wednesday.
“We met with employees to share that the company will be ceasing operations and closing the facility in Spencer by the end of the third quarter 2017,” Michels said.

The plant in Spencer manufactures heavy duty hydraulic pumps and motors. Michels said demand for the company’s products made in Spencer have been dropping. “By the end of September this year, North American Original Equipment, agriculture equipment sales were down almost 16-percent,” Michels said.

He also noted the Spencer facility supplies a lot of products for combines. “And as of the end of September 2016, North American combine sales were down 26.5 percent compared to September 2015 and year-to-date down 20.4 percent,” Michels said.

Everyone working at the plant will be given a 60-day notice prior to the elimination of their job, according to Michels. Those job cuts will begin in the first quarter of next year and continue through September. The Eaton plant in Spencer opened in 1974.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports a Special Election pertaining to a $14.5-million Iowa Western Community College Bond Measure, will be held in Atlantic on Dec. 6th. The Public Measure on the ballot asks “Shall the Iowa Western Community College (Merged Area XIII) in the Counties of Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monoa, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby, be authorized to remodel, erect, furnish and equip buildings at the main campus and other enrollment locations, contract indebtedness therefor, and issue its school bonds in an amount not exceeding $14,500,000 for that purpose?”

Absentee ballots for the election may be requested by registered voters not going to their assigned voting sites on election day, Dec. 6th, 2016. The polls will be open that day from Noon until 8-p.m. You may also vote prior to election day by paper ballot, either by mail or in-person at the County Auditor’s Office at the Cass County Courthouse.

TO VOTE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BY MAIL you must file a request for an absentee ballot.

1. Deliver the absentee ballot request by mail or personal carrier to the auditor’s office.  You must use the State prescribed absentee ballot request form.  A request is not valid unless it includes the SIGNATURE of the person requesting the ballot.

Request forms are available at the auditor’s office or on the internet at http://www.sos.iowa.gov

2. When a request is received by the auditor, a ballot will be mailed if the person is an eligible elector.  (A person may register to vote and request a ballot at the same time.  You may send a registration form along with your request for an absentee ballot.)
3. With the ballot you will receive instructions for voting the ballot and for returning it.

ONLY FIVE VOTING CENTERS WILL BE USED FOR THIS ELECTION:

1. The two VOTING CENTERS for the ATLANTIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT are:

No. 1:  Voters living in Wards 1, 4 and 5 of the City of Atlantic will vote at Heritage House, 1200 Brook Ridge Circle in Atlantic.

No. 2:  Voters residing in the remainder of the Atlantic Community School District, being those voters residing in Audubon and Pottawattamie counties; Bear Grove, Benton, Brighton, Cass, Franklin, Grove, Pymosa and Washington townships of Cass County; the City of Marne; the City of Wiota; and Wards 2 and 3 of the City of Atlantic will vote at the Atlantic Public Library (507 Poplar), Atlantic, Iowa.

2. The two VOTING CENTERS for the CAM COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT  are:

No. 1- in ANITA:  Voters residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District lying in Adair and Audubon counties; Benton, Franklin, Grant and Lincoln townships of Cass County; the City of Anita; and the City of Wiota will vote at the ANITA COMMUNITY CENTER (805 Main St).

No. 2- in MASSENA:  Voters residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District lying in Adams County; Bear Grove, Edna, Massena, Noble, Union and Victoria townships of Cass County; the City of Cumberland; and the City of Massena will vote at the MASSENA PUBLIC LIBRARY in Massena (122 Main St).

3. The VOTING CENTER for the GRISWOLD COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT is: 

In GRISWOLD- Griswold Community Building, 601 2nd St, Griswold and all voters of the School District will vote there.

If you have any questions, contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office.

An 11-year old male suffered serious injuries after he was struck by a van Wednesday afternoon while crossing a street, in Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs Police say Blake Smith, of Council Bluffs, was transported by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to Nebraska Medicine, after he was hit by a 2004 Ford full-size van at around 3:30-p.m.. The driver of the van was identified as 52-year old Rex Miles, of Council Bluffs.

Police say Miles was traveling west on East Kanesvillle Boulevard in the right lane. Traffic was reported to be stopped in the left, westbound lane, for a red light ahead. Miles and witnesses told police that Blake ran northbound across Kanesville and through the stopped line of vehicles in the left lane, before crossing into Miles’ path.

Miles said he didn’t see Blake until it was too late. He attempted to stop, but his van struck Blake before Miles could stop. The Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit is conducting an investigation into the crash. At this time, impairment and speed do not appear to be factors in accident.