(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 6/11/2016

The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Briquettes from a charcoal grill getting onto a wooden deck are to blame for a fire early this (Saturday) morning, north of Atlantic. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees told KJAN News a neighbor of Jake Smith, who resides at 54393 Buck Creek Road, was up at around 4-a.m. and noticed smoke before calling 9-1-1.

Photo courtesy Cass County EMA Coordinator Mike Kennon

McNees said when they arrived on scene, the deck and side of an attached portion of a home was on fire. Crews were able to get a quick knockdown of the flames. Still, about half the deck was lost, and the home sustained some smoke damage.The Chief said Smith had been barbecuing on the deck and threw water on the flames at around 12:30-a.m., but it appears some charcoal might have slipped through the bottom of the grill or blown out, onto the deck, according to McNees.

Firefighters remained on the scene until about 5:30. No injuries were reported.

Iowa corn growers could face higher input costs if a federal agency moves forward with efforts to strictly limit the use of a popular pesticide. An E-P-A report on Atrazine shows the agency has concerns with the chemical’s impact on birds, mammals and fish. Scott Merritt, a spokesman for the agriculture industry’s Triazine  Network, says growers know to follow the guidelines on atrazine carefully.

“We think the label is sufficient the way it is. You can’t use it around water,” Merritt says. “There are setbacks in the application of it, have been for a decade, and we think those are very reasonable.” The E-P-A suggests farmers should only be allowed to use eight ounces of the chemical per acre, when they typically will use two pounds for that much ground. Merritt says the proposed change could be a financial detriment to Iowa growers.

“It could increase by having to change products or limitations on his application or just his ability to grow a crop and not compete with weeds,” Merritt says. “We’re seeing numbers almost up to $60 an acre would be the added cost to the farmer.” Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, have spent years urging the EPA to ban the use of Atrazine. The public comment period is open until August 5th.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak arrested a man on an assault charge early this (Saturday) morning. 28-year old Demarcus Jermar King, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 12:30-a.m. in the 300 block of E. Corning Street, in reference to an incident of assault that allegedly took place Friday. King was also charged with Driving While Suspended. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

Red Oak Police said also, 21-year old Jacob William Avery, of Imogene, was arrested Friday night in the 200 block of S. 2nd Street, in Red Oak. Avery was charged with Public Intoxication. His bond was also set at $300.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a teenage driver was cited for violating a restricted license, following a rollover accident Friday afternoon. 15-year old Nicholas Sebastian Turnbull, of Red Oak, was also cited for operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Turnbull was driving a 2005 Dodge Stratus registered to Camielle Silence, of Shenandoah. He was traveling eastbound in the 2000 block of 170th Street at around 3:50-p.m., when he lost control of the car. The vehicle slid into the south ditch and rolled onto its top. No injuries were reported.

Police say a drunk driver is to blame for a deadly crash in central Iowa Friday morning. A Boone man is facing charges that include vehicular homicide and third-offense O-W-I following the crash on Interstate 35. Police say 45-year-old William Phipps was driving a pickup that slammed into the back of a car in the southbound lanes of I-35 near Ankeny at 6:20 a.m.

A passenger in the car, 30-year-old Alexander Koc,h of Ankeny, died at the scene while the driver of the car was injured. Police say Phipps ran from the scene but was captured by officers about a half mile away. Because of his record, Phipps was barred from driving.

(Radio Iowa)

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

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — The Cedar Falls Fraternal Order of Eagles is offering $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for vandalizing the Blackhawk County Freedom Rock Memorial. The 175-member, non-profit group says Friday that it would donate the money for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. The rock, located at Veterans Park in Cedar Falls, was spray painted during Memorial Day weekend.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Marriott hotel in Bettendorf will get another chance to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by a hotel guest who was awarded $1.2 million by a jury after she slipped on an icy sidewalk in January 2010 and broke her ankle. The lawsuit was filed by Brenda Alcala, a software consultant from Texas who was on a business trip to Bettendorf.

JACKSON, Neb. (AP) — A 10-year-old boy is the third to die after a single-vehicle crash in Nebraska. Jose Lara, of Council Bluffs, died Thursday afternoon. The driver, Christopher Cox, says he swerved to avoid hitting a deer when the car ended up in a creek near Jackson, Nebraska. He’s charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and driving without a license. Two passengers, Connie Fauzae and Espionza Lara, died at the scene.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State Patrol sergeant has been charged with repeatedly stealing prescription pills that were being stored as evidence. Michael Haugen is charged with falsifying a public document and third-degree theft. Investigators say he stole 150 pills from a patrol evidence room, affecting up to six criminal cases.

A man from northwest Iowa died at a hospital in Des Moines Friday, following an accident that same day, in Guthrie County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 69-year old Robert Core, of Lake City, died at after being flown by LifeNet helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. The man, who was not wearing a seat belt, had been alert and conscious, when rescuers arrived on the scene.

The accident happened at around 3:17-p.m., as Core was traveling north on Frontier Road, which was closed for resurfacing. His 2003 Buick LeSabre struck a pile of gravel on the road located in the northbound lane, just south of Highway 44, causing the car to go out of control and into the southbound ditch, where it came to rest facing northwest.

(Updated 12:45-a.m.)

JACKSON, Neb. (AP) — A 10-year-old boy from Iowa is the third to die after a single-vehicle crash in Nebraska. The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office says Jose Lara, of Council Bluffs, died from his injuries Thursday evening at a hospital.

Deputies were called Thursday morning to a crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Jackson, Nebraska. The vehicle went over an embankment and into a creek. The driver, 45-year-old Christopher Cox, told police that he swerved to avoid hitting a deer. He has been charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of driving without a license. Authorities say additional charges against Cox may be filed.

Two passengers, 57-year-old Connie Fauzae and 9-year-old Esperanza Lara, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Governor Terry Branstad says he is “open” to making changes in the state’s income taxes next year. “But I haven’t formalized any plans yet,” Branstad says. “I want to visit with legislators to see what is ‘the art of the possible.'” Branstad says he MIGHT support ending a controversial tax break that makes Iowa’s income tax RATES look higher than they actually are. Two decades ago, Branstad UNSUCCESSFULLY proposed getting rid of that tax credit. It gives Iowans the ability to subtract what they paid in FEDERAL income taxes from their state tax bill.

“That was back when Iowans for Tax Relief really led the charge to keep that,” Branstad says. “The circumstances may have changed somewhat.” The lobbying group’s influence in the statehouse has faded in the past several years and the founder of Iowans for Tax Relief died last fall. Another group called the Iowa Taxpayers Association released a study last month, making proposals to simplify the state’s income taxes — and getting rid of what’s called “federal deductability” tax break was at the top of the list. Branstad says Iowa is one of the “few states” that offer that deduction and it’s “an impediment” when trying to lure business to relocate or expand in Iowa.

“They look at what is the high marginal rate and they don’t take into consideration the federal deductability, so our effective rate is much lower than that marginal rate, so that hurts the perception of Iowa,” Branstad says, “Now, a lot of Iowans understand that because they are familiar with the Iowa tax, but a lot of companies from the outside, just looking at it, don’t realize that.” While Branstad says this is a problem, he’s not yet ready to call for eliminating this tax break until he’s sure a majority of legislators would vote to take that step.

“I’m not one to tilt at windmills,” Branstad says. “I want to do things that can be accomplished and sometimes it takes more than one year to accomplish significant things.”Branstad made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program which will air tonight (Friday) on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)