The Atlantic Public Library is now offering music downloading and streaming. Library Director Natalie Struecker broke the news during Wednesday night’s meeting of the Atlantic City Council. Struecker says they began offering the downloading and streaming of music on Wednesday. The service was to have begun Monday, but got pushed back a couple of days. She says if you have a library card, you can download three songs a week and keep them, or you can stream three-hours of music.

The service comes through the online resource Freegal Music. In addition to your library card, you will need a password to access the service, which offers about 8 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of artists. There is no software to download.

Freegal Music, which allows users to select pre-set music lists or create their own playlists, is available as an app for both Android and Apple devices. Songs can also be downloaded to a computer and transferred to an mp.3 or IPod device.

For more information, stop by the Atlantic Public Library or give them a call.

Another member of the Cass County Board of Supervisors has announced he will not be running for re-election during the June 7th Primary. District 1 Supervisor Duane McFadden told KJAN News about his decision during a visit to our studios this (Thursday) morning. McFadden will be completing his 12th year on the Board of Supervisors at the end of December.

He says he’s learned there are many up’s and down’s in trying to bring economic development to Cass County, especially with regard to bringing an ethanol plant to the County. Those efforts were bolstered late last week by a decision from the Iowa Economic Development Authority to award Farmers Energy Cardinal, LLC a $4.2-million tax break to create 49 jobs, of which 45 are incented at a qualifying wage of $18.67. The plant, originally planned in 2006, stalled and wasn’t completed.

When completed, the 150-million gallon per year, dry-mill corn ethanol plant will be Iowa’s 44th corn ethanol refinery and at 150 million gallons a year is among the state’s largest. The project will result in a capital investment of $189.9 million.

McFadden says when he leaves the Board, he’ll be moving to central Iowa. Duane worked for Lindeman Tractor in Atlantic for more than 20-years before he began his last campaign for office. He says whomever is elected to the District 1 seat on the Board of Supervisors has to know, especially if you’re elected Board Chair, like he was up until recently, it’s not just a couple of hours per week they’ll have to devote to the job, it’s a commitment to the County and its people.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green has announced he will be running to fill the District 1 seat in June. Mayor Dave Jones also has an interest in the seat, but he has not yet formally announced he’s running. Last month, Cass County District 4 Supervisor Chuck Rieken announced he too, won’t be seeking re-election.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – A May trial has been scheduled for a man accused of killing his mother in northwest Iowa. Jonathan Neunaber has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the July 2014 slaying of 80-year-old Esther Neunaber at her home in rural Akron. Her body was found with the body of her husband, Donald Neunaber. Prosecutors say that while Donald Neunaber died of natural causes, Esther Neunaber was beaten to death.

In January Jonathan Neunaber was found mentally fit to stand trial, which is set to begin May 10th.

Less than four months after the Eaton Corporation in Shenandoah announced it would permanently lay-off 71 workers on its third-shift manufacturing line by Dec. 2015, the company delivered another blow to the community this (Thursday) morning. Officials  said 250 hourly and salaried positions will be lost, due to the elimination of the company’s transmission assembly, gear and shaft machining operations.

Operations currently being done in Shenandoah will be moved to either Kings Mountain, North Carolina, or San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The company says it will retain manufacturing of some components for final assembly of the transmissions. Approximately 85 positions will be retained to support ongoing operations. The move is part of a change in the company’s manufacturing strategy. Employees at the plant received the news this (Thursday) morning.

Employees will receive 60 days notice about when their specific positions will be eliminated. Company officials say they will receive full severance packages, outplacement services, and those displaced employees are encouraged to seek out other positions within Eaton.

The company, which has existed in Shenandoah for more than 44 years, says it will work to help those displaced by the change. Eaton’s other Iowa plants are located in Belmond and Spencer.

Following last weekend’s deaths of two ice fishermen who fell through the ice and into a frigid lake in southern Iowa’s Decatur County, Iowans are being warned to be extremely cautious on the ice. Ed Rotert, training officer for the Mount Ayr and Midwest Regional Dive Team, says this is a particularly bad time to be risking your life by walking onto a frozen lake or pond. “Right now, the ice looks thick but it’s rotted ice,” Rotert says. “We were breaking ice out there that was close to 4″ thick and it wouldn’t even hold us up.”

Forecasters call for high temperatures across parts of southern Iowa on Sunday in the low 40s. Rotert says the ice -may- be thick enough to be considered safe in some areas of Iowa, but certainly not all of them. “It’ll be different, lake to lake, depending on the size of the lake and whether it’s spring-fed or not,” he says. “Right now, with the warm weather we’ve been having, I would suggest nobody goes out on the ice.”

Should you decide to venture onto the ice, Rotert suggests you bring along a couple of ice picks, so if you do fall in, you can use the picks to pull yourself up and out.  “Ice fishermen can buy floatation coveralls,” he says. “Most importantly, if you’re going to walk out on the ice, take a one-inch pole, closet rod, anything like that, and as you walk, slam it into the ice. If it breaks through or fractures and starts to go through the ice, that ice is completely unsafe.”

Another tip, he says the darker the ice appears, the more thin it is likely to be. The bodies of the father and son were recovered at Little River Lake on Sunday after several hours of searching. Sixty-three-year-old David Adair and 33-year-old Joe Adair were both from Missouri. They were about 200 feet from the shore when the ice broke.

(Radio Iowa)

(Update 8:56-a.m.)

Firefighters from Menlo, Casey and Stuart were called to the scene of a structure fire early this morning, in Menlo. Menlo Fire Chief Ben Gilman told KJAN News crews were alerted to the fire in the vicinity of 506 Sherman Street, just before midnight (11:54-p.m., Wednesday). He said when they arrived, the narrow, two-story structure was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were on the scene for more than 8-hours.

The building, which houses a commercial cabinet finishing building owned by Roy Sargent, collapsed and was a complete loss. Gilman said Sargent had gotten most of his products out of the structure, but some machines and supplies, including flammables like paint, were lost. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Two firefighters, one from Menlo, the other from Stuart, suffered minor injuries when they slipped on the ice. They were treated for their injuries at the hospital, and released. In addition to the three fire departments, Stuart Rescue, deputies from Guthrie and Adair County, and an Iowa State Patrol Trooper assisted at the scene.

From the “Menlo -Our Hometown” Facebook page.

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

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Cooking healthy, family-friendly meals on a budget can be a challenge. From planning to shopping to finding the time to cook and eat as a family, there are always things that seem to get in the way. If you and your family are looking to have some fun while learning skills to make family meal planning and preparation easier- welcome to Food, Family and Fun!

Food, Family and Fun is a five session course, held once a month, where families will come together to have a little fun while learning how to cook and eat good food! Cass County ISU Extension and Boost 4 Families are excited to offer this program in two locations in Cass County beginning mid-February. On Mondays, starting February 15th, the class will meet once a month at the Anita High School through June. A second location, at the Atlantic High School, starts Tuesday February 16th. Both programs will utilize the Family and Consumer Science classrooms at the schools so participants can get hands-on practice in a kitchen environment. Open to any family interested in improving their skills in family meal-planning and preparation, this program is geared towards families with children aged 5-18.

At each monthly session, families will get together with class leaders to prepare healthy meals through hands-on cooking experience. Families will make TWO meals at each session- one to enjoy during the class, and a second meal to take home and freeze or eat later in the week. Families will also participate in activities on communication, teamwork, meal-planning, and health and nutrition.

Due to space restriction in the classrooms, these class sizes will be limited and may fill up quickly- register TODAY! A small fee of $40 per family, to help with food expenses, applies but can be paid in $10 installments at the first four classes. For a family of 5 this costs less than $1 per meal! In addition, families completing at least 4 of the 5 classes will receive a kitchen “supply kit” full of kitchen essentials to put those new skills to use at home. To allow planning for food and materials, registrations are requested by Friday, February 12th.

To register, or for more information on class content, dates, etc.- find a brochure and registration form on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email xcass@iastate.edu.

(Press Release)

The Creston Police Department issued a very short report this (Thursday) morning. In it, authorities said 21-year old Kevin Harden, of Creston, was arrested today (Thursday) at around 3:30-a.m., for Driving While Suspended. Harden was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

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

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