The Nishna Valley Credit Union in Atlantic has set up a account to help the family of 29-year old Kerrie Orozco, a gang unit officer with the Omaha Police Metro Area Fugitive Task Force, who died after being shot in the line of duty on Wednesday.  Kerrie (Holtz) Orozco is the daughter of Ellen and the late Kevin Holtz of Walnut. Kerrie is a 2004 graduate of Walnut High School.

NVCU Chief Executive Officer Tim Marcsisak says that people can make donations to the account in a number of ways.  They will accept donations in person, by mail or at the drive-thru.  Donations may be made with personal messages or they may be anonymous.  All proceeds will go toward the family.  Kerrie’s mother, Ellen, is a long-time employee at the Nishna Valley Credit Union.

Congressman Steve King says he’s concerned by the push to get Iowa landfills to accept the dead birds from poultry operations that have been hit by avian flu. He says “My level of enthusiasm for going to landfills has been relatively low…I have long thought that we needed to maintain the birds on the location. That should be the ideal.” King says turkeys can be composted and chickens can be burned on the property — or the poultry barns can be super-heated after they’re “shrink wrapped” to destroy the virus, then the barns can be cleaned out.

“I think we need to put together more of an industrial approach to this and bring the technology to bear so that the next time there’s a disaster like this, we have developed a model in northwest Iowa,” King says, “to meet a disaster of this scope anywhere in the country.” King says since he’s a member of the ag committee in the U.S. House, he’s been kept up to date daily on the situation. He’s concerned that investigators haven’t yet determined exactly how the bird flu is being spread.

“There are four or five theories, any one of which could work and could be the real reason,” King says. “But we have to figure out as best we can how it got in, especially to the laying houses, and what carried it. And if we can’t figure that out, then we can’t raise the biosecurity to a level that we’ll have enough confidence to repopulate these buildings.”

King says he’s working with others to figure out some sort of federally-financed “risk management tool”– like federal crop insurance – for poultry producers, perhaps something like “business interruption” insurance. “But it’s not coming together with enough clarity that I can predict the shape of things to come,” he says.

Iowa is the number one egg producing state in the nation and this bird flu outbreak has hit hardest in King’s northwest Iowa district.

(Radio Iowa)

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says a narcotics investigation tied to a traffic accident investigation has resulted in an arrest. 49-year old Chadwick Sachau, of Denison, faces a felony Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver, charge. If convicted, he faces up to 10-years in prison.

The charge stems from a hit-and-run accident that occurred at around 6:30-a.m. Wednesday, on Highway 59, where a car driven by Sachau crossed the center line of the road and collided with a Chevy Suburban, driven by Efrain Chavez-Mendoza, of Denison. After his car hit the other vehicle, Sachau continued north on Highway 59, and when his car became disabled, attempted to flee on foot.

Sachau was arrested a short time later and brought to the Shelby County Jail, where he was being held on $100,000 bond. Sachau and Chavez-Mendoza were not injured in the collision, but a passenger in the Suburban, 21-year old Andy Armondo-Casanova, of Denison, suffered minor injuries, and was treated at Myrtue Memorial Hospital, in Harlan.

Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Thursday) issued statements on the death of Omaha, Neb., Police Officer, 29-year old Kerrie Orozco, who was a Walnut, Iowa, native and resident of Council Bluffs. Orozco was killed in the line of duty Wednesday (May 20), while attempting to arrest Marcus D. Wheeler on a felony warrant for first-degree assault.

Governor Branstad said “I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Kerrie Orozco. As a former military policeman, I am keenly aware of the dangers law enforcement face every single day on the job. Officer Orozco served with integrity and was a model peace officer. My thoughts and prayers are with her newborn daughter and her entire family.”

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds said “Officer Kerrie Orozco went to work every day to serve her community and keep her neighbors safe. This is a devastating loss of a dedicated public servant, community member and new mother. I offer my deepest sympathy to the family of Officer Orozco.”

A single-vehicle accident early Wednesday morning in Union County resulted in the driver being transported to the hospital in Creston. Authorities say 24-year old Tia Nichole Gilliland, of Mt. Ayr, was traveling on Union County road H-45 at around 8:30-a.m., when she lost control of her 2012 Dodge Avenger on the curve.

The vehicle hit a road sign post before entering the ditch. The car sustained $3,500 damage. Gilliland was transported by a friend to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston for treatment of possible, unknown injuries.

How much money are your appliances costing you? Older models use two to three times the power of new ones. That’s why MidAmerican Energy Company says it’s offering the company’s residential electric customers a free Appliance Recycling program that turns old appliances into cold, hard cash. Customers with a working refrigerator, freezer or room air conditioner to be recycled can call 800-621-2757 to schedule an appliance pick-up.

A recycling company will haul away the old appliance free of charge, and MidAmerican Energy will send the customer a rebate of $50 for a refrigerator or freezer and $25 for an air conditioner. Tina Yoder, director, energy efficiency for MidAmerican Energy, said cash rebates from recycling older units, combined with rebates available on the purchase of new ENERGY STAR®-qualified appliances, make replacing appliances more affordable than people realize.

When a customer uses MidAmerican Energy’s Appliance Recycling program, their old appliance is taken apart and 95 percent of the components are either recycled for a beneficial use or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way, including the toxins and ozone-depleting gases.

To schedule a free Appliance Recycling pickup, MidAmerican Energy residential electric customers may call 800-621-2757 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eligible refrigerators and freezers must be 10 cubic feet or larger; no commercial sizes can be accepted. To qualify for a rebate, the appliance must be in working condition – the motor must run and the unit must cool.

MidAmerican Energy is a partner of the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program. RAD is a voluntary partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help protect the Earth’s ozone layer and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

No injuries were reported following a chain-reaction crash Wednesday, in Creston. Authorities say the accident happened at the intersection of Sumner and New York Avenue at around 11:30-a.m., when a pickup driven by 25-year old Andy Gist, of Creston, came up too fast on two other vehicles waiting for the stop light to change.

Gists’ 2005 Ford F16 hit the rear of a 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Shaiyena Weaselhead, of Diagonal, which in-turn, struck a 2016 Chevy pickup, driven by George Queck, of Fontanelle, as he was starting to pull away from the light when it turned green.

Damage from the collisions amounted to $2,200. No citations were issued.

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved an engineering agreement with Snyder and Associates Engineers, with regard to the Connector Trail and Pedestrian Bridge Project. The services will be paid for through a grant, with the City acting as the flow-through agency for the funds.

The agreement allows the City to begin the engineering and design phase of the $600,000 project, which will connect the Schildberg Recreation Area to a trail that will eventually connect to the T-Bone Trail connector head off of Highway 71, in the area known as the “Valley.” The pedestrian bridge will cross Troublesome Creek, just to the west of the KJAN studios.

The Council also approved a nearly 2-million dollar budget amendment for the current (Fiscal Year 2015) budget. City Administrator John Lund said the changes are not related to new spending or overspending, rather it’s more about moving monies designated for the next fiscal year into the current year.

And, the Council approved Mayor Dave Jones’ decision to appoint Dick Casady to the 5th Ward Council seat, effective June 4th, to fill the remainder of a term created by the resignation of Councilperson Lori Stuart. The seat will come up for election in November, unless a petition is circulated calling for a special election.