Firefighters from six area departments responded to a log cabin fire about 6-miles northwest of Menlo, Sunday. Stuart Rescue EMS Director of Operations and Paramedic Jeff Howard told KJAN News firefighters from Menlo, Casey, Stuart, Adair, Guthrie Center and Panora were called to the scene of the blaze at 3067 Oleander Trail in rural Casey, at around 7:16-p.m. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol also assisted at the scene.

Howard said the weather and location of the 3,800-square foot home made it difficult to get to and fight the fire. The home he said was located about 200-feet off the road. He said the home was fully involved when crews arrived.

The residents were home but had gotten out safely. One fire fighter was treated at the scene for a medical condition but there were no injuries. Firefighters dealt with sub-freezing temperatures as the fought the blaze, and wind chill temperatures dipping to around -25 degrees. Howard said those types of conditions take their toll on personnel and equipment.

He said when they arrived on scene it was 6 degrees below zero. When they left, it was 14 below. That causes the lines freeze up, gloves to become caked with ice, and the firefighters get cold and need rehab breaks. He said “It’s just awful.” The Red Cross was activated to provide the family with necessities. Howard said they were staying with other family members in the area.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two arrests on Saturday. 29-year old Adam Morris,  and 31-year old Brea Roark, both of Atlantic, were arrested on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault. Both were brought to the Cass County Jail and booked-in.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident Sunday morning at 22nd and Olive Streets, in Atlantic. Officials say a vehicle driven by Haley Pottebaum, of Griswold, was traveling west in the 600 block of East 22nd Street when her vehicle hit the left rear bumper of a legally parked vehicle registered to Jason Redler, of Atlantic. Damage from the accident amounted to $4,000. Pottebaum was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The accident happened at around 3:20-a.m.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports three separate arrests last week. On Friday, 39-year old Kara Marcine Lorimor, of Sidney, was arrested for Harassment in the 3rd degree, and Contempt of Court, and, 22-year old Alexandra Brooke Odell, of Hamburg, was arrested for Carrying a Weapon, Harassment in the 3rd degree, and Trespassing.

And on Wednesday, 23-year old Christopher Allen Richter, of Sidney, was arrested on three counts of burglary.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (160.0KB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is asking traffic to avoid the area about two-miles north of the Latter Day Saints Church at intersection of Highways 6 and 71, northeast of Atlantic. Numerous pieces of emergency equipment are in that location as crews work to battle a two-story house fire on 650^th Street.

Looking south from Troublesome Creek Road (Ric Hanson/photo)

Looking north from Fayette Road. (Ric Hanson/photo)

Atlantic Fire was dispatched to a reported fire in the basement of a home at 54924 650th Street just before 8-a.m. The fire was reportedly started by a space heater. Everyone evacuated the home safely. Anita and Wiota Fire were asked to bring their tanker trucks to the scene. Firefighters from Marne were also called to offer mutual-aid. Smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles.

No other details are available.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the lawsuit against the maker of an infant formula that’s being blamed for brain damage suffered by an Iowa girl.  The Sioux City Journal says  5-year-old Jeanine Kunkel, of Sioux City, is unable to speak. She takes six medications a day and is given nourishment through a tube.

The lawsuit filed in February 2011 alleges that powdered Similac powder prepared by the girl’s mother led to Jeanine contracting bacterial meningitis that caused severe brain damage just days after Jeanine was born in April 2008.

Spokeswoman Tami Jones for Similac manufacturer Abbott Laboratories says all of Abbott’s powdered infant formula products are extensively tested before release to ensure they meet nutritional needs and to ensure the their safety.

As some of the coldest weather in years continues to hold the state in its icy grip, a word of caution that the bitter temps can bring real dangers. Kurt Kotenberg with the National Weather Service says while some may shrug it off as “winter happens,” this goes well beyond that.“Basically, this is the coldest air that Iowa has seen in the past 20 years, and so kind of the ‘Oh, it’s Iowa. It gets cold in January. It happens all the time?’ No, it doesn’t. This is a pretty rare event.”

The forecast for today calls for highs statewide below freezing and a wind chill warning is in effect. Dozens of schools have canceled classes today because of the extreme cold. Emergency room doctor Jeffrey Sather says when it gets this cold, frostbite becomes a real possibility and with prolonged exposure, the risk moves to hypothermia, which can lead to confusion, unconsciousness and even death. Sather says that’s why it’s vital to have a winter-survival kit in your car, with a complete change of clothes, nonperishable food and a heat source.

“Some matches, lighter, a Sterno-type fuel source (should) provide just enough heat to have someone survive overnight if they would be stranded. And you should always be prepared, especially if you live in a rural area, because you never know when that could happen. And if you’re on a rural road, even a mile is too far to have to walk if the temperatures are dropping down to very cold temperatures.”

According to the C-D-C, there are about 1,300 deaths in the U-S each year associated with exposure to excessive cold, and two-thirds of the victims are men.

(Iowa News Service)

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting this morning beginning at 9, at the courthouse in Greenfield. During their session, the Board will receive funding/budget requests from: Steve Bolie, with the Southern IA Trolley; County Veteran’s Affairs Director Rick Schaecher; Building and Grounds Foreman Rich Wallace; Midwest Partnership; the R-C & D, and County Auditor Mindy Schaefer.

The board will then hold a budget workshop, beginning at 10:45.

The Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn reports they are waiving admission for all visitors beginning today (January 6th) through Jan. 31st,  while exhibits are in transition and construction continues on its curatorial center. Museum goers who visit during the free admission period will be able to view the museum’s permanent exhibit, Across Oceans, Across Time, Victor Borge kiosk, LEGO play area, Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park, and Museum Shop.

Danish Modern: Design for Living, the popular 30th anniversary exhibit that occupied two floors of the museum in much of 2013 is headed to the Goldstein Museum of Design in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Goldstein will host the exhibit from February 1 to April 27. Interested parties who missed seeing the exhibit can purchase an exhibit catalog with photos and essays through the Museum of Danish America’s Museum Shop.

Taking Danish Modern’s place on the main floor at the Museum of Danish America will be Søren Kierkegaard: The Global Dane from February 1 to April 13. As a theologian, philosopher and author, Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) is hailed as one of the most influential figures of the 19th century. This exhibition, prepared for the bicentennial of Kierkegaard’s birth, explores his life and work. English-language text is by Kierkegaard scholar Joakim Garff.

Also opening in February is another new exhibit, Schleswig-Holstein: Turmoil on the Danish-German Border, which will open in the mezzanine gallery on February 22 and run until September 1. The region of Schleswig-Holstein sits on the border between Denmark and Germany, and for centuries has had a mixed population of German-speaking and Danish-speaking communities. In 1864, 150 years ago, Denmark’s military defeat by Germany transferred Schleswig-Holstein into German control. In 1920, some of that territory was returned to Denmark in a popular vote. Many immigrants from the Schleswig-Holstein region, both Danish and German, settled in Iowa – in fact, there are two towns in Iowa called Schleswig and Holstein. The exhibit promises to teach visitors the history of this region and its impact on immigrant communities in the Midwest. The exhibit and its related programming was developed in collaboration with the German-American Heritage Center in Davenport, Iowa, with support from Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In addition to transitioning exhibits, the museum’s west side is taking on a new look. Construction on the curatorial center has progressed steadily since the groundbreaking in August. The concrete foundation footings were poured in late November, and over the past several weeks, the support posts and exterior walls have begun to take shape. The 8,000 square foot expansion will house artifact storage and staff office areas and will feature an environmentally-friendly green roof, planted with native grasses and wildflowers.

More information about the museum can be found on their website, www.danishmuseum.org or by calling (712) 764-7001.

Getting your car to start in the extreme cold can be a problem if you haven’t taken the proper precautions. Nick Hoss, the service manager with Total Sales and Service used cars in Le Mars, says one of the most important things is making sure your battery is up to the job of cranking out the power needed. “Any battery that gets between a four and six year lifespan — someone can pretty much guaranteed it’s going to be time to be replaced,” Hoss says. He says you should also make sure the antifreeze strength is good. Once the car is started, Hoss says give it five or 10 minutes to run.

“So everything, all the fluids get warmed up before you take off. That’s hard on them to just get in them and start them up and expect them to go when it’s that cold,” Hoss explains. He says engine block heaters are another way to make sure the car starts if it has to be outside. He says a lot of vehicle have them and it’s worth it to have one and know your engine is going to crank right over. Hoss says you can get a heater for your car, but need to check to be sure you get the right one.

“Every one of them is a little bit different, they have to go in a soft plug hole and not every vehicle is user friendly to get them installed. It kind of depends on the make and the model,” Hoss says. The auto mechanic suggests using a fuel additive, and keeping your tank full of gasoline, not just for your car’s sake, but to give you added security, should you find yourself stranded.

(Radio Iowa)