712 Digital Group - top

KJAN News

KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa,  Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!

Google expects to invest another $400-million into its Council Bluffs facility

News

April 23rd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the search engine giant “Google” say the company will likely invest another $400 million into its data center in Council Bluffs, bringing the company’s total investment in the center to $1.5 billion. The Daily NonPareil says a filing with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IAEDA) indicates Google is pursuing an additional $400 million expansion. The Mountain View, CA-based Google, spent $600 million to open a data center in 2009 in the Lake Manawa area, then launched a $300 million expansion a year ago aided by state tax incentives. Last November, the had company announced that it was investing another $200 million in expansion.

Google, a year ago, won approval of state tax incentives of up to $9.6 million for the $300 million expansion, which would create 50 jobs. Its latest filing is seeking to add $400 million on top of that. It asks to boost the state tax credits to the company to $16.8 million. How many jobs that would create was not indicated.

IAEDA scheduled to vote this morning in Des Moines on amending its tax incentive agreement with Google.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., April 23rd 2013

News

April 23rd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have given the all-clear at an Ames post office where a suspicious suitcase was reported. Officials determined yesterday that the suitcase did not pose a threat. It was found in the lobby earlier in the day.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say they lured a man outside of his home with a pack of cigarettes to end a 30-hour standoff in Des Moines. Police used a stun gun to subdue 53-year-old Michael Reed when he stepped on the front porch to get the cigarettes.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa lawmaker who got national attention last week for critical remarks about homosexual lifestyles says he wants to go to lunch with a gay colleague. Sen. Dennis Guth, of Klemme, says on Monday that he’d like to do lunch with Sen. Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, and “get to know each other.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved legislation offering a tax break to small businesses if they cover part of employees’ health insurance. The Democratic-majority Senate unanimously approved the plan yesterday.

Atlantic School Board tables bond petitions

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Board of Education was expecting to receive and accept petitions calling for a bond referendum during their meeting tonight (Monday), but the matter was instead tabled. Superintendent Mike Amstein said that was because the committee responsible for gathering the petitions wanted more time to get information out to the public in an effective manner. Amstein said the committee felt they couldn’t do that in the short amount of time the current election might be held. They requested the Board table the matter until a decision can be made on when the issue moves forward. The petitions are with regard to an $11-million dollar bond referendum for Capital Improvement Projects. Because the School Board took no action on the petitions, a Resolution ordering a special election on the issuance of $11-million worth of General Obligation School Bonds, was also tabled.  A tentative vote on the referendum was set to take place June 25th.

Mr. James Northwick, Elementary Principal at the Emerson-Hubbard, NE School District, approved as the Schuler Principal/Curriculum Director. (photo from the E-H School District website)

The Atlantic School Board was also briefly introduced Monday, to James Northwick, the man who will succeed Cam Smith as the Schuler Elementary Principal/Curriculum Director. Northwick comes from the Emerson-Hubbard School District in Emerson, NE.  Northwick, his wife and young daughter were in the community Monday searching for housing.

Gary Sinclair (Ric Hanson/photo)

Prior to adjourning for the evening, the Board heard a presentation with regard to District Finances, from Gary Sinclair, a former Superintendent with the Dallas Center-Grimes School District. Sinclair serves as the Finance Support Co-Director for the Iowa Association of School Boards and is the Senior Financial Adviser for PMA Financial Network. He spoke about the Financial Planning Program (FPP) to help provide additional resources and support for districts.

Atlantic woman arrested for harassment

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Police in Atlantic report the arrest Sunday of a local woman. 55-year old Cheryl Harrelson, of Atlantic, was arrested for Harassment by Communication. Harrelson was booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an initial court appearance.

ACCF announces grant recipients

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Audubon County Community Foundation (ACCF) Chair Brett Irlmeier reports grants totaling $104,076 were recently awarded to five nonprofit agencies within the County. The largest grants of $34,692 each, went to the Audubon Recreation Foundation, for the construction of a recreation center, and the Exira Community Club, for the expansion and renovation of the Exira Rec Center.

Irlmeier says also, the City of Kimballton received a $24,692 grant to replace the Town Hall/Community Center, and, the Audubon County Agricultural Society along with the Audubon County Free Clinic, each received $5,000 grants from the ACCF, for their separate projects.

Only those nonprofit organizations within Audubon County that met the criteria of having charitable missions in five different areas, were eligible to apply for the grants. Each of the groups received their checks on April 12th.

Bluffs man arrested in Page County

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports a Pottawattamie County man was arrested Friday. 22-year old Jacob Allen Washburn, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 9:30-p.m. on a warrant for Revocation of Probation, after deputies executed a search warrant at 303 Oak Street, in Braddyville. Washburn was being held in the Page County Jail on $20,000 bond.

Weekend arrests in Cass County

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested over the weekend. On Saturday, 45-year old Brenda Lee Davis, of Atlantic, was taken into custody on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Davis was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released the following day on her own recognizance.

And on Sunday, deputies in Cass County arrested 54-year old Ray Lee Shannon,  of Griswold,  on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Shannon was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

Audubon residents arrested on drug charges Friday

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Two Audubon residents were arrested Friday on drug charges. According to Audubon Police, 44-year old Joel Brannan and 23-year old Desiray Elliott, both of Audubon, were taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 1100 block of North Division Street, in Audubon. Officials say both suspects have pleaded Not Guilty to a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Brannon is also facing Felony charges of: Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Methamphetamine & Marijauna While in Possession of a Firearm, and, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Brannon was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $50,000 bond. His Preliminary Hearing is set to take place April 29th.

Elliott faces additional felony charges that include Possession with the Intent to Deliver Meth & Marijuana. She was released today (Monday) on a $50,000 recognizance bond. Her Preliminary Hearing takes place May 2nd. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation and arrests.

The Audubon P-D also reports two men were arrested April 10th, following a dispute at a local business. 57 -year old Cleo Barrett, of Audubon, was charged with Simple Assault, and 51-year old Randy Williamson, of Audubon, was charged with Disorderly Conduct. And, on Sunday, April 21st, 25-year old Alex Nolan, of Panora, was arrested in Audubon on outstanding warrants from Guthrie and Adair Counties. 

EHK School Board to hold a Special Meeting, Tuesday

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Members of the Elk Horn-Kimballton School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting Tuesday evening, at the High School in Elk Horn. During the 7-p.m. session, the Board will discuss and take action on: The appointment of a School Board member for District 1; The election a Vice President; The approval of a resolution calling for an election on the proposal to change the Method of Election of the five Directors of the EHK District, to “At Large,” and set June 25th as the date for the Special Election.

The appointment of a Board member to District 1 is necessary due to Board President Mark Smith’s move out of the District to another part of the District. In other business, the Board will also approve the list of Seniors for graduation, and contracts for Driver’s Education instructors. Their meeting takes place in the Family/Consumer Science Room at the High School.

$1 billion Facebook facility planned for central Iowa

News

April 22nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Governor Terry Branstad is mum about a big economic development deal set to be revealed tomorrow (Tuesday). The Des Moines Register reports Facebook plans to build a one BILLION dollar data center in Altoona, a suburb just to the east of Des Moines.  “We don’t talk about economic development prospects until the people, the company that we’re working with is ready to announce it,” Branstad says. “We’ve been working on a project for about a year, but I think it can jeopardize the likelihood that these things will happen if they’re leaked prematurely and so we think that’s inappropriate and I’m not going to talk about it until the announcement is ready to be made — and I think Tuesday’s the day it’s going to be announced.”

Google has invested over a billion dollars on a “server farm” in Council Bluffs and Microsoft runs a data center in West Des Moines. Iowa is an attractive spot for the facilities, with its relatively cheap and available supply of electricity. The Des Moines Register reports the site Facebook is considering in Altoona is near a MidAmerican Energy power station. Governor Branstad was asked about the project this morning (Monday) during his weekly news conference. Branstad would only acknowledge it was a “big” project — and he would not say the company’s name.

“We have been working and negotiating with this project, I think, probably for the better part of a year, maybe even more than a year,” Branstad said, “but in a big and important project like that it’s important to maintain confidentialtiy and to work in good faith and our economic development people have done that with this, as they have on many other projects.” Branstad will not reveal what state incentives have been offered to Facebook. The governor told reporters to attend the announcement on Tuesday to learn those details.

(Radio Iowa)