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(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 11/25/2016

News, Podcasts

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

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Raccoons are flourishing this year

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Good weather conditions have led to healthy populations of animals trapped in Iowa for their fur. D-N-R furbearer biologist, Vince Evelsizer, says one animal in particular has flourished. “Raccoon numbers are especially high this year. All populations of the furbearers are stable to slightly increased this year, doing well and fine — except for the gray fox is a little bit low,” Evelsizer says. He is hoping trappers will help manage the raccoon population. “Raccoon numbers are extremely high, so we encourage plenty of trapping and harvesting of them,” according to Evelsizer.

He says trappers should be aware that there has been some distemper in raccoons. There are some signs the animals may be infected. “They may encounter raccoons out in the daylight moving around, usually seem to be kind of stumbling or staggering around oblivious to their surroundings,” Evelsizer says. “If they encounter them, it’s good to go ahead and dispatch them.”Evelsizer says you should take a few precautions for animals which might be infected. “Handle them with gloves and just use common sense when handling them. It has not been found to transfer to humans,” Evelsizer says.

Information from the D-N-R shows the raccoon harvest has varied greatly depending on the price paid for their pelts. The harvest hit an all-time high of 390-thousand-877 in the 1986-87 season, but that declined rapidly in the next three years to 103-thousand-468 as fur prices dropped.

The harvest went back up in the 2010-2011 season to nearly 237-thousand as pelt prices increased, but dropped off to 89-thousand last year as the fur prices dropped again. The average raccoon pelt price last year was four dollars, 53 cents ($4.53), which was about half of the year before.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa News Headlines: Friday, Nov. 25th 2016

News

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(DERBY, Iowa) – One person died following an accident Thursday night, in southern Iowa’s Lucas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 39-year old Steven Lloyd Sinclair, of Humeston who was not wearing a seat belt, died in the crash that happened at around 8:10-p.m. on Highway 65. authorities say a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Sinclair was traveling north on Highway 65, when he attempted to pass a pickup, on the right shoulder of the road. The car side-swiped the 2015 Ford F-150 and entered the east ditch before rolling over. Sinclair was ejected from his car as it rolled.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are trying to determine whether remains found in a Des Moines lake are human. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that a kayaker spotted what he thought might be a human jawbone as he was leaving the water Thursday at Gray’s Lake. A police spokesman says the jawbone appears to be human but must be checked by forensic experts for confirmation.

CENTRAL CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a firefighter responding to a fire in eastern Iowa has been hospitalized with a serious medical condition. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says the firefighter was one of several emergency responders trying to put out a large fire Thursday morning at a building in Central City that houses an oil recycling business. A press release says the firefighter was hospitalized for a “possible life-threatening medical issue” but additional information was not released.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A man in eastern Iowa faces up to 25 years in prison for using a weapon to rob a bank in July. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the northern district of Iowa says 45-year-old Brandon Brown of Monticello pled guilty Wednesday at a federal court in Cedar Rapids to armed bank robbery. Brown admitted he took more than $4,000 from an F&M Bank in Monticello.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa has proposed no wage increases and removed health insurance provisions in a contract with the state’s largest public employees union. It’s a sign that changes could be on the horizon for Iowa’s collective bargaining laws next year. The contract released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Administrative Services to the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Iowa Council 61 adds language that would give the state more control in determining health benefits.

Fatal crash in southern Iowa Thursday night

News

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

One person died following an accident Thursday night, in southern Iowa’s Lucas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 39-year old Steven Lloyd Sinclair, of Humeston, who was not wearing a seat belt, died in the crash that happened at around 8:10-p.m. on Highway 65.

Authorities say a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Sinclair was traveling north on Highway 65, when he attempted to pass a pickup, on the right shoulder of the road. The car side-swiped the 2015 Ford F-150 and entered the east ditch before rolling over. Sinclair was ejected from his car as it rolled. He died at the scene.

The driver of the pickup, 43-year old Paul William Cooley, of Grundy Center, was not hurt.

2 injured in Crawford County crash Thursday night

News

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Two people were injured during a crash Thursday night northwest of Denison, in Crawford County. The Iowa State Patrol says the drivers of the vehicles, 31-year old Shaun Stephen Monroy, of Ida Grove, and 30-year old Marcus Alan Kelly, of Harlan, both of whom were wearing their seat belts, were transported by Crawford County Rescue to the Crawford County Hospital in Denison, after their vehicles collided at around 10:10-p.m. on Highway 59, near the intersection with 6 Mile Road.

Authorities say Monroy was traveling south on Highway 59 in a 1996 Chevy pickup, at the same time a 2005 Ford Taurus driven by Kelly, was traveling north. For reasons unknown, Kelly’s car crossed the center line of the road after coming out of a left hand curve. Monroy was unable to take any evasive action, and the vehicles collided in the north lane of Highway 59. Both vehicles came to rest on the highway, just east of the shoulder of the road.

Reported Child Abduction in Buffalo Center

News

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report at around 4:25pm Wednesday, the Buffalo Center Chief of Police Matt Holmquist was flagged down by a motorist and alerted to suspicious activity near the 400 block of Second Street northwest. The witness said aman and woman were seen walking up to a house and acting suspicious. Several minutes later the same couple were seen leaving with two small children. They walked to a silver SUV that had been parked a distance away from the house.

The Buffalo Center Police Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the incident. A babysitter at the house told law enforcement that the two kids ages 3 and 1 were taken by an unknown male and the children’s biological mother, Ashley Machain, who had brandished a knife.

Law Enforcement began searching for the silver SUV, Machain and the male accomplice. At 2:25am the two children were recovered safely in Fort Dodge,(Iowa). Machain and the male, Daniel Smith were taken into police custody. Machain faces felony charges that include Burglary 2nd and Child Endangerment. Smith was charged with felony Burglary in the 2nd Degree, and Driving While Barred, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.

Agencies Assisting- Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Forest City Police Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa State Patrol (ISP), Fort Dodge Police Department, Faribault County, MN Sheriff’s Office,  Wells, MN Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Ames Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department, Department of Human Services and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

Morris scores 20, No. 21 Iowa State tops Indiana State 73-71

Sports

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – Monte Morris scored 20 points and No. 21 Iowa State took the lead for good in the final minute before holding off Indiana State 73-71 in the opening game of the AdvoCare Invitational at Disney World on Thursday.

Joe Thomas shrugged off a poor shooting performance to put the Cyclones ahead with a 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining. Nazareth Mitrou-Long made one of two free throws with 7.6 seconds left, and Indiana State’s hope for an upset ended when Brenton Scott’s 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer.

Iowa State (4-0) advanced to the tournament semifinals, despite going 5 for 15 from the foul line over the final 10 minutes. The Cyclones trailed for most of the first half before using an 11-0 run to wipe out a nine-point deficit. Scott led Indiana State (2-2) with 20 points on 7 of 18 shooting, a pair of long 3-pointers that gave the Sycamores leads in the closing minutes.

Billings scores 27 to lead No. 9 UCLA to 78-65 win over Iowa

Sports

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) – Monique Billings scored 27 points to help No. 9 UCLA beat Iowa 78-65 on Thursday night at the Cancun Challenge. Billings made nine of her 12 shots and was 9 for 9 from the free throw line for the Bruins (4-1). Jordin Canada and Kennedy Burke each added 13 points for UCLA.

UCLA led by four at halftime and Iowa (4-2) cut the margin to two early in the third quarter, but was unable to get any closer. Ally Disterhoft scored 16 points and Megan Gustafson added 15 to lead the Hawkeyes. After a back-and-forth first half, UCLA led 42-38 at the break. Trailing 35-30, the Bruins went on a 12-3 run to close the opening 20 minutes.

Iona hits 12 3-pointers, tops Drake in Great Alaska Shootout

Sports

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Sam Cassell Jr. had 15 points and seven assists, and Iona beat Drake 64-53 on Thursday night in the Great Alaska Shootout for its first victory of the season. Iona trailed 38-28 early in the second half but the Gaels hit three straight 3-pointers – two by Jon Severe – to pull to 38-37. Severe gave Iona its first lead of the second half at 42-41 after another 3.

It was tied at 52-all with 5:46 left but Iona went on a game-clinching 12-0 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers. Half of Iona’s 24 made field goals were from 3-point range.

Severe and Deyshonee Much each added 14 points for Iona (1-2). Much made four 3-pointers and had six assists and six steals. Severe also hit four 3s and Cassell added three. Jordan Washington scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half but Iona was behind 30-25. Reed Timmer led Drake (1-3) with 14 points and three 3-pointers. De’Antae McMurray added 12 points – all in the first half.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area, 11/25/16

Weather

November 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy w/areas of fog & drizzle possible this morning; Becoming P/Cldy. High 47. NW-SW @ 5-10.

Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 30. SW @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Sunny. High 58.  SW @ 10-20.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy & windy w/a 70% chance or thunderstorms. High 56.

Sunday Night: Showers & possibly a thunderstorm. Low 44.

Monday: Cloudy & cooler,  w/a 30% chance of rain, mainly in the morning. High 46.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 38. The 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 36.  Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 55 and the low was 35. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 71 in 1960. The Record Low was -6 in 1991.