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JAN DAVITT, 74, of Harlan (Svcs. 7/26/16)

Obituaries

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

JAN DAVITT, 74, of Harlan, died Friday, July 22nd, in Omaha, NE. A Mass of Christian Burial for JAN DAVITT will be held 10:30-a.m. Tue., July 26th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Harlan. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Friends may call from 3-until 8-p.m. Monday, July 25th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan, where a Wake service begins at 7-p.m., Monday.

Burial will be in the Harlan Cemetery.

JAN DAVITT is survived by:

Her husband – Pat Davitt, of Harlan.

Her  daughters – Kim (John) Schmitz, of Iowa City; Lisa (Todd) Shaw, of Ankeny; Rachelle (Jeff) Goeser, of Davenport, & Theresa (Jim) Kranz, of Harvard, MA.

Her sister – Rosemary Ziskind, of Falls Church, VA.

Her brothers – Glen (Linda) Phillips, of Raleigh, NC., & Dave (Sharon) Phillips, of Bettendorf.

9 grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.

2nd ATV stolen from Montgomery County recovered – suspect still missing

News

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report the second of two ATV’s stolen from a property in rural Red Oak, Thursday, was recovered early this (Saturday) morning, with the assistance of the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The 2014, red Honda TRX 450ER was found in Fremont County. The second stolen ATV, a yellow Honda 450Ex, was recovered Thursday morning. Authorities are still asking for your help in finding a suspect in the theft of the ATV.

The suspect wanted in connection with the incident, 36-year old James Leonard Burson, of Council Bluffs, fled from authorities on the red Honda 4-wheeler, early Thursday morning. Burson is a white male, 6-feet tall, about 210-pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes. If you see Burson or know where he is, contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 1-888-434-2712.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office thanks the Mills, Fremont and Adams County Sheriff’s Offices with assistance in the investigation leading to the recovery of the two stolen ATV’s.

Osceola man arrested on drug charges in Adams County

News

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a south central Iowa man was arrested late Friday night on drug charges, following a traffic stop. Deputies responded at around 10:30-p.m. to a report a car was driving west on Highway 34 with no tail lights.

Dakota Dyer

Dakota Dyer

Following a traffic stop of the vehicle less than 30-minutes later at the 57 mile marker, the driver, 18-year old Dakota James Dyer, of Osceola, was placed under arrest for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Dyer was also cited for driving without a valid driver’s license. He was being held in the Adams County Jail on $1,300 bond.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said also, 32-year old Serena Sims, of Fontanelle, was arrested just before 1-a.m. Friday for Driving While License Suspended. Sims was also cited for Open Container. She was brought to the Adams County Jail, where her bond was set at $300.

KJAN listening area forecast: 7/23/16

Weather

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

353 AM CDT SAT JUL 23 2016

***EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM***

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 30 PERCENT.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HOT AND HUMID. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 50 PERCENT. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 105 IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 20 PERCENT. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 105 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 60S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 80S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TUESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 80’s.

Historic WWII aircraft to fly into central Iowa next week

News

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Four fully-restored original warplanes from the World War Two era will be flying over Iowa next week, making one stop in the state for tours and flights. Michael Dober, volunteer coordinator for the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour, says it’ll be a rare opportunity to see the historic aircraft. “We’re bringing the B-24 in again, the last fully-restored J-model flying,” Boder says. “The B-17, the P-51 Mustang and this year, we get the B-25 also. It was the plane made famous in the raid on Japan.” Dober says these aircraft are the “real deal” and appear like they just came off the flight line in the mid-1940s.17.24.51FormationRight

“They have some bombs in the bomb racks, obviously not live,” he says. “The waist guns, you can pull up a pin and target whatever you want to as you’re flying over.” Visitors can walk through the aircraft or take a flight, for a fee. Dober says you’ll see how the planes were all business and had few comforts built in for the crews. “When these flew in World War II, you were in the heat, you were in the cold, you were in the rain, you were in the snow,” Dober says. “Then, throw in the anti-aircraft fire. These were warbirds. Their job was to end the war and you need to reflect back on it and just think, my God, these guys were true heroes.” TP-51C_11

The tour will be setting up at the Ankeny airport, just north of Des Moines, on Monday through Wednesday. For more information, go to: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/event/ankeny-ia/

(Radio Iowa)

New data center announced for Iowa

News

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

State, county and local government leaders announced plans for another massive data center Friday, that’ll be built in West Des Moines. Microsoft will build a four-phase center that will end up being nearly two million square feet by the time it is done in 2022. It’ll cost between one-and-a-half and two billions dollars and sit in Warren and Madison County. It will be the third data center in the city along with one in Altoona and one in Council Bluffs. Governor Terry Branstad says the new data center will create construction jobs as it is built and then eventually some 130 permanent jobs.

The governor says the history of the other three data centers helped sell Microsoft on the new center. “Once they saw the benefits of Iowa and the fact that we have low-cost reliable energy, we’re a good low-cost place to locate. And then it’s renewable — we lead the country in terms of renewable energy — over 31 percent of our energy generated by wind,” Branstad says.

West Des Moines Mayor Steven Gaer says a lot of planning went into getting the center in his city and it was not a given Micrsoft would build here. Known as “Project Osmium”, it will be the largest data center Microsoft has ever built in the United States. Gaer says the city did not offer any property tax rebates to the company to keep with its longstanding policy. That means the company will pay more than 12 million dollars in property taxes once the data center is completed.

Waukee has been one of the fastest growing cities in the state, and Gaer says that means they have to be prepared. He says they have to plan ahead and meet frequently to map our what the city is going to do from a planning and investment standpoint. The state Economic Development Board approved four-point-seven million dollars in tax benefits for the project. The announcement of the new data center comes on the same day that state unemployment numbers showed another increase to four percent. Manufacturers lost more jobs last month and Governor Branstad says that is a concern.

Branstad says it all has to do with the loss of farm income as farmers are not buying equipment and manufacturers like John Deere, Kinzee and Vermeer have to lay people off. He blames the Obama Administration and the cutting of the amount of renewable fuels required to be sold as a major reason for the drop in the farm income.
Branstad returned from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland for Friday’s announcement and says he talked with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump about the R-F-S and its importance to the farm economy.

(Radio Iowa)

Clinton picks Kaine, NOT Vilsack, as running mate

News

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack was rumored to be one of the finalists to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, but she announced Friday evening her final choice is Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Vilsack and Clinton have known one another for four decades.

Vilsack’s first connection to Hillary Clinton runs through his wife and late brother-in-law. Tom Bell worked with Clinton on the investigation into the Watergate scandal. Clinton responded to the call when Tom Vilsack was running for governor in 1998, trailing badly in the polls and short of campaign cash. Clinton, who was the nation’s first lady at the time, hosted a fundraiser for Vilsack in Washington, D.C.

Clinton has described the speech Vilsack gave at the event as one of the best she’s ever heard. Vilsack and his wife have backed both of Clinton’s bid for the White House. Vilsack served two terms as Iowa’s governor. Hehas been President Obama’s first and only agriculture secretary. Vilsack and his wife own a home in central Iowa, near where his son, daughter-in-law and grandkids live.

Vilsack, who is 65 years old, talked last year about life after the Obama Administration. He said he wants to move back to Iowa full-time — at some point. That leaves the door open to staying in Washington and working in the next administration, if Clinton wins in November.

(Radio Iowa)

State Baseball Tournament: Day 1 scores (7/22/16)

Sports

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The State Baseball Tournament got underway with the quarterfinals in Class 1A Friday evening at Principal Park, in Des Moines. It was a back-and-forth contest in the first game, as the Remsen St. Mary’s Hawks topped the Highland Huskies 10-5 Friday night. Brody Burton took the mound for Highland but was chased after one inning of work after giving up four runs off three hits, a walk and two hit batters. Remsen St. Mary’s advances to the 1A semifinals that will take place on Thursday. They will face Newman Catholic.

In game two, Newman Catholic took an 12-2 run-rule victory over Nodaway Valley in six innings. Caden Kratz took the mound for Newman allowing two runs — one earned — in the first and then followed with five scoreless innings. Kratz finished the night with 10 strikeouts, one walk and allowed three hits through six innings of work.

Nodaway Valley struck early after a pair of errors by Newman’s Ben Fitzgerald and a RBI single by Tyler Vandewater put two on the board for the Wolverines in the top of the first. Jackson Lamb got the ball for Nodaway Valley and gave up seven earned runs off six hits in one inning of work. Newman Catholic responded in the bottom of the first, batting around the order with a trio of singles and a stand-up triple by Josh Fitzgerald that allowed the Knights to jump out to a 5-2 lead.

Ben Fitzgerald extended the Knights’ lead with a solo shot over the right field fence. Bryce Ball followed with another stand-up triple for Newman and ultimately scored off a RBI-single by Parker Dondlinger. Matthew Fitzsimmons made it 8-2 Knights with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Knights added three runs in third inning and one in the sixth including a two-run homer to right field by Ball. He finished the night 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Ben Fitzgerald paced the Knights’ offense, batting 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI. Brandon Mangles entered to pitch for the Wolverines in the third and would throw for three innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs after facing 10 batters.

Newman Catholic advances to the Class 1A semifinals and will face Remsen St. Mary’s on Thursday at Principal ParkToday’s (Saturday’s) schedule pits #2 seed West Sioux (25-2) against #7 Edgewood-Colesburg (21-12), @ 5-p.m., followed at 7:30 by #3 Don Bosco (34-4) vs. #6 Tri-Center/Neola (19-8).

2016 State Softball Tournament All-Tournament Teams

Sports

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Class 3A: Jaicee Lyons, Benton Community; Sophie Van Severen, Davenport Assumption; Shelby Hulsebus, Benton Community; Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley; Bryn Hanrahan, Solon; Sydney Lawson, Solon; Payge Jurgens, CMB; Nicole Timmons, Davenport Assumption; Alyssa Wiebel, Benton Community; Emma Valainis, Davenport Assumption; Amber Fiser, Benton Community (captain)

Class 2A: Katie Bracken, Iowa City Regina; Dion Shirley, Van Meter; Olivia Callaway, BCLUW; Jenna Peschel, Logan-Magnolia; Kylan Straight, Logan-Magnolia; Kennedy Brown, Iowa City Regina; Meagan Blomgren, Van Meter; Emma Corkery, Iowa City Regina; Mackenzie Blomgren, Van Meter; Sarah Lehman, Iowa City Regina; Bailey Richards, Van Meter (Captain).

Class 1A: Nicki Wood, Kee; Brynn Van Eldik, Akron-Westfield; Jamie Jordan, Martensdale-St. Marys; Jordan Wilken, Newell-Fonda; Kyla Morris, Martensdale-St. Marys; Ann Hedlund, Akron-Westfield; Kendra Cooper, Kee; Bailey Davis, Akron-Westfield; Chloe Severson, Kee; Katie Johnson, Akron-Westfield; Courtney Cooper, Kee (captain).

Class 4A: Alexis Westercamp, Oskaloosa; Alyvia Dubois, Carlisle; Ashley Kindley, Oskaloosa; Breanna Hunter, Boone; Kenady Waugh, Fairfield; Alli Deao, Fairfield; Laurens Calkins, Boone; Alyssa Brown, Carlisle; Aubrey Miller, Oskaloosa; Gabby Schnathorst, Carlisle; Alexis Groet, Oskaloosa (Captain).

Class 5A: Ally Schaer, Johnston; Rachel Tebbe, Pleasant Valley; Alexia Lara, Pleasant Valley; Lauren Kuch, Cedar Rapids Prairie; Bella Crow, Urbandale; Mandi Roemmich, West Des Moines Valley; Skyler Shellmyer, Urbandale; Alex Honnold, West Des Moines Valley; Brooke Wilmes, Johnston; Ellie Spellhaug, Pleasant Valley; Haylee Towers, Johnston (captain).

State Softball Championship Scores from Friday, 7/22/16

Sports

July 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Class 3A

3rd Place

Solon 6, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 3

Class 3A State Championship

Benton 8, Davenport Assumption 0

Class 4A

3rd Place

Fairfield 10, Boone 0 (5-innings)

Class 4A Championship

Oskaloosa 6, Carlisle 5

Class 5A

3rd Place

West Des Moines Valley 7, Urbandale 1

Class 5A Championship

Johnston 3, Pleasant Valley 2

Class 1A

3rd Place

Martensdale-St. Mary’s 5, Newell-Fonda 2

Class 1A Championship

Kee 7, Akron-Westfield 3

Class 2A

3rd Place

Logan-Magnolia 3, BCLUW 0

Class 2A Championship

Van Meter 3, Iowa City Regina 0