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STEVEN L. PETERSEN,60, of Carroll (& formerly of Exira) – Svcs. 1/10/16

Obituaries

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

STEVEN L. PETERSEN,60, of Carroll (& formerly of Exira), died Dec. 23rd, at home. A Gathering for STEVEN PETERSEN will be held 4-p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10th, at the Kessler Funeral Home, in Exira.

A private family burial will be held in the St. John’s Cemetery, west of Exira.

STEVEN PETERSEN is survived by:

His son – Andrew Petersen, of Audubon.

His daughter – Anne (Levi) Kluver, of Gray.

His sister – Janice Reiter, of Iowa City.

His brother – Dean (Debbie) Petersen, of Earlham.

2 grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

2 Villisca residents arrested Thursday evening

News

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County arrested two people Thursday evening. 56-year old Gary Wayne Burger, of Villisca, was arrested at around 6:20-p.m. for Domestic Assault. And, 54-year old Kristi Renee Herrill, also of Villisca, was arrested on a valid warrant out of Clay County, for Probation Violation. The pair were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on full bond.

KJAN listening area forecast – updated 3:45-a.m. 1/8/16

Weather

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

EARLY THIS MORNING: LIGHT RAIN AND OCCASIONAL DRIZZLE. AREAS OF FOG. NORTH WIND AROUND 5 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 90 PERCENT.

TODAY: CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE WITH POSSIBLE SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW AND LIGHT RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 90 PERCENT.

TONIGHT: CLOUDY & COLDER. LIGHT SNOW LIKELY THROUGH MIDNIGHT, THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW EARLY IN THE MORNING. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. LOW 15 TO 20. NORTH WIND AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT.

SATURDAY: CLOUDY. ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH MID MORNING, THEN SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. BREEZY. COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 20 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT: CLOUDY TO PARTLY CLOUDY, BREEZY & COLDER. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. WIND CHILL READINGS 15 TO 20 BELOW.

SUNDAY: SUNNY, BREEZY & COLD. HIGH AROUND 10. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE MORNING. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 15 TO 20 BELOW IN THE MORNING.

MONDAY: MOSTLY CLOUDY. WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S.

 

Boston College makes Iowa’s Jim Reid defensive coordinator

Sports

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

BOSTON (AP) — Boston College has hired Jim Reid as defensive coordinator. Reid spent the last three years coaching linebackers at Iowa. Reid also will coach linebackers for the Eagles.

Reid is a native of suburban Medford, Massachusetts. He was also the defensive coordinator in Chestnut Hill under Dan Henning in 1994. He has been in coaching more than 40 years.

Desmond King’s return bolsters Iowa heading into 2016

Sports

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says cornerback Desmond King, the Thorpe Award winner as the country’s top defensive back, will return for his senior season. King’s somewhat unexpected return should only bolster Iowa’s case as the preseason favorites in the Big Ten West.

Iowa went 12-2 last season, falling to Stanford 45-16 in the Rose Bowl last week. But with the majority of their starters returning next season, expectations will be as high as they’ve ever been for the Hawkeyes next fall.

IWCC to expand efforts to find students emergency financial aid

News

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Western Community College will expand efforts to provide emergency financial assistance to students later this spring. The Daily NonPareil reports a $59,500 grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp. was awarded last month to the college as part of a new Dash Emergency Grant Program through the regional education foundation to improve college completion rates.

Keri Zimmer, Dean of advising and academic success at Iowa Western, said small grants have already been made available to students on a limited basis through employee donations. The new program, which will total $72,000 starting in March and run through the next two school years, will help students who are at risk of dropping out because of economic barriers.

Students juggling the financial challenge of college, family and other aspects of life can encounter unanticipated expenses, which Great Lakes said often are less than $500, that threaten their ability to continue attending class. A car repair, a medical payment or other expenses can make it a choice between continuing one’s education or providing food and shelter.

In a press release, Richard D. George, President and CEO of Great Lakes, said “Emergency grants are a bridge to college completion and the financial security a community college credential can provide.” Iowa Western will provide matching funding of $20,000, along with the grant and administrative funding from Great Lakes. The college is working on software for students to apply online, and the program will be rolled out later in the spring semester.

For now, limited funds are available through employee donations.

Iowa early News Headlines: Fri., Jan. 8th 2016

News

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton says there will be “plenty of time” to discuss Donald Trump’s criticism of his past transgressions if the billionaire businessman becomes the Republican nominee. Clinton is making his first trip solo trip to Iowa to campaign for his wife Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Asked by a reporter about Trump’s recent comments about him, the former president said that he doesn’t want to do anything now except help his wife’s campaign.

GOLDFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Texas Senator Ted Cruz says the arrests of two men suspected of being terrorists calls for a retroactive review of all refugees who have come to the United States from what he calls “high-risk countries.” The Republican presidential candidate reacted Thursday to the arrest in Texas of a man from Iraq accused of providing support to extremists and a man in California accused of traveling to Syria to fight, then lying to investigators.

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) — Texas Senator Ted Cruz says fellow Senator John McCain is calling for an exploration of his right to run for president because he backs Marco Rubio for president. McCain said Wednesday that questions about Cruz’s eligibility, because he was born in Canada, should be explored. Cruz’s Republican rival Donald Trump has been raising the issue this week.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston College has hired Massachusetts native Jim Reid as defensive coordinator. Reid spent the last three years coaching linebackers at Iowa.

Party leaders unveil Iowa Caucus “app” for reporting results

News

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The leaders of Iowa’s two major political parties have unveiled some of the details of the new “app” for reporting results of the February 1st Iowa Caucuses. Iowa G-O-P chair Jeff Kaufmann calls it a “new technological era” for the party-run precinct caucuses. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re approaching this with a lot of enthusiasm and, quite frankly, a little bit of nervousness,” Kaufmann said. But Kaufmann says having the app developed by Microsoft has calmed most of those nerves. The company donated the programming time for the new app.

“It’s been interesting, educational and enjoyable — all at the same time,” Freck said, “and we’re looking forward to a great Caucus night on February 1st.” That’s Stan Freck. He’s Microsoft’s senior director of campaign technology. Someone at each precinct will be designated as the person who may use a smart phone to tabulate and report their precinct’s results on Caucus night. Iowa Democratic Party chair Andy McGuire says while the “app” isn’t available to the public yet, precinct leaders are getting a tutorial.

“Our Caucus team has held many regional training’s all across the state so far,” she says, “and will continue to hold training’s this month.” Cross-checks have been built into the system and it will be up to party leaders to trigger the “app” so the results will be available to the public. If the results as as “razor thin” as they were in the 2012 Iowa Republican Party Caucuses, the Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says they’ll wait as long as it takes to make sure the results are accurate.

As you may recall, Mitt Romney was declared the winner on January 3, 2012, but two weeks later after a canvas of the paperwork submitted by most of the G-O-P precincts, Rick Santorum was declared the victor.

(Radio Iowa)

Rand Paul campaigns in Iowa — on his birthday

News

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Yesterday (Thursday) was Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul’s 53rd birthday and he spent it with his wife — campaigning in Iowa. During a stop in Sioux City, Paul denounced President Obama’s executive orders on guns. “I think what the president has done is unconstitutional because the constitution’s very clear that laws can only be created or passed by congress,” Paul says. “…We should do everything we can to stop this, not only because I think gun control doesn’t fix the problem — criminals tend not to pay too much attention to gun control — but because it endangers the balance of powers.”

Paul, who is a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, spoke to about 90 people in Sioux City’s Public Library and focused much of the discussion on foreign policy. Paul suggested the only way to pressure North Korea to stop its nuclear program is with “international pressure,” especially from North Korea’s neighbors. “I think North Korea is one of the few nuclear powers that has some instability, that’s putting it lightly, in their leadership,” Paul said. And Paul blamed both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton for failing to grasp the gravity of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

“When Bill Clinton was president he actually gave them $4 billion in foreign aide, hoping he would buy their discontinuing developing nuclear weapons and they took the $4 billion, pocketed it and laughed in our face,” Paul said. Paul also blasted former President Clinton for considering a trip to North Korea to give a paid speech while his wife was secretary of state. Paul spoke to about 70 people in Carroll yesterday, too, and he warned there will be economic consequences for the country if some of his rivals get their way on military spending.

“Every other Republican — Marco Rubio, Cruz, the works — they want to increase military spending by trillions of dollars. I’m the only one who says we can’t do that and be a strong nation, because you’ll go into bankruptcy,” Paul said. “On the Democratic side, they want to spend trillions of dollars, but for something else.”
The number one threat to the country is the federal government’s red ink, according to Paul, and he says the next president faces a bleak financial situation if the debt continues to grow.

“We will get weaker and weaker if we spend ourselves into a debtor’s prison,” Paul said. Last night (Thursday) Paul was in Boone to highlight his concerns about the government’s “eminent domain” power to seize private property for public projects. Some landowners in the Boone area are fighting a pipeline project. The pipeline would carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa women lose to Michigan 82-75, Thursday night

Sports

January 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Two University of Iowa post players combined for 32 points Thursday, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but the No. 23 Hawkeyes slumped late and lost to the Wolverines, of Michigan, 82-75. Hawkeyesports.com reports It is the first league loss for Iowa (12-3 overall, 2-1 Big Ten), which led by 17 points (51-34) early in the third quarter. It is the first league win for the Wolverines (9-5, 1-2), who scored 30 points in the fourth quarter.

The Hawkeyes shot 46 percent from the field (28-of-61) and 91 percent from the line (10-of-11). They were 9-of-25 from 3-point, the most since making 10 at Virginia on Dec. 2.

The Iowa women will put their 25-game home winning streak on the line Sunday when they face No. 8 Maryland (13-2, 2-1). The Terrapins defeated Nebraska, 89-50, on Thursday.Tip-time is 2-p.m. You can catch the action on KJAN.