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MARGARET “Maggie” VANDERHEIDEN, 88, of Dexter (Svcs. 12/29/15)

Obituaries

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

MARGARET “Maggie” VANDERHEIDEN, 88, of Dexter, died Dec. 17th, at the Stuart Community Care Center. Cremation has taken place. A Memorial service for “MAGGIE” VANDERHEIDEN will be held 1-p.m. Tue., Dec. 29th, at the Dexter American Legion. Johnson Family Funeral Home/Dexter Chapel, has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the Dexter American Legion on Mon., Dec. 28th, from 5-until 7-pm. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

AP Source: Cardinals to sign pitcher Mike Leake

Sports

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals and free-agent pitcher Mike Leake have agreed to terms on a contract, a person with direct knowledge of the deal says. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been formally announced, said the signing is pending the results of a physical.

General manager John Mozeliak has scheduled a Tuesday afternoon news conference at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals failed to land outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher David Price earlier this off-season. Details of the contract with the 28-year-old were not immediately available.

Leake is 64-52 with a 3.88 ERA in 6 seasons. The right-hander was 11-10 with a 3.70 ERA for Cincinnati and San Francisco last season, totaling 30 starts and 190 innings.

(Update) CO woman reports shots fired on I-80 near Neola

News

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

In an update to our earlier report, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports what’s believed to be an isolated road rage incident involving shots-fired occurred early this (Tuesday) morning, on Interstate 80, about four-miles west of the Neola exit. According to Lt. Rob Ambrose with the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, the Pottawattamie County Communications Center received a 911 call at around 5:19-a.m. with regard to shots being fired on Interstate 80 near the 24 mile marker eastbound.

Deputies made contact with the reporting party, 20-year old Tyler Carfora, of Colorado, who was driving a 2010 Audi.  The woman said a white male, in his 20’s, driving a gray car with Wisconsin plates had pulled beside her and fired a handgun toward her vehicle, striking the passenger side rear tire.

The suspect vehicle had stickers on the rear of the vehicle and blankets in the rear window. Carfora’s tire did have damage consistent with being shot with a firearm. Neither the male subject or his vehicle was located.

The incident remains under investigation.

Iowa population up to 3.12 million in latest Census estimate

News

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s population grew at a modest rate to 3.12 million this year, but the growth rate trailed behind the national rate. The U.S. Census Bureau released new estimates Tuesday showing state and national populations as of July 1. Iowa’s population grew by 14,418, or 0.5 percent, over last year’s total of 3.11 million.

The national population grew 0.8 percent to 321.4 million between last year and this year. Iowa remains 30th in population among the states. Iowa lost a U.S. House seat after the 2010 Census because the state’s population grew more slowly than other states. So the state’s current four House seats are likely safe even with Iowa’s continued slow growth.

Backyard & Beyond 12-22-2015

Backyard and Beyond

December 22nd, 2015 by admin

LaVon Eblen speaks with Iowa Western Community College Cass County Center Director Ann Pross about preparing for the upcoming spring semester.

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Medicaid delay leads to children’s program uncertainty

News

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Lawmakers say a delay in privatization of Iowa’s Medicaid program means that most of the 37,000 children enrolled in a special health care program must transition to a new insurance carrier by the new year. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa terminated its contract with two companies that managed the hawk-i program, anticipating that the state’s Medicaid program would be almost completely privatized by Jan. 1.

Last week, the federal government rejected that target date, saying Iowa was not ready for the transition. Iowa asked UnitedHealthcare and Wellmark to extend their contracts, but Wellmark declined. Iowa Medicaid Director Mikki Stier said Monday about 75 percent of the program’s children are currently insured through Wellmark.

Board members for hawk-i said they would help Iowa persuade Wellmark to extend its contract.

Congress blocks OSHA from putting pricey new rules on anhydrous retailers

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Farm fertilizer retailers in Iowa and nationwide were spared expensive new OHSA regulations by Congressional action in the big budget bill that was passed last week. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the bill included a rider that blocked OSHA from implementing new safety rules on all retailers that sell anhydrous ammonia. Compliance could have cost some retailers up to 60-thousand dollars and forced many of them to stop selling the popular fertilizer.

Grassley says, “That would’ve applied to great big facilities right now but it got down to a point where it would apply to your local co-op and drive up the cost of operating, the cost of product, all that sort of stuff.” The proposed rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were sparked by an explosion in 2013 at a fertilizer storage and distribution facility in Texas that killed 15 people and injured more than 160.

“That was a great big facility and it would’ve applied changes of rules to apply to them,” Grassley says. “It would have affected every small retailer around the country.” Officials with the Ag Retailers Association called OSHA a “runaway federal agency” due to the new safety rules it wanted to enforce. Grassley says the regulations OSHA demanded were simply too restrictive and too expensive.

“It just figured that the safety effects weren’t as realistic to challenge, that a regulation was justified,” Grassley says, “and that’s why it was stalled.” Under the legislation, the ban on OSHA requiring higher safety rules for anhydrous retailers lasts until the end of calendar year 2016.

(Radio Iowa)

Creston man arrested on Union County warrant

News

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a Creston man was arrested Monday night on a warrant. Ryan Patrick Dukleth was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Union County bench warrant for failure to appear on child support matters/Contempt of Court. Dukleth was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 12/22/2015

News, Podcasts

December 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Coconut-Chicken Curry Stew (12-22-2015)

Mom's Tips

December 22nd, 2015 by Jim Field

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into1″ pieces
  • 3 cups chopped carrots (6 medium)
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  1.  Coat a medium non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Heat over medium-high heat; add chicken.  Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.  Drain off fat.
  2.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker layer carrots, chicken, onions, garlic and ginger.
  3.  In a medium bowl whisk together broth, coconut milk, curry powder and salt.  Pour over the mixture in cooker.
  4.  Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.  To serve, stir in cilantro and lemon juice.