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Greenfield man arrested on drug & other charges, in Creston

News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Creston Police Department reports a man from Adair County was arrested early this (Friday) morning. 22-year old Zachary Utterback, of Greenfield, was arrested at around 4:15-a.m. in the 600 block of N. Pine Street, in Creston. He was charged with Public Intoxication and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond, at the Union County Jail, was set at $1,000.

And, at around 1:50-a.m. today (Friday), 24-year old Brandon Frey, of Creston, was arrested on charges that include Possession of a Concealed Weapon, OWI/2nd Offense, and Urinating in Public. He was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

(Podcast) KJAN News & Funeral report, 11/13/15

News, Podcasts

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The 7:07-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.

Play

Freese-Notis weather forecast & weather data for Atlantic: 11/13/15

Weather

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 52. West northwest wind 10-15 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 30. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: P/Cldy & breezy. High near 62. S/SW @ 5-15 w/gusts to around 25.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 40
Sunday: Increasingly cloudy, & breezy. High near 60. S/SW @ 10-25.
Sunday Night: Cloudy w/a 40% chance of showers. Low around 47.
Monday: Cloudy & breezy, w/a 40 % chance of showers. High 58.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 52. Our 24-hour Low as of 7-a.m. today, was 26. Last year on this date, our High was 26 and the Low was 4. The All-Time Record High in Atlantic for Nov. 13th was 82 in 1999, while the Record Low was -5 in 1940.

High School Football Semifinal Schedule/Scores: Friday, November 13

Sports

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

(At the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls)

Class A

Gladbrook-Reinbeck 19, Denver 16 OT

Akron-Westfield 36, Mount Ayr 35

Class 4A

Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 31, Bettendorf 14

Dowling Catholic, WDM 24, West Des Moines 6

Eligible applicants needed for 4th Judicial District Judge’s seat

News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The 4th Judicial District in western Iowa, is searching for a new associate judge. The Omaha World-Herald reports an applicant must be an attorney admitted to practice law in Iowa, a resident of the 4th Judicial District, and younger than 72 at the time he or she finishes the first term.

The appointee will initially be assigned to Audubon, Cass, Harrison, Montgomery and Page Counties. The docket will be predominately juvenile law cases. Application forms are available at any clerk of court office in the 4th Judicial District and at iowacourts.gov. The form must be returned by Dec. 4th.

 

Tractor museum in Avoca honored in Congress

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The owner of a tractor museum in Avoca received a surprise in the mail, recently. According to the Daily NonPareil, Jerry Mez, who owns the Farmall-Land U.S.A. Museum with his wife, Joyce, received word from Rep. David Young congratulating the business on 10 years in Avoca. Additionally, the Republican – who represents Iowa’s third district, which includes Pottawattamie County – commended the Mez family on the Congressional floor. He received the letter and Congressional record notice, which he now proudly displays at the museum located just off Interstate 80.

Mez is an International Harvester tractor man, collecting the implement for 40 years. The couple opened the museum a decade ago and today it boasts about 225 tractors, along with a plethora of memorabilia. A Young staffer had read about the museum and passed it on to his boss. The representative honored the museum in Congress on July 21st.

Jerry Mez thought that’d be the end of it. But he heard about an International Harvester auction in Frederick, Maryland, located about 45 miles outside Washington D.C.  He and his wife made the trip east and set up a meeting with Young.

Jail time suspended so Oakland man can pay restitution

News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A Pottawattamie County man avoided prison time, but not an almost $9,000 bill. The Daily NonPareil reports 22-year old Mark Wilke, Jr., of Oakland, was sentenced Wednesday to two, three-year prison terms after pleading guilty to an amended charge of operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, driving while barred and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. It was his second OWI.

Fourth District Judge Greg Steensland ordered the sentences to run consecutively, not concurrently, which means Wilke will be on supervised probation for up to six years. The Judge then suspended the sentence to allow Wilke to make restitution to his victims. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Dan Salvo-McGinn said he believed the six years of supervised probation is a county record. Before Thursday, he said five years of supervised probation was the record length.

If Judge Steensland had run the sentences together, Wilke would have been on probation for two years. Steensland also suspended more than $3,000 in fines, so that Wilke can pay restitution to the victims as soon as possible. Steensland said he rarely suspends a fine ($1,875) for an OWI, but he wants Wilke to pay the victims back quickly. Salvo-McGinn said Wilke owes a little more than $8,661 to the victims.

Around 4:30 a.m., on May 24, 2015, while intoxicated, Mark Wilke Jr., stole a 2014 Chrysler 200 and hit a minivan at a high rate of speed. Before he came to a stop, Wilke hit two parked cars and the side of a house on the 3500 block of Avenue A, in Council Bluffs. During the plea and sentencing hearing, Wilke apologized for the damage he did to the house and the vehicles.

Wilke will need to remain sober and stay out of trouble with the law for six years to avoid violating his probation. He could still do prison time as well as pay fines if he fails to meet the stipulations of his probation. When Wilke pays back the victims, he can ask for an early end to his probation.

Wilke’s attorney, public defender Jennifer Solberg, told the court that Wilke has been trying to pay $200 a month to the victims out of his paychecks from Casey’s General Store. After being released on July 20, Wilke left Council Bluffs for Oakland to live with his mother. Solberg said Wilke would like to pay more, but he has struggled to find full-time work, and her client can’t drive, due to his driving record.

Wilke did serve 56 days at Pottawattamie County Jail for the charges before being released on July 20th after agreeing to plead guilty.

NE man attempts to pull a gun on Fremont County deputy during traffic stop

News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A vehicle pulled over on Interstate 29 in Fremont County for driving erratically and with a flat tire, was later found to have been carrying a loaded handgun and loaded short-barreled shotgun, along with about 20-grams of marijuana. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle, driven by 43-year old Justin J. Patrick, of Grand Island, NE., was pulled over Thursday in the area of I-29 and Highway 2.

When deputies made contact with Patrick, and were speaking with him, he allegedly attempted to grab a handgun concealed in the vehicle. He was placed under arrest without further incident, and charged with Assault on a Police Officer by using or displaying a weapon. Patrick faces additional charges that include OWI, two-counts of carrying a concealed weapon, Possession of an Unauthorized offensive weapon, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also cited for numerous traffic offenses.

Justin Patrick remained in the Fremont County Jail this (Friday) morning, on $16,300 bond.

USDA: Commodity prices at low point now where production costs aren’t met

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

More predictions point toward gloomy financial times ahead for Iowa farmers as commodity prices trend lower for corn and soybeans. Rod Johansson, an economist with the U-S Department of Agriculture, says those commodity prices have continued to drop and have now reached a crucial point. “They may be coming down so far that in some cases, farmers aren’t meeting the cost of production,” Johansson says. Despite predictions for record or near-record yields, the abysmal prices mean many farmers may have to make some difficult decisions as they plan for the months ahead.

“Producers start digging into their capital reserves and they also see a reflection in the negotiated land rent values,” he says. “We would expect to see an increase in loan activity occurring in the banking sector.” As they head into spring planting season in a few months, some Iowa farmers may chose to leave select plots of land unplanted, as it may cost more to grow a crop than the crop is worth.

Johansson says, “Marginal production acres, low-yield acres, high-cost production acres would likely exit from production if prices remain too low to cover production costs on those acres.” Some farmers may have to dip into their rainy day funds to make ends meet. He says the good news is there are back-up plans in place as many farmers have insurance and there are safety net programs built into the Farm Bill.

(Radio Iowa)

Van and pickup collide in Pott. County Thu. evening: No injuries

News

November 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa State Patrol says no injuries were reported following a collision Thursday evening on Interstate 29, in Pottawattamie County. Officials said southbound traffic was being divided by temporary, reflective lane posts. A 2007 Chrysler Town and Country van, driven by 27-year old Rumana Ibrahim, of Kansas City, MO., had entered a curve at about the 47.2-mile marker, and went out of control.

The van veered into the opposite lane and collided with a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup driven by 41-year old Lawrence Currin, of Treynor, as he was also rounding the curve, traveling southbound. The pickup ran off the road and entered the northbound ditch, while the van was pushed back into the northbound lane and became disabled.

The accident happened at around 5:45-p.m.