712 Digital Group - top

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Fremont & Mills Counties

Weather

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

718 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
WESTERN MILLS COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN IOWA…
NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN IOWA…
NORTHEASTERN CASS COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA…
SOUTHEASTERN SARPY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA…

* UNTIL 745 PM CDT

* AT 717 PM CDT…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CEDAR
CREEK…OR 20 MILES SOUTH OF OMAHA…MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE
TO ROOFS…SIDING AND TREES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
PLATTSMOUTH…GLENWOOD…PACIFIC JUNCTION…MURRAY…CEDAR CREEK…TABOR…SILVER CITY AND CAMP MAHA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER…INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN
OMAHA.

Red Oak man arrested on drug charges Friday afternoon

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A Red Oak man with a history of run-in’s with the law was arrested again Friday afternoon. Police say 27-year old Jason Rolfe Aherns was taken into custody at around 4:30-p.m. in Red Oak, for Violation of his probation, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, 2nd offense. Aherns was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Clarinda man falls asleep at the wheel, gets rude wake up call

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A man who fell asleep at the wheel of his pickup early this (Friday) morning, in Page County, suffered minor injuries when the vehicle did a nose-dive into an embankment. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says 30-year old Cole Curtis Johnson, of rural Clarinda, was taken by private vehicle to the Clarinda Regional Health Center following the crash that happened at around 2-a.m..

Deputies investigated after authorities received word at around 6:45-a.m. about a pickup that was in a field drive at Highway 48 and 170th Street – or about half-way between Shenandoah and Essex — and that the vehicle appeared to have been in a rollover accident. Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office found a maroon 2004 Dodge standard cab pickup in a field drive in the southeast corner of the intersection that had severe damage. No one was around the vehicle.

During the investigation, it was determined that Johnson was operating the 2004 Dodge pickup westbound on 170th, when he fell asleep. The vehicle ran the stop sign at the “T” intersection, went into the ditch on the west side of Highway 48 and hit the ditch. Johnson said he woke up while the vehicle was in the air travelling across the Railroad tracks. The pickup landed on the west side of the railroad tracks, west of the intersection with the front end digging into the embankment.

It came to rest in some trees on the west side of the tracks. Johnson told authorities he then drove the vehicle out and parked on 170th just east of the intersection to assess the damage to the vehicle and him self. The man parked the vehicle in a field drive, and called someone for a ride to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Page County man arrested on assault charge

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies responding to a domestic situation east of Blanchard early Thursday morning, arrested a man on an assault charge. 41-year old Michael Leo Pickens, of Blanchard, was taken into custody shortly after 12:30-a.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Page County Jail until making an appearance before a magistrate.

Stanton man charged with theft after car taken

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest this (Friday) afternoon, of a Stanton man on a 2nd Degree theft charge. 39-year old Michael Lafollette was taken into custody at around 12:05-p.m., after he allegedly took a 2009 Hyundai belonging to Lucinda Lafollette. The incident occurred following an alleged verbal altercation with the woman.

Michael Lafollette was apprehended in Red Oak and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond. The vehicle was returned to its owner without damage. Red Oak Police and Red Oak Rescue personnel assisted in handling the incident.

Derailment report in Earling

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Five cars of a Burlington-Northern-Sante Fe Rail train went off the tracks this (Friday) afternoon, in Earling. Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert told KJAN News the cars, which were hauling grain, slipped off the tracks across Highway 37 at around 3:20-p.m., but they apparently did not topple over. Crews had the rail cars back on the tracks and the road re-opened within about 20-to 30-minutes. No injuries were reported.It’s not clear what caused the derailment.

Propane prices drop with historic supply levels

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Propane prices continued to fall this week, and were down eight cents compared to last month’s price. Iowa Department of Agriculture energy analyst, Harold Hommes, says the cost for a gallon of propane continues to be below one dollar at 93 cents. “Quite a dramatic difference from a year-and-a-half ago — if you remember January and February of ’14 — we were up to four-and-a-half, five dollars for a lot of product,” Hommes. He says the companies that sell propane have too much on hand.

“There’s actually some pretty significant supply problems, as a nation we are at record levels of propane production right now,” Hommes explained. He says inventory levels in the midwest and across the nation are at record levels. Hommes says Canada has major issues with propane supplies.

“Especially up in Alberta, the Edmonton area, where production is so steep they are pricing propane at pretty much no value. If you have a truck and are willing to get it out of there, it essentially has no value,” Hommes says. He says now is the time for Iowans who heat with propane to fill their tanks. For those who buy propane tanks for grilling, Hommes says those prefilled tank prices are NOT impacted much by the drop in price.

(Radio Iowa)

Lt. Governor holds rally with Nebraska Governor over RFS

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor traveled to Blair, Nebraska today (Friday) for a rally with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts in an effort to get the E-P-A to change its mind about slashing billions of gallons from the amount of renewable fuels required to be used in the U-S. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds made the trip as the deadline for ending comment on the proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) approaches on Monday.

“I’m am proud to say, that in Iowa, our entire congressional delegation, as well our general assembly, joined Governor Branstad and I in calling on the E-P-A to really reverse course in what was see as a flawed proposal to really gut the R-F-S,”Reynolds says. Reynolds says the move would cost Iowa nineteen-point-three billion dollars and 73-thousand jobs. Reynolds and Governor Ricketts encourage residents of both states to speak out on the issue.

“Now it’s time to share your comments in support of a strong R-F-S before Monday’s deadline,” Reynolds says. She says federal officials need to hear from as many people as possible about the importance of ethanol and other renewables.”Together, we believe we will be heard, and the E-P-A will wake up and realize the many benefits of a robust R-F-S,” Reynolds says.

They encourage you to go on-line and make your comments know on the R-F-S.  Reynolds and Ricketts joined Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson to make their comments at the Novozymes company’s enzyme plant in Blair, Nebraska.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Democrats hold school supplies drive

News

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Democratic Central Committee will be holding a school supplies drive to help local Cass County students have new supplies for the 2015-2016 school year. Chair Sherry Toelle reported that the Committee has donated school supplies to each of the three school districts over the past three years.

Toelle says “This is who we are as Democrats—helping those who could use a helping hand, providing school supplies that some students otherwise might not be able to afford. We think it is important that we live our Democratic values.”

The Central Committee welcomes donations of new school supplies, such as backpacks, notebooks, pencils and pens, rulers, scissors, and other needed items. Donations can be dropped off at the Democratic Party’s booth at Atlantic Fest or by calling Toelle at 243-4861. The donated school supplies will be distributed the week of August 17th.

Hazardous Weather Outlook for S.W. IA & S.E. NE

Weather

July 24th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES IN IOWA….1143 AM CDT FRI JUL 24 2015

THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT: A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. HIGHS IN THE MID AND UPPER 90S WILL COMBINE WITH HIGH HUMIDITY TO CREATE HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 105 TO 115 DEGREES.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AFTER 5 PM ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA…AND INTO SOUTHWEST IOWA AFTER 7PM. DUE TO EXTREME INSTABILITY ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAINFALL AS WELL…ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE.