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RR Crossing at HWY 48 in Shenandoah to close 8/3/15

News

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office in Atlantic reports the D-O-T and BNSF  Railroad will begin crossing replacement work on Iowa 48 in Shenandoah Monday, Aug. 3rd, weather permitting. The crossing replacement work requires closing the crossing until 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, weather permitting.

During the closure, a signed detour will be in place directing Iowa 48 traffic around the work zone using U.S. 59 north to Page County Road J-14, then on Page County Road J-14 east to Page County Road M-41, and then south on Page County Road M-41to Iowa 48 in Essex.

To receive email or text alerts about traffic incidents, road closures, traffic delays, and other restrictions that affect this highway route or other routes you travel, the Iowa DOT offers the “My Routes” option on 511ia.org.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 7/22/2015

News, Podcasts

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

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

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Cass County Extension Report 07-22-2015

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

July 22nd, 2015 by admin

w/ Kate Olson

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Heartbeat Today 07-22-2015

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

July 22nd, 2015 by admin

Jim Field speaks with Freese-Notis Meteorologist Dan Hicks about the past and upcoming weather patterns.

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(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 7/22/2015

Podcasts, Sports

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 7/22/2015

News, Podcasts

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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(Podcast) Skyscan Weather Forecast, Wed. 7/22/2015

Podcasts, Weather

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis (podcast) forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, and weather info. for Atlantic.

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Tree Management Grant Available to Iowa Communities

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Iowa communities with a population of 5,000 or more, have the opportunity to learn more about tree care, identification and inventory through a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The two-year grant program currently provides training and assistance to Atlantic, Fairfield, Grinnell, Marion, Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine, Oskaloosa and Pleasant Hill, and is now accepting applications for 10 additional communities in 2016.

Grant communities receive intensive training by a team from the DNR and members of the Iowa Arborists Association. Training covers tree identification, health, inventory, planting, corrective pruning and maintenance, benefits of urban trees, ordinances and community outreach.

Through the cooperative effort between the Iowa DNR and the U.S. Forest Service, each selected community will have a complete street tree inventory, canopy cover analysis, and an urban tree management plan with goals and methods to increase its tree canopy.

Grant applications and instructions are available online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/Forestry/UrbanForestry.aspx. The deadline to apply is September 1st.

Landscaping Duties Taken On By Unique Visitors At Prairie Rose State Park

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Prairie Rose State Park, near Harlan, is welcoming some special visitors this week, and they are taking some of the parks’ land management issues into their own… mouths. This week, about 20 goats will arrive to chow down on non-native honeysuckle and other nuisance vegetation threatening to crowd-out native plants in the park’s woodlands. Park manager Michelle Reinig took the innovative step of hiring goats because “it just made so much sense.”

Reinig says “Our resource is looking rather ‘sick,’ being overtaken by the woodland fugitive honeysuckle not to mention a few other invasives. The goats will help us get a handle on this overwhelming problem while loving the work that they do. This is a more ‘green’ approach than other methods of invasive control, and we like the idea of conservation and agricultural working together.”

Goats On The Go, a targeted grazing company based in Ames, will provide the herd that will call Prairie Rose home for about 10 weeks. Aaron Steele, co-owner of the company, says goats “Like to eat weeds and brush more than grass, and many of our biggest nuisance plants are at the top of the goats’ (dining) list.”

Goats can be put to work controlling noxious honeysuckle, poison ivy, buckthorn and multiflora rose without the use of chemical herbicides or gas-powered machinery. They also happily work in areas that would be uncomfortable and even dangerous for human workers – like steep slopes and dense woods.

The DNR has successfully used goats in land management projects in other parts of the state, most notably on the steep slopes in northeast Iowa.

MARY ELIZABETH CHALMERS, 89, of Villisca (Graveside Svcs. 7/25/15)

Obituaries

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

MARY ELIZABETH CHALMERS, 89, of Villisca, died Tue., July 21st, at the Villisca Good Samaritan Society. Graveside Memorial Services for MARY CHALMERS will be held 2-p.m. Sat., July 25th, at the Grant (IA) Cemetery. Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel in Red Oak, has the arrangements.

Memorials are suggested to the Grant Volunteer Fire Dept., or Grant United Methodist Women.

MARY CHALMERS is survived by:

Her son – Philip (Dawn) Chalmers, of Villisca.

2 grandsons, 5 great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.