Republican Presidential hopeful and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, will be in Atlantic this (Sunday) evening (Dec. 18th), on a campaign stop. Santorum will hold a “Cup of Coffee and Questions and Answers” session with area residents, at the Farmer’s Kitchen Restaurant (319 Walnut Street), from 5:30- to 6:30-p.m.  Light refreshments will be served. The event is free, and open to the public.

Santorum is making the stop in Atlantic as part of his on “Faith, Family and Freedom” tour across the State this month. For more information on the Santorum and his position on the issues, visit www.ricksantorum.com.

A World War Two-era cargo ship named after a Southwest Iowa town, and the State’s namesake battleship will share the same port next year. The S.S. Red Oak Victory cargo ship is already

SS Red Oak Victory w/new paint & hull

berthed at The Port of Richmond, CA.  It will be joined next year by the U.S.S. Iowa, after renovation work on the battleship is completed in the San Francisco Bay area.

The Red Oak Victory was named for the town of Red Oak, which saw the heaviest losses in World War Two. By the end of the war, Red Oak has lost 50 servicemen, a toll that national publications deemed to be the highest per capita of any community in the country. The ship was commissioned in 1944, and saw service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It has the distinction of being the only ship operated by both military and civilian personnel during her career. The vessel spent a month in dry dock in San Francisco getting a new coat of paint and an improved hull, before being moved back to its berth at The Port of Richmond.

The U.S.S. Iowa saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during WWII, and during the Korean War.

USS IA in the "Mothball Fleet"

For more info: http://www.ssredoakvictory.com/index.htm and http://www.ussiowa.org/

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, Saturday issued a statement after Congress passed legislation to provide $8.1 billion in emergency funding for disaster recovery. The bill included $6.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $1.7 billion in funding for disaster recovery assistance through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps). 

King said “This year’s flooding along the Missouri River did significant amounts of damage to homes, businesses, and farm land, and it greatly weakened much of the infrastructure that’s in place up and down the river to protect us from flooding.” He added “The Corps has estimated that nearly $750 million in damage was done to the levees and other flood control infrastructure in the Missouri River basin. Getting our levees repaired to their pre-flood specifications has been a priority (of his) since (the) water levels crested.” King said “Without the protection of the levees, home owners and businesses will be unable to rebuild and many farmers will be forced to pay triple crop insurance premiums.” 

The legislation passed the House Friday. In addition, the House passed legislation to offset the cost of the disaster aid with an across-the-board cut to non-defense spending in Fiscal Year 2012. The legislation was approved by the Senate Saturday, although the offset for the disaster relief was stripped out by a vote of 43-56. The legislation now awaits the president’s signature.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mayors of Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, will build a Habitat for Humanity home this weekend to settle a friendly wager over the Nebraska-Iowa football game.The men placed the bet on Nov. 18 on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River between the two states. Under the terms of the deal, the mayor that backed the losing team would have to build a house in the winning mayor’s city.The Nebraska Cornhuskers beat the Hawkeyes 20-7 on Nov. 25, so Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan will be building a house in Omaha on Saturday. Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle plans to lend a hand.

Here’s the latest local and State News, from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Police in Council Bluffs say a 41-year old man was shot in the face early this (Saturday) morning, during an apparent attempted robbery. Michael R. White, of Council Bluffs, arrived at Jenny Edmundson Hospital in the Bluffs just before 1-a.m., suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Officials say White was treated at the hospital before being transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, for additional treatment. Police say attempts to locate the suspect(s) involved in the shooting were initially unsuccessful. The Bluffs’ P.D.’s Criminal Investigation Division continues to investigate the incident. If the suspect or suspects are found, they will likely face charges of Attempted Murder and Robbery in the 1st Degree.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha says an Iowa man claims he was molested by a priest. The archdiocese on Friday announced a Carter Lake, Iowa, man has accused the Rev. Al Salanitro of sexually abusing him in between 1991 and 1994. Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the archdiocese, says the 52-year-old Salanitro denies the allegations. McNeil says Salanitro, pastor of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Bellevue, has taken a voluntary leave of absence while the allegations are investigated. McNeil says the allegations have been reported to law enforcement and the Archdiocesan Review Board. A letter was mailed Thursday to parishioners and school parents.

Salanitro was ordained in 1989. He has served as pastor in parishes in Blair, Laurel and Omaha.

Cass, Decatur and Taylor counties have added their 4-H history to “Iowa 4-H History by County,” a blog detailing the history of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development. The history blog is a partnership of the Iowa 4-H program and the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The online history notes the importance of the country fair to the 4-H program in Cass County.

Throughout the years, 4-H and the fair have changed emphasis to meet the needs of the times. As early as 1949, 4-H project entries began changing to meet the needs of 4-H members who resided in towns and had interests other than livestock, although animal project areas such as rabbit, poultry and goats continued to expand as well. View the full history on the blog, at www.iowa4hfoundation.org/4hhistory.

Over the next two years, 4-H staff and volunteers will be reviewing additionalcounty 4-H histories, with two to four being published on the blog each month, said Shelly Greving, marketing director for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The idea that led to the blog took root 10 years ago during Iowa 4-H’s centennialyear, when several 4-H volunteers and ISU Extension staff members started talking about writing an illustrated history of 4-H in Iowa, Greving explained. Those early discussions resulted in “A 4-H Story: Helping Hands, Caring Hearts” (4H 4805), an illustrated 4-H ABC book for children. The book is available from the ISU Extension Online Store, https://store.extension.iastate.edu/.

County celebrations during the 4-H centennial, as well as ISU Extension’s centennial in 2003, resulted in the gathering of numerous pictures, record books and memorabilia. Florine Swanson, retired Iowa 4-H Foundation executive director, led the online history project as counties compiled their history and submitted it to the review committee to be published on the site, Greving said.
“All these efforts have resulted in what now will be a living history of 4-H. We hope 4-H members, alumni, volunteers, leaders and staff will add their comments and continue the history of 4-H, sharing the many facets of each county’s 4-H program,” Greving said. “Individuals may choose to continue the legacy of 4-H by making a donation to directly impact Iowa 4-H or their county 4-H program.”  Today’s 4-H youth develop citizenship, communication and leadership skills; and learn about everything from aerospace to zoology,” said Chuck Morris, director of ISU Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development.

To learn more about 4-H, contact Susan at the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132.