(Lewis, Iowa) – The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the Southwest Iowa District Soils Judging Contest at the Armstrong Research Farm in Lewis on Wednesday, September 21st. There were 188 FFA members that made up 46 teams from 23 schools at the Soils Career Development Event.

Atlantic FFA had 11 individuals compete in 3 teams. Team 1 which consisted of Brent Masker, Brett Dreager, Daniel Freund and DJ Shepperd got 10th place overall and earned a gold rating. “It was a fun experience and you get a chance to see different dirt each year,” said team member Daniel Freund.

Team 2 placed 12th with team members Callee, Pellett, Charli Goff, Clarie Pellett and Mary McCurdy placed 12th. Callee Pellett said, “I had fun. It was a good experience and I would like to do it again next year.“ Team 3 consisted of Colton Rudy, Charles Klemmensen and joaquin Wailes placed 27th.

Team members back row from left to right are:
SW District Treasurer Dylan Comes, Joaquin Wailes, Charles Klemmensen, Daniel Freund, DJ Shepperd, Brent Masker, COlton Rudy, SW District VP Colin Bauer, SW State President George Martin,
Front row Callee Pellett, Claire Pellett, Brett Dreager, Mary McCurdy, Charli Goff

The Soils Judging Career Development Event is designed towards motivating students to gain knowledge on surface features, the soil profile, land capability and productivity, evaluation of land use and management practices, and suitability of soils for nonagricultural uses. Students also develop the ability to observe selected soil properties, and use these observations to interpret and evaluate these properties for recommendations for land use.

Mary McCurdy said, “It was a lot of fun! 10 out of 10 and I would do it again.” After the contest took place, Mr. Miller, the Atlantic FFA advisor, felt good about the day’s competition. “I was impressed with the way our students performed. They made a lot of improvement in a very short amount of time.”

(Reporting by Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller)

(Griswold, Iowa) – A man and a woman in their 20’s were injured during a UTV side-by-side accident Sunday afternoon north of the Griswold Fish Farm, in Cass County. Griswold Rescue was paged out to the scene at 550th and just north of Richland Road, at around 3:37-p.m.

Authorities say a Polaris side-by-side was traveling southbound in the west ditch of Highway 48 and went over a field entrance before it flipped end-over-end numerous times and came to rest on its wheels.

The male victim suffered a laceration to his head, while the female was said to have been suffering from head-and-neck pain. Both were transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital. Their names were not immediately released.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report the arrest Saturday evening, of a man for Public Intoxication. Authorities say 67-year-old Randal Joe Barr, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:38-p.m., in the 1300 block of N. Broadway Street, in Red Oak. Barr was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on a $300 bond.

Multiple fire departments were dispatched to a structure fire in Glenwood this (Sunday) morning. According to the Mills Scanner Facebook Page, crews from Oak Township, Pacific Junction, and Silver City and Malvern were paged out at around 5:30-a.m., to the area of N. Chestnut/4th Street, in Glenwood, where a two-story home was fully engulfed in flames. At least one person suffered from smoke inhalation and was being treated in an ambulance.

The fire, which was visible from south of town, has reportedly spread to another structure, as well. Additional information was not immediately available.

At least three school districts in the immediate KJAN listening area will hold their regular, separate monthly meetings, Monday.

In Elk Horn, the Exira-EHK Board meeting gets underway at 5-p.m. in the Conference Room. During the meeting, the Board will discuss 2022-23 Enrollment and the Southwest Iowa Super Board Meeting. Their action items include (But are not limited to): approving the Elk Horn Section 9-10 Roof Repair Contract with Elevate Roofing, in the amount of $82,331; the first reading of several District Policies, including “Employee Expression,” Instructional Materials & Selection of those materials, Objection to Instructional and Library Materials, and a form to request a student be prohibited from checking out specific library materials. Other action includes the hiring of Lexi Griffin – Prom Sponsor, Sandra Nissen – ESL Teacher, and Elise West – Elementary Vocal Music.

The Griswold School Board meeting begins at 5:30-p.m., Monday in the Conference Room, and includes the second reading of certain Board 500 series policies, and discussion with regard to Board of Directors Redistricting. New Business/Action items include: approval of an LED Project; MS Gym Painting Project; Activation status of the Early Retirement Policy; Information concerning the Certified Enrollment Report; Approval of Veteran’s Day Program Expenses, and, the first reading of numerous other Board Policies.

And, the Audubon School Board meetings begins 7-p.m. Monday in the High School Board Room. Action items include (But again are not limited to, the following):

• Multiple policy revisions in the 400 and 600 series, and Policy Review (707 series)
• Approve change orders for the Building Project
• Approve a settlement with Denovo
• Approve Flex Fund Resolution to Expand Funds
• Approve a Resolution to consider continued participation in the Instructional Support Program
• and any Personnel matters to come before the Board.

(Statewide) – One person died, five others were injured, during three separate accidents Saturday, in Iowa. According to the State Patrol, the crashes occurred in Ida, Muscatine and Jackson Counties. The first crash happened in Ida Grove at around 12:07-p.m., Saturday.

Authorities say a 2021 Kia Seltos LX driven by 35-year-old Alan J. Kennedy, from Ida Grove, was southbound on Highway 59 west of Susan Lawrence Drive, when for reasons unknown, the car crossed the center line and entered the northbound lane before striking a 1999 Ford F-350 pickup that was pulling a livestock trailer. Kennedy suffered life-threatening injuries, and was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital in Sioux City. The driver of the pickup, 71-year-old Kenneth Ray Hurley, of Odebolt, was not injured.

The second crash happened at around 3:45-p.m. Saturday, northwest of Muscatine. The Patrol says a 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle operated by 42-year-old Juan Carlos Sanchez, of Muscatine, was northbound on N. Mulberry Road, when the cycle went out of control, entered the east ditch, and rolled. Sanchez, and his passenger, 32-year-old Melissa Diane Gordy, of Muscatine, were injured and flown by separate helicopters to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. The crash remains under investigation, but authorities say alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor.

And, at around 8:35-p.m., Saturday, 61-year-old Gregg Thomas Obryant, of Sabula, Iowa, died when the 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup he was driving, left the U-S Highway 52 Sabula/Savanna Bridge, struck a guardrail and veered over-corrected, into the path of a 2010 Ford F-150 pickup. Obryant was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the other vehicle, and his passenger, both of whom are from Savanna, IL, were injured and transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital, in Clinton.

They were identified as 63-year-old John W. and 60-year-old Beth A. Ritchie. John Ritchie was not wearing a seat belt. The crash remains under investigation.

(Shelby, Iowa) – A structure fire between Shelby and Avoca, south of Interstate 80, this (Saturday) afternoon, resulted in the loss of a residence, but no one was injured. Multiple agencies responded to the blaze at 31338 410th Street (near 410th & Tamarack), at around 1:24-p.m.

The blaze was declared under control at around 2:30-p.m. The home was a total loss.

Firefighters from Hancock, Walnut, Avoca, Shelby, Minden, along with other agencies, responded. Additional details are currently not available.

Photo submitted

The Red Oak Police Department reports an early morning arrest on Saturday. At 1:31 a.m. Officers arrested 52-year-old Brian Keith Yochum of Red Oak at the intersection of Highway 34 and Eastern Avenue. Yochum was charged with OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – An attorney representing thousands of employees at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics says the health system has agreed to pay 15 million dollars to settle a wage dispute. Earlier this year a federal judge ruled the health system owed as many as 11-thousand current and former employees of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for delaying overtime payments by more than a month. Iowa law requires all wages earned to be paid within 12 days of the end of the pay period.

Documents being filed in federal court indicate the university admits no wrongdoing, but is offering the 15 million dollar settlement to avoid additional litigation costs. The lawsuit was filed in 2019, on behalf of health care workers and support staff. Under the agreement, employees who may have been underpaid are to be contacted and given 45 days to opt out of the settlement. Then, the full list of employees who’ll be getting payments will be developed.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa legal organizations are partnering to address the urgent need to secure a more permanent immigration status for Afghan arrivals. The Afghan Legal League of Iowa will use a federal grant to coordinate support for the around one-thousand Afghans in the state. The University of Iowa’s Center for Human Rights, the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice and Drake University College of Law’s legal clinic will expand their capacity to take on more cases.

Drake University’s Suzie Pritchett says it’s a resource the state badly needs. “I think the community and networks that it’s going to create are going to benefit non citizens throughout Iowa beyond the length of this two year project,” she says. Many Afghans came to the U-S as parolees, which only guarantees a legal status for two years. Now, these evacuees need to apply for permanent residency.

The project will also help to establish a virtual help desk. Pritchett says it’s a way for unrepresented Afghans from across the state to call in for general legal advice.

(By Kendal Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)