COLDWATER, Mich. (AP) – Officials say a more than $250 million hog processing facility in southern Michigan will handle hogs from states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa. Hatfield, Pennsylvania-based Clemens Food Group held a ribbon-cutting Saturday at the plant in Coldwater that is expected to eventually employ 830 people. It starts running in August and be at full production in early September. It will process thousands of hogs per day.

The (Kendallville) News-Sun reports plans for the processing facility were announced in 2014. The Sturgis Journal reports the plant is getting local and state support that will total about $55 million, including about $12.5 million in Community Development Block Grant money.

Officials with Nishna Valley Trails invite all area youth and others to a Kids Bike Ride event on August 12th, beginning at 10:30-a.m. The ride takes place at the Schildberg Recreation Area in Atlantic. Check-in and the start of the ride will be at the west parking lot of the Schildberg Rec Area. There will be three age groups, with the length of the ride according to age. The event is free, and all ages are welcome.

The Kids Bike Ride is co-sponsored by Atlantic Parks and Rec, Cass County Conservation, Howard’s, Fareway, and the West Side Diner, in Atlantic. For more information, call Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning, at 712-769-2372. After the ride, be sure and check out AtlanticFest, that will be underway in the downtown area of Atlantic.

The Cass County Conservation Board is once again sponsoring a “Breakfast with the Birds” Program. The program will be held at Sunnyside Park, Camblin’s Addition Shelter in Atlantic, on August 12th, beginning at 9-a.m.  They’re asking for your free will donations to partake in the event.

Terrie Hoefer, rehabilitator and Educator at S.O.A.R. (Saving Our Avian Resources), will show and discuss several of her permanently injured birds and she’ll hopefully have one that is fully recovered and ready to release back into the wild.

Donations will help to support the raptors and education at them.

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

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(Update 8:50-a.m.) Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a significant, property damage incident took place over the weekend at the Clarinda High School. School officials discovered the damage at around 8:30-a.m. Sunday (July 30th). The school (at 100 N. Cardinal Drive), had been broken into, and a substantial amount of property destruction committed. It is believed that damages will be exceed $10,000. Because of the extent of the damage, the incident is a Felony offense.

Chief Brothers told KJAN News they’re still looking into how entry was gained into the building. Once inside, the individual or individuals spray painted words on the property, and discharged numerous fire extinguishers, causing damage to computers and related equipment. A complete damage assessment is still being conducted.

The Clarinda Police Department is currently investigating the incident that is believed to have occurred sometime during the late evening hours of July 29th or the early morning hours of July 30th. There are currently no suspects.

Page County Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and filing of formal charges against those individual(s) responsible. Tipsters may remain anonymous and can contact the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194 with information.

A man and a woman from Union County were injured in a collision that occurred Sunday afternoon, in Creston. Creston Police say 27-year old Aaron Michael Spencer, and 53-year old Jodie Lynn Sheren, both of Creston, suffered minor injuries, and were transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, after their vehicles collided at the intersection of W. Adams Street and Highway 25. The accident happened at around 4:45-p.m.

Officials say Spencer was driving on the wrong side of the road due to sleep apnea. He was on his way home when he fell asleep at the wheel and at one point had pulled over to the side of the road. The man did not remember the two blocks prior to driving. His northbound 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix went around a vehicle stopped at the traffic light and began to continue in the southbound lane. He failed to stop at the light. A 2013 GMC Acadia, driven by Sheren, who was traveling west on Adams Street and had the green light and began to turn left, when the vehicles collided. Damage from the crash amounted to $8,000. Spencer was cited for Driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway, and Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device.

And, there were no injuries reported after vehicles driven by 28-year old Nathan Eugene Myers, of Corning and 83-year old Martha Mcauley, of Creston, collided at around 5:40-p.m. Friday, at the intersection of N. Maple and W. Howard Streets. The accident happened after Mcauley stopped at the intersection, and then continued south on Maple Street. Police say due to her vision possibly being obstructed by a Catholic Church that is close to the intersection, the woman didn’t see Myers’ 1997 Ford pickup approaching. The pickup collided with Mcauley’s 2008 Chevy Impala resulting in $4,000 damage altogether. Mcauley was cited for Unsafe starting of a stopped vehicle.

The Creston Police Department today (Monday) reports several recent arrests. Just before 8-p.m. Sunday, Officers arrested 31-year old Thomas Dollen, of Creston, at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Dollen was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Lascivious Acts with a Child. Dollen was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing. And, 23-year old Michael Cox, of Creston, was arrested at his home at around 7:30-p.m. Sunday, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Cox was released from custody on a Promise to Appear later, in court.

Saturday evening, 38-year old Lewis Levy, of Arispe, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant charging him with Dominion/Control of a Firearm/Offensive weapon by a Felon. Levy was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Last Thursday, 34-year old Joseph “JD” Gaiser, and  25-year old Amanda Steinbach-Sluyter, both of Creston, were arrested at their home. Each was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault. They were later released on $300 bond, each.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Officials with the Sac City Police Department said today (Monday), the Department has filed charges on a Sac City woman, following a search warrant on Sunday June 5th. On that date at around 11:10- p.m., the Sac City Police Department executed a search warrant at 108 North 13th Street. A search warrant was applied for and granted to search for evidence in an alleged dependent adult abuse report.

Officers located evidence inside the residence to support dependent adult abuse by a caretaker as well as illegal narcotic activity. As a result of the search warrant, the Sac City Police Department has charged 56 year old Lori Vazquez with: dependent adult abuse-otherwise intentionally or knowingly; possession of a controlled substance-marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; and, for violating the Sac City Code of Ordinances by having a number of animals in one dwelling. Vazquez was given summons to appear on all charges.

The marijuana was taken to the Carroll Police Department Marijuana Testing Laboratory for official testing.

The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party is widely known for his high-volume speeches, but he’s under doctor’s orders to try to protect his voice. For the past few years, Kaufmann has been the master of ceremonies and chief cheerleader at innumerable Republican Party events, including a Donald Trump rally in Cedar Rapids in June. Years of these exhortations took a toll, though. Kaufmann developed a deep, non-cancerous nodule in his throat. He had surgery on one of his vocal cords last December. “It was probably the three hardest days of my life when the doctor said I couldn’t talk,” Kaufmann said. Kaufmann admits he lasted just a day a half before tossing aside the marker and wipe-erase board he was using to communicate with his family. For several months after surgery, Kaufmann went to a speech therapist.

“If I’ve heard the phrase once, I’ve heard it a dozen times: ‘Breathe from your stomach,'” Kaufmann said last week. “I’ll be honest. I don’t even know what that means…I think I’m just going to lower my noise level just a little bit.” Julie Andrews, the soprano who reached vocal heights in memorable roles on stage and screen, underwent surgery two decades ago to remove nodules from her vocal cords — and was unable to sing afterwards.Kaufmann says he’s never been able to sing, so that’s not a concern. He’s stopped going to the speech therapist and has adopted this approach to his vocal health:

“I’m going to just lower it down, keep my fingers crossed and make sure everybody can hear me.” But after his return to a rigorous schedule of speaking engagements, Kaufmann’s doctor warns the nodule may be coming back. “But some people have said my kind of scratchy voice is kind of sultry and it’s good for engaging voters, so I’m going to do with that.” Kaufmann earns a paycheck with his voice. Kaufmann teaches history and government classes at Muscatine Community College. He’s also a livestock farmer and a member of the Cedar County Board of Supervisors.

(Radio Iowa)