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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – A team of University of Iowa archaeologists is investigating a network of tunnels beneath Iowa City which were once used by the Union Brewing Company to ferment beer and transport it to taprooms connected by the caves. Researchers are using specialized radar equipment to search out the contours of yet-undiscovered tunnels to get a better sense of the cave system. Doug Alberhasky, the owner of John’s Grocery, is leading tours of one section of the caves.
“You can see that there are tunnels going every which way,” he says. “There was a tunnel going right there at one point. So this is a very large complex and unfortunately, we probably only have about a third of it that we are going to be able to see.”
There’s about four-thousand square feet now open. U-I archeologist Marlin Ingalls says stable subterranean temperatures combined with a little ice from the Iowa River were a winning combination for brewers who needed consistently cool spaces to make lager beer.
(by Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s pheasant hunting season opens tomorrow morning and state officials say there could be 50- to 60-thousand hunters in the fields. Todd Bogenshutz, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state’s pheasant numbers appear to be rising. “Our roadside counts showed populations were a little bit higher than they were a year ago from a statewide perspective,” Bogenshutz says. “Looking at the crop reports this week, it looks like over 75% of the soybeans have been harvested and we’re going to be over 50% of the corn out, certainly by this coming weekend.”
Fields that are clear of crops mean less cover and better hunting. The forecast calls for cooler weather on opening day, with highs only in the 30s and 40s. Bogenshutz says lower temperatures may also mean better hunting. “A lot of times, our openers can be warm and that can be pretty hard on the hunters and dogs,” Bogenschutz says. “It’s basically the first time out for a lot of hunters and dogs, and so when we’re warm, 70s and 80s, usually that can cause some stress.” There are no significant changes in the hunting rules from last year, he says, and one of the most frequent questions he hears is about the wearing of blaze orange.
Pheasant hunters. (DNR photo)
“Our upland bird hunters are required to wear at least one article that’s at least 50% blaze orange, whether that’s a hat or a jacket or a vest. We just want everybody to be safe,” Bogenschutz says. “If you’re hunting with a group, and doing drive hunts or whatever, just have a game plan, know where everybody is, where safe shooting zones are.”
Non-toxic shot is required in some areas, including wetlands, and he says to always get permission before hunting on private property. The season runs through January 10th. Find more information at www.iowadnr.gov.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Revenue is in the third phase of a multi-year initiative aimed at modernizing and simplifying procedures for both individual taxpayers and businesses across the State of Iowa. On November 13, 2023, the State will add additional tax types and increase online service functionality through GovConnectIowa, the State’s secure online tax and licensing e-Services portal. This third phase includes:
Five State of Iowa agencies already use GovConnectIowa as part of their mission to make it easier to do business in Iowa and better serve Iowa’s taxpayers:
Important Dates:
Sign up for the Department’s upcoming webinar, New & Updated GovConnectIowa Features, on November 1, for more information.
Updated educational materials, how-to guides, and tutorial videos are available to assist taxpayers and business owners with using GovConnectIowa. Learn more about the modernization effort and GovConnectIowa at tax.iowa.gov/modernization. To receive notifications of resources and guidance issued by the Department, subscribe to updates.
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AMES, Iowa – Oct. 16, 2023 – There’s an unmistakable chill in the air as fall slowly creeps into winter. Keeping roads in their best shape to ensure you get where you want to go, no matter the season is our goal at the Iowa Department of Transportation. As the weather changes, our focus is keeping the roads as clear as possible and giving you the information you need to make smarter, safer travel decisions.
What you can do to prepare for the months ahead
Winterize your vehicle – To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, get your vehicle tuned up. Check your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your vehicle’s heater and defroster are in good working order and you travel with plenty of gas in your tank. A breakdown is frustrating on a good day but can be dangerous during wintery weather.
Place a winter survival kit in your vehicle – This kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded during inclement weather. These items can include booster cables; a flashlight with fresh batteries; extra blankets and warm clothes; nonperishable, high-calorie food items; candles, matches, and a can for melting snow for drinking water; and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle. Carrying a mobile phone and charger in your vehicle is also advised for use during an emergency.
Use technology to help make better travel decisions – The winter road conditions layer is now visible on www.511ia.org. This layer, along with layers that show images directly from the windshields of our snowplows and stationary cameras along the roadside, can help you determine whether it is safe to travel now or if you should postpone your trip.
Kick your winter driving skills into gear – The first snowfall and slick roads are a quick reminder that it’s time to re-evaluate and adjust your driving behaviors.
How the Iowa DOT has prepared
Our people and equipment – The department’s 101 maintenance garages employ 1,069 full-time equipment operators, mechanics, and supervisors, and are in the process of hiring up to 633 temporary employees this winter season, to keep the agency’s 902 trucks, 42 motor graders, 33 tow plows, and 10 heavy-duty, self-propelled snowblowers on the road during winter weather.
For those interested in temporary, part-time snowfighter positions, go to https://iowadot.gov/careers and click on the “seasonal/temp” tab.
The materials we use – The Iowa DOT has spent the warmer months stocking salt in our storage facilities for use during the winter. Buying during the spring and summer allows us to obtain better pricing because demand is low. On average, the Iowa DOT uses more than 136,000 tons of salt and nearly 32 million gallons of brine each year to help maintain safe travel on the primary highway system, consisting of interstate, U.S., and Iowa routes.
The Iowa DOT primarily uses salt brine, a simple solution of standard rock salt and water, to help with winter roadway maintenance. It can be used to pretreat roadways before a storm, thus preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. Brine is also used to prewet salt before it leaves the truck, increasing its ability to melt snow and ice and helping keep it on the roadway surface.
You may wonder why Iowa DOT trucks sometimes spray brine on sunny days. Frost is a major safety factor this time of year. The Iowa DOT’s proactive approach of spraying brine on areas prone to frost prevents the formation of an icy layer, which typically occurs on cold, clear nights. Frost is hard to see on the road’s surface and most people don’t expect it. These unexpected encounters with a frost-covered bridge or roadway can be particularly treacherous when traveling at higher rates of speed, making it more difficult to maintain control of your vehicle.
For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT’s snow and ice control program, check the Iowa DOT’s winter safety website.
DUBUQUE, Iowa — A vehicle fished out of the Mississippi River on Iowa’s eastern border turned out to be related to a decades-old cold case. On October 12th, 2023 the Dubuque Police Department was notified that employees from Newt Marine Services, while conducting dredge operations in the Mississippi River near the Hawthorne Boat Ramp, located a submerged vehicle. The vehicle they pulled out was identified as a 1981 Mercury Zephyr belonging to Paul Joseph Knockel, a man who was reported missing in Dubuque on Nov. 25, 1990.
Knockel was 53 at the time he was reported missing by family, and his case has remained open since then. No human remains were located while investigators processed the vehicle.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Investigator Corporal Clark Egdorf at 563-589-4430 or Cegdorf@cityofdubuque.org. Anonymous tips can be submitted online via the Dubuque Police Department’s Official Page: www.cityofdubuque.org/209/Police or by calling Dubuque/Jo Daviess Crime Stoppers at (800)747-0117.
(Radio Iowa) – Opponents of proposed carbon pipelines in Iowa say the projects will be too much of a drain on Iowa’s water resources. Jan Norris of Red Oak is one of several people who read a joint statement during a public hearing this week. “As it turns out, Summit Carbon Solutions not only wants to take our land, they want our water,” Norris said.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has already granted Summit a permit to withdraw up to 55 million gallons of water each year from a new well near an ethanol plant in Chickasaw County. The agency is considering another application from Summit for the use of nearly 28 million gallons of water each year from a new well in Wright County, near an ethanol plant in Goldfield. Julie Glade’s farm is about 17 miles from Goldfield.
“We know these waters are life. They belong to all of us in Iowa,” Glade said. “…Please deny Summit’s Goldfield withdrawal request.” Representative Mark Thompson, a Republican, represents Wright, Humboldt and Hancock Counties in the Iowa House. “The water shortage is about as obvious as the nose on your face. We live near Belmond, near a lake. The lake has receded about 150 feet from the natural shoreline,” Thompson said. “…I also would encourage this permit to be denied.”
Proposed Summit Pipeline
The carbon capture process generates heat. Water is used to cool the carbon so it can be compressed, liquefied and shipped through a pipeline. Marjory Swan, a Wright County farmer, says Iowa’s water resources are not unlimited and shouldn’t be used for the project. “We are very well aware of the drought conditions Iowa and her neighbor states have been suffering through recently — 2.9 million residents of our state are currently living in areas of drought,” Swam says.
Others who testified at this week’s hearing asked state officials to consider how much water Summit would need for its entire project, not just for each of the ethanol plants that would connect to the pipeline.
Kathleen Hunt of Eldora owns land in Hardin County that’s along the proposed Summit route and she says Summit’s water use would be unprecedented. “It is incumbent upon the DNR to go about their work carefully and with scientified precision,” she said, “because the public wealth of Iowa is at stake.”
Summit has said it’s project is crucial to the survival of the ethanol industry as consumer demand for carbon-free fuel will grow. Three years ago the Iowa Department of Natural Resources rejected a different company’s plan to withdraw two BILLION gallons of water from a northeast Iowa aquifer every year and sell it to communities in the west that are running out of water.
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – Officials with the Ottumwa Police Department today (Thursday), report the arrest of a man charged in a homicide investigation. 60-year-old Gary Lewis Scott, of Ottumwa, was arrested at around 11:12-a.m. Thursday (Oct. 26), on four Felony charges, including: Murder in the 1st Degree (Class-A Felony); Willful Injury and Assault while participating in a Felony (Both Class-C felonies), and a Class-D felony charge of Going Armed with Intent.
Authorities say Ottumwa Police were dispatched at 10:46-a.m. on Oct. 16th, to 301 S. Ward Street, for a reported stabbing. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Samuel Gallegos-Ramirez, of Ottumwa, who was transported to the Ottumwa Regional Health Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
Gary Lewis Scott mugshot (Ottumwa PD photo)
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) assisted from the onset of the investigation. Preliminary information at the scene of the incident did not immediately identify all of the circumstances that resulted in the death of Gallegos-Ramirez. Investigators were eventually able to identify and altercation that took place between him and the suspect, Gary Scott, which resulted in the filing of criminal charges.
Please note to following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says former President Donald Trump “owes it to the voters to show up” for the televised debates among the 2024 candidates and DeSantis says the Republican National Committee should schedule a debate in Iowa in late December or early January.
“You may have some Iowa-specific things that some of the Iowans care about and that’s really what the RNC should be doing,” DeSantis said during an online news conference with Iowa reporters, “so you can put me of favor of bringing the next RNC debate or one of the ones between now and the Iowa Caucus to the state of Iowa. I think it’d be good for the process.”
The next debate will be held November 8 in Miami. Trump skipped both previous debates this fall and has scheduled a rally at the same time as next month’s debate. “Donald Trump should show up to these debates. He’s been totally missing in action,” DeSantis said. “…He’s always on the teleprompter now…When he does go off script, he ends up saying things, like he told people in New Hampshire that they didn’t need to vote, that he already had enough votes or something, which is very odd to do.”
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. (RI file photo)
According to DeSantis, Trump’s first debate with Joe Biden had “a real significant impact” in the 2020 election because polling showed Biden gaining ground afterwards and DeSantis suggested that’s why Trump needs more debate experience. “I’m willing to allow him to bring his teleprompter to the debate if that’s what he wants to do,” DeSantis said, “…but he should be on that stage in Miami and subsequent debates.”
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a candidate who may not make the stage in Miami due to the RNC’s polling criteria, has compared the two previous debates among the candidates to reality TV. DeSantis said regardless of how the debates are managed, he plans to take the opportunity to speak to voters and Trump should do the same. “I think it’s a different guy in 2023 than he was in 2016. I think he was energetic and free wheeling back then,” DeSantis says. “…Now I think most of the stuff he’s talking about is himself and his issues and that’s not the inspiring message that’s going to be able to win the day.”
Vivek Ramaswamy returns to the Iowa campaign trail Friday for an event in Ames. Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Sioux City on Sunday.
(Radio Iowa) – The Dickinson County board of adjustment voted last night (Thursday) to deny a permit to Invenergy for a wind farm just a few miles from East Lake Okoboji. That vote came after three nights of public hearings.
Kris Van Kleet helped start the group Dickinson County Concerned Citizens to protest the project, and had tears streaming down the face after the vote.
“God is good, that’s all I can say,” she says. Van Kleet Dozens showed up in full force to say why they didn’t want turbines near their homes. Supporters of the wind energy farm say they were stunned by the 3-1 vote against the project. Terril City Council member Austin Fairchild says the wind farm would bring benefits to the county.
“Our poverty rate is over 20 percent. This project would have come with economic development, money, and more jobs to the area that would have been needed. I think we missed an opportunity here. I hope we appeal and win,” Fairchild says. County officials say Invenergy has 30 days to appeal the decision in court. Van Kleet says the focus will now be on repairing relationships since many property owners signed up for the project, which included up to 80 turbines.
“I pray that our community would heal, that people would forgive, and remember that we’re still neighbors and we’re still people,” she says. Two other wind energy projects have been proposed for the Iowa Great Lakes region, and Van Kleet says she will continue to fight against turbines there.
(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) – The winner of this year’s World Food Prize is launching a program to reestablish vineyards and farmland in parts of Ukraine that were damaged in the war with Russia. Heidi Kühn is the founder of Roots of Peace. The U.S-based nonprofit works in war-torn nations to clear landmines and unexploded bombs, and to restore land to agriculture. Kühn says the risk of injury from unexploded ordinances can harm local economies and restrict food production for decades.
Kühn says, “As land mines are in there, it’s holding the land hostage from business opportunity.” The impacted area of Ukraine is estimated to cover 22 million acres, which is about the same amount of land devoted to corn and soybeans in Iowa. The area is considered critical to the global wheat supply. In Vietnam, the group is still clearing mines placed in the demilitarized zone 50-plus years ago. Kühn says in restored areas, farmers have planted more than one-million black pepper trees.
Heidi Kuhn. (Roots of Peace photo)
“This is fertile ground that feeds us,” she says, “so I think this is not a political call to action, this is a moral call to action.” Kühn will receive the award at a ceremony in the Iowa State Capitol tonight (Thursday). The World Food Prize is awarded each year in honor of Iowa native and Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug and his work reducing world hunger.
(by Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)
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