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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!
A Special Election was held Tuesday in the City of Oakland, to fill a vacancy on the Oakland City Council. Three candidates were running for the one, open seat. The winner, with 149 votes, was Gayle Strickland.
Joseph Wede was a distant second, with 52 votes, while Doug Reed had 27 votes. Strickland will be sworn-in to take the place of Jason Smith, who resigned from the Oakland City Council on December 15th.
The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) approved an increase in the number of assistants for the Cass County Attorney’s Office. Before approving the request, the Board heard from County Attorney Dave Wiederstein, who said he’s been filling-in as the County Attorney’s in Audubon County since Feb. 12th, due to a medical emergency in their office. His duties there are temporary, according to Wiederstein.
He also wanted to thank the Pottawattamie County’s Attorney’s Office for providing an assistant to train Eva Jensen – Delinquent Fine Coordinator – in the area of Delinquent Fines. Wiederstein also sat in on the training program. And, with regard to the adding of an assistant, Wiederstein explained his reasons for needing more help. He said the individual hired will prepare documents for court cases.
The Board’s approval means the number of assistants in the Cass County Attorney’s Office will be three, effective March 1st. The Board also approved the awarding of contracts for stock ($30,998. 86) and project pipe ($51,954.20) to Metal Culverts from Maryville, Missouri, in the amount of $82,953 altogether. There were two companies bidding for the pipe, with the difference amounting to about $100.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a Madison County woman was arrested Tuesday night at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. 40-year old Jaquelie Juatriene Clabaugh, of Winterset, was arrested on a Union County warrant for probation violation. Clabaugh was being held for Union County in the Ringgold County Jail on $2,000 bond.
(9-a.m. News)
Iowa’s F-F-A members are celebrating F-F-A Week by holding events like pancake dinners and driving their farm tractors to school. Joshua Remington, executive director of the Iowa F-F-A Foundation, says there’s been a big increase in membership in the 226 chapters statewide. “Statewide, there’s 14,847 of us and we’re super-excited because that actually is an all-time record membership.”
He says the organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. “People might think the FFA is slowing down or growth is slowing down and membership might not be what it is as people move to more urban areas, but it’s a record membership as people pay more attention to things like where their food comes from, water quality and overall production of food,” Remington says.
He says agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.
“Agriculturalists, by and large, tend to be excellent stewards and they want to pass on that land from generation to generation and have a great opportunity there,” Remington says. “Plus, we know that many parents value the career choices their students are making.”
He says there are 11 jobs for every single applicant in the ag industry. Learn more at www.iowaffa.com or www.ffa.org.
The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m. from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.
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The Atlantic School Board will hold a work session this (Wednesday) evening in the High School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m. Special presentations leading-off the meeting will cover the AHS Silver Cord Program and School Property/Casualty Insurance. But the most interesting part of the meeting will likely be with regard to Board Member Communications.
That’s because School Board Member Dr. Keith Swanson wrote an article in the “Speak Up” section of the Atlantic News Telegraph last week, where he indicated he was embarrassed to be on the Board, in light of recent issues with the District’s buses and concerns about a number of financial issues. Atlantic Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein wrote a response to Dr. Swanson’s letter, which was published in Tuesday’s paper.
In it, Amstein claimed “Many of the comments made by Mr. Swanson regarding the operation of the District were quite inaccurate.” Amstein said Swanson wrote his comments without confirming the facts, and said he should have addressed his questions and concerns to the Board in an open forum, where they could be answered directly. Amstein said he also thought Swanson’s assertion that District’s fine arts and athletic programs have deteriorated, “Insulting and disrespectful” to the students, coaches/sponsors.”
Police in Council Bluffs say two people suffered non-life threatening injuries during a single-vehicle accident early this (Wed.) morning. The accident was reported at around 2:15-a.m. on the Avenue G to southbound Interstate 29 on-ramp. Officers arriving on the scene located a white Nissan that had rolled off of the interstate and into the median just north of Ave G.
The Council Bluffs Fire Department removed the two occupants from the vehicle, who were transported to CHI Creighton Hospital. The Council Bluffs Police Departments Special Operations unit is investigating the cause of the accident.
Trial in the case of a Council Bluffs woman accused of fatally stabbing her ex-boyfriend began Tuesday and will continue Thursday, in Council Bluffs. Jodie Sherman is charged with 1st degree murder in connection with the July 4th, 2014 death of Douglas Richt, who authorities say was stabbed in the throat by Sherman after he picked her up in a car. Richt died while on the way to a hospital. The Daily NonPareil reports prosecutors spent the first day of Sherman’s first-degree murder trial admitting evidence and calling witnesses and law enforcement to the stand.
The prosecution, which consists of Pottawattamie County Attorney Matthew Wilber and Chief Deputy Attorney Jon Jacobmeier, called eight people to the stand. With Sherman’s defense team expected to push for not guilty by reason of insanity, the prosecution also made a point to try and prove that Sherman’s behavior was more about her love of peppermint schnapps than possible insanity.
The trial started with two witnesses, who live at a residence where Richt ended up after being stabbed, taking the stand. Both witnesses said they saw Sherman take a swing at Richt, get out of the car and walk down the street. They further testified that they saw Richt get out of the 1999 Saturn and walk to their porch, spilling blood along the way. A third witness, who lives nearby, told prosecutors that she saw a knife on the floorboard of Saturn.
Council Bluffs Police Department Officer Miranda Adams took the stand and discussed how she stopped Sherman after the altercation and transported her to the department’s criminal investigation division. Adams said that on July 4, 2014, Sherman made verbal threats, and also Sherman said Richt kidnapped her and that she was being held hostage. Adams further testified that Sherman was concerned about the FBI and people coming out of the police cruiser’s radio.
Jacobmeier and Wilber spent much of the day asking about Sherman’s drinking habits and whether or not she was intoxicated at the time of the alleged stabbing. Mark Elonich, a former Council Bluffs police detective, said Sherman was not given any sobriety tests on July 4th, while Sherman was at the police station. Although no tests were given, Elonich said he felt Sherman was under the influence of some type of prescription drug or alcohol.
The trial, which is slated to end on Friday, is being conducted without a jury. Fourth Judicial District Judge Kathleen Kilnoski will render the verdict from the bench. If Kilnoski does find Sherman guilty of first-degree murder, Sherman faces a sentence of life in prison without parole.
A traffic stop early this (Wed.) morning in Villisca, resulted in an arrest. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 23-year old Makayla Dawn Hudson, of Red Oak, was pulled over at around 2:40-a.m. and subsequently arrested for Driving While Suspended. Hudson was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where her bond was set at $300.