SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Officials in northwestern Iowa say the discovery of more than 100 endangered cacti could increase the cost of a Sioux City road project. The Sioux City Journal reports that the project for design improvements to Southbridge Drive may now include the relocation of about 116 prickly pear cactus plants. The cactus is a protected plant species in the state.

City Engineer Glenn Ellis told the City Council during a meeting Monday that the relocation and other associated costs could come to an additional $100,000. The City Council voted agreed Monday to have an engineering firm create a new project design.

Police in Creston report the arrest Monday evening of a Creston man. 43-year old Steven Jehn was taken into custody at around 6:30-p.m. on a charge of OWI/2nd offense. Jehn was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

And, no injuries were reported following a collision between a semi and a pickup truck Monday morning. Creston Police say a 1999 Peterbilt semi hauling a grain/gravel dump trailer, was traveling east on Highway 34 at around 8:40-a.m., when 83-year old William Ticknor, of Creston, who was traveling west in a pickup truck, failed to yield the right of way as he attempted to turn left onto Oak Street.

When the pickup stopped on the highway for some reason, the driver of the semi, 79-year old Glen Nelson, of Emerson, swerved but could not avoid the collision. The semi hit Ticknor’s 2000 Chevy S-10 pickup broadside, causing a total of $2,500 damage. No citations were issued.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs may become the first Iowa city to allow bowhunting to reduce its turkey population. The Daily Nonpareil reports Public Health Director Donn Dierks on Monday proposed enacting a bowhunting season to City Council members.

Dierks says the season would be similar to the city’s deer hunting season. It would apply only to female turkeys, occur in the fall and be limited to land covered by the deer ordinance. Hunters would need to pass a proficiency test.

Council Bluffs would be the first Iowa city to enact such a season, but Dierks says other communities are considering it. Dierks says the hunt would reduce turkey numbers, which have let to numerous complaints. He plans to make a formal request for council approval later this month.

Authorities in Montgomery County arrested two people on drug charges early this (Tuesday) morning, and are searching for a third suspect. According to Red Oak Police, 42-year-old Michael Avery Forest Cave and 60-year-old Linda Jane Cochran, both of Red Oak, were arrested. Police, assisted by Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 unit, executed search warrants at residences in the 200 block of East Market Street and the 100 block of West Grimes Street. The bust went down at around 12:45-a.m.

Cave faces charges that include Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Unlawful possession of prescription pills, Interference with official acts and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Cochran was charged with Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana, Unlawful possession of prescription pills and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were being held in the Montgomery County Jail, with bond set at $100,000 for Michael Cave, and $1,000 for Linda Cochran.

Authorities are also on the lookout for 33-year-old Jacob Allen Cochran. He faces a Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, charge. Anyone with information on Jacob Cochran’s location is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-6500 or Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-888-434-2712. Police say residents not to confront the man. Instead, you should immediately contact authorities.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The family of fallen Omaha police officer and Iowa native Kerrie Orozco is being given a check for 215-thousand dollars from the sale of “Kerrie On” t-shirts. The 14-thousand-plus t-shirts were printed by Ideal Images of Omaha where president Peter McCann says he’s amazed at how quickly they sold.

McCann says, “In all honesty, my goal was 10,000 so to hit 14,000, we’re still selling t-shirts, so who knows?” The company teamed up with the Iowa-based Hy-Vee grocery store chain to sell the shirts and they also have been popular online and are continuing to sell nationwide. McCann says he wanted to do his part.

“Being able to do these things is, to me, why I really like being in business,” McCann says. “This is rewarding to be a part of this. Our staff worked so hard, ‘What time do you need me?’ and also, the off-duty police officers were coming in the Saturday afterwards and they were wanting to make deliveries.”

The 29-year-old Orozco was shot to death while serving an arrest warrant in May. The suspect was also killed. Orozco was a Walnut, Iowa, native and a resident of Council Bluffs. She left behind a husband, two stepchildren and a newborn baby girl. That new daughter, Olivia, was born several months premature in February and was due to come home from the hospital the day after Orozco was killed.

(Radio Iowa)

The latest U-S-D-A crop report released Monday shows 82 percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition and 78 percent of the soybeans are rated the same way. Iowa State University Extension Agronomist, Brian Lang, monitors six counties in the northeast-tip of the state from Decorah to Dubuque.

“You could almost say, they’ve never looked better. We’re having a very good year up here so far. No particular insect pests. No particular diseases of any serious nature at this time,” Lang says. He could only find a slight lack of heat as a negative. “We’re only arguably about two days behind on growing degree days, and I think we’ll pick that up this week. We’re going to have a pretty hot week it looks like, actually probably catch up right up to normal,” according to Lang. “Rainfall has been running just a little bit ahead of normal.”

While most of the state’s crops are in good shape, there are still some spots where heavy rains in June caused some damage.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a proclamation aimed at extending clean-up efforts involved with the bird flu outbreak. Branstad signed a disaster emergency proclamation y for 18 Iowa counties adversely affected by bird flu. It is effective until Dec. 31 and extends a proclamation that was set to expire Wednesday. The proclamation is aimed at helping chicken and turkey producers with disposal and clean-up efforts on affected sites.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jeb Bush says new economic proposals from Hillary Rodham Clinton would not grow the economy or boost wages. The GOP presidential hopeful said in Sioux City that Clinton’s new economic agenda is a “continuation of the Obama economics, which has been a complete disaster.” Bush said he wanted to reform taxes and regulations to grow the economy. He said he wants people with part-time jobs to get full-time work if they want it.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 90s in some areas Monday, with heat indices soaring to 116 degrees because of high humidity. Forecasters say there could be a strong tornado or two, along with large hail, as storms begin to form later Monday in eastern Iowa and northwestern and central Illinois.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says there isn’t enough Republican support for a special legislative session. Democrats want a special session to try to override the governor’s budget vetoes but Branstad says Republicans don’t want to return for a fight over education funding.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a proclamation aimed at extending clean-up efforts involved with the bird flu outbreak. Branstad signed a disaster emergency proclamation Monday for 18 Iowa counties adversely affected by bird flu. It is effective until Dec. 31 and extends a proclamation that was set to expire Wednesday.

The proclamation is aimed at helping chicken and turkey producers with disposal and clean-up efforts on affected sites. The proclamation temporarily allows them to dispose of manure and compost from an affected site if the material is virus-free.

The proclamation applies to Adair, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Hamilton, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Webster and Wright counties.

The virus has infected more than 31.5 million birds in Iowa, mostly egg-laying chickens.