With Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

An investigation into illegal narcotics activity and the execution of a search warrant at 2400 north 8th Street in Red Oak late Friday evening, resulted in the arrest of three persons. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 30-year old Charles Adam Bradshaw, of Clarinda, 25-year old Randy Mitchell, of Red Oak, and 24-year old Alyssa Adkisson, of Red Oak, were arrested on a felony Delivery of Methamphetamine, charge.  The trio were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $100,000 cash bond, each.

Their arrests stemmed from a multi-jurisdictional investigation that involved the Montgomery and Fremont County Sheriff’s Offices, and Red Oak Police. During a search of the home at around 4:50-p.m., Friday,  deputies seized over 75 grams of Meth, valued at over $7,500, plus more than 50 grams of marijuana, a sizable amount of cash, multiple firearms, as well as various other narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

A traffic stop in Red Oak early this (Saturday) morning, resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police report 35-year old Joseph Earl Smith, of Red Oak, was in a vehicle stopped at the corner of east Joy and north 4th Streets in Red Oak, at around 2:15-a.m.  Smith was taken into custody on a valid Taylor County arrest warrant for Failure to Appear in court on a Driving While License Revoked charge. He was also cited for Open Container as a passenger.

Smith was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $1,500 cash bond.

The first shotgun deer season opens today (Saturday), and while the number of deer taken each year has dropped 33-percent since 2006, a D-N-R expert says the prospects for this season remain good. “Deer numbers are definitely down from what they were a few years ago, but there is lots of good hunting available. And because last year we had probably a little bit reduced harvest in some areas, there should be some good hunting opportunity. And with the weather, it will be a great time to be out there,” according to D-N-R wildlife research supervisor, Willie Suchy. He says your success in the deer hunt depends on where you go.

“We’ve got good deer numbers in much of the state where there is good deer habitat. And the best habitat is in southern Iowa and northeast Iowa and parts of western Iowa,” Suchy says. “One change this year would be from northwest Iowa, the first-season shotgun hunters can only shoot antlered deer. That’s a restriction to try and protect that herd up there a little bit.” The state had increased the number of licenses for does or female deer when they wanted to trim the herd, and now have cut antlerless tag quotas in 72 counties.

“Outside northwest Iowa hunters can still shoot does, they just have to kind of think about what’s the best thing to do for where they hunt,” Suchy explains. “We adjust those things annually based on harvest and that’s an important part of what hunters can do as well to help us manage deer, is to report their harvest.” Hunters are required to report taking a deer within 24 hours. Suchy says Iowa deer hunters tend to have some experience. “In general, hunters are reflective of our society. We’ve got a lot of traditional hunters who started when they were young like me, who are in their 50’s and 60’s and 70’s. And we’ve got some newer ones — don’t have a good handle on the younger hunters — but we do a lot to try and encourage hunting,” Suchy says. He says they getting young people involved in hunting is a challenge, the same as it is for other pursuits.

“Having opportunities available seems to be the biggest thing, the thing that keeps hunters from going into the field is they just have so many other things to do and opportunities to spend their time at,” Suchy says. “If its too hard of a thing to get access to hunting or know how to do it, it becomes a bit of a problem.” Whether you are young or old, Suchy says you have to follow the proper precautions when hunting.

Suchy says the biggest thing they emphasize is safety. “Wearing hunter orange is the best first step, and then the second step…you should always know where you are shooting, so you are not shooting at somebody else in the party,” Suchy says. The first shotgun deer season runs through December 10th.

(Radio Iowa)

Voters in Berkeley, California, approved a controversial “sin” tax on sugary soft drinks last month, but Iowans may not realize Iowa is one of about 20 states that already tax soda pop. “You don’t see it unless you pay attention to your grocery bill,” according to John Beghin, an Iowa State University economist. “We don’t have a sales tax on foods in Iowa,” he says, “but the sales tax applies to soft drinks, so in a sense, we have an implicit soda tax in Iowa.”

The state’s six percent sales tax is charged on bottles and cans of soda pop. far less than the “sin” state taxes charged on alcohol and tobacco products purchased in Iowa. Policymakers in Iowa have argued significant increases in the taxes on cigarettes, for example, will help curb smoking. There is now a stigma attached to smoking, because of the cancer risk — making it easy for policymakers to hike taxes by a dollar-per-pack, but Beghin says increasing taxes on high-calorie sodas may increase awareness of the health issues associated with obesity.

“We need to start somewhere signaling to people that the current lifestyle is not that healthy,” Beghin says. “The soda tax may not be the best idea, but maybe a mild reminder you shouldn’t overconsume those products.” Berkeley, California’s “sin” tax on soda is a penny per ounce and it applies to syrups added to coffee as well as soft drinks. Diet cola is not subject to the city’s tax. Iowans, by the way, will consume 136 million gallons of soft drinks this year.

(Radio Iowa)

Area residents have a chance to take home the gold and a piece of history from Treynor Community School’s sports teams. The Daily NonPareil reports more than 400 trophies will be auctioned off on Dec. 9th beginning at 4-p.m.,  at Treynor High School, 102 E. Main St.

According to business teacher Jennifer Travis, the school has hundreds of old trophies that have been in storage for years. In an effort to make them more visible to the public, all past trophies are being photographed and categorized into an electronic digital display, which will be shown on a monitor in the trophy case. Trophies mostly range from 1960 to 2008, though a few from 1930 to 1957 are on auction.

The race for Senator-Elect Joni Ernst’s vacated Iowa State Senate seat now has six contenders. According to the Daily NonPareil, Charla Schmid of Red Oak announced her candidacy on Friday, and will vie with five other candidates during the Republican Party’s special nominating convention Dec. 11th, in Clarinda.

The Harlan Police Department, Friday, released a report on arrests dating back nearly three-weeks. The most recent arrests include 38-year old Ryan Schechinger, of Harlan, who was arrested Monday (12/1), when officers were called to a domestic disturbance in the 3000 block of 12th Street. Schechinger was taken to the Shelby County jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault for allegedly assaulting Shawn Schechinger, also of Harlan.

On Saturday, Nov. 29th: 31-year old Michael Gifford, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Gifford was transported to the Shelby County jail without incident; 23-year old Jordyn Timmerman, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Timmerman was charged with driving under suspension, operating a non-registered vehicle, and failure to show proof of insurance. Timmerman was cited and released; and 29-year old Jason Ostrus, of Earling, was arrested when officers were called to a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of Garfield Avenue. Ostrus was taken into custody and taken to the Shelby County jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault for allegedly assaulting Makayla Hammel, Harlan.

And on Nov. 27th, 18-year old David Poole, of Turin, was arrested when officers were called to a residence on Cheyenne Avenue for a vehicle that pulled into a driveway and left leaving tire marks on the driveway. The home owner also allegedly received a phone call asking how he liked the marks. The vehicle was located in the same area. Poole was taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and criminal mischief. Poole was also cited for careless driving and failure to maintain safety belt.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Spanish teacher at a Des Moines middle school has been named the 2015 Iowa Teacher of the Year. Governor Terry Branstad announced Friday that the award would go to Clemencia Spizzirri, who teaches at Merrill Middle School. In a statement, Branstad called her a “role model to students and colleagues.” The 38-year-old Spizzirri has taught at Merrill Middle School for five years.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A Fort Madison man facing a first-degree murder change in the death of a Burlington man has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The Hawk Eye newspaper reports 42-year-old Lenard Polhans entered the guilty plea Friday to voluntary manslaughter in Des Moines County District Court. He remains jailed without bond as he awaits sentencing.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Police in central Iowa have arrested and charged a mother and her teenage daughter with assault after they say the pair fought with other students. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports that the 38-year-old Fort Dodge woman and her 16-year-old daughter fought with two other students inside Fort Dodge Senior High School Thursday morning.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa officials have removed a public art work meant to denounce racism after students were angered by its image of a Ku Klux Klan robe. Artist Serhat Tanyolacar says he displayed the 7-foot-tall robe on campus Friday to join with protesters upset over the shooting of Michael Brown.