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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!
CENTERVILLE, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety said today (Thursday), a Centerville man originally charged with Child Endangerment Causing Death, a class B felony, faces an additional charge of Murder in the First Degree, a Class-A Felony, following an ongoing investigation into the death in late January, of 2-year-old Journey Marberry. The suspect, 48-year-old Roger Gillespie, was advised of the charges Thursday, while in custody at the Appanoose County Jail. Gillespie has remained in the jail since his arrest on January 27.
Gillespie
On May 22, 2024, the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office (JCMEO) released the final findings from the autopsy of Journey Marberry. The JCMEO ruled that Journey’s death was the result of a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.
Original story:
On Friday, January 19, 2024, at approximately 12:50 p.m., Centerville law enforcement and emergency services were dispatched to 1417 Drake Avenue on the report of an injured child. Responding officers and EMS providers found 2-year-old Journey Marberry injured inside the home. She was immediately taken to MercyOne Hospital in Centerville and then to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.
On Saturday, January 27, Journey succumbed to her injuries and served as a donor to aid other families. Gillespie, who was Journey’s caretaker at the time of her injuries. He was taken into custody without incident.
Journey Marberry
Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
(Greenfield, Iowa) – Three of the four victims of Tuesday’s deadly tornado in Greenfield have been identified. Funeral announcements posted by Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield said Dean and Pam Wiggins, and 74-year-old Micheal Jensen, all of Greenfield, died as a result of the tornado.
Dean and Pam Wiggins
Services for all three victims are currently pending at Lamb Funeral Home.
Micheal Jensen
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will hold public town meetings in Atlantic and Glenwood on May 28, Corning on May 29 and Dakota City on May 30 as part of his annual 99 county meetings across Iowa.
Grassley says “Representative government requires continued dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent. I look forward to hearing directly from Iowans in Cass, Mills, Adams and Humboldt counties. Their insights will inform my work in Washington.”
Sen. Grassley (Radio Iowa photo)
This is Grassley’s 44th consecutive year holding at least one meeting in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. During the meetings, Grassley takes questions or comments on any subject. Iowans set the agenda.
Town meetings are open to the public. Details:
Tuesday, May 28
Cass County Town Meeting: 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Iowa Western Community College Cass County Center, 705 Walnut Street, Atlantic
Red Oak Tornado path looking southwest from E Nishnabotna River
Coburg Tornado path
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
358 PM CDT Thu May 23 2024
…NWS Damage Survey for 05/21/2024 Tornado Event Update #2…
.Update…
After completing damage assessments across Adams and Adair Counties, including Greenfield, survey teams have identified damage consistent with EF4 tornado damage, with peak wind speeds of 175-185 mph. EF4 damage was located within the community of Greenfield and across rural portions of southern Adair County. Additional analysis of data will occur through the coming days and weeks, so further refinement of the tornado statistics are possible.
.Greenfield Tornado…
Rating: EF4
Estimated Peak Wind: 175-185 mph
Path Length /statute/: 43.98 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 1000 yards
Fatalities: 5
Injuries: 35
Start Date: 05/21/2024
Start Time: 02:57 PM CDT
Start Location: 3 SSE Villisca / Page County / IA
Start Lat/Lon: 40.8866 / -94.9571
End Date: 05/21/2024
End Time: 03:43 PM CDT
End Location: 4 ENE Greenfield / Adair County / IA
End Lat/Lon: 41.337 / -94.3825
EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:
EF0…..65 to 85 mph
EF1…..86 to 110 mph
EF2…..111 to 135 mph
EF3…..136 to 165 mph
EF4…..166 to 200 mph
EF5…..>200 mph
NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event and publication in
NWS Storm Data.
(Radio Iowa) – Many thousands of young Iowans graduated from high school or college in recent days, and they’re now prime targets for crooks who prey on job-seekers. If you’re hunting for employment, be wary for scams, as consumer protection expert Michelle Reinen says criminals will post fake job offers that really are too good to be true.
Reinen says a new scam offers to set up a home office for you, using a legitimate-looking check the scammers send through the mail. She says absolutely do your research before accepting an offer that just pops up in your inbox, promising easy money. Also, Reinen suggests using Google Maps to make sure the address to whatever company you’re considering actually exists.
(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says more than 200 Iowa homes were destroyed by Tuesday’s tornadoes, including more than 150 in Greenfield.
Reynolds and the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency toured Greenfield this morning. “We can give them all the data, we can show them the destruction,” Reynolds said, “but to really be on the ground and see firsthand and to listen to the stories is really beneficial.”
Reynolds submitted a request to the White House this morning for federal disaster assistance for four counties, including Adair County, where Greenfield is located. “In Adair County alone we had 153 major destroyed homes,” Reynolds said. “Montgomery had eight, Polk County 26, Story County 15 — for a total of 202.”
That’s a tally of flattened homes. Reynolds told reporters there’s no count yet on damaged businesses. FEMA director Deanne Criswell, who joined Reynolds for a news conference in Greenfield, said the agency will process the governor’s request for federal disaster aid as quickly as possible.
“As much as I’ve been watching the videos and seeing the pictures of the tornado damage, it just does not do it justice when you’re here on the ground and you can see the homes gone,” Criswell said, “or you can talk to a member who lost their home and they share their story about how they just barely escaped death.”
Criswell thanked first responders for their life-saving actions on Tuesday and offered advice to storm victims.
“The best thing you can do right now is to take a lot of photos and document the damages to your home,” she said. “We want to be able to have that information both for your insurance company and if and when a disaster is declared here, we’ll have to have that information to process any other types of assistance that are out there.”
Power had been restored to about half of Greenfield by midday today, according to the governor.
“I was on the ground yesterday and I can’t even tell you the amount of debris that has been collected and hauled off,” Reynolds said. “In some of those streets, it looked like a different place.”
Reynolds said there are a few people using the emergency shelter in Greenfield’s high school, but most storm victims are staying with family or friends.
(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport says email obtained by a U-S House subcommittee shows the senior scientific advisor in the National Institutes of Health has made vile comments about women in medicine.
Miller-Meeks questioned Dr. David Morens during a congressional hearing about his email about the female director of the C-D-C, saying she wore a skirt and was considered the cat’s pajamas by another man.
Morens admits it was a misogynistic, snarky comment and he started to apologize during the hearing, but Miller-Meeks interrupted, saying it indicates how Morens views women.
(Des Moines, Iowa)- Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand today released an agreed-upon procedures report on the City of Casey, Iowa, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The agreed-upon procedures engagement was performed pursuant to Chapter 11.6 of the Code of Iowa.
Sand reported five findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. They are found on pages 9 and 10 of the report. The findings address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, journal entries not reviewed and approved and the lack of written policies related to the City’s credit card and gas card.
Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings. The City Council has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.
A copy of the agreed-upon procedures report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Audit Reports – Auditor of State.
(Atlantic, Iowa) — Nishna Valley Family YMCA Executive Director Dan Haynes, today (Thursday) report Sunnyside Pool in Atlantic will hold its grand opening for the 2024 summer season, on May 31st! The pool will be open daily from 1-until 7-p.m., offering the community a perfect place to cool off and enjoy the summer days. Sunnyside will be operated under the direction of the Nishna Valley YMCA this year with partnership of the Atlantic Parks and Rec department. The YMCA will be handling all day to day patron and staffing operations and the Park and Rec will be taking care of the maintenance and water.
Haynes said “The YMCA is happy to reengage and partner with the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department to bring the community the very best aquatics activities we can offer and maximize the talent and facilities we currently have. I’d like to thank Chelsie Rush and Chelsie Huddleson for their work in helping us get to this point as well as Jeff and Kirk from the City side to prepare the pool”
He added, “We are excited to introduce Vanessa Proehl as our new manager this year. Vanessa plans to continue building on last year’s successes by introducing new events and options for our patrons to enjoy. With her leadership, we anticipate a season filled with fun, community, and growth.”
Sunnyside Pool offers a variety of season passes to fit everyone’s needs:
Passes can be conveniently purchased online through a form link available on the Sunnyside Pool Facebook page, or simply scan the QR code on the flyer, this form will collect a payment from a card when submitted. Memberships will also be available for purchase at the pool, payment methods accepted at the pool this year will be cash, check or card. Checks should be made out to the Nishna Valley Family YMCA.
While the city was unable to install a slide this year due to regulatory constraints, we are pleased to announce that a new pump system will be installed mid-season, improving the pool’s overall efficiency and water quality.
Parks and Rec Coordinator Jeff Christensen says “We understand that a new pump is not all that exciting but it is necessary to keep Sunnyside Pool up and running.”
Stay tuned to the Sunnyside Pool Facebook page for updates on the pump installation dates, exciting new evening events, weather closures, special promotions, and more.