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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!
(Radio Iowa) Today (Wednesday) is the last day of June and what marks the end of the peak season for tornadoes in Iowa. National Weather Service meteorologist Kenny Podrazik says April, May and June were relatively quiet months for severe storms. In fact, it’s been a fairly quiet year. “So far, there’s only been six confirmed tornadoes in the state and that’s through the end of June,” Podrazik says. “Normally, through the end of this month, the statewide totals would typically average around 34 or 35 tornadoes.” That means Iowa has only seen about one-sixth the usual number of tornadoes by this date, not that anyone is complaining.
“I’m totally fine with being below normal for tornadoes,” Podrazik says. “We don’t like seeing people’s property getting damaged and things like that. That’s one of the things we’re okay with for right now.” Tornadoes can strike at any time of day and during any month of the year and Podrazik says it’s entirely possible we’ll see some twisters in the weeks ahead. “We’ll have a little bit of a secondary season into July and then we definitely get some storms in August,” he says. “Obviously, the derecho is still fresh in folks’ minds from last year. We’re still not out of the woods yet but the peak season, June, is typically when we have the most active severe weather.”
The derecho that tore across Iowa on August 10th of last year was the most damaging thunderstorm in United States’ history. It caused 13-billion dollars damage, most of it in the state of Iowa. Also last year, Iowa saw 28 tornadoes with no reports of injuries or deaths due to the storms.
CRESTON, Iowa – June 30, 2021 – The Iowa DOT’s Creston Construction Office reports an interchange project in Dallas County intended to improve traffic flow during peak hours at the Interstate 80/U.S. 169 interchange (exit 110) will require lane and shoulders closures and an eastbound off ramp and westbound on ramp detour beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 6, until Tuesday, November 16, weather permitting.
Work on this project includes pavement widening to add turn lanes on U.S. 169 and the on- and off ramps at the I-80/U.S. 169 interchange, pavement resurfacing, and adding traffic signals at the interchange. Ramps on the west side of the interchange may be closed for a short period of time. During these closures, marked detour routes will be in place.
The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.
The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday, released a backlogged report on arrests and incident spanning from June 16th through the 29th. From most recent to the earliest dates:
The broadcast news at 8:11-a.m. w/Ric Hanson.
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The broadcast News at 7:07-a.m., with Ric Hanson
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(Radio Iowa) – The D-N-R wildlife biologist who tracks pheasant numbers says the winter and spring weather should offset each other to set up for a good fall season. Todd Bogenschutz uses a model of bird survival based on past weather information. He says the winter was mixed for pheasants. “The northwest part of the state had relatively normal to just slightly below normal winter. The eastern third definitely had more snow than normal. The southeast had several ice layers, and in January and February, I was told humans could walk on top of it without breaking through,” Bogenschutz says.
He says the drought conditions actually help pheasants this spring during nesting.He says a dry spring is usually good for the birds. Bogenschutz says the number of birds will vary by region. He says they should be good in the northwest part of the state and not so good in the eastern part of the state — so he expects the overall numbers should be as good or better than last year. Bogenschutz says the hatch is over and he’s already been hearing reports of birds. He says he’s had reports recently of young pheasants up the size of a meadowlark — which is about what he would expect.
Bogenschutz says they will know for sure how well the pheasants have fared when they do their August roadside survey.
Cumberland Fire and Rescue Chief Brad Penton, Tuesday, posted on social media that their new ambulance has arrived, decked out in bold. vivid colors. Penton said “We would like to thank the everyone in the community for your continued support throughout the past few years for the donations.”
He offered “Special thanks to the following businesses that sealed the deal on making this purchase happen—Cumberland Telephone Company, 21st Century Coop, Houghton State Bank and JBG Farm Corporation. Without everyone’s help, large purchases like this are very difficult to make.”
(Radio Iowa) – A new, 10-point-two million dollar cargo facility at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids has officially opened. United Parcel Service has signed a 10-year lease on the nearly 40-thousand square facility and will use it to sort and distribute U-P-S packages. U-P-S has been operating at the Cedar Rapids airport since 1983. It will be moving out of a facility that’s about one-fifth the size of the new cargo handling area.
Construction on the new facility on the west side of the Eastern Iowa Airport began in 2019 and was financed with state and federal grants as well as money from the Cedar Rapids airport’s commission.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA – A Nebraska man was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for knowingly possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2020, Matthew C. Banfield, age 36, of Omaha, was in possession of a Springfield 45 caliber handgun. Banfield fired the weapon at various stationary targets in a rural location located in Pottawattamie County. Prior to this date, Banfield had been convicted of a felony. During his possession of the firearm, Banfield knew he was a prohibited person based on his prior felony convictions. Banfield pleaded guilty to the gun charge on January 8, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The Council Bluffs Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force investigated the case.
(Radio Iowa) – A group called the “Spirit of Okoboji” is offering half a million dollars to buy the Milford airport and redevelop the land into a sports complex. Milford Mayor Steve Anderson says an airport is an important asset for the community. “Can we move the airport? If we can, can we get state funds? Can we get federal funds? Does it all have to be done individually by the city or can this be done with a private group? All those things are being evaluated,” he says.
The airport is owned by the City of Milford and managed by the city’s airport commission. The property is a mile northwest of Milford’s central business district. Anderson says city and county officials are reviewing options to determine how viable the proposal from the Spirit of Okoboji group would be. “Looking at all the plans, looking at all the concepts,” he says. “There’s a lot of information coming out right now about how soon you can shut down an airport and is there an option of maybe doing this in baby steps.”
In May, an attorney for the Spirit of Okoboji told Milford’s City Council that the group would like to develop baseball and soccer fields as well as volleyball and basketball courts on the airport property that could tournaments to Milford.