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!
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!
The death of a 13-year-old boy in a snowmobile accident in northwest Iowa is bringing attention to off-road vehicle safety. The teenager, Raymond Gatzemeyer of Fonda, died last Wednesday when he hit a rope suspended between the pillars of a bridge. David Downing, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says such dangers are common when crossing someone’s property. “Often during the year those landowners make changes to the property, they may put up a cable between a gate, they may have a suspension wire coming down off a corner post, and those types of hazards are unmarked,” Downing says.
There are plenty of places to ride in Iowa that are safe, according to Downing. “We have more than 8,000 miles of designated snowmobile trails in the state,” Downing says, “and those trails are groomed and they’re marked so you know where the hazards are. That’s why we always recommend that folks stay on those trails.” At the time of the accident, Gatzemeyer was with three other people, two who were on snowmobiles and one who was operating an ATV. They were not injured. It’s unclear why there was a rope attached to the bridge pillars. Gatzemeyer was wearing a helmet. Downing made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s “River to River” program.
(Radio Iowa)
OYENS, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa town is losing its ambulance service because of a lack of volunteers. KTIV reports Oyens, Iowa, is going to have to rely on the nearby towns of Le Mars and Remsen to provide ambulance service. But that will likely mean slower responses to emergencies. Oyens Ambulance Director Dan Cronin says it’s hard to attract new volunteers. There aren’t many people willing to commit the time needed to become certified.
Cronin says he hopes to assemble a group of volunteers later this year who are willing to serve as first responders in medical emergencies. Those people could help stabilize patients until an ambulance arrives.
Authorities in Montgomery County report a Villisca man was arrested Saturday afternoon. 19-year-old Edward Richard Ezekiall Lockerby was taken into custody on a charge of Domestic Abuse /Simple Assault. His arrest stems from an investigation into incident that occurred at 311 4th Street in Villisca. Lockerby was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.
An accident that resulted in injuries to three people in an SUV Saturday afternoon in Montgomery County, is under investigation. Authorities say the two-vehicle collision occurred as a 2012 Cadillac driven by Pamela Sandell, of Red Oak, was traveling westbound when the car drifted over into the eastbound lane and hit a 1997 Chevy Blazer driven by Larry Lawton of Nebraska City, NE.
As the SUV then began to skid toward the north ditch, its wheels caught the shoulder causing the vehicle to flip and roll several times into the ditch before coming to rest on its top. Sandell’s car also ended up in the north ditch .
Lawton, his wife and son all suffered minor injuries and were transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Sandell was not injured during the crash
Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say no injuries were reported after two pickup trucks collided Sunday morning. The accident involving a 2004 GMC pickup driven by Greg Wilkinson and a 2012 Ford F-250 pickup driven by Jared Lundy, happened at around 9:50-a.m. on 140th Street, west of Quince Avenue. Authorities say the group was hunting together when Lundy apparently pulled out in front of Wilkinson. Both parties were able to continue on after the accident investigation was complete.
The Atlantic School Board will hold additional discussion on the Fiscal Year 2015 budget Monday evening. The Board met Saturday morning and heard from Gary Sinclair, Financial Support Co-Director for the Iowa Association of School Boards, with regard to the district’s solvency ratio and its negative fund balance in FY 2012. The latter was attributed to an increase in Special Education costs.
In other business, the School Board will hear from Jeff Brown, with regard to use of the High School Parking lot, and act on approve a grant award Letter of Agreement from the Iowa West Foundation for the research of a plan to implement a regional Career Tech Education Institute with seven southwest Iowa schools and Iowa Western Community College.
They’re also expected to act on approving an agreement with the Cass County Historical Museum, for the donation of Indian artifacts, and act on approving a Middle School Gym safety rail. Discussion toward the end of the meeting will focus on the FY 2015 Budget and 2014-2015 School Calendar. The meeting begins at 7:30-p.m. in the Atlantic High School Media Center.
(Updated 2/10/14 9:20-a.m.)
The Audubon City Council will meet Monday evening, to once again take up the matter of who will serve as the City Clerk. In a meeting on January 13th, the Council voted not to reappoint long-time City Clerk Lora Hansen. The result of that action was a packed crowd filling the Community Room in the City Hall building on January 27th, demanding answers as why the Council made its earlier decision, and asking questions as to whether it violated State law in doing so. There were hints of possible legal action if the Council did not reconsider their decision.
During tonight’s (Monday night’s) session, according to the agenda, the County Attorney will review the Council’s action. That will be followed by a vote on a motion to rescind and void action taken by the Council with regard to the City Clerk appointment during the January 13, 2014 Council meeting. In addition, there will be discussion and/or consideration “Of applicants for City Clerk position and of tentative proposal, re: Expectations of current City Clerk, ” and the Council will act on the “Appointment of City Clerk or Interim City Clerk.”
Other business, includes a motion on a vote to schedule a public hearing on the acquisition or condemnation of 408 Market Street in Audubon. The Audubon City Council will also hear from Linda Weston, with regard to views in the local paper, and Office of the State Ombudsman.
The final item of business is a review of the proposed 2014-2015 Budget. The Audubon City Council meeting begins at 7-pm, Monday.
A Red Oak man with a long history of run-in’s with the law was arrested again, early this (Sunday) morning. Red Oak Police say 29-year old Kenton Jarvis Schooling was taken into custody at around 2:45-a.m., on a charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. Schooling was arrested at the Kum and Go Store on N. Broadway Street in Red Oak, and brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $300 bond.
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…
KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating a report of shots fired at Keokuk High School in the southeast corner of Iowa. Police Chief Dave Hinton tells the Keokuk Daily Gate City that the call came in just before 8 p.m. Thursday. Hinton says no suspects have been found and no one was injured, but that two bullet holes were found in a wing of the school building.
CARLISLE, Iowa (AP) — Police and school officials are looking into an incident in which a Carlisle High School student allegedly used a stun gun on a classmate. The Des Moines Register reports that the incident happened Friday afternoon when one student used a self-defense Taser on another student during the last period of the school day. Officials did not identify the students involved.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Pets would be better protected and animal abuse offenders punished more severely under legislation being discussed by Iowa lawmakers. Republican Representative Bobby Kauffman of Wilton says he hopes to prevent animal abuse by increasing criminal penalties. Lobbyists are also pushing for a bill in the Senate to ban the slaughter of horses.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An illness among the cats at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center has shut down cat adoptions and visits to the shelter’s cat room. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the shelter’s cat room will be closed at least until Monday. Viewing and visits to the cat room won’t resume until the room reopens.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Blackbird Bend casino in western Iowa, formerly CasinOmaha, is set to reopen in a brand new building on Wednesday. The Omaha World-Herald reports that table games, a restaurant and bar and gift shop are all coming back with the move to the new building.
The Omaha Tribe-owned casino, located in Onawa, Iowa, was shut down by Missouri River flooding in June 2011. It reopened in a portion of the old building about a year ago while the new casino was under construction.
Marketing director Mike Krysl says the new casino is next door to the old building and sits 6 feet higher than the old casino to prevent future flooding. Part of the old building will reopen in March as a bingo hall.