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Water Summary Update: Decreased rainfall in August sees return of dry conditions.

News, Weather

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES — Consistent above-normal rainfall during the summer months slowed in August, leading to a return of dry conditions, according to the latest Water Summary Update.  August’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 3.20 inches, or 0.93 inches below normal. At the end of August, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed overall drought conditions have remained mostly stable for the state. However, the decrease in precipitation has led to a return of dry conditions.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows nearly 40 percent of the state carrying abnormally dry designations, with areas of western and northeast Iowa seeing the biggest change. This trend could turn worse if the dryness of August extends into the fall months. Temperatures for the month were near normal, with the summer months of June, July and August averaging 72.0 degrees statewide. The preliminary precipitation totals for that same period were 13.75 inches, or 0.19 inches above normal.

Despite the dry conditions, the state has received more than 38 inches of rain in the past 12 months, which is a foot more than what the state saw between September 2022 and August 2023. “The Iowa Drought Plan rates statewide drought conditions as normal, although the month of August was drier than usual. As we move into September we would expect to get less than an inch of rain per week, with average rainfall continuing to drop through the rest of the year.  It is important that we continue to see normal precipitation through the fall and into the winter months,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator. “We are to the point now where rainfall will begin to build up next year’s soil moisture and groundwater, so a wetter than normal fall would be great to see. If conditions remain dry, we could have issues going into 2025.”

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit  www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.

Kueter Earns 2nd at U20 World Championships

Sports

September 9th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

PONTEVEDRA, Spain – University of Iowa wrestler Ben Kueter earned a second-place finish on Sunday evening at the U20 World Championships.

The Iowa City, Iowa, native is now a two-time U20 World medalist having won gold at 97kg in 2022.

Kueter faced Iranian Amirreza Fardin Masoumi Valadi – a four-time age-level World champion – in his finals matchup and lost via a 4-2 decision.

En route to the finals Kueter outscored his opponents, 24-3. He won his opening match against Alikhan Kussainov of Kazakhstan, 7-0. In his quarterfinal matchup with Individual Neutral Athlete Stsiapan Mandryk he needed only 27 seconds to win via fall.

In his semifinal Kueter won by technical superiority over Nambardagva Batbayar of Mongolia, 13-3.

U20 World Championships
Ben Kueter (125 KG) – Second Place
Ben Kueter (USA) VPO Alikhan Kussainov (KAZ), 7-0
Ben Kueter (USA) VFA Stsiapan Mandryk (AIN), 0:27
Ben Kueter (USA) VSU1 Nambardagva Batbayar (MGL), 13-3
Amirreza Fardin Masoumi Valadi (IRI) VPO Ben Kueter (USA), 4-2

IOWA STATE RETURNS TO NATIONAL RANKINGS

Sports

September 9th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State football team has returned to the national rankings after a resilient come-from-behind win against No. 21 Iowa on Saturday in Iowa City.

The Cyclones are ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll, released Sunday. It is ISU’s first time being ranked in the Top 25 since Oct. 25, 2021. The Cyclones are also No. 23 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

The Cyclones are 2-0 heading into their bye week following the win against the Hawkeyes in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown. Redshirt freshman Kyle Konrardy capped the comeback with a 54-yard field goal that ultimately gave the Cyclones a 20-19 victory, their second-straight on the road in the series.

Iowa State returns to action Sept. 21 when it hosts Arkansas State on Hall of Fame Weekend. ISU will induct six former star athletes into its Hall of Fame that weekend, including football letterwinner and Super Bowl champion Kelechi Osemele.

Tickets for the game are still available for as low as $40. Click here to get into the action!

Motorcyclist injured in a northern Iowa crash, Saturday

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Dickinson County, Iowa/[KTIV]) – One person was injured during a weekend motorcycle accident in northern Iowa. Police in Milford were called to the scene of the crash at 28th Street and Highway 71, at around 6:20-p.m., Saturday.

Authorities report an on-scene investigation determined 49-year-old Chad Banks of Milford, was driving south on a 2013 Harley Davidson when the bike left the road and rolled. Arriving officers performed CPR on Banks after he was found unresponsive. Banks was transported to the local hospital for initial treatment before being taken to a hospital in Sioux Falls for additional treatment of what were described as debilitating injuries.

The accident remained under investigation.

IA Cong. Zach Nunn introduces bill aimed at ‘pig butchering’ scams

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa — Congressman Zach Nunn, last week, introduced a bill that looks to beef up law enforcement resources around financial fraud scams. “Pig butchering” is a term that refers to a scam where bad actors target individuals, specifically older generations, to convince them to partake in an investment opportunity which does not exist. Just last year, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 13,000 financial fraud reports resulting in around $42.6 million in financial loss for Iowans. In 2023, authorities around the country seized $300 million in stolen funds stemming from these online scams.

The bill looks to help local and state law enforcement agencies utilize federal grant funding to alleviate some unsolved cases at the state level, as a lot of these crimes do not call for federal intervention. Nunn, a Republican who represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, said “I feel very confident, not only with bipartisan support, we are going to be bringing this up this month in committee. That gives us a clear shot to get this moved forward and start protecting seniors immediately, something we need and our law enforcement is desperately asking for.”

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D) NJ-05 and Scott Fitzgerald (R) WI-05.

Iowa seeks to remove dangerous lead water pipes

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – Iowa is getting federal help to eliminate lead water pipes in the state. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with local water agencies, planning where to prioritize funds. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, cities and towns in Iowa are reducing the number of dangerous lead water lines. The Iowa Environmental Council’s Director of Climate Initiatives Cody Smith said even homes built as recently as 1988 are connected to the local water utility with lead lines – which leaves people at risk, even in Iowa’s big cities like Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

“Particularly with the most vulnerable groups, such as unborn babies or young children, they have extreme and outsize risk related to exposure to lead through lead service lines,” said Smith. “That can cause higher levels of lead in the blood and lead to developmental issues for children.” The State’s Revolving Fund, which is the primary source for water infrastructure updates, has received more than $620 million as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The IEC says more than 700 communities have benefited so far.

Beyond replacing lead pipes and updating water system infrastructure, Smith said Iowa could also benefit from help with what are known as non-point source projects. “Which is runoff from agricultural fields and from livestock operations that lead to nutrient pollution in source water,” said Smith. “And source water is water that’s used for drinking water somewhere in the state.” Smith said those strategies can help farmers and local utilities reduce nitrates and other pollutants in the soil.

Inside a pipe, rusty with water (AI created Image)

The Biden administration has a goal of replacing all lead water service lines in the U.S. by 2031.

Large Powerball prize will expire this week

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A Powerball ticket worth half a million dollars will expire Thursday. Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer says the ticket was purchased at a Kwik Star in Mason City in March.”We’re down to the wire on this one, and certainly we’ve been giving reminders through the six-month period, or the 180-day period, that people have to claim this prize, but so far, we just haven’t heard anything,” Neubauer says. The ticket will be worth nothing once the Lottery shuts down Thursday. “The precise expiration time period for it is 4 p-m on Thursday some September 12th. This prize has to be claimed at lottery headquarters in Clive,” Neubauer says.

Neubauer says they have tried to do everything they can to make people aware of the prize. “You know, we did do an event up at the store to call attention to it. Certainly, we’ve put out reminders through the months,” She says.” When we were at the store, it seemed like folks who came up knew about the prize and had heard about it, and we’re talking about it themselves. So I think people’s guess would be as good as mine as to what happened with the ticket, did somebody just never check it and they threw it away?” This jackpot is a little unusual as it is from what’s called the “Double Play” option of Powerball.

(Iowa Lottery photo)

“That option was just added to the Powerball game here in Iowa back in November. And double play means that the numbers on your ticket are eligible for two drawings the night of the night that your ticket is good for,” Neubauer says. “So certainly it’s eligible for the Powerball drawing, but then the Powerball double play drawing occurs about 20 minutes after the regular drawing.” Neubauer says someone may’ve forgotten about the second drawing. “If you’re somebody who thinks maybe you had the ticket and you threw it away or you lost it, certainly call us at the lottery before that prize claim deadline, because we can put you in contact with our Lottery security folks,” she says.

500-thousand dollar prize will go back into the Iowa Lottery prize pool if it is not claimed by the deadline Thursday.

Party bus passenger injured Saturday in NW IA after falling out a window of the bus

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

HULL, Iowa — One person sustained serious injuries after falling out of a window of a party bus on Saturday. According to a press release by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies responded at around 1:14-a.m., Saturday, to a 9-1-1 report of a person who fell out of a window of a moving bus on Highway 18, two and one-half miles west of Hull, IA.

The “All 4 Fun” party bus, driven by a man from Ocheydan, was eastbound on Highway 18 when passengers alerted him that a passenger on the bus, 21-year-old Levi Koopmans, of Ireton, IA, had leaned against an unlatched window, fell through it and struck the roadway; the bus was reportedly traveling at approximately 50 MPH at the time of the accident.

Koopmans was transported by Hull Ambulance to Sioux Center Hospital; he was later flown to Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls, SD, for treatment of serious injuries.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Rock Valley Police Department, Hull Ambulance and the Hull Fire Department.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

Weather

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts to near 20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. South wind around 10-20 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. S @ 10-25 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 76. The Low was 41. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 86, and the Low was 51. The All-time Record High in Atlantic for Sept. 9th, was 100 in 1893. The Record Low was 36, in 1959. Sunrise today: 6:53-a.m.; Sunset: 7:40-p.m.

Protesters disrupt Miller-Meeks fundraiser

News

September 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A weekend fundraiser for Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks showcased two issues that are galvanizing voters. About a third of the program was focused on remarks from Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer who’s suing the N-C-Double-A for allowing a transgender athlete to compete at the national championships in 2022. “Half of the states have passed some sort of fairness in women’s sports bill — Iowa, of course, being one of those states,” Gaines said, “ultimately preventing men from competing on women’s sports and on women’s teams.”

Miller-Meeks reminded the crowd she was the first woman in her family to go to college and the first woman faculty member in the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology.  “I was the first woman president of the Iowa Medical Society and have often been called a trailblazer. That’s why I am passionate about this issue,” Miller-Meeks said. “We have fought for women’s rights and it is Republicans who will be women’s rights a place.”

Miller-Meeks voted for a bill to bar students who were listed as male on their birth certificate from participating in women’s sports. The subject of the Israel-Hamas war also came up during the event as four protesters in the crowd interrupted speakers to call for a ceasefire. State Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton, the event’s emcee, addressed the crowd just after one protester was escorted from the event by off-duty law enforcement officers. “Isn’t it great that we live in a country where you can protest despite having very limited brain cells?” he said. “Try that stuff in Iran or in front of Hamas.”

One of four protesters escorted out of Miller-Meeks fundraiser on Sept. 7, 2024. (RI photo)

Kaufmann’s father, Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann, told the crowd opposition to the protesters’ message is a key issue in this year’s election. “What you just saw there is not a splinter group of the Democratic Party,” Kaufmann said. “…a part of the Democratic Party that is going to come alive if we don’t stop this thing.”

Miller-Meeks noted the four protesters made a donation to her campaign so they could get into the event.  “We’re happy to take the Democrats’ money to beat them,” she said.

All four protesters called for a U-S arms embargo against Israel. Miller-Meeks visited Israel in late August as part of a congressional delegation. In statements posted online during the trip, Miller-Meeks called Hamas barbaric and said the U-S must stand with Israel in the face of terrorism that has no bounds. Miller-Meeks is seeking a third term in the U-S House. Christina Bohannan, Miller-Meeks’ Democratic opponent in 2022, is running against her again this year.