United Group Insurance

Nonprofit reports desperate need for translators in NE Iowa

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – More than 40 languages are spoken in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, ranging from Burmese to Bosnian, and from Spanish to Congolese French. Glen Keith, executive director of Love Incorporated, says the nonprofit faces an increasing challenge to provide housing and employment assistance to non-native English speakers as translators are in very short supply. “When you think about legal documents, people applying for different things, there’s an incredible need,” Keith says. “And then you think about all the nonprofits that are serving this community, we’re all in the same boat asking for help.”

Keith says it’s becoming harder to connect people with essential services due to the shortage of translators. “We have such a diverse community here in the Cedar Valley,” he says, “and oftentimes it bridges a lot of misunderstandings and cultural gaps, and being a volunteer-based organization, it’s always tough to find enough translators to talk with folks that are calling us for assistance.”

Love Incorporated has only 2 translators, one each for Spanish and French.

Iowa law enforcement will zero in on speeders, impaired drivers over holiday

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – For the last time this summer, law enforcement agencies are ready to launch a STEP, or a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. Iowa State Patrol spokesman Trooper Paul Gardner, from the Fort Dodge post, says STEP will put dozens of extra law enforcement officers on the roads during the upcoming holiday weekend, and they’ll be seeking out speeders, impaired drivers and other lawbreakers.

“Statewide, we’re at 195 traffic deaths to date, compared to 242 last year, so that’s almost a 20% reduction,” Gardner says. “We want to maintain that reduction in our traffic crashes and traffic fatalities, especially with Labor Day coming up. It’s a holiday where parties are common, drinking might be common as well, so we want people to drive sober, drive safely.” Garner implores Iowans who are hosting events for the holiday to make sure their guests don’t drive impaired by calling them a taxi or Uber, giving them a ride home or offering them a place to crash.

“If they’re going to be consuming alcoholic beverages, make sure they’re getting a sober ride to their destination,” Gardner says. “That way, we can make sure that they’re getting home safe and they’re not getting into trouble by either being pulled over and they’re under the influence and they end up in jail for the weekend, or even worse, they get somebody else hurt or killed.”

The three-months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are considered the “100 Deadliest Days” in Iowa, when there’s typically a rise in teen crashes and deaths. During that period, the patrol says Iowa often averages 30 deaths of drivers and passengers between 14 and 18 years old.

Local food grants approved for 137 schools

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the final round of Local Food for Schools grants are out for this year. Among the recipients in the KJAN listening area, are the following school districts: Atlantic, Audubon, Bedford, CAM, Clarinda, Council Bluffs, Essex, Griswold, Nodaway Valley, Panorama, Shelby County Catholic School, Shenandoah, Treynor, West Central Valley, and the West Harrison CSD. Naig says “What this is all about is providing some small grants, two-thousand dollars ($2,000) to those school districts, and that will be an incentive for them to buy locally.”

Schools can use the grants to buy meat, eggs, produce, dairy and other local foods from area farmers. “It is a case of, yes, it’s a it’s a good food and nutritious local food, fresh food for students, but also it can be a really nice market opportunity for farmers,” Naig says. He says 137 public and private schools were awarded grants in this round “We’ve been excited that 110 farms or food businesses have participated in this program, now entering its its third year,” Naig says, “and here’s the I think even more exciting is that we’re seeing a lot of interest in folks either expanding their farms or getting into it.”

IA Ag Secretary Mike Naig (RI file photo)

Naig expects the program to continue and grow. “While we’re able to supply …what schools are looking for in terms of today, right now, I think this is an area that’s growing, and so I believe we’re going to see increased interest in schools and institutions looking to buy local,” he says. “And I think we’re going to be seeing either an expansion of and the addition of some farms that are going to try to supply that marketplace. And really is a nice upside for folks.”

Naig says through the first two rounds, more than one-point-seven million dollars has been awarded to 162 Iowa schools, and more than 110 farms and food businesses have sold products to schools through the program.

Here is a link to the schools approved for grants: https://iowaagriculture.gov/sites/default/files/2024/2024%20LFS%20Iowa%20Schools_0.pdf

Area firefighters battle hay bales on fire Monday, in Montgomery County

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Montgomery County) – Firefighters from Elliott, Red Oak and Grant were dispatched late Monday afternoon, to the 1100 block of Lumber Avenue in Montgomery County, where multiple haybales were said to be on fire. The Red Oak Fire Department posted on social media, that the first arriving units reported three bales on fire, and that there were bales on a trailer that were burning as well. The bales were extinguished by firefighters, assisted by local farmers with a tractor.

With the exception of Elliott firefighting personnel, all other crews were released from scene a little after 5-p.m. Elliott crews remained on scene to conduct mop-up operations. No injuries reported. The haybale trailer sustained minor damage and approximately three bales destroyed.

Other assisting agencies:

Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – Red Oak, Iowa

Montgomery County 911

2 arrested on warrants in Montgomery County, Monday

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people from Montgomery County were arrested Monday on separate, active Montgomery warrants. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Dyllan Hunter Hansen, of Elliottt, was arrested at around 7-p.m., on a warrant for Failure To Appear on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance charge. Hansen was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

And, at around 8-p.m. Monday, deputies in Montgomery County arrested 37-year-old Jennifer Lynn Holz, of Red Oak, on a warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge of Theft in the 3rd Degree. Holz was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $3,000 bond.

Adel couple face numerous animal neglect and child endangerment charges

News

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

ADEL, Iowa — A man and woman from Adel were arrested late Sunday evening, after law enforcement officers allegedly found several dogs and juveniles living in a feces, trash-filled home. According to the Adel Police Department, on Sunday at around 8:15 p.m. officers responded to a report of an “animal neglect situation” at the home of Corey Allan Robinson and Angie Lynn Collins in the 100 block of North 13th Street.

According to court records, the tip claimed there was a dog at this residence that reportedly had matted fur and was covered in feces. During the execution of a search warrant at the home officers found two juveniles and multiple dogs inside. According to a criminal complaint, officers found “piles of trash, rubbish, feces, flies, expired food, non-running water, and a house in non-habitable conditions.”

Authorities say the juveniles were removed from the care of Collins and Robinson and placed with family members and the dogs were transported to AHeinz57 Pet Rescue for treatment. Collins and Robinson were both charged with multiple counts of animal neglect and child endangerment and were booked into the Dallas County Jail.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Tue., Aug. 27, 2024

Weather

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly sunny w/a 30% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 90. N/NW winds @ 5-10 mph this morning becoming W/SW this afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers & thunderstorms. Low around 66.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms through mid-day, otherwise mostly sunny. High near 88. SE winds 5-10.
Wed. Night: Partly cloudy w/a slight chance of showers & thunderstorms late. Low around 69.
Thursday: Partly sunny w//a 60% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 87.
Thu. Night: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 60.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 80.

Monday’s high was 98 degrees. Our low this morning was 71. We received .01″ rain before sunrise.  Last year on this date the high was 82 and the low was 54. The record high for August 27th in Atlantic was 101 degrees, set in 1913, 1936 & 1937. The record low was 36, set in 1906. Sunrise today: 6:40. Sunset is at 8:01.

Rule changes for 2024 college football season focus mostly on technology

Sports

August 27th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Chicago, IL) — As the college football season kicks off this week, there are a few new rules and guidelines fans will notice, mostly centered on technology. Big Ten Conference coordinator of football officials Bill Carollo says the three major changes fans will see will be: The in-helmet communication between a single coach and a single player on each side of the ball during the game…

…The accepted use of tablets or small video screens on the sidelines to help watch game action and devise strategy…

and, the addition of a two-minute warning at the end of each half.

Carollo says the two-minute warning is not an additional break in the game, it will simply replace one of the television timeouts that was already on the commercial log.

It will also sync all late-game timing rules to change at the two-minute warning. In addition, Division III football officials will adopt what D-I and D-II referees did last year in that the clock will not stop on first downs gained if the play was stopped in bounds. The clock will stop on first downs gained in play in the final two minutes of each half until the chains are ready for play. One other note for Big Ten play, the conference has opened a multi-million-dollar video replay review center in Chicago, which will serve as the central command for all officiating reviews in all Big Ten home games.

The review center will have 24 video stations, 18 devoted to replay and six dedicated to medical observation. Big Ten Conference football play begins on Thursday night when Minnesota hosts North Carolina, Illinois entertains Eastern Illinois, and Rutgers welcomes Howard.

IOWA STATE ANNOUNCES 2024 FOOTBALL CAPTAINS

Sports

August 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has announced the team captains for the 2024 football season.

Seniors Beau Freyler and Jaylin Noel will be captains for a second-straight season, while fellow senior J.R. Singleton will be Iowa State’s third permanent captain in 2024. ISU will have also have a fourth captain for each game, chosen on a weekly basis throughout the season.

Beau Freyler – Sr. – Colorado Springs, Colo.

Freyler has been a mainstay in the Cyclone lineup since arriving on campus for the 2021 season. He’s made 25 career starts and was a CSC First-Team Academic All-American in 2023.

Jaylin Noel – Sr. – Kansas City, Mo.

Like Freyler, Noel will be serving as team captain for the second-straight season. He was an All-Big 12 performer last season and is a threat on both offense and special teams.

J.R. Singleton – RSr. – Gurnee, Ill.

Singleton will be serving as a team captain for the first time in his career. He made eight starts as a redshirt junior and had his most productive season with 22 tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks, all of which came in Big 12 play.

 

The Cyclones open the season Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when they host FCS No. 22-ranked North Dakota and Jack Trice Stadium. It marks the 50th season of play at Jack Trice Stadium. Learn more about the stadium’s history by clicking here.

 

DNR investigating blue liquid near West branch of the East Nishnabotna River in Oakland

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a bright blue liquid observed near the West Branch of the East Nishnabotna River near Oakland, in Pottawattamie County.

On August 22, the DNR Field Office in Atlantic received reports of a blue liquid in an inlet area on the east bank of the East Nishnabotna River in Oakland. According to information provided anonymously to the DNR, the blue liquid was first observed around August 11th.

By the time DNR officials were notified, the blue liquid was found in the recessed area near the river and not in the river. Soil staining in the area shows the blue liquid likely reached the East Nishnabotna River before the DNR was notified.

A bright blue pool of unidentified liquid near the East Nishnabotna River in Oakland

A large storm sewer outlet was identified directly above the pooled water. Oakland city officials were notified, and assisted DNR with placing booms and absorbent pads to avoid further release into the river.

Water samples were collected and submitted to the State Hygienic Lab for analysis. No dead fish were observed.

If anybody has any information on the incident, please contact the DNR Field Office in Atlantic at (712) 243-1934.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.