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(Podcast) KJAN News & funeral report, 3/25/2015

News, Podcasts

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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(Podcast) Skyscan Weather forecast, 3/25/2015

Podcasts, Weather

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather info. for Atlantic.

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Cass County Extension Report 03-25-2015

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

March 25th, 2015 by admin

w/ ISU Extension Program Coordinator Kate Olson

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Tornado Safety: Severe Weather Awareness Week

News, Weather

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

When weather forecasts predict the possibility of a tornado in your area, it is imperative you and your family have a plan to respond to the threat. The National Weather Service, as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, offers these tips:

Before a Tornado Watch or Warning is issued
Pick a tornado safe room in your home or place of business. Basements, storms cellars or an interior room with no windows on the lowest floor of a structure offers the best protection.
Make sure all members of your family know where to go.
Store emergency supplies such as a first-aid kit, and flashlights with extra batteries nearby.
Put together a family communications plan. Know where everyone is or will be in the event they are away from home.

During a Tornado Warning

Immediately go to your Tornado Safe Room. If you are outside, seek shelter inside a sturdy building.
Mobile homes are NEVER safe during a tornado. If you are in a mobile home or a recreational vehicle, head for the nearest storm shelter.
If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter, you should immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt, and try to drive away from the threat to the nearest sturdy shelter.

After a Tornado

If you are in an area that was damaged, be careful of debris that may include sharp or dangerous objects, and watch out for downed power lines and broken gas lines.
Use battery powered flashlights when examining buildings. DO NOT USE CANDLES, which can start a fire or cause an explosion.
If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly. After everyone is safe, call the gas company or local fire department.
Use your telephone only for emergency calls, so rescue operation lines are not tied-up.
Text your family and friends to let them know you are okay.
If you were outside the area damaged by a tornado, stay off the phone so that emergency calls can get through.
Use text messages and/or social media to let your family and friends know you are okay.
Stay away from areas that are damaged, so you do not hamper rescue operations.
Return to areas that were damaged ONLY when law enforcement gives the all-clear.

Special Weather Statement for Cass & area Counties: Fog

Weather

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Counties: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD; 518 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2015

…LOCALIZED DENSE FOG THIS MORNING…

AREAS OF FOG CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING THROUGH 9 AM. THE FOG WILL BE LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING SOUTHEAST WILL ARRIVE BY MID MORNING AND BRING IMPROVED CONDITIONS.

Statewide Tornado Drill Today (Wed., 3/25)

News, Weather

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A statewide Tornado Drill will take place this morning in Iowa and Nebraska. The drill is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, and is designed to inform residents on what they should do if a tornado threatens your area. Tdrill

Here is the schedule for today:

9:50 AM – The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) coordinates with Iowa/Nebraska National Weather Service (NWS) offices about a test tornado watch for Iowa and Nebraska.
10:00 AM – SPC issues Test Tornado Watch for Iowa and Nebraska.  Each Iowa/Nebraska NWS offices will issue test Watch Coordination Notification messages.  Test watch will be toned alerted on NOAA All Hazards Radio.
10:10 AM – NWS Sioux Falls and Omaha issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.
10:15 AM – NWS Des Moines and Quad Cities issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.
10:20 AM – NWS La Crosse issues test tornado warning for their Iowa counties.
10:30-10:35 AM – All Iowa NWS offices issues a Severe Weather Statement to terminate the test warnings.
11:00 AM – Test tornado watch expires.

Here are some terms you should be familiar with:
A Tornado Watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for
the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. Watches are generally issued for the duration of 4 – 8 hours, well in advance of the actual occurrence of severe weather. During the watch, people should be prepared to move to a place of safety if threatening weather approaches.
A Tornado Warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a tornado is indicated by radar or sighted by spotters. People in the affected area should seek safe shelter immediately.
A Tornado Emergency is issued by the National Weather Service. It is not a new warning, but is used to highlight a confirmed tornado which is expected to be strong and violent. A Tornado

Emergency means that significant, widespread damage with a high likelihood of numerous fatalities is expected to continue.
Tornadoes have occurred during any time of the day across Iowa and in each month of the year. However, they are most likely to form in the late afternoon and early evening hours during the months of April, May and June.For more information about tornadoes in Iowa, see the climate section of the National Weather Services’ website: weather.gov/desmoines

Farmers have until next Tuesday to choose a Farm Bill program

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Iowa farmers have just under a week remaining to decide which federal farm program is best for them. Jeff Davis, the Farm Services Agency director for Plymouth and Sioux counties, says March 31st is the last day farmers can elect between the three farm bill programs. Davis explains the provisions of the ARC-co which is based on county figures. “So, you use your county yields and prices to create a revenue,” Davis says. “If our county doesn’t reach that, you get paid on whatever base you have in that commodity and you can receive the payment no matter whether you plant the commodity or not.”

Davis says farmers may want to inquire about the ARC-ic program which allows farmers to place all farms under one program. “That deals with the revenues for the entire farm, which can mean two or three different farm numbers,” Davis says. “It’s everything that’s in that program. That’s a little more difficult to explain. You’d have to just sit and go through the numbers with that one.”

Farmers have another option, too.  “We have the PLC program which is all based on price,” Davis says. “If price goes for corn below $3.70, then there would be a payment, but that would be an average price for the marketing year. At this point, they are projecting a little bit, possibly, of a payment but we’ll have to wait and see on that.”

Davis says whatever farm program a farmer decides upon, they will remain with that program through 2018. He says farmers can also sign up one farm with one program and another farm with a second program, or they can split the programs with different crops. Davis encourages farmers to visit their county F-S-A office prior to next Tuesday’s deadline in order to have all of the options explained.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak men arrested Tue. night

News

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Two Red Oak men were arrested Tuesday night on separate charges. According to Red Oak Police, 34-year old Kale Garrett Hardman was taken into custody a little after 8-p.m., for allegedly violating a protective order. Hardman was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

At around 9:35-p.m. Tuesday, police in Red Oak arrested 26-year old Jason Rolfe Aherns, of Red Oak, on a Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation. Aherns was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, at around 5:30-a.m. today (Wednesday), Red Oak Police arrested 36-year old Kale Alan Wenberg, of Red Oak, on a charge of Driving While License Suspended. Wenberg was also cited for Operation a vehicle without registration and failure to provide security against liability (Insurance). He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

WALT AMBROSE, 68, of Walnut (3-28-2015)

Obituaries

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

WALT AMBROSE, 68, of Walnut, died Tuesday, March 24th at Methodist Hospital, in Omaha.  Funeral services for WALT AMBROSE will be held on Saturday, March 28th at 10:30 am in the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic.  . Roland Funeral Service in Atlantic has the arrangements.

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Visitation with the family will be held on Friday from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the funeral home.

Burial in the Atlantic Cemetery with full military rights by the Atlantic Color Guard.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

WALT AMBROSE is survived by:

Wife:  Sharon

Children:  Ben Ambrose of Omaha; Jennifer (Andy) Hahn of Eldridge

Mother:  Thelma Ambrose of Walnut

4 Grandchildren

House embraces “on or after August 23” as new school start date

News

March 25th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa House has passed a bill that would set “on or after August 23rd” as the time frame for starting the school year. Representative Greg Forristall is a Republican from Macedonia. “Since the first day of the session we have been working on the issue of the school start date,” Forristall said. “We’ve had discussions over the last couple of months with the senate, with members of the various house, with the governor’s office and I believe we have finally reached an acceptable compromise.”

Iowa schools do not know yet when school may be allowed to start this fall. In December, Governor Terry Branstad’s education department announced districts would no longer get waivers to start before the week in which Labor Day falls. Forristall says setting “on or after August 23rd” as the new rule for starting school is something the governor will accept.

“Sometimes you have to take what you can get,” Forristall said. “…This is one of those cases.” The bill passed on a 71 to 29 vote. Representative Scott Ourth, a Democrat from Ackworth, was among those who voted for the bill. “People say that politics is the art of the possible,” Ourth said. “And in the spirit of bipartisanship, which I think the people of Iowa expect of us, I find today to be a rather happy day.” Representative Art Staid, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, opposed the bill, arguing local school officials should be making the start date decision.

‘Whatever happened to the local control principle?” Staid asked. “What ever happened to the limited government principle, where we do not harm?” Earlier this month, the Iowa Senate voted to allow school boards to continue to decide when classes start in the fall. Last fall, 67 Iowa school districts began classes during the second week of August. Bettendorf and Danville started earliest — on August 11th. Only 14 districts started after August 23rd last fall.

(Radio Iowa)