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Special Weather Statement: Icy roads this morning

News, Weather

November 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-TAYLOR-308 AM CST TUE NOV 11 2014

...ICY ROADS POSSIBLE FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE…

THE SNOW HAS ENDED ALTHOUGH THERE MAY STILL BE SOME FLURRIES THROUGH EARLY MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS HAD A HALF INCH OR LESS OF SNOW BUT A NORTHWEST WIND AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL BE CONTINUING THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE DRIFTING SNOW AND ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE ICY ROADS WILL LIKELY BE PREVALENT THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE. USE WINTER DRIVING RULES AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE…SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU.

DALLAS-MADISON-UNION-RINGGOLD-

…SNOW WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THROUGH 7AM PRODUCING WINTER-

LIKE CONDITIONS…A BAND OF SNOW EXTENDING FROM ALLISON TO DES MOINES TO WINTERSET WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WHILE SNOWFALL WITH THIS BAND WILL BE LESS THAN A HALF INCH…A NORTHWEST WIND AT 20 TO 30 MPH WILL PRODUCE SOME DRIFTING ACROSS ROADWAYS WHICH WILL MAKE FOR ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION…VISIBILITY MAY DROP TO AROUND A MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING SNOW. THE ICY ROAD CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE SO USE WINTER DRIVING RULES AND SLOW DOWN…ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION AND LEAVE EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU.

Posted in News, Weather |

JOHN ‘MIKE’ DONAHEY, SENIOR, 78, of Des Moines (Svcs. 11/14/14)

Obituaries

November 10th, 2014 by admin

JOHN ‘MIKE’ DONAHEY, SENIOR, 78, of Des Moines, died Sunday, Nov. 9th, at the VA Central Health Care System in Des Moines. Funeral Services for ‘MIKE’ DONAHEY, SR. will be held 11-am Friday, Nov. 14th, at the St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Panora. Twigg Funeral Home in Panora has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home will be on Thursday from 5 until 7pm with vigil service at 7pm.

Burial will be at the Resurrection Cemetery in rural Guthrie Center.

Posted in Obituaries |

EDWIN KEATH FENDER, 87, of Council Bluffs (Svcs. 11/12/14)

Obituaries

November 10th, 2014 by admin

EDWIN KEATH FENDER, 87, of Council Bluffs, died Mon., Nov. 10th, at the Risen Son Christian Village, in Council Bluffs. Funeral Services for EDWIN FENDER will be held 11-am Wednesday, Nov. 12th, at the Macedonia United Methodist Church in rural Macedonia. Loess Hills Funeral Home of Carson has the arrangements.

Visitation for Edwin Fender will be at the Macedonia United Methodist Church in rural Macedonia two hours prior to services Wednesday.

Burial will be at the Wheeler Grove Cemetery east of Carson.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

 

Posted in Obituaries |

Panora woman faces drug and alcohol charges

News

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop in Panora early Sunday morning resulted in numerous charges against the driver. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says 33-year old Joanna J. Heckman was pulled over at around 1:30-a.m. in the 800 block of east Main Street, in Panora. Heckman was subsequently arrested for operating while intoxicated 2nd Offense, an aggravated misdemeanor. Monday morning the woman appeared before the Guthrie County magistrate and was held on bond. She later posted bond and was released.
Later in the day Monday, the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office filed additional charges against Heckman. She was charged with: open container of alcohol (driver), driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway, possession of drug paraphernalia, all simple misdemeanors. Heckman was also charged with possession of methamphetamine – 1st offense, a serious misdemeanor.
The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Panora Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

Posted in News |

UPDATE: Wind Advisory in effect until 6-am Tuesday

News, Weather

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-TAYLOR-MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE-

…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY.

* WINDS…NORTH TO NORTHWEST AT 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* IMPACTS…ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS MAY BE BLOWN AROUND. USE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING AS IT MAY BE DIFFICULT WITH THE GUSTY WINDS…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES AND IN AREAS WHERE ROADS MAY BE SLICK DUE TO THE POTENTIAL PRECIPITATION. VISIBILITIES MAY BE BRIEFLY REDUCED AT TIMES DUE TO PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT.

Posted in News, Weather |

Chiefs lose Gray, Harris to injuries vs Bills

Sports

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs have lost backup running back Cyrus Gray for the season with a torn knee ligament. Tight end Demetrius Harris is also sidelined with a broken foot. Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Gray, a special teams standout, will miss the rest of the season after tearing an ALC in the third quarter of Sunday’s 17-13 victory over Buffalo. Harris, a former basketball player in college, broke his foot during warmups prior to the game.

Reid said the rest of the team came out relatively healthy heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Running back Jamaal Charles had a neck stinger and tight end Anthony Fasano a bruised knee, but both would have been able to practice Monday.

Posted in Sports |

Snow could reduce corn harvest in Upper Midwest

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The season’s first snowstorm could be bad news for farmers in the Upper Midwest where corn remains in fields. At least 4 inches of snow could fall overnight in South Dakota where about 40 percent of the crop remains, and in Minnesota where about a third remains. Most of the storm is expected to stay north of corn and soybean areas in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Iowa State University agriculture economist Chad Hart says a snowstorm could reduce the harvest if ears of corn are knocked off or plants fall over. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says soybean farmers will harvest 3.96 billion bushels, up 31 million bushels from the October estimate. The corn crop is slightly smaller at 14.41 billion bushels, down 68 million bushels from the October estimate.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

DNR to meet with Lake Manawa group on park reovations

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports officials will meet with a working group of Lake Manawa State Park area residents and park users on Nov. 12th, to continue discussions on plans to improve the heavily used state park. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday, at the Game and Fish Club, on Lake Manawa.

Responding to feedback from the Oct. 14 meeting on the proposal to move the campground will likely be the focal point of discussion. The DNR has been discussing plans to improve the campground for 14 years.

Todd Coffelt, chief of the Iowa DNR’s State Parks Bureau, says “Lake Manawa is unique. It has many different types of users, from the sailing club, to mountain bikers, campers, anglers and picnickers. Plus its part of a neighborhood in the largest metro area in Iowa and each one of those constituencies has a different idea of what they want from the park.” What the DNR heard during the October meeting was concerns from local homeowners’ association members about the proposed location of the new campground in relation to the homes, vegetation and water level management for the lake and safety and security issues in the park.

The park draws many visitors from Omaha, as well as from Council Bluffs and the surrounding area. It is attractive to Nebraskans because Iowa parks do not require a park entry permit. Lake Manawa hosts around 1.5 million visitors each year easily ranking as Iowa’s most visited state park and its campground is in the top 10 busiest in the state.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

JOHN WIETZKE, 76, of Greenfield (Svcs. 11/14/14)

Obituaries

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JOHN WIETZKE, 76, of Greenfield, died Mon., Nov. 10th, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral and Masonic services for JOHN WIETZKE will be held 10-a.m. Fri., Nov. 14th, at the United Methodist Church in Greenfield. Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 13th, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield, with the family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Burial will be in the Greenfield Cemetery, with full military graveside rites will be conducted by the Greenfield American Legion Head-Endres Post No. 265, V.F.W. Post No. 5357, and the Fontanelle American Legion Carlson Post No. 24. A luncheon will be held at the church following the committal services at the cemetery.

Memorials: Maybe be directed to the Greenfield United Methodist Church.

JOHN WIETZKE is survived by:

His wife – Roberta K. Wietzke, of Greenfield.

His daughter – the Reverend Jessica S. Wietzke, pastor at First Presbyterian Church, in Grimes.

His sister – Irene L. Wietzke, of Amarillo, Texas

Many relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

Change of venue request granted – Slauson trial moved to Mills County

News

November 10th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A District Court Judge has granted a request by the defense attorney in the case of 30-year old Leatha Kaye Slauson, to have her trial moved out of Cass County. The Atlantic woman is accused of faking her daughter’s cancer and endangering her life by administering drugs and a feeding tube. She’s also accused of theft by deception for soliciting funds for her daughter’s treatment. Her trial is now set to begin 9:30-a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18th, in Mills County District Court.

Leatha Slauson enters the courtroom for a hearing 11/10/14 (Ric Hanson/photo)

Leatha Slauson enters the courtroom for a hearing 11/10/14 (Ric Hanson/photo)

In last month’s motion for a Change of Venue, Slauson Attorney Jay Mez said the woman’s trial should be moved for a number of reasons, including extensive media coverage. Mez reiterated those same contentions Monday morning in Cass County District Court.  He said a limited jury pool resulting from the extensive media coverage, and allegations that the community was the victim in this case, make getting a fair and impartial trial in Cass County impossible.

In his ruling, Judge Mark Eveloff agreed, saying if the court tried to pick a jury in Cass County next week and a mistrial is declared, it could be violating Slauson’s Right to a Speedy Trial.  He said there “Was such a degree of prejudice that would exist in Cass County that there would be a substantial likelihood of a fair and impartial trial that could not be preserved with the jury selected in Cass County.”

Eveloff selected Mills County because it is similar in size to Cass County. The Judge said the court will reconsider the conditions of Slauson’s bond next Monday, Nov. 17th at 9-a.m. Attorney Mez has stated he intends to use a defense of “Diminished Responsibility” when Slauson’s case comes before a jury. He said she was competent to stand trial, but unable to tell right from wrong.

Authorities say Slauson lied about her daughter having cancer, inserted a feeding tube into the 5-year-old girl and gave her drugs and cannabis oils. Slauson has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts, including assault, child endangerment and theft by deception.

Posted in News |