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Cass County Supervisors hear courthouse mural proposal

News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, earlier this week, gave their blessing to a woman who requested to paint a mural on the west side courthouse garage doors. According to County Auditor Dale Sunderman, Connie Boose appeared before the Board to say she wants to paint an Art Deco-style mural on the garage door, in keeping with the style of courthouse, which was built in 1934. Boose suggested an eagle motif for one of the doors, and a floral motif for the other. Painting an maintenance of the murals would come at no cost to the County.

Boose, who painted Coca-Cola murals in Atlantic, said the CPC and City of Atlantic asked her to look for three- or four-more places in town to paint other murals. Both the Supervisors and Sheriff Darby McLaren indicated they had no problem with the proposal. Boose said she will present her plan to the City and CPC for final approval. If that’s granted, the Supervisors will take official action on the project at a future meeting.

In other business, County Engineer Charles Bechtold reviewed current road projects. He said Fall pipe, rock and seal coat projects have been completed…a 1,500-ton capacity salt shed has been built, and more safety equipment has been purchased. Bechtold said also, an existing 58-foot wood trestle bridge on Quincy Road over Hoyt’s Branch, will be replaced with a 70-foot concrete culvert. During their next meeting on Oct. 24th, the Cass County Supervisors will hear an annual report and request for funding, from the Cass County Library Association, and accept the work and final application for partial payment on the gray water transmission to ethanol plant project, from Crow River Construction.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 10/19/18

News, Podcasts

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Trial scheduled for 18-year-old in fatal Decorah beating

News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — A December trial has been scheduled for an 18-year-old man accused of helping to fatally beat a Decorah resident. Winneshiek County court records say Dalton Adam has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. His trial is set to begin Dec. 12. Prosecutors say Adam and a 17-year-old boy attacked 46-year-old David Hansen after Hansen confronted the pair as they damaged property outside his home on July 12. He died Aug. 30.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 10/19/18

Podcasts, Sports

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Creston Police report (10/19) : 2 arrests

News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Police in Creston say two men were arrested recently. At around 1:50-a.m. today, 28-year old David J. Downing, of Afton, was arrested in Creston for OWI/2nd offense. He has since bonded out at $2,000. And, 50-year old Jeffrey John Lusk, of Creston, was arrested in the 200 block of N. Pine Street, for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. Lusk was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & Funeral report, 10/19/2018

News, Podcasts

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Head-on crash reported in Cass County this (Friday) morning

News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(UPDATE 8-a.m.) Highway 92 west of Massena remained blocked as of 8-a.m. following a two-vehicle, head-on crash west of Massena. The crash occurred at around 6:45-a.m., between 720th and 730th Streets, or about two-miles west of Massena. Cumberland and Massena Fire and Rescue along with Medivac Ambulance were sent to the scene. Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren told KJAN one person was flown by helicopter to a trauma center. The status of a second victim of the crash was not immediately released.

Police say truck driver rescued children from house fire

News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a passing truck driver rescued four children from a house fire in Sioux City. Firefighters were dispatched to the home a little after 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Police say the truck driver saw smoke coming from the house. He stopped, broke a house window and then helped the children get out to safety. Police say he left the scene before he could be treated for a hand injury.
The fire cause is being investigated.

NORMA E. HANSEN, 86, of Denison & formerly of Audubon (Svcs. 10/22/18)

Obituaries

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

NORMA E. HANSEN, 86, of Denison (& formerly of Audubon), died Wed., Oct. 17th, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services for NORMA HANSEN will be held 1-p.m. Monday, Oct. 22nd, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is from 1-until 4-p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21st.

Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon.

NORMA HANSEN is survived by:

Her sons – Randy (& wife Alix Korey) Hansen, of Palm Springs, CA; Hugh (Lori) Hansen, of Pacific Junction.

Her daughters – Sherry (Rick) Robbs, of Denison; Karla Kauffman, of Minneapolis, MN; Ann Hansen, of New York, NY; and Patti Bekkerus, of Denison.

Her sister –  Sharlene Merk, of Audubon.

12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, other relatives, her brother-in-law, and friends.

Many rural Iowa communities at economic disadvantage due to slow internet service

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A new report finds rural states like Iowa are still far behind in getting high-speed internet to all corners, which impacts the rate of growth and success. Johnathan Hladlik, policy director with the Center For Rural Affairs, says 31-percent of rural households lack access to broadband internet. He says that means those communities and their residents will be at an economic disadvantage. “We know as agriculture changes, as manufacturing changes, consistently we see micro-entrepreneurs and small business creation as being a key element to employment and strong economies in rural areas,” Hladik says. “Frankly, today, having broadband and high-speed internet is essential to a successful business.”

The center’s report, called “Map to Prosperity,” found of the more than 25-million households that lack access to broadband internet, 19-million of them are in rural areas. Hladik says coverage maps being used to determine how many people are covered in rural communities need to be re-written. “From 2011 to 2015, there was funding for each and every state to identify where broadband access existed,” Hladik says. “You could go in and you could know which addresses had broadband and which addresses did not have broadband. That was federal money that has since dried up.”

States that use less-effective methods to monitor coverage are bringing about large over-estimations about who’s covered. Hladik says that’s unacceptable when considering how much broadband can contribute to a state’s economy. “Increasing broadband access by 10% translates to an estimated 1% increase in gross domestic product,” he says, “and it shows that 80 new jobs are created for every additional 1,000 broadband users within a state or within a community.”

The center is pushing for legislation that will ensure better coverage for rural communities. Broadband is defined by the F-C-C as internet connections capable of 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) for download and 3 Mbps for upload speeds. More on the web at www.crfa.org