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Iowa early News Headlines: Sunday (Christmas Day), 12/25/2016

News

December 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:30 a.m. CST

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say this year’s deer harvest is slightly down this year with a little more than two weeks left in the season. The Quad-City Times reports that Iowa’s second shotgun season ended Sunday. Hunters have until midnight Monday to report their harvests. Between both shotgun seasons, hunters reported 5 percent fewer deer than last year’s seasons

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A vaccine that an Iowa company helped develop is expected to stop one of the world’s deadliest viruses. The Des Moines Register reports that a study published Thursday shows the vaccine is 100 percent effective in protecting people against Ebola, an infectious virus that has killed thousands and traumatized millions. Ames-based NewLink Genetics helped test and refine an Ebola vaccine that was invented by Canadian scientists.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Cedar Rapids brain and spine surgeon who was accused of gross malpractice has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and refrain from performing surgery. The Des Moines Register reports that David Segal reached a settlement with the Iowa Board of Medicine. The board, which licenses physicians, filed administrative charges against him in 2015 alleging that he failed to prevent excessive infections among his patients.

BLAIRSBURG, Iowa (AP) — A Clarion woman was killed in a in a car crash two days after she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. Authorities say 24-year-old Andrea Urrutia Matul was driving north on Highway 69 on Monday when she crossed the center line and hit a southbound vehicle near Blairsburg, in Hamilton County.

NWS forecast for Atlantic & the area, 12/25/16 (update 4-a.m.)

Weather

December 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Today (Christmas Day): Areas of fog this morning; Showers & possibly a thunderstorm. High near 55. East/southeast wind at 15-25mph w/gusts to around 35 this afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers & possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a slight chance of rain between 9pm and 10pm. Low around 28. S winds @ 15-25mph becoming w/sw after midnight and gusting up to 35. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Monday: Sunny & windy, with a nearly steady temperature around 31. W @ 15-35mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. W @ 10-20mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 42.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 40. Our 24-Hour Low (ending at 7-a.m. today) was 23. We received .01” rain overnight. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 33 and the low was 22. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 56 in 1922. The Record Low was -20 in 1983.

Dense Fog Advisory update (4-a.m. 12/25)

Weather

December 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

A Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until 9-a.m. today (Sunday), for Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont and Page Counties in the KJAN listening area.

Expect visibility in the Advisory area of less than one-half mile at times this morning.

Reduced visibilities will cause some difficult driving conditions. Also, with some temperatures at or just below freezing in some locations, a light glazing on the roads and sidewalks could lead to slippery conditions. Caution is advised when driving or walking.

If driving, slow down, use your low beam headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.

Shenandoah man arrested after Christmas Eve accident was nearly 4x over the legal limit for alcohol

News

December 25th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports one person was arrested on an OWI charge late Christmas Eve night, following an investigation into a single-vehicle accident near Randolph. 32-year old Justin Guy Bodfield was taken into custody for OWI. His Blood Alcohol Content (Or, B.A.C), was found to be nearly four-times the legal limit of .08 for intoxication. Bodfield was being held in the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on $1,000 bond.

Justin G. Bodfield

Sheriff Aistrope says Deputies located Bodfield in his vehicle, which was in the north ditch off 120th Street, in the 3000 block of 120th. Their investigation determined he was driving eastbound on 120th, when he lost control of the vehicle.

Fiery crash and other accidents reported in Fremont County, Saturday

News

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Dense fog was partly to blame for several accidents in a portion of Fremont County, Saturday. The Sheriff’s Office says at around 11:50-a.m., they received a call about a feed truck on fire in the 1100 block of Highway 275, just south of the Fremont-Mills School. Before emergency crews could arrive on the scene, the Sheriff’s Office received word a head-on crash had occurred at the same location.

Moments after a deputy arrived, another, rear-end crash occurred at the same location. Poor visibility because of fog and smoke, along with slick roads made the accident scene treacherous, according to authorities.

Officials said a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Brandi Beem, of Tabor, was traveling northbound and came upon the burning feed truck. Fearing she would be rear-ended in the dense fog and slick roads, Beem tried to go around the truck. Her car hit a southbound 2013 Hyundai Accent head-on. That vehicle was driven by Keri Hawhee, of Omaha. Shortly after that crash, a 2017 Hyundai driven by Kaylee Bartholomew, of Essex, that was also northbound on Highway 275, was struck by a 2005 Ford F-150 driven by Alex Donnelly, of Shenandoah. Amazingly, no injuries were reported from any of the collisions.

The accident remains under investigation by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and authorities say citations may be issued at a later date. Deputies were assisted at the scene by Tabor Police, and the Iowa State Patrol, along with Rescue crews from Tabor and Sidney Fire and Rescue.

DENSE FOG ADVISORIES issued again for all of western/s.w. IA Sat. night into Sunday

Weather

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The National Weather Service has issued Dense Fog Advisories for all counties in western, southwest, west central and northwest Iowa. In Cass-Adair-Adams-Audubon-Carroll-Crawford-Dallas-Guthrie-Madison-Union-Taylor and Ringgold Counties, a DENSE FOG ADVISORY is in effect until 4-a.m. Sunday. In Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont and Page Counties, a DENSE FOG ADVISORY is in effect until 9-a.m., Sunday.

* VISIBILITY…IS EXPECTED TO DROP TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS
DURING THE EVENING AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER SHOULD SEE THE DENSE FOG FIRST, WITH AN EXPANSION TO THE WEST AND SOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING.

* IMPACTS…REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL CAUSE SOME DIFFICULT DRIVING
CONDITIONS. ALSO, WITH SOME TEMPERATURES NEAR OR JUST BELOW
FREEZING, LIGHT GLAZING ON ROADS AND SIDEWALKS COULD LEAD TO
SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. CAUTION IS ADVISED WHILE DRIVING OR
WALKING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING, SLOW DOWN, USE
YOUR HEADLIGHTS, AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

Creston Police investigate hit-and-run property damage accident

News

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Police in Creston are investigating a hit-and-run property damage accident that occurred at around 12:45-a.m., Thursday, in a parking lot near the intersection of E. Montgomery and N. Pine Streets. Officials say a 1988 Dodge Caravan was facing south in the parking. After it was struck it ended-up facing east. A 2008 Dodge Caliber was also parked in the lot and facing south, when it was struck in the rear.

The vehicle that struck the other vehicles is believed to be a white Chevy truck, but the driver and a further description of the vehicle is not available. Damage from the incident amounted to $1,800.

ROBERT CHARLES KRAMER, 82, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 12/29/16)

Obituaries

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ROBERT CHARLES KRAMER, 82, of Harlan, died Saturday, Dec. 24th, at the Elm Crest Retirement Community, in Harlan. A Mass of Christian Burial for ROBERT KRAMER will be held 10-a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Harlan. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Wednesday (12/28), from 5-until 8-p.m., with a Wake service beginning at 7-p.m.

Burial will be in the Harlan Cemetery.

ROBERT KRAMER is survived by:

His son – James (Judy) Kramer, of Council Bluffs.

His daughters – Sharon Kramer and Julie Kramer, both of Omaha, and Carolyn (Bruce) Blum, of Harlan.

His sister – Marge Klein, of Harlan.

His brother – Leo (Marj) Kramer, of Omaha.

and 4 grandchildren.

1 dead, 5 injured in Saturday morning crash in Sac County

News

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

A crash involving four vehicles Saturday morning in northwest Iowa’s Sac County resulted in one person dead and five others injured. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 8:24-a.m., about one and one-quarter miles west of Lake View, on Highway 175.

According to the report, a semi-tractor trailer was traveling west on Highway 175 when it attempted to pass a car in front of it. As it was passing the car, the semi collided head-on with a pick-up that was traveling eastbound. A passenger car following the pickup rear-ended the pickup.

The driver of the pickup and two persons in the car, along with the driver and a passenger in the semi were transported to Loring Hospital in Sac City. Two of the five transported to Loring suffered critical injuries, and were later transferred to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. A female passenger in the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene. Names of those involved were being withheld pending notification of family members.

The car that has been passed by the semi sustained damage subsequent to the collision, but the driver was not injured. At the time of the crash, visibility was reported as being near zero because of fog.

The accident is under investigation by the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Officers with the Iowa Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division. Lake View Police, Lake View Fire, Wall Lake Fire and ambulances from Lake View and Sac City all responded to the scene.

(Update) Harlan house fire caused by dehumidifier

News

December 24th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(In an update to our earlier post and reports) Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen reports the Harlan Fire Department was dispatched to a Structure Fire at 1510 Erie Drive at around 5:25-p.m. The house was vacant, and upon arrival there was light smoke coming from the structure.

Bissen said the first engine crew on scene made entry and found no fire but smoke throughout the structure. At around 5:38-p.m., Westphalia Fire was dispatched to assist, and Medivac Ambulance was placed on standby. All crews were assisted at the scene Officers with the Harlan Police Department.

The Chief said the fire was caused by a dehumidifier in the basement, and the flames had also self extinguished prior to arrival of crews.