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2 arrested in Creston, Monday

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Creston Police Department report two arrests took place, Monday. Just before 3-p.m., 31-year old Christopher Colburn (whose address is unknown), was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on two Clarke County warrants for Probation Violation. Colburn was later transferred to the custody of Clarke County deputies. And, at around 5:15-p.m, Monday, 50-year old Jeffrey German, of Galesburg, IL., was arrested in the 800 block of W. Taylor Street, in Creston, for Indecent Exposure. German was later released from the jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 7/31/18

Podcasts, Sports

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

Play

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & Funeral report, 7/31/18

News, Podcasts

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

Play

Authorities search Carter Lake for possible submerged vehicle

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Omaha area television news outlets are reporting water rescue crews were called to Carter Lake early this morning, to search for a vehicle that may have entered the west side of the lake. Authorities report Omaha Police officers saw headlights suddenly vanish near the lake sometime around 4:30-a.m. When they approached the area off Carter Lake Shore Drive, police didn’t find a vehicle, but they did find tire tracks leading up to the lake. No one actually saw a vehicle actually go into the water, and it’s not clear if a vehicle is in the lake, but crews are searching the area as if that was the case.

More information will be released if it becomes available.

ICE, Border Patrol at Senate hearing on family separations

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee is demanding answers from federal immigration officials about the Trump administration’s separation of migrant children from their families and its struggle to reunite them, a fraught effort that’s drawn election-year criticism from both parties. But a hearing scheduled for today (Tuesday) on the topic, may have a wider focus after the committee’s bipartisan leaders asked federal investigators to probe reports of sexual and other abuse of immigrants at government detention facilities. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and top panel Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California asked late Monday for an examination of alleged sexual, physical and emotional mistreatment of immigrants held at agency facilities, saying the problems may have been occurring since 2014 or earlier. The AP reported last month that children held at an immigration detention facility in Roanoke, Virginia, said they were beaten while handcuffed, locked in solitary confinement and left nude and cold in concrete cells.

A civil rights lawsuit has been filed alleging mistreatment at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center from 2015 to 2018. The alleged victims, Hispanic youths held for months or years, have submitted sworn statements in the case. Lawyers for the facility have denied the alleged abuse. Many of the children have been accused by immigration officials of belonging to MS-13 and other violent gangs, an activity Trump has used to justify his “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting immigrants caught entering the country without permission.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman said agency officials perform their duties “professionally and humanely” and that the agency “is abiding by the intent and letter of law and maintains the highest standards care for individuals in our custody.”

Mom convicted of child endangerment in daughter’s death

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Mills County woman who authorities say gave unprescribed antidepressants to her 8-year-old daughter has been found guilty of child endangerment causing death.
A judge who handed down his verdict Monday to Misty Frazier, of Glenwood, found her not guilty of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter or of a prescription drug violation. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23.

Prosecutors say an autopsy showed the girl, Kathleen Tafta, died in October 2016 of an overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline, commonly sold under the brand name Elavil.
Police say the child did not have a prescription for that medication.

Cass County Fair Schedule – Tuesday, July 31st

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The 2018 Cass County Fair concludes today in Atlantic with a big event: The Livestock Sale, which gets underway at 8-a.m. Also happening at 8-a.m, is the release of Static Exhibits. You can catch breakfast this morning on the fairgrounds, at the Foodstand. Serving is from 6:30-until 10-a.m.

Skyscan Forecast & weather data for Atlantic: 7/30/18

Weather

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Today: Fog possible this morning; Partly cloudy. High 82. N @ 10.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 60.

Wednesday: P/Cldy w/isolated showers & thunderstorms possible late. High around 86. S @ 10-15.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High around 84.

Friday: P/Cldy. High near 90.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 83. Our Low this morning was 53. Last year on this date our High was 84 and the Low was 56. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 104 in 1955. The Record Low was 39 in 1971.

Weather extremes like flooding & drought are becoming more common

Weather

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa and other Midwestern states are seeing more weather extremes this summer, with many areas experiencing heavy rains that cause flash flooding followed by long periods of heat with no rain. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, says in some regions, those heavy rain showers may come more often. Todey says, “That is something that has been noted more frequently and is potentially projected via computer models, is having larger events happening.”

Todey says part of the pattern of climate change includes more weather extremes — like what we’ve experienced this spring and summer. “You have maybe larger periods of dryness and then you have big events after that instead of events distributed around,” he says.  Todey says it’s very difficult to forecast the arrival of some storms that will bring very heavy rain. “This is what presents this complication when you’re trying to understand precipitation,” Todey says. “Sizes of events and timing of events and trying to understand those two spatial variabilities, that more big events at different times of the year and more isolated events really confuses the situation.”

Todey says there’s growing concern those weather extremes could also apply to rapidly spreading drought conditions.

Undercover video shows pig abuse but also common practices

Ag/Outdoor

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DENVER (AP) — A recently released undercover video showing pigs being abused at a supplier to the world’s largest meat producer also highlights practices that are still common but slowly being changed in the pork industry.

The video shows pregnant female pigs confined to metal cages barely bigger than their bodies and piglets squealing while being castrated. Los Angeles-based Mercy for Animals released it in the hopes pushing Brazilian-based JBS to prohibit the practices.
Ten states have passed laws that either ban the use of or phase out the use of gestation crates or stalls, which are used on estimated 75 percent of pig farms in the United States. Among them is California, where voters this fall will be asked to ban the sale of pork from pigs confined to the crates or their offspring. Massachusetts voters passed a similar ban in 2016 that will take effect in 2022.

Gestation stalls are intended to minimize fighting among hierarchical sows and protect workers from the pregnant animals, which can weigh between 350 and 450 pounds, according to Sarah Crawford, assistant vice president of animal welfare for the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa. She said the stalls are long enough for the animals to lie in, and research has shown some will choose a stall over living in a group. “The good thing is farmers have the choice to decide what fits best for their farm,” she said.

Temple Grandin, an animal science professor at Colorado State University and consultant on livestock treatment, said confined pregnant pigs lack the space to turn around, and compared the experience to humans having to spend their lives in an airline seat.