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Cass County Primary votes to be canvassed today

News

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet in their Boardroom at the Courthouse in Atlantic, this morning, to canvass the results of last Tuesday’s Primary Election. Their meeting begins at 8-a.m. Unofficial results from the election showed Mark T. O’Brien was the Republican winner for the District 2 Board of Supervisor’s seat, with 154 votes to Republican challenger Pat McCurdy’s 137 votes. And in the Board of Supervisors District 3, Republican John Hartkopf was the winner over fellow Republicans Dana Halder and Linda Templeman. Hartkopf garnered 161 votes, Halder 157 and Templeman 103. The winners move on to the November General Election.

Thunderstorms blast through eastern Nebraska into Iowa

News, Weather

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thunderstorms that blasted through eastern Nebraska into Iowa toppled trees, overturned semitrailers, knocked out power to hundreds of homes and businesses and spawned short-lived tornadoes. The National Weather Service says two drivers were taken to a hospital and other drivers suffered minor injuries Monday when straight-line winds topping 80 mph knocked over nine semis on Interstate 29 in western Iowa. The post office in Sidney, Iowa, lost its roof. Three farm storage buildings were destroyed three-miles south of Thurman, in Fremont County, and shingles were blown off of homes in the Montgomery County town of Coburg. In Red Oak, winds gusted to near 60-miles per hour, while in Bedford, Clarinda and New Market, winds of 60-to 70mph were reported.

Authorities say several homes were damaged in the Lake Waconda community in Cass County, Nebraska. Brief tornado touchdowns were reported near Cedar Creek, Louisville, Murray and Table Rock.
Hail the size of golf balls was reported in the Gretna area.

MARK F. KERKHOFF, 68, of rural Manning (Svcs. 6/15/18)

Obituaries

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

MARK FRANCES KERKHOFF, 68, of rural Manning, died Saturday, June 9th, at home. Funeral services for MARK KERKHOFF will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, June 15th, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

Friends may call at St, Patrick’s Catholic Church on Thursday, beginning at 4-p.m.  A Rosary takes place 6:30-p.m. Thursday, at the church.

Burial will be in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, south of Audubon.

MARK KERKHOFF is survived by:

His mother – Dorothy Kerkhoff, of Audubon.

His wife – Linda Kerkhoff, of rural Manning.

His son – Adam Kerkhoff, of Gray.

His brothers – Blane (Kathy) Kerkhoff, of Audubon, and Paul Kerkhoff, of Waukee.

His sisters – Leslie (Jeff) Brewer, of Kearney, MO; Kay (Scott) McCaslin, of Kenmore, WA; Nan (Al) Dreher, of Kimballton; Lynn (Tom) Klever, of Audubon; and June Hayworth, of Kansas City, MO.

1 grandson, his in-laws, other relatives and friends.

2 arrested Tue. morning on drug charges in Red Oak

News

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department arrested two men early this (Tuesday) morning. 22-year old Damon Lee Gregory, and 27-year old Larry James Snider, Jr., both of West Point, IA, were taken into custody at around 12:45-a.m. for possession of drug paraphernalia. Gregory was also cited for failure to hold a valid driver’s license, and no insurance. Both men were transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond, each. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area, 6/12/18

Weather

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Today: Some areas of fog possible this morning; P/Cldy. High 86. NW @ 10-15.

Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 57. Winds light & variable.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 84. SE @ 10.

Thursday: Variably Cldy w/scatt. Shwrs & tstrms. High 84.

Friday: Shwrs & tstrms early; Becoming P/Cldy, warm & humid. High 92.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 80. Our Low this morning 66. We received .36” rain Monday & Monday night. Last year on this date our High was 87 and the Low was 73. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 95 in 1892. The Record Low was 38, in 1903.

Storm incident report (from 6/11/18) – 9 semis toppled in Fremont County

News, Weather

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

8:21-p.m.  Tstrm wind gust est. 65-70 mph estimated by radar, 4 miles N. of New Market in Taylor County; Law enforcement report

8:30-p.m. Estimated 70 mph wind 9 miles sw of Bedford in Taylor Co.; Trained spotter report.

8:01-to 8:15-p.m.  62-68 mph gusts of wind reported in Clarinda.

7:38-p.m.  Thunderstorm winds est. at 58 mph 1 mile w/nw of Red Oak.

7:28-p.m. Shingles blown off homes in Coburg (Montgomery County). 1′ diameter tree limbs reported down.

7:15-p.m. Three farm storage buildings destroyed 3 miles s. of Thurman, in Fremont County

7:00-p.m. A total of 9 semi tractor-trailers were overturned along I-29 about 3 miles west of Thurman, in Fremont County (Storm Chaser report). Two drivers were injured and transported by ambulance. I-29 was closed in both directions; Numerous power lines were down west of Thurman and many large trees were uprooted in Thurman, where there was damage to roofs as well.

Hamburg man arrested Tue. morning

News

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that around 1:15am today (Tuesday), Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 500 block of O st in Hamburg, for a noise complaint. Deputies made several attempts to make contact with the resident where the noise was coming from. They were finally able to locate the resident, 32-year old Isaac Hayes, who was lying motionless on the floor.

Deputies gained entrance into the home and identified Hayes to being highly intoxicated. Hayes was taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement center held on $300.00 bond. Hayes has previously been arrested twice in the last two weeks for the same incidents.

Isaac Hayes

Man pleads guilty to drunken-driving crash that killed 2

News

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A man has acknowledged driving drunk and crashing into a ravine near Colorado Springs, killing two of his passengers, one of whom was from Iowa.

The Gazette reports 23-year-old Wyatt Beaman, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault, all felonies.

Investigators say he failed to make a turn on Old Stage Road in March 2017, and his SUV tumbled down an embankment. Killed in the crash were 21-year-old Kelby Engleen, of Des Moines, Iowa; and 33-year-old Jacob Busch, of Colorado Springs. Three others, including Beaman, were injured.

Beaman is set to be sentenced Sept. 14.

Midwest Sports Headlines: 6/12/18

Sports

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez hit two-run homers, rookie Jack Flaherty pitched into the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-2. Jedd Gyorko added a one-out home run in the eighth.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A little more than a year after a life-threatening brain injury, Daniel Poncedeleon is ready to make his major league debut. The St. Louis Cardinals bought the 26-year-old right-hander’s contract from Triple-A Memphis 13 months after a line drive struck Poncedeleon in the right temple, fracturing his skill during a game against the Iowa Cubs. Poncedeleon underwent an emergency surgery to stop bleeding from his brain and weeks of rehab and inactivity.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., 6/12/18

News

June 12th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge says fired Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison is disqualified from collecting unemployment benefits due to credible allegations of sexual harassment. Administrative Law Judge Nicole Merrill ruled the allegations against Jamison by female subordinates haven’t been fully detailed but are credible and amount to “disqualifying misconduct.” Gov. Kim Reynolds fired Jamison in March after two of his subordinates complained about his behavior.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — A former Sioux Center private school teacher has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child. The Sioux City Journal reports Curtis Van Dam pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to one count of sexual exploitation of a child as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He agreed to a 15-year term, which is the mandatory minimum required by federal sentencing rules. Police arrested Van Dam on Oct. 23 after the parents of an 11-year-old boy reported the teacher had contact with their son.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An appeals court has upheld lengthy prison sentences for three relatives who conspired to illegally ship guns and ammunition from Iowa to Lebanon. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from Ali Herz, his brother Bassem Herz and Bassem’s wife Sarah Zeaiter. The court upheld prison terms of roughly 28 years for Ali Herz, 8 years for Bassem and 7 years for Zeaiter.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man in Arizona who faces a murder charge in the 2015 shooting death of a Des Moines man. Des Moines police say U.S. marshals on Friday arrested a suspect in the shooting, 63-year-old Alf Freddie Clark, in Tucson. On Monday, a 1st degree murder warrant was issued for Clark, and authorities have begun extradition proceedings for his return to Des Moines. Clark is wanted in connection with the Dec. 27, 2015, shooting death of 36-year-old Tacono Conner.