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Medical calls rise for many Iowa fire departments

News

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say medical calls to fire departments are rising for many Iowa departments, in part because more and more aging baby boomers are requiring emergency aid.  In Iowa City, for example, the Fire Department, there were nearly 2,800 calls for emergency medical services last year, compared with more than 2,200 EMS calls in 2007.    The Cedar Rapids Fire Department says it handled more than 5,400 EMS calls in 2011, compared with just over 5,000 calls in 2007.  The National Fire Protection Association says the number of EMS calls to fire departments nationally has increased nearly 300 percent since 1980.  Cedar Rapids Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow says the increasing demand for EMS services has forced the department to seek firefighters who already have paramedic certification.

During the March 7th City Council meeting in Atlantic, Fire Chief Mark McNees said the total number of calls in 2011 for the department was 183. That was down from an average of 225. McNees said also, the Atlantic Fire Department reached its highest level of strength for quite some time, with 37 members in 2011.

Posted in News |

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: 4-2-12

Podcasts, Weather

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here’s the (podcast) weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area…

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

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Posted in Podcasts, Weather |

Rising fuel prices haven’t slowed Midwest economy

News

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A survey suggests that rising fuel prices haven’t slowed the economy in a nine-state region in the Midwest and Plains. The overall Mid-America index rose to 58.6 in March from 58.4 in February. The index has risen for five months in a row. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says only a significantly higher increase in oil prices or a major world catastrophe would derail the regional economic expansion.  Survey organizers say it uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100 and that any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor. The survey of business leaders and supply managers covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Posted in News |

Drake Relays Officials Hope to Break Attendance Mark

Sports

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Drake Relays are hoping for another attendance record for this month’s event. Single session tickets went on sale last week and associate athletic director Dennis Francois says all-session packages are still available. Reserved adult tickets for all sessions are $85.  An “All American” package, which covers Friday night and Saturday, for $55. A “Gold” package — which has two levels: Day only, Friday and the Saturday session, for $70; and a Friday & Friday night package for $45.  Francois says the ticket packages are designed for different fan bases. He says there is a special price for Thursday’s distance carnival, of $5. Francois says plenty of tickets remain for all sessions but they expect the Saturday afternoon session to sell out for the 47th consecutive year.Francois says there are two ways to order tickets: call the Drake ticket office at 515-271-3647, or online at www.godrakebulldogs.com.  The Drake Relays are April 26th through the 28th.

Posted in Sports |

GENE MALLETTE, 91, of Atlantic (Svcs. 04-05-2012)

Obituaries

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

GENE MALLETTE, 91, of Atlantic, died Mon., April 2nd, at the Heritage House in Atlantic. Services for GENE MALLETTE will be held Thursday, April 5th at 10:00am in the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

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Open visitation at the funeral home Tuesday from 8am-5:30pm; Wednesday from 8am-6pm.  Family visitation Wednesday, April 4th from 6-8pm.

Burial with military honors will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

GENE MALLETTE is survived by:

Children: Larry (Mary Ann) Mallette.  Allen (Teresa) Mallette.  Annette (Terry) Sheehan.  Lori (Randy) Slutz.

12 Grandchildren

16 Great Grandchildren

Posted in Obituaries |

NWS Forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: Mon., April 2nd 2012

Weather

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

338 AM CDT MON APR 2 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE UPPER 80S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. COOLER. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TUESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. MUCH COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 60S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOW IN THE MID 40S. NORTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGH AROUND 60. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOW IN THE MID 40S.

THURSDAY…CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S.

THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 40S. HIGH IN THE MID 60S.

Posted in Weather |

Severe Weather Awareness week begins in Iowa

News, Weather

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Today (Monday) marks the beginning of Severe Weather Awareness Week in the state. National Weather Service meteorologist, Jeff Johnson says there weren’t many tornadoes in 2011. “In Iowa, we had what I would call a pretty normal year. We had 51 tornadoes, we average 47, that’s pretty close to normal,” Johnson says. “What was interesting about last year though, was that most of those tornadoes occurred on or before April ninth, so many of those tornadoes were early in the year in 2011.”

Johnson says it is too early to tell what type of year 2012 will bring for severe weather.  “A lot of people have been talking about the recent warm weather and if there is a correlation between that and active severe weather, and there really isn’t much of a correlation between an active severe weather season and the early spring warmth,” Johnson says. He says there’s also not much of a correlation between a warm summer after a warm spring. The National Weather Service has special theme days all week to teach Iowans the dangers of severe weather.

Johnson says the theme for today is flash flooding. “Which is the number one thunderstorm-related killer in the United States from weather, it’s not tornadoes, it’s actual flash flooding,” according to Johnson. He says Tuesday will talk about how to get a warning, Wednesday’s theme centers on tornadoes and there will be a statewide tornado drill, and finally, family preparedness is the theme on Friday.

Johnson describes the tornado drill scheduled for 10 a-m Wednesday morning: He says they will come out with a tornado watch at 10 and that will last for about an hour. “And then at about 10:15, give or take a few minutes, we will issue a tornado warning and it will go off over your weather radios, it will go out over the emergency alert system to the radio stations and many, many communities will be testing their siren systems at the same time,” Johnson says. He says this will be a good time for businesses to test their evacuation plans. You can find out more information on severe weather in Iowa at www.weather.gov.

(Pat Powers & Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

Posted in News, Weather |

Iowa (early) News Headlines: Mon., April 2nd 2012

News

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

LA PORTE CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities are looking for a 19-year-old Hawkeye Community College student who disappeared early Sunday morning while walking barefoot in a wildlife area. The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s office spent most of yesterday searching for Taylor Franco in the Klima Wildlife Area by La Porte City. The search was suspended last night but should resume today.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The main producer of the lean beef trimmings that critics call “pink slime” continues to have the support of the community where the company is based. Several thousand people attended a picnic in Sioux City on Saturday to support Beef Products Incorporated and dine on hamburgers made with its beef.

AINSWORTH, Iowa (AP) — Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused an explosion at a home in southeast Iowa. Officials say the explosion was reported in Ainsworth around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The town is about 30 miles south of Iowa City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The big winner in Iowa from last week’s $640 million Mega Million jackpot was the state treasury. Although a winning ticket wasn’t sold in Iowa, the surge in ticket sales paid off for the state. From the last Mega Millions jackpot on January 24th to Friday night’s drawing, The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Lottery sold nearly $9.7 million in tickets. The newspaper reports the Iowa treasury will receive about $3.4 million in profits from the sales.

Posted in News |

MADELINE E. SIVERS, 84, of Oakland (Svcs. 4-4-12)

Obituaries

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

MADELINE E. SIVERS, 84, of Oakland, died Sat., March 31st, at Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha. Memorial services for MADELINE SIVERS will be held on Wednesday, April 4th, at 2:00 PM, at the Oakland Congregational Church in Oakland. Rieken-Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland has the arrangements.

There will be an open visitation at the Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland on Tuesday, April 3rd. The family will not be present at any specific time. Memorials are suggested to the Oakland Congregational Church Building Fund.

MADELINE SIVERS is survived by –

Her daughters –  Julie (Dr. Jerrad) Hertzler, of Omaha, NE; Emily (Dr. Daniel) Gatto, of White Bear Lake, MN.

Her sister – Ilene Wright Smith.

5 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren, her nephews and nieces. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is in charge of arrangements.

Posted in Obituaries |

Cardinals Pull April Fools’ Prank on Wainwright

Sports

April 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — A lucky fan was about to win a truck, and Adam Wainwright thought it was pretty cool. Until the St. Louis Cardinals pitcher realized it was his white pickup. Cardinals teammates Lance Berkman and Skip Schumaker pulled off an April Fools’ Day prank Sunday that had Wainwright hoping at first that it was all just for laughs. “As long as that’s a joke, that is well done,” Wainwright said. “I don’t know if that’s a joke, yet.” Turned out, it sure was. Following the second inning of the Cardinals’ 2-1 spring training loss to the Washington Nationals, public address announcer John Frost read a fake script proclaiming that a fan won a car. Berkman drove it onto the field, and Wainwright quickly realized it was a prank aimed at him.

Posted in Sports |