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Firefighters respond to an apartment fire in Denison Thursday night

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Denison, Iowa) – Firefighters from Denison, Dow City, Manilla and Vail, responded late Thursday night to an apartment fire, in Denison. Our sister station KDSN reports the call went out at around 11:04-p.m. for a fire at 1209 N 26th Street in Denison. Upon their arrival, Denison Police observed smoke was showing from the first floor, Apt # 9.
Police officers began to evacuate residents from the remaining apartments in the building. Denison Firefighters arrived on the scene and advanced an attack line through the front door and knocked the fire down.

KDSN photo

The cause and origin of the fire was determined to be a candle on a bedroom dresser. Heat and smoke damage throughout the apartment made it uninhabitable for the occupants. All other residents were able to return to their apartments. A family pet was located in the fire apartment and reunited with the family. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The last fire unit cleared the scene at around 1:20-a.m. today (Friday).

Posted in News |

Council Bluffs Police ask for help in locating a women missing for several months

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department Thursday evening, posted a notice on social media, asking for the public’s help in locating Hope Marie Kalkas, who was last seen in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area. 

Authorities said Hope has not contacted her family in several months, and they are concerned for her safety. If you know her whereabouts please contact the Council Bluffs Police Dept. Criminal Investigations Division, at 712-328-4728. (See the bulletin posted below for more information)

Posted in News |

Tournament of Champions forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Friday, Aug. 9, 2024

Weather

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 48.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 77. Winds becoming West at 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tom. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy w/a 20% chance of showers. High near 73.
Sunday Night: Cloudy w/a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 58.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 76. Our Low this morning was 50. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 81 and the Low was 57. The Record High here on Aug. 9th, was 111 in 1934. The Record Low was 44 in 1927. Sunrise today: 6:22-a.m.; Sunset: 8:28-p.m.

Posted in Weather |

2024 Iowa State Fair big boar sets record

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – This year’s “Big Boar” at the Iowa State Fair is the biggest — ever. The crowd at the “Big Boar” competition roared as this year’s winner weighed in and Swine Barn Superintendent Ernie Barnes announced the result. “1420 pounds,” Barnes said. “Congratulations!” That’s 120 pounds above the previous record. Bryan Britt of Monticello raised the big pig.

“I won in ’19 and then in ’21 as well and we were close the record, but I really had my goal set for the record…Back home, I’m know as the big boar guy,” Britt said, with a laugh. Britt, who is Irish, called the boar Finnegan, for good luck.”I’m a pork producer and I’ve been raising pigs all my life. I’ve raised this guy since birth,” Britt said. “For me to break that record…it’s really nice. I couldn’t believe that he was that much heavier.”

While some of the bulked up boars in these types of competitions eat things like donuts and drink milk in addition to about 20 pounds of feed a day, Britt says Finnegan is a finicky eater. Britt is keeping the ingredients in Finnegan’s standard ratios a bit of a trade secret. “I picked him out at birth, thinking he had a big skeleton. You’ve got to feed them right to get them to this size,” Britt says. “It just doesn’t happen overnight.” Finnegan is three and has a taste for what’s sometimes called the Irish champagne.

Bryan Britt of Monticello with Finnegan, the Iowa State Fair’s ‘Big Boar’ (RI photo)

“I’ve given him a Guinness and he seems to like that,” Britt says, with a laugh. Britt likes a pint on occasion as well. There were six other contestants in this year’s “big boar” competition at the State Fair. Britt’s boar weighed nearly 400 pounds more than his closest competitor. “This pig, when he was born, had a big frame and you have to feed them to get the skeletal muscle on them early and you have to let them get a frame before you start really letting them eat all they want to eat,” Britt says. “It’s really hard to get a pig to this size.”

Finnegan will spend the next 10 days in the Swine Barn at the Iowa State Fair, then due to biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of disease, Finnegan won’t return to Britt’s operation, but will spent the rest of his days on another farm nearby.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Expert advises Iowans to consider flood insurance

News, Weather

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowa home owners are seeing their insurance premiums rise and some companies are refusing to insure some properties altogether. Sonya Sellmeyer, a consumer advocacy officer in the Iowa Insurance Division, says there have been a series of rate increases since the derecho that hit Iowa in August of 2020.

“It just seems like ever since then we’ve just continued to get hit by storms. It costs a lot of money to repair that damage, for many different reasons — inflation, material costs have gone up,” Sellmeyer says. “The reinsurance that the companies themselves have has gone up for them.”

Reinsurance is basically insurance for insurance companies. Sellmeyer says Iowans facing a significant hike in homeowners insurance could consider a higher deductible — if it’s an amount they can afford. Sellmeyer is encouraging Iowans to have a discussion with their licensed insurance agent, to ensure their policy would cover the cost of replacing their home and its contents.

“You don’t want to be paying something, espeically as it becomes more expensive, that’s not going to give you what you really need to replace your home in case something would happen,” Sellmeyer says. “…And understand your riders that you have, too, on your policy or that you may need…Sump pump and sewer riders are very important.”

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U-S. There’s been a federal flood insurance program since the 1960s for property in a flood plain and a federal rule change in 2019 encouraged private companies to sell flood insurance policies. Sellmeyer says you can buy private flood insurance in Iowa even if your property is not in a flood plain. “I spent a weekend in Spencer, shortly after the flooding happened, with those survivors there and I strongly suggest all Iowans need to sit down with their insurance agent and see if this is something that they need,” Sellmeyer says.

According to the National Association of Realtors, home insurance premiums in the U-S are expected to rise about six percent by the end of the year.

Posted in News, Weather |

No Iowa school will start the school year with armed staff

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) -UPDATED – The first semester of this school year will be well underway before the rules are in effect for a law designed to help Iowa districts get insurance if school staff are armed.

A Department of Public Safety spokesman told Iowa Public Radio it’ll be two months before the review process for those rules is completed.

Two years ago school boards in Cherokee and Spirit Lake voted to have armed staff members, but dropped the policy after their insurance carrier said it would not renew their coverage. The new law spells out the requirements for a professional permit to carry a weapon at school and school boards may vote to allow teachers and staff who get a permit to have a gun on school grounds. The law is written so school employees would be shielded from liability if they use reasonable force, but it’s still not clear if the insurance company that covers most school districts will issue policies to districts if teachers and staff who are armed. An EMC Insurance spokesperson says the company is reviewing the law and analyzing its options.

Next Tuesday is the deadline for public comments on the proposed state rules to implement the law.

Posted in News |

2024 Tournament of Champions – Round 1 Tee Times, Friday, August 9, 2024

Sports

August 9th, 2024 by Jim Field

Atlantic Country Club

8:00 am

  • James Reynolds (Griswold)
  • Austin Yoakum (Colfax)
  • Blake Perrin (Grimes)

8:12 am

  • Ryan Clark (Ankeny)
  • Carter Trewet (Ankeny)
  • Jeff Gude (Atlantic)
  • Zach Christianson (Atlantic)

8:24 am

  • Jordan Schuler (Atlantic)
  • Lucas Mosier (Atlantic)
  • Nathan Ross (Atlantic)
  • Alex Bireline (Adair)

8:36 am

  • Arnie Leistad (Atlantic)
  • Kirk Nelson (Atlantic)
  • Jim Simmelink (Adair)
  • Barry McGinn (Council Bluffs)

8:48 am

  • Jared Koch (Waukee)
  • Nathan Koch (Denison)
  • Easton Emery (Denison)
  • Nolan Jackson (Mt Vernon)

9:00 am

  • Bill Matzdorff (Ankeny)
  • Marcus Lunning (Ankeny)
  • Chris Nelson (Atlantic)
  • Shane Burmeister (Exira)

9:12 am

  • Tanner Walker
  • Jackson Tennis
  • Seth Hensley (Massena)
  • McKinley Leonard (Lamoni)

9:24 am

  • Daryl Armstrong (Anita)
  • Kyle Rock (Avoca)
  • Bret Taylor (Booneville)
  • Bob Franke (Ankeny)

9:36 am

  • Spencer McCosh (Atlantic)
  • Cooper McCosh (Granite Falls, MN)
  • Wes Dahlhauser (West Des Moines)
  • Troy Pedersen (Treynor)

9:48 am

  • Ron Calhoun (Anita)
  • Rich Ward (Anita)
  • Perry Paulsen (Exira)

10:00 am

  • Jeff Morenz (Atlantic)
  • Rick Thompson (Fairfield)
  • John Willmore

10:12 am

  • Tom Leiferman (Ankeny)
  • Mitch Leiferman (Ankeny)
  • Seth Christensen (Ankeny)
  • Travis Olsen (Anita)

10:24 am

  • Drew Thompson (Lenox)
  • Eric Brown (Mt Ayr)
  • Joe Schafer
  • Ryan Muldoon (Atlantic)

10:36 am

  • Darby Mclaren (Atlantic)
  • Eric Boehlert (Ankeny)
  • Barry Smith (Knoxville)
  • Evan Smith (Knoxville)

10:48 am

  • Matt Haley (Indianola)
  • Michael West (Creston)
  • Trevor Schweers (Corning)
  • Jake Oathoudt (Corning)

11:00 am

  • Rob Langfelt (Walnut)
  • Cooper Langfelt
  • Matt Gross (Atlantic)
  • Andrew Martin (Atlantic)

11:12 am

  • Richard Pendegraft (Elkhorn, NE)
  • Ron Pendegraft (Creston)
  • Roger Fisher
  • Steven Montgomery (Des Moines)

11:24 am

  • Kim Peters (Adair)
  • Mick Lee
  • Merlin Bell (Leon)
  • Paul Huddleson (Atlantic)

11:36 am

  • Alex Snyder (West Des Moines)
  • Matt Wynne (Norwalk)
  • Tanner Dunn (Norwalk)
  • Chase Jahde (Anita)

11:48 am

  • Kamron Brownlee (Griswold)
  • Hogan Hook (Griswold)
  • Steven Martin (Shenandoah)
  • Kywin Tibben (Stanton)

12:00 pm

  • Mitch Burg (Atlantic)
  • Phoenix Shadden (Atlantic)
  • Brody O’Brien (Atlantic)
  • Derek Jacobsen (Omaha, NE)

12:12 pm

  • Chad Buresh (Clive)
  • Troy Finestead (Granger)
  • Jeff Heckroth (Grimes)
  • Steve Valline (Grimes)

12:36 pm

  • Evan Schuler (Altoona)
  • Elijah Block (Jefferson)
  • Ross Martens (Jefferson)
  • Giani Chiodo (Des Moines)

12:48 pm

  • Jaxson Armstrong (West Des Moines)
  • Colby Burg (Creston)
  • Brennan Sefrit (New Market)
  • Cyle Renaud (Atlantic)

1:00 pm

  • Darron Baker (Eagle Grove)
  • Del Miller (Eagle Grove)
  • Tim Dooley (Eagle Grove)
  • Rick Carter

1:12 pm

  • Matthew Gearheart (Waukee)
  • Avery Fuhs (Webster City)
  • Alec Fuhs (Webster City)
  • Jess Marlow

1:24 pm

  • Jake Olsen (Atlantic)
  • Ben Renaud (West Des Moines)
  • Hank Weresh
  • Cole Burmeister (Exira)

Posted in Sports |

RAMONA “MONIE” NEWBURY, 81, of Greenfield (Celebration of Life 8/19/24)

Obituaries

August 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

RAMONA “MONIE” NEWBURY, 81, of Greenfield, died August 6, 2024. Celebration of Life services for RAMONA NEWBURY will be held 1-p.m. Monday, August 19th, at the Greenfield United Methodist Church. Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Sunday, Aug. 18th, from Noon until 5-p.m., with the family greeting friends from 3-until 5-p.m.

Burial is in the Greenfield Cemetery.  A luncheon will follow the burial at the Greenfield United Methodist Church.

Memorials may be directed to the family. Memorial contributions will be distributed at a later date.

RAMONA “MONIE” NEWBURY is survived by:

Her husband – Larry Newbury, of Greenfield.

Her daughter – Donna Ray (Paul Owen), of West Des Moines.

Her sons – Terry (Christina) Newbury, of Des Moines, and Paul (Katie) Newbury, of Granger.

Her sister – Shirley (Tom) Fuhs, of Webster City.

11 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Posted in Obituaries |

JOHN SULLIVAN, 78, of Bridgewater (Celebration of Life 8/13/24 * Not Aug. 19th)

Obituaries

August 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

JOHN SULLIVAN, 78, of Bridgewater, died Thursday, August 8, 2024.  A Celebration of Life service for JOHN SULLIVAN will beginning at 11-a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13th (2024), at the Trinity Christian Church, in Bridgewater. Lamb Funeral Home in Fontanelle is in charge of the arrangements.

The family will greet friends at the church one hour prior to the services on Aug, 13th.

A luncheon will follow the Celebration of Life.

Burial will be in the Witt Cemetery, south of Bridgewater following the luncheon. 

Memorials may be made to the John Sullivan Memorial Fund to be established by the family at a later date.

JOHN SULLIVAN is survived by:

His wife – Merline Sullivan.

His son –  Todd (Lisa) Sullivan, of Broken Arrow, OK.

His daughter – Jodee (Dave) Nelson, of Colorado Springs, CO.

His sister – Janet (Doug) McDermott, of Jefferson.

4 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Posted in Obituaries |

Makers of hemp-infused beverages have adjusted their products, dropping lawsuit

News

August 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa businesses that make two beverages infused with a chemical derived from hemp are dropping their lawsuit against the state. A new state law that took effect in July lowered the amount of T-H-C from hemp that is legally allowed in a single serving. That made the companies’ products illegal.

The businesses sued, arguing Iowa’s law did not follow standards set by a 2018 federal law that legalized the commercial sale of hemp and hemp-based products. A federal judge refused to block Iowa’s law from going into effect, so breweries in Des Moines and Solon re-calibrated their “Climbing Kites” sparkling water and a North Liberty brewery that makes “Day Dreamer T-H-C seltzer changed that recipe to comply with Iowa’s law.

Posted in News |