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Iowa leads the nation in grain bin entrapment deaths

Ag/Outdoor, News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – A new Purdue University study says grain bin entrapments and other confined space accidents on the nation’s farms fell to their lowest level in a decade last year. Iowa led the nation with seven incidents.

Purdue’s study shows the U.S. had 47 entrapments in grain bins and other confined spaces in 2015. That’s 34 percent less than 2014’s 71 entrapments and the fewest since 46 were recorded in 2006. Purdue says 25 people died last year in entrapments, down from 31 in 2014.

But Bill Field, a Purdue professor of agricultural safety and health, says many nonfatal entrapments go unreported each year because there’s no mandatory national reporting system.

In addition to Iowa, other states reporting grain bin entrapment deaths include: Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin and South Dakota.

Exira/EHK Seniors: Scholarship Application Deadline Is March 31st

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Audubon County Community Foundation reminds students that the deadline for submitting applications for the Exira Lions Club/Harold and Beverly Ann Godwin Endowed Scholarship is March 31st. The Fund will award one scholarship for $1,000 and is open to any high school senior from the Exira-EHK School District pursuing a two or four-year degree, full-time, at any accredited vocational/technical, educational institution, a college or university.

Applicants are asked to complete the application form and submit it with a copy of their current transcripts to their high school guidance counselor, as directed in the scholarship’s fact sheet. Scholarship applications are available from the guidance counselor.

The Audubon County Community Foundation Board members are: Chair, Brett Irlmeier of Audubon; Vice Chair, Jonnie Meislahn of Audubon; Secretary/Treasurer, Barbara Johnson of Audubon; Genelle Deist of Audubon; Jay Nelson of rural Brayton; Daryl Olsen, DVM, of Audubon; and Joseph T. Rasmussen of Exira.

Iowa woman’s trial in 2014 slaying set to begin

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A trial is set to begin for a Council Bluffs woman accused of fatally stabbing her ex-boyfriend. The Daily Nonpareil reports the trial of Jodie Sherman, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the July 2014 death of Douglas Richt, was starting today (Tuesday) at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs.

Sherman is accused of stabbing Richt in the throat during an argument after he picked her up in a car. Richt died while being taken to a hospital. Sherman was arrested shortly after running away. During a Monday pre-trial hearing, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matthew Wilber said defense attorneys are expected to use the defense of insanity.  On Feb. 9, Sherman waived her right to a jury, so District Judge Kathleen Kilnoski will hand down a verdict.

CAM students: McCurdy Scholarship Deadline is March 31st!

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Community Foundation reminds students that the deadline for submitting applications for the Dustin McCurdy Endowed Scholarship Fund is March 31st. The McCurdy Scholarship provides two scholarships of approximately $500 each to high school seniors from Cumberland Anita Massena High School (C-A-M).

Applicants are asked to complete the application form and submit it with a copy of their current transcripts to their guidance counselor as directed in the scholarship’s fact sheet. Applications are available from their high school guidance counselor.

Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are: Chair, Nicholas Hunt of rural Atlantic; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of rural Griswold; Beulah Follmann of Massena; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.

Class 1A Boys Playoff Basketball tonight on KJAN

Sports

February 23rd, 2016 by admin

IKM-Manning High School will host Class 1A District 14 Semi-Finals tonight and we will have coverage on KJAN.

The first game of the night will be the season rubber match between Exira-EHK and Paton Churdan at 6:30pm.  The Rockets won the first game of the season against the Spartans 65-59 on December 1st. Sophomore Joe Tower led the way in that opening win with 22 points.  The second meeting was played on January 8th and the Spartans edged out a 46-45 win as Drew Buckholdt dropped in 15 points.  The two teams will settle the score tonight as they try to advance to the District Final on Thursday night.

The second game will feature the Audubon Wheelers against the IKM-Manning Wolves at 8:00pm.  The Wolves swept the Wheelers during the regular season posting a 63-46 win on December 8th in Audubon and a 74-63 win on January 19th in Manning.  The Wheelers will try to make the third time the charm coming off a big win over Glidden-Ralston to get to this game.  Sophomore Tyler Riebhoff is hitting full stride at the end of the season and had a monster game with 28 points in the Wheelers’ win over the Wildcats in the quarterfinals. IKM-Manning is led by Senior Kyle Wagner who is averaging 22 points per game.  He led all scorers in both of the previous contests with 27 and 22 points.

We’ll have pregame coverage starting at 6:20pm tonight before the first game. Join Chris Parks and Seth Christensen for the broadcast on AM1220, FM101.1, online at kjan.com, and on the mobile app.

Atlantic man arrested on drug charge

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Monday, of 28-year old Casey Sampson, of Atlantic. Sampson was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. He was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Powerball dropped revamp that gave better odds

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The group that runs the Powerball lottery game approved, then abandoned, changes that would have given ticket buyers more bang for their two bucks than the redesign implemented last year. Powerball managers changed the game’s odds in October to build bigger jackpots and revive lagging player interest. The strategy quickly paid dividends for state lotteries, causing soaring ticket sales as a jackpot grew to a record $1.6 billion last month.

Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press show a different Powerball overhaul was initially planned to increase jackpots while providing more value for players. The “Power Play” that multiplies cash prizes for an extra $1 would have been embedded in the base $2 ticket. A new $1 add-on would have entered players into a second jackpot drawing for $10 million.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Partners with State Drug Control Office to Expand Medication Drop off Locations

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker has announced the placement of a permanent Medication Drop box (Iowa Take Back drop box) located in the Jail lobby of the Sheriff’s Office located at 1400 Big Lake Road. Sheriff Danker said the drop box is made possible through a small grant from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy to address the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse. The drop box will be accessible to the public during normal business hours or Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Pott Co Sheriff

Citizens wishing to utilize the medication drop box are asked to place all medications in sealed nonbreakable containers and are requested to not include any “sharps” (syringes or lancets) or any other item that could cause injury to the Sheriff’s Office staff servicing the drop box. Remove all personal identification from your unneeded “controlled prescription drugs,” seal the medicines in vials and/or bags, take them to your nearest Iowa Take Back drop box site, and anonymously place your medicines in the secure drop box.

Find additional Iowa Take Back sites at: http://www.iowa.gov/odcp/drug_information/takebacks.html. Most prescription drug drop boxes are located a short distance inside the main public entrance of local law enforcement centers. If you have questions, call ahead to the law enforcement agency.

Two medics pass by recent semi crash, save driver’s life

News

February 23rd, 2016 by Ric Hanson

A semi truck driver in Iowa who suffered a medical condition might not be alive today if not for the fact that an ambulance happened to pass by shortly after the driver left a highway. It happened Sunday evening, not far from the Des Moines airport. Bob Soukup, spokesperson for the Indianola Fire Department, says two medics from Indianola were returning home from a Des Moines hospital following an EMS call when they came upon the semi truck in the median of Highway 5. They stopped and found the driver was unresponsive and without a pulse.

“They pulled the driver onto the ground and began CPR,” Soukup said. “They retrieved equipment from the ambulance and started rescue breathing and chest compressions, with the aid of bystanders.” The victim was in cardiac arrest and paramedic Jason Kling and EMT Kayla Schark used a defibrillator. “They were able to resuscitate the patient successfully and as they were preparing to transport him in the ambulance, he was regaining consciousness and speaking to them,” Soukup said.

Information about the semi truck driver, such as his name and age, were not released. But, Soukup said it’s expected the man will make a full recovery.

(Radio Iowa)

Backyard & Beyond 2-23-2016

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

February 23rd, 2016 by Jim Field

LaVon Eblen visits with Cass County Landfill Director Brandi Hansen about cleaning up those hazardous waste items.

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