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Western Iowa detasseling outfit won’t be hiring

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A longtime summer employer in western Iowa won’t be hiring students and adults for the hot and hard work of detasseling. Siouxland Detasseling CEO Ron Foster told the Sioux City Journal that the area decline in seed corn production led to the cutback on hiring. Since 1983 Siouxland has hired more than 200 workers each summer.

Detasselers walk through the rows of corn and pull the pollinating tassels off the top of the plants that will produce seed for future planting. Siouxland Detasseling crews usually work fields north of Onawa to Salix in Iowa and the Jefferson and Elk Point areas in South Dakota.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

U-S Ag Secretary not in favor of splitting food stamps out of farm bill

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Some federal officials suggest the Farm Bill should be split in two, separating agricultural policies from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, argues that food stamps play a big role in ag income and the two should remain united under one piece of legislation. Vilsack says, “When 15-cents of every food dollar that’s spent in the grocery store ends up ultimately in farmers’ pockets, the reality is that the safety net, the nutrition assistance program, is also part of the overall stabilizing farm prices and making sure we have adequate income for our producers to keep them in business.”

Some Washington leaders have suggested the coalition between agricultural and nutrition interests no longer works, but Vilsack disagrees.  “When 15% of America’s population lives in rural America and 85% lives in urban and suburban America and there’s such a disconnect oftentimes between folks who consume and folks who produce our food,” Vilsack says, “it may be difficult in the future if you separate the nutrition programs and the farm programs to get a farm bill done.” Vilsack understands why some have suggested splitting SNAP and ag programs, given the difficulty in passing the last Farm Bill.

“I would sincerely hope that we wouldn’t try to disconnect the two because I think it would make it very difficult to get farm bills and farm programs supported in Congress,” he says. Vilsack argues the nutrition programs provide a safety net for farm income. SNAP accounts for the largest portion of the Farm Bill, or about 768-billion dollars over ten years. Since the 2008 Farm Bill, funding for SNAP has almost doubled.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Rolling Valley Conference Golf Tournament

Sports

May 13th, 2014 by Jim Field

GIRLS:

  1. Exira/EHK 432
  2. Boyer Valley 437
  3. Glidden-Ralston 481
  4. Woodbine 539
  5. Charter Oak-Ute 542
  6. Coon Rapids-Bayard 545

Individuals:

  1. Kara Collins, Exira/EHK 92
  2. Katie Cogdill, BV 98
  3. Jessica Wood, Exira/EHK 104
  4. Brooklyn Wendt, CAM 105
  5. Claire Gambs, BV 106

Girls Rolling Valley Tour 14girls

BOYS:

  1. Coon Rapids-Bayard 335
  2. Glidden-Ralston 362
  3. Exira/EHK 368
  4. Charter Oak-Ute 380
  5. Boyer Valley 387
  6. Woodbine 389
  7. Adair-Casey 428

Individuals:

  1. Colton Lenz, Coon Rapids-Bayard 79
  2. Kyle Behrendt, BV 83
  3. Isaac McAlister, CRB 84
  4. Sam Halverson, CRB 86
  5. Chance Lauritsen, Exira/EHK 86

B

Posted in Sports |

Iowa gambling board won’t reconsider license case

News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission won’t reconsider its decision to not renew the license of the Argosy Sioux Casino operator. Last month the commission declined to rehear the request from Argosy parent Penn National Gaming Co. and ordered the casino to be closed by July 1. Penn National soon asked the commission to reconsider.

Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko says an application for a rehearing is denied unless the commission grants the application within 20 days after it’s filed. He said Monday was the last day that the commission could have called a special meeting and acted on the request.

Penn National has said it will ask a judge to suspend the commission’s order, which would let the riverboat casino remain open while the company pursues various legal challenges.

Posted in News |

Council Bluffs P-D to host NLE Memorial Day Svc.

News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department report the Department will host the National Law Enforcement Memorial Day Service, this Thursday, May 15th. The service will begin with the memorial flag ceremony on the east side of the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, near the flag pole. During the service, fallen officers of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol and Council Bluffs Police Department, will be honored. The ceremony begins at 6:30-p.m.Bluffs bade wblack

Immediately following the flag ceremony, the Law Enforcement Memorial service will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where the Council Bluffs Police Chaplin Corps will perform the service. Afterward, those in attendance are invited to a reception in the St. John’ Fellowship Hall.

During the reception, the Council Bluffs Police Department will graduate the 2014 Citizens Police Academy, and honor the Officer of the Year, as well as additional department personnel. Refreshments will be served.

Posted in News |

Tri-Center Trojan Relays

Sports

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Girls Team Scores 

  1. Audubon 86
  2. Tri-Center 69
  3. Missouri Valley 50
  4. Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 46
  5. Treynor 38
  6. IKM-Manning 37
  7. Shenandoah 36
  8. Exira/EHK 33
  9. Sidney 32
  10. Underwood 30
  11. Riverside 28.5
  12. A-H-S-T 24
  13. Logan-Magnolia 23
  14. St. Albert 18
  15. West Harrison 9.5
  16. CAM 6

Tri-Center Girls Relays Results

Posted in Sports |

Update: 2 tornadoes near Lake Panorama Sunday, 1 near Dallas Center

News, Weather

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The National Weather Service said late Monday evening, there were not one, but two tornadoes that occurred between Guthrie Center and Panora, Sunday night. Officials say the strongest of the tornadoes formed south of Guthrie Center and quickly tracked northeast across Lake Panorama, where it briefly produced EF-2 damage.

A second tornado formed on the north end of Lake Panorama, and damaged a number of homes along the shore, before dissipating. A third tornado formed south of Dallas Center and tracked across farmland, damaging several out buildings. There were no injuries reported.

Track of the 1st tornado (NWS graphic)

Track of the 1st tornado (NWS graphic)

The first tornado formed at around 9:43-p.m. Sunday, 4.5-miles south of Guthrie Center and tracked northeast for nearly 17 miles. The 100-yard wide twister strengthened as it reached Lake Panorama, packing winds of up to 115-miles per hour. It went across Lake Panorama and damaged a number of homes and trees before dissipating 3-miles northeast of Yale.

Tornado 2 track

Tornado 2 track

The second, weaker tornado formed just before 10-p.m. Sunday, about 4-miles northwest of Panora and ended a little more a little than 3-miles northwest of town, or a distance of about nine-tenths of a mile. It was about 120-yards wide and had a peak wind speed of 100-miles per hour. It caused extensive tree, roof and dock damage.

Lake Panorama area damage

Lake Panorama area damage

The third twister happened at around 10:20-p.m. 3.5-miles north-northwest of Dallas Center and ended 6-miles later, 4-miles northwest of Granger. It was 100-yards wide and packed winds of up to 85 miles per hour. The tornado caused damage primarily to farm outbuildings in the rural areas.

Posted in News, Weather |

NWS Forecast for the KJAN listening area: 5/13/2014

Weather

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

346 AM CDT TUE MAY 13 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. NORTHWEST WIND AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE MID 60S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF SHOWERS 30 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW AROUND 40. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S.

Posted in Weather |

Detour in Council Bluffs this morning

News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

If your morning commute takes you near the casinos in Council Bluffs, you may need to be prepared for a detour. The Iowa Department of Transportation reports a portion of Interstate 80 eastbound in Council Bluffs was closed Monday evening and is expected to remain closed until about 8-a.m. today,  while crews make repairs on a “void” under the median and shoulder of I-80 eastbound, between exits 1A and 1B, just before the 24th Street Bridge. The void is in an area where a contractor installed storm sewer pipe several weeks ago.
The void is about a half-mile from a 12-foot-wide hole construction workers encountered last October in the the eastbound lanes of I-80 near the 24th Street exit. The Interstate was shut down after a workers installing a drainage pipe discovered a void directly underneath the roadway. Crews were expected to have worked throughout the night to figure out what caused the void.

According to the Iowa Transportation Department, travelers on I-80 east are being detoured to I-29 north, then to I-680 east, and around Council Bluffs. Travelers on I-29 south approaching I-80 east are being detoured westbound, over the Missouri River Bridge, to Exit No. 454 at 13th Street. Drivers will then be able to access I-80 east, where they will be rerouted to I-29 north, then to I-680 east, and around Council Bluffs.

The construction project is part of the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program, which is a large-scale modernization and rehabilitation of the Interstate system in Council Bluffs.

Posted in News |

Trial to proceed in Oakland murder case

News

May 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The case of an Oakland man charged in connection with the murder of a rural Cass County woman will proceed to a jury trial. According to the Omaha World-Herald, a trial for 63-year old Robert Arthur Reynolds, Jr., will take place July 1st in Pottawattamie County District Court. Reynolds plead not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, Monday afternoon. He was charged in the shooting death of 64-year old Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey.

The shooting took place in Reynolds’ Oakland home during early morning hours of April 9th, during a disturbance that involved alcohol. If convicted on the charge, Reynolds faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Posted in News |