United Group Insurance

Atlantic native/Exira grad killed in eastern Iowa crash

News

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

An eastern Iowa woman with ties to western Iowa, and her husband, died Friday, when the car they were in collided with an agricultural sprayer Friday night on the west side of Van Horne, in eastern Iowa’s Benton County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2009 VW Jetta driven by 42-year old Paul Hofmeyer, of Iowa City, crossed the center line of 70th street and hit the eastbound sprayer driven by 42-year old Jeffrey Selk, of Keystone. Selk was injured and transported to a Cedar Rapids hospital, where he was being treated for his injuries and was expected to survive. Hofmeyer, and his wife, 44-year old Dr. Stacy Lynn Thompson, also of Iowa City, died in the crash. The couple were not wearing their seat belts.

Dr. Stacy Lynn Thompson

Dr. Stacy Lynn Thompson

Dr. Thompson was born in Atlantic, and graduated from the Exira High School before earning her undergraduate degree and medical degree in ophthalmology, graduating with high honors, from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

She is survived by her parents, Mick and Judy Thompson of Exira, her brother, Zachary & wife Kelli, of Austin, TX. A Celebration of Life Memorial service for Dr. Thompson will be held 3-p.m. Wednesday, at the Exira Fellowship Church.

8AM Newscast 04-14-2014

News, Podcasts

April 14th, 2014 by admin

w/ Ric Hanson

Play

Heartbeat Today 04-14-2014

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

April 14th, 2014 by admin

Jim Field discusses getting ready to plant and divide rhubarb this year, despite the funky weather.

Play

2 Denison residents injured, 1 person killed in eastern IA crash

News

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa State Patrol says four people, including two from western Iowa were injured and another person was killed, during a crash Sunday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County. The injured were identified as 50-year old Husen Jagir and 34-year old Afa Gella, both of Denison, as well as 27-year old Onkel Dide, of Ottumwa, and 38-year old Salim Gulay, of Des Moines. Jagir, Gulay and Gella were passengers in a 2003 Toyota Corolla driven by Dide. The name of the person who died in the crash was not released.

The Patrol says the Corolla was westbound on Interstate 80 at around  2:05-p.m., when it went out of control and hit the south wall of I-80 before coming to rest partially on the traveled portion of the road. The car was then hit from behind by a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup, driven by 50-year old Mark McClain, of Russell, IA.

The injured were transported by Johnson County Ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. The accident remains under investigation.

Saturday Golf Results

Sports

April 14th, 2014 by Jim Field

Dale Erickson Invitational @ Anita

  1. Panorama  305
  2. East Mills  338
  3. Glidden-Ralston  365
  4. Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton  367
  5. CAM  384
  6. Panorama JV  387
  7. Audubon  397
  8. Southwest Valley  415
  9. Adair-Casey  526
  10. West Central Valley  596

IKM-Manning Invitational

  1. O-A/BC-IG  349
  2. IKM-Manning  352
  3. Boyer Valley  376
  4. Charter Oak-Ute  475
  • Medalist:  Parker Rasmussen, O-A/BC-IG  79
  • Runner-up:  Zach Dreier, IKM-Manning  82

Audubon City Council to discuss City Clerk position & City organizational design

News

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Audubon City Council is set to meet this evening. During their 7-p.m. session at City Hall, the Council will receive a project update from the Stage Committee. They’ll also act on approving the Stipulation of the Bargaining Unit and hear from Councilman Jason Hocker, with regard to the City Clerk’s Job Description and City Organizational Design.

 

School Board meetings tonight (Mon.)

News

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Members of the Elk Horn-Kimballton and Atlantic School District Boards of Education will hold separate meetings this evening. In Elk Horn, the EHK Board will gather at 5:30-p.m. for a regular session in the Family and Consumer Science Room at the High School, during which they will discuss and take action on: Summer 2014 Driver’s Education Fees; Driver’s Education Teachers; Early Retirement Applications and, Approval of a list of seniors for graduation.

In Atlantic, the Board of Education meets at 7:30-p.m. in the High School Media Center. During their meeting, the Board will hear Special Presentations from Frank Spillers, with regard to the “Scary Guy” program, and with regard to graduation credits at A.H.S.

The Board is also expected to act on General Education, Special Ed., and Amended contracts and/or Letters of Assignment, as well as approve volunteer coaching positions and any resignations. In other, Administrative matters, the Board will appoint a Board Treasurer, and  approve: A sponsor name change; Early retirement applications and resignations; A 1-to-1 Computer proposal; The 2014 Summer School program; The 1st or 2nd readings of various Board Policies, and a recommendation to adjust graduation rate credits to 48.

Discussion items include District Cost Reductions, and the Capital Projects Plan.

Slick roads causing accidents this morning

News

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Slick and/or slushy roads were causing accidents this morning in the listening area. Medivac ambulance was called to the scene of a single-vehicle rollover accident near the Marne exit off Interstate 80, at around 5:35-a.m.  A Cass County Deputy reported from the scene the driver was injured, but the injuries did not appear to have been life threatening. Other accidents along I-80 involved vehicles that slid into the median or ditches.

Roadways are covered with black ice this morning. Along and south of I-80 roads were reported to be partially covered with slush and ice, with the bridges especially dangerous. North of I-80, roads were partially to mostly covered with snow/ice/and-or slush.

Use extra caution when traveling this morning.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Mon., April 14 2014

Podcasts, Weather

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The (podcast) weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area.  Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 48. Our low through 5:30-a.m. today was 26. Precipitation amounted to 1.12-inches, including snowfall of 1/2-inch.

Last year on this date, Atlantic reached a High of 69 degrees. The Low was 33. All-time record high for April 14th in Atlantic was 89, in 2003. The record Low was 11 in 1907. Sunrise is at 6:42 and Sunset is at 7:59.

Play

Catch My Drift: Monitoring for Pesticides in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor

April 14th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DEWITT, Iowa – With the coming start of the growing season in Iowa, a group of volunteer “drift catchers” is preparing to spread out across the state to monitor the air for floating pesticides. Among the group is Greg King, who grows vegetables, fruits and flowers in rural DeWitt, and had some problems with agricultural drift last spring. “It was later found out to be drift of glyphosate or Round-Up,” he said. “It affected one of our crops, which was tomatoes, and they’re extremely sensitive. It also affected some of the trees in our yard, curling up the leaves and in one case, one of the plants died.”

According to Practical Farmers of Iowa, there were nearly 200 reported instances of pesticide drift in the state last year, although many go unseen and unreported. King said one way rural residents and horticulture farmers can minimize the potential for pesticide drift damage is to get on the sensitive crops registry, a directory compiled by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for use by pesticide applicators.

“And it gives the various sprayers in the area an opportunity to look up your particular address in the area where they’re going to be spraying and a chance to realize that perhaps they need to be more diligent,” King said. Beehives can also be registered with the state.

King said that when pesticide applicators know they’re working in a sensitive area, they do have options to minimize drift.

“They can slow the machines down, slow the pumps down, drop the booms. There are several things that can work in conjunction with what I might do on my side of the fence,” he said. “And in my case with a high tunnel, I would drop the sides down, close it off, turn the ventilation fans off, and that type of thing.” A high tunnel is a sort of greenhouse made of plastic sheeting supported by frames.

 

King urged those who want to get on the registry to act before May 1, since the start of the month is frequently when applicators will review the sensitive-crops list.

 

Information on the sensitive-crop registry is at IowaAgriculture.gov. Details on the drift-catcher program are at PANNA.org.