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Walnut home damaged in Monday morning fire

News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Walnut, Iowa) – Firefighters from Atlantic and Marne were requested by Walnut Fire late Monday morning, to assistant Walnut Fire with a residential structure fire. The call for mutual aid went out to at around 11:51-a.m.

A fire in an upstairs bedroom took place at 50596 Highway 83. Walnut Fire Chief Rob Akers reported smoke was coming from roof of the home upon the arrival of the first crews. The fire, he said, started when a malfunctioning electrical wire ignited a mattress. Akers reported there was significant damage to the upstairs of the home.

Firefighters from Avoca and Hancock were on-hand to assist in conducting containment operations. Atlantic and Marne Fire, as mentioned, were en route to the scene when they were told to disregard their page at around 12:03-p.m. Those units returned to their quarters and were back in-service a short-time later.

Search for a missing Sac County man temporarily suspended

News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

SAC CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A volunteer search organization assisting in finding a missing Sac County man, temporarily suspended searches, Monday. as they try determine new locations to investigate. Jake Rowley, the Midwest team leader for the non-profit United Cajun Navy search and rescue organization, said on social media Sunday night, that weren’t conducting any organized searches for 53-year-old David Schultz, of Wall Lake. The pause, he said, is so that they can regather any known information to determine new search areas. Searches may possibly resume on Wednesday, according to Rowley.

Sarah Schultz, David Schultz’s wife, said she last saw her husband at around 7:30-p.m. on Nov. 20th, before he left their home. David was a truck driver and had to deliver a load of hogs from Eagle Grove to Sac City, but he never made it to Sac City. His truck was found the next morning on Highway 71 on the road about seven miles north of Sac City, with the trailer still fully loaded with the hogs. David’s wallet and phone were found in the semi and his jacket was found in a nearby ditch. David is a white male who is approximately 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes. He was last known to be wearing Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, and a Peterbilt hat.

Anyone with information about David Schultz or where he may be is asked to call the Sac County Communications Center at 712-662-7127. In the update announcing they were temporarily suspending searches, Rowley said that they have so far searched more than 100,000 acres and feel they may have exhausted all possible locations. Instead, they will be focused on “specialized teams and investigators to try and receive any new leads” as they work with law enforcement.

UPDATE: Woman arrested in connection with an Indianola woman’s kidnapping and injury

News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – In update to our previous report, officials with the Des Moines Police Department, Monday, said another person was arrested in connection with the kidnapping and injury over the weekend, of a woman from Indianola. Authorities said 34-year-old Jessica Wheeler faces a charge of Kidnapping in the 1st Degree in connection with the investigation. Police said “Evidence indicates that she is a co-conspirator in crimes committed against the victim.” Earlier, authorities said the victim’s ex-boyfriend, 40-year-old Jordan Mangum, of Indianola, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, willful injury, and violation of a no-contact order. He is being held at the Polk County Jail.

(Original DM PD press release)

Just before 9-pm Saturday night, patrol officers were notified by officers with the Osceola Police Department that a 32-yr-old female was at the Clark Co Hospital reporting that at approximately 2:30 a.m., she had been bound with duct tape and kidnapped from her Des Moines home by her ex-boyfriend and held until being dropped off outside the hospital. The victims injuries were serious, and she was transferred to a Des Moines hospital for surgery. Detectives were able to interview the victim following surgery.
Evidence indicates that after being taken from her home, the victim was moved to a residence in Indianola where she was held against her will. The victim was later place into a vehicle and transported to an unknown location outside of Indianola where she was forced out of the vehicle. The victim was then choked, run over by the vehicle, and had her throat cut. The victim pleaded for her attacker to stop. The victim was placed back in the vehicle and was driven to the Clark County Hospital and dropped off in the street.
Late Sunday afternoon, DMPD detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in Indianola. 40-yr-old Indianola resident Jordan Mangum has been charged with Kidnapping-1st Degree, Willful Injury, and Violation of a No Contact Order.
The victim remains hospitalized as she recovers from her injuries.

Weather could impact success of deer hunting

Ag/Outdoor, News, Sports

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The state’s first gun deer season wraps up Wednesday and the success of hunters could depend on the type of weather they saw. D-N-R State Deer Biologist, Jace Elliott, says they recently built a model that shows how specific weather conditions impact hunters. “Snow falling on opening day tends to increase harvest. But accumulated snow depth throughout the season has a negative relationship with harvest, meaning, the more snow that’s on the ground throughout the season, means less deer harvested, generally speaking,” Elliott says. Other weather conditions can also impact hunting success. “Rainfall also has a negative impact on deer harvest. But cooler temperatures tend to increase harvest,” he says.

Elliot says adverse weather conditions may make hunters focus more on getting a deer so they can get back out of the woods. “You know, it’s hard, it’s hard to say. And it could be a social phenomenon, meaning it influences hunter behavior that leads to more deer harvested,” Elliott says, “or it could be biological, meaning that deer have a higher likelihood of being harvested.” His personal experience is the snow can help you when you are hunting deer. ” You know, I certainly think it’s a lot easier to spot deer on the landscape when there’s you know, snow covering the ground, but it’s also perhaps easier to drive deer when you can see fresh tracks,” Elliott says.

The second deer gun season will run through the 17th.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Tue., Dec. 5, 2023

Weather

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny. Breezy. High near 39. N/NW winds 5-15 mph w/gusts to 25.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 23.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 50. S/SW wind 10-20 w/gusts to around 25 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. S/SW wind 10-20 mph.
Thursday: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 60.
Thu. Night: Mostly clear & breezy, with a low around 34.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 39. The Low was 26. We received a trace of snow Monday morning. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 46 and the Low was 21. The Record High on December 5th in Atlantic, was 66, in 2001. The Record Low was -14 in 2005. Sunrise is at 7:30. Sunset at 4:50.

Study: Diabetes cases have more than doubled since 2003

News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s obesity rate is soaring and a new federal report says the number of American adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Diabetes is a potentially life-altering condition that affects nearly 40-million people nationwide. Dr. Donna O’Shea at UnitedHealthcare is concerned the growing prevalence of diabetes could affect human longevity.

“Many people attribute that to the weight changes that we are seeing,” O’Shea says. “Obesity, starting in childhood and then, of course, getting worse as you become an adult and very high in the adult population. That obesity can affect all different disease states, but significantly diabetes.”

A state study in 2017 found nearly 232-thousand adult Iowans with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is when your body cannot use the insulin it produces, resulting from poor nutrition. It accounts for nearly 95-percent of all cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study also found an increase in the number of people under age 20 developing diabetes, which O’Shea says is a disturbing trend.

“We know, first of all, that the risk of childhood obesity is increasing. It’s now up to one in five young people,” she says. “The number of adults with diabetes has more than doubled in the last 2 decades, so, this is really becoming a significant health problem.”

According to a report released this fall by Trust for America’s Health, Iowa is among 22 states with an adult obesity rate at or above 35%, with Iowa reaching 37%. O’Shea says the steady rise in diabetes cases is why it’s important to stay active and eat a nutritious diet. “Even when you have diabetes, you need to control those blood sugar surges. For example, you want to be eating healthy proteins such as chicken, fish, or turkey, as well as non-starchy, fibrous vegetables like broccoli, green beans or carrots, and a moderate amount of carbohydrates.”

Carbs in the food you eat raises those blood sugar levels. The CDC recommends you keep track of how many carbs you eat and set a limit for each meal, as it can help keep your blood sugar levels in your target range. The Mayo Clinic says a person who eats two-thousand calories a day should be eating about 225 grams of carbs a day.

Iowa to host its premier gathering for black farmers

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The state’s first-ever Iowa Black Farmers Conference is planned to be held in Des Moines later this month. Conference co-founder Todd Western the Third says his family has owned a farm in near Waterloo for more than 150 years. Western says growing up, he only knew of one other black farmer in the state. He says it’s important for black farmers to know they’re not alone.

“This is significant because it’s bringing together farmers of color who are scattered across the state to foster a sense of belonging and community,” Western says. “It’s also supposed to be information sharing. This platform will provide access to crucial information from agriculture industry officials that might not typically come to smaller or more remote farm communities. And lastly, celebrating our contributions.” After attending an event in North Carolina focused on black farmers, Western says he wanted to bring black farmers together in Iowa.

Western says, “Because I know how important it was for my son, who’s going to eventually — along with my nieces and nephews — take over the farm at some point, it’s important for them not to have the same experience that I had, thinking that we were the only ones.”

The conference is scheduled for December 16th. U.S.D.A. data from 2017 shows black farmers make up less than one-percent of the farmers in Iowa. Western says he hopes the Iowa Black Farmers Conference becomes an annual event and that it helps establish a network of black farmers that people can turn to in the future.

Nunn invites US House GOP leaders to Iowa to talk Farm Bill

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Congressman Zach Nunn, who represents Iowa’s third district, is inviting the top two Republicans in the U-S House to Iowa. “The Farm Bill right now needs direct leadership support,” Nunn says. “…As a member of the Ag Committee, I want to make sure that the leadership team knows what a priority this is not just for Iowa, but for the entire country.” The 2018 Farm Bill expired September 30th and last month congress voted to extend it to September of 2024.

“It is foundational to the future of America’s national security and our growers. We need to the speaker to have the opportunity to come here and get a good deep dive on this,” Nunn says. “Let’s not forget, the speaker has gotten to be on the job for just about a month and there is a steep learning curve here. Let’s be one of the first ones to give him a tutorial on the advantages of what a Farm Bill can do not just for Iowa, but for the whole world.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson AND House Republican Leader Steve Scalise are both from Louisiana, where the main crops are sugar cane, rice and cotton. “While I salute my Cajun brothers from Louisiana, I want to make sure they get to spend a little bit of time in the heartland, talking with the men and women who are actually feeding the bulk of the country, who are fueling a third of the country,” Nunn says.

The 2018 Farm Bill has provided about eight BILLION dollars in federal subsidies for crop insurance every year. The insurance covers revenue and yield losses in more than 100 crops, but the main ones are corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton.

Griswold girls basketball fall to Riverside

Sports

December 4th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

The Griswold girls basketball team held on in the first half against Riverside, but fell a part in the second to lose at home 53-30 on Monday night. Adaline Martens led the team with 14 points, including 5 baskets in the second half. Sydney Somers had 10 and Elly Henderson had 8 to help the Bulldogs get the win.

Griswold started slow but kept pace in the first quarter to only be down 14-9. Griswold’s Abby Gohlinghorst had three treys in the first half to try and keep her team in the game. Yet an 11-3 run to end the half pushed the lead to 13 by halftime making it 26-13 Riverside. The final two threes of  Gohlinghorst’s night came in the third quarter, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Bulldog’s blew the game open to a 47-18 lead by the end of the third.  Free throws helped to expand the lead as well as Riverside ended up in the bonus both halves and finished 13-18 from the stripe.

Griswold Head Coach Ryan Lockwood said it was nice to see Gohlinghorst get into a rhythm from behind the arc as she finished the night with 16 points.

Coach Lockwood wants to see continual improvement from Griswold for Tuesday’s game.

The Tigers will stay at home with a 1-2 record to face Stanton starting at 6:00 p.m. Riverside’s road schedule continues with a 2-1 record and they will play in Underwood Tuesday night.

Griswold Tigers basketball labor to contain Riverside scoring

Sports

December 4th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

The Griswold Tigers boys’ basketball team took a loss at home against Riverside 75-39 Monday night. The game started with each team exchanging shots in the first quarter and a few Peyton Cook baskets. The first quarter would end with Riverside leading 12-9. The game started to turn in the second quarter with continuous passes to Grady Jeppesen who scored 19 points in the first half and helped craft a 39-23 Bulldog lead. The momentum continued to slide towards Riversides favor with an offensive outpouring, scoring 23 points and only allowing Griswold to score 6 points in the third. In the fourth quarter the fast tempo continued for Riverside and they handled Griswold with a final score of 75-39.

The leading scorer on the night for Riverside was Grady Jeppesen with 35 points and Mason McCready with 9. But the offensive showcase from Jeppesen wasn’t the sole reason the Bulldogs has such a good night. Griswold Head Coach Matthew Spunaugle noted the difference rebounds can make.

Griswold’s leading scorer was Peyton Cook with 10 points and two 3 pointers. His effort’s to not only shoot consistently but pass the pall selflessly to his teammates impressed Coach Spunaugle.

The Bulldogs stay undefeated with an improved 3-0 record and travel to Underwood on Tuesday. Griswold falls to 1-2 and will stay at home to face Stanton Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.