712 Digital Group - top

Large Hail, Damaging winds & heavy rain possible today & tonight

News, Weather

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The National Weather Service says there is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms in the KJAN listening area this afternoon and tonight. The main threat at this time appears to be from large hail and damaging winds, and, although heavy rain is also possible (1-2″), the flooding threat remains low.  Spotter activation may be needed today and tonight across portions of west central and southwest Iowa.

Periods of showers and thunderstorms can be expected Tuesday through Thursday. The Weather Service says there is a low chance of an isolated thunderstorm across southern Iowa Tuesday, but the widespread threat for severe weather remains minimal.

Crawford County Couple bequeaths $600,000 to area communities & organizations

News

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The former publishers of a Denison Newspaper who died in 2009 bequeathed more than $600,000 to seven western Iowa communities and several area organizations.  According to the Omaha World-Herald, the monies were left in a trust by the estate of Richard and Deloris Knowles, who owned the Denison Bulletin & Review, which they sold in 1998, and is now owned by the Omaha World-Herald Company.

Among the towns which received the private funds in February, was: Charter Oak…$26,389; the town of Rickets, $51,000. Other communities benefitting from the trust fund include: Manilla, Dow City, Westside, and Manning.

Several organizations also received a share of the funds, including: the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church of Denison; the Donna Reed Foundation; the Denison Community School District; the Iowa Newspaper Foundation; and, First United Methodist Church of Denison.

King challenges Vilsack to six debates

News

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The match-ups for Iowa’s June primary voting have been set, but a general election show-down in a congressional race heated up over the weekend. Christie Vilsack is unopposed in her race to win the Democratic Party’s nomination in Iowa’s fourth congressional district and Steve King, the Republican Congressman she hopes to defeat in November, has challenged Vilsack to six debates. “I have a long record and it’s full of thousands of votes and probably thousands of public positions that I’ve taken over the years — no shortage of figuring out where I stand and it’s not going to change, by the way,” King said last Thursday. “This is going to be a long process to try to figure out where she stands. That’s what I expect and so there’ll be a lot of questions to ask her.” Christie Vilsack’s campaign manager says it’s “refreshing” that King “has acknowledged…that Iowans deserve a debate, something he has avoided since taking office.” King has not debated a Democratic opponent since he became a congressman in 2003.

(by O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Mon., March 19 2012

Podcasts, Weather

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Harvey Freese, and the weather stats for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

Play

RUBY OLSEN, 85, of Exira (Svcs. 3-22-12)

Obituaries

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

RUBY OLSEN, 85, of Exira, died Mon., March 19th, at the Exira Care Center. Funeral services for RUBY OLSEN will be held 10:30-a.m Thu., March 22nd, at the Exira Lutheran Church. Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation is open at the funeral home from 8am-5:30pm Tuesday, & from 8am-5pm Wednesday, with the family present Wed. from 5-7pm.

Burial will be in the Exira Cemetery.

Ruby Olsen is survived by:

Her children – Gary (LuAnn) Olsen, of Exira; Bradley Olsen & special friend, Mary Bracsfield, of Firth, NE; & Marsha Hansen, of Lincoln, NE.

9 grandchildren.

IA News Headlines: Mon., March 19th 2012

News

March 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating a shooting that killed one person and critically injured another in Burlington, Iowa. Police said the shooting was reported around 10 p.m. Friday close to the shopping area near Central and Division streets.

PERCIVAL, Iowa (AP) — Two members of a Tennessee family are dead and five others are hurt after their SUV rolled on Interstate 29 in western Iowa and a semi-truck struck crashed through the wreckage. The Iowa State Patrol said 24-year-old Maria Ledezma and 15-year-old Alex Ledezma were killed around 7 a.m. yesterday in the crash near Percival. Five other members of the family from Smyrna, Tennessee were taken to an Omaha hospital.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Two people have died after being thrown from a motorcycle in Cedar Rapids this weekend. The Gazette reports that the accident happened around 11:20 p.m. Saturday. The 27-year-old male driver died at the scene of the accident. His 32-year-old female passenger died at a hospital a short time later. Police did not immediately release the motorcycle accident victims’ names yesterday.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A rare pipe organ built in Mason City more than a century ago may have be to dismantled and sold for parts if a new owner can’t be found. The Globe Gazette reports the organ was built by the Verney Organ Company and is one of three known to exist. It’s been housed at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids for the past several years.

EHK and CAM School Boards to hold regular meetings Monday evening

News

March 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The CAM and Elk Horn-Kimballton School Boards of Education will hold their separate, regular meetings Monday evening. In Elk Horn, the EHK Board will hold a special, closed-session at 6:30 to review or discuss student records which are required or authorized by State or Federal law, to be kept confidential. Once the board returns to open session, they will discuss and/or act on matters pertaining to student records. Their regular session begins at 7-p.m.  Action items include: Approving a budget guarantee resolution; the publishing of the 2012-2013 budget, along with the setting of the date and time for a public hearing on the budget; a Special Education agreement with the Johnston Community School District; and, approval of the 2012-2013 District Calendar.

In Anita, the CAM School Board will gather at 7-p.m., to hold public hearings on: an application to the Dept. of Education for a 2012-2013 school year early start date; and, the 2012-2013 budget. Other discussion and/or action items on their agenda include: the presentation of final plans and specifications for the Multi-Purpose Building (MPB); acting on a resolution setting the bid date and public hearing on the MPB, and, a resolution approving the contract and bonds for the bleacher project; action on approving a budget guarantee resolution; and, the 2010-2012 Anita Community School District Audit report.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board to discuss Capital Improvement Projects and Summer Prgms.

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors will meet Monday evening in the Council’s chambers at City Hall. During their 5:15-p.m. session, the Board will receive updates on their Capital Improvement Projects, discuss Summer Recreation Programs, programming and fees at the Sunnyside Pool, adding mileage charts for the Schildberg Quarry Trails, and other matters pertaining to the Quarry Rec Area. Other topics include the opening of streets and restrooms at Sunnyside Park, and Sunday concerts at the Sunnyside park.

Oregon Outruns Iowa 108-97 in NIT

Sports

March 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — E.J. Singler scored 25 points, Olu Ashaolu had 22 points and Oregon defeated Iowa 108-97 in the second round of the NIT on Sunday. Carlos Emory also had 19 points, and Devoe Joseph and Garrett Sim scored 15 each for the Ducks (24-9), who rallied from a 15-point deficit in the first half to advance to the quarterfinals and a game against Pac-12 rival Washington in Seattle on Tuesday. Oregon’s 108 points was its most in a game since beating UC Riverside 108-67 Dec. 28, 2002. Devyn Marble led the Hawkeyes (18-17) with 31 points and made all seven of his 3-point attempts. He shot 10 of 15 overall. Aaron White also scored 22 for Iowa, Melsahn Basabe had 17 points and Bryce Cartwright had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Oregon took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Joseph with 11:44 to play in the game that made it 71-68.

Man sentenced for raping woman at a western Iowa rest stop

News

March 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

 ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A 24-year-old Wyoming man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for kidnapping and raping a 19-year-old woman at knifepoint in a rest stop bathroom near Onawa.  The Sioux City Journal reports that Mark Bitzan was sentenced Friday for his January convictions of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree sexual assault.  The Monona County Attorney says Bitzan took the victim to a bathroom stall at an Interstate 29 rest stop in 2010, threatened her with a knife and sexually assaulted her.  Bitzan was convicted in 2006 of a sexual assault in Natrona County, Wyoming.