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Significant Winter Storm expected to hit Thursday

News, Weather

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Mild conditions with highs in the 40s and 50s will be common today. It will remain mild but cooler on Wednesday. Precipitation will overspread the area Wednesday night in the form of rain with a few thunderstorms possible south.storm The rain will change to snow from northwest to southeast late Wednesday night through Thursday. Several inches of snow is possible over central and north central Iowa. In addition…strong northwest winds will develop by Thursday after with significant blowing and drifting of snow possible. For this reason, a blizzard watch has been issued for portions of the area Thursday and Thursday night. Hazardous travel conditions will extend over the entire area during this period.

(Nat’l. Weather Service/Des Moines)

Posted in News, Weather |

Tuesday Girls Regional Basketball Schedule

Sports

February 18th, 2014 by Jim Field

Class 1-A Region 7 Quarterfinals

  • Sidney at Stanton
  • Essex at Fremont-Mills
  • Lenox at Murray
  • Lamoni at Bedford

Class 1-A Region 8 Quarterfinals

  • Storm Lake St. Mary’s at Ar-We-Va
  • Westwood at Kingsley-Pierson
  • Heartland Christian at Adair-Casey
  • Woodbine at Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

Class 1-A Region 6 Quarterfinals

  • Martensdale-St. Mary’s vs. Grandview Park Baptist at Ankeny Centennial
  • Guthrie Center vs. Ankeny Christian at Ankeny Centennial
  • Southeast Webster-Grand at Colo-Nesco
  • Paton-Churdan at Coon Rapids-Bayard

Class 2-A Region 8 Quarterfinals

  • St. Albert at Treynor
  • Missouri Valley at Tri-Center
  • Woodbury Central at Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto
  • Lawton-Bronson at Hinton

Class 2A Region 7 Quarterfinals

  • Audubon at South Central Calhoun
  • Riverside at IKM-Manning
  • Earlham at Panorama
  • Mount Ayr at Central Decatur

Posted in Sports |

Iowa’s Bob Feller Museum fading financially

Sports

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

VAN METER, Iowa (AP) – The Bob Feller Museum is scheduled to reopen on April 5, but financial troubles are threatening its survival in his central Iowa hometown of Van Meter. The lack of money forced museum board members to close it on Jan. 3. It opened in 1995 to honor the Hall of Fame pitcher but has faltered since his death on Dec. 15, 2010.

Museum board member Bob DiBiasio told The Des Moines Register that Feller “was the engine that powered that museum.” The museum is working with the city of Van Meter and the Cleveland Indians to develop options.

Posted in Sports |

2 arrests in Montgomery County after authorities investigate suspicious vehicle

News

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Two people were arrested Monday night in Montgomery County following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle, and the subsequent search of a nearby rural residence. Sheriff’s officials say 57-year old John W. Goodall, of Red Oak, was located by a K-9 Unit hiding in a cornfield near the intersection of D Avenue and 130th Street, at around 8-p.m. Goodall faces charges that include Criminal Trespass, Attempted 3rd degree burglary, and Possession of Burglar’s tools. While transporting him to the Montgomery County Jail, the driver of the suspicious vehicle, 28-year old Kendra S. Harlow, of Omaha, who was earlier cited by a deputy for Failure to provide proof of insurance, was observed walking along Highway 34 towards Red Oak. Harlow was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested and held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond. Goodall’s bond was set at $2,000.

Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted by officers with the Red Oak Police Dept., along with those persons who called to alert authorities to a possible crime in progress.

Posted in News |

Blizzard Watch issued for parts of the KJAN listening area Thu. & Thu. night

Weather

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON; 406 AM CST TUE FEB 18 2014

BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING…THE PRECIPITATION WILL SWITCH TO SNOW THURSDAY MORNING AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES WITH SNOW FALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR POSSIBLE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND MAY CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…3 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED. MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY OCCUR.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…THE WIND WILL BE LIGHT INITIALLY WITH THIS SYSTEM AS THE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO SNOW. THE WIND WILL QUICKLY INTENSIFY AS IT BECOMES NORTHWEST AT 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* IMPACTS…IN ADDITION TO THE BLIZZARD POTENTIAL…A BAND OF WET AND HEAVY SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE WET SNOW MAY BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO CAUSE TREE DAMAGE ONCE THE WIND  INCREASES AND COULD LEAD TO DOWNED POWER LINES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES. THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS.

Posted in Weather |

NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: Feb. 18 2014

Weather

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 13 to 16 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light west after midnight.

Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming south 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Wednesday Night: Rain likely, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 32. South wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Snow before noon, then areas of blowing snow and a chance of snow after noon. High near 38. Windy, with a northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Windy.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.

Posted in Weather |

Iowa early News Headines: Tue., Feb. 18 2014

News

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press …

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers have approved legislation that would help veterans more easily obtain occupational licenses or own a home. The unanimous approval by the House Veterans Affairs Committee means the bills are now up for debate on the House floor.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The value of crops fell last year as corn and soybeans prices declined from record highs the year before. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in an annual report the value of 2013 field crops fell 9.8 percent to nearly $167 billion from $185 billion in 2012.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Police in Pennsylvania are asking for help in finding a man in connection with the shooting deaths of Iowa state representative Mary Wolfe’s two sisters in their Pittsburgh home. Police stress that the man is considered a witness, not a suspect. Pittsburgh police homicide detectives on Monday distributed pictures of a man they say was on board the same city bus one sister rode the night before the two were killed.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in the Iowa Senate are working on legislation that would establish more rules for dealing with sexual abuse in the state military. A Senate subcommittee gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would require that the Iowa National Guard provide an annual report to the state legislature about the sexual abuse allegations reported the previous year.

Posted in News |

10-year old Council Bluffs crime solved through DNA evidence

News

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A Nebraska man is in custody in Pottawattamie County, accused of committing a murder 10-years ago that was recently solved through DNA evidence. The Omaha World-Herald reports 47-year old Thomas Sanchez of La Vista, NE is charged with first-degree murder in the July 31st, 2003 stabbing of 33-year old Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez, an Omaha meatpacking plant worker who dressed as a woman, going by the name of “Selena.” Sanchez had pleaded not guilty. His trial is set to begin in April.

On Sept. 23rd, 2013, officials with the Iowa DCI lab contacted Council Bluffs Police to inform them a DNA sample from blood on a $5 bill laying next to the victim’s body, matched that of  Sanchez, who was an inmate at the Douglas County, NE., jail. Sanchez had been sentenced last July to one-year in prison after pleading no contest to the attempted distribution of methamphetamine. He was arrested on a Pott. County warrant in December and is being held in jail on $1-million bond.

Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber told the paper there was no indication that Alvarez-Hernandez’s death was a hate crime. Wilber said investigators are seeking to identify more suspects. Sanchez told investigators he did not know Alvarez-Hernandez and had never been to the scene of the crime. He said he had no idea why his DNA might be at the crime scene.

Court documents allege that Sanchez and Alvarez-Hernandez were both known drug users and that the location of the slaying was a drug house.

Posted in News |

Bluffs woman faces OWI charge following a rollover accident

News

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs say the driver of a Mazda faces a 1st offense OWI charge following an accident on Interstate 29 over the weekend. The Daily NonPareil reports the driver, 22-year old Elizabeth E. Cox, and her passenger, 22-year old Nathanael Long, both of Council Bluffs, were injured during the crash that happened at about the 55-mile marker of I-29 at around 3:30-a.m., Saturday.

Authorities told the paper Cox had just entered the southbound I-29 on ramp off I-480 in a 2006 Mazda 3 when she lost control of the vehicle and made contact with the right hand curb. The vehicle left the roadway, entered the grassy portion off the right hand of the interstate, and continued down the hill. The car rolled and hit a tree and a fence at the bottom of the hill before coming to rest.

Cox, who was trapped in the car, was extricated by mechanical means. She suffered a broken neck and lacerations, and was transported by Council Bluffs Rescue the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where officials were unable to release information on her condition. Long  was able to get out of the wreck on his own. He complained of back pain and was transported by Council Bluffs Rescue to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital for treatment. Both occupants of the vehicle were wearing seat belts.

Authorities arrested Cox on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol-first offense and failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle.

Posted in News |

Shot fired in Council Bluffs over a cell phone bill

News

February 18th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs say a dispute between a father and son over a cellphone bill escalated into gunfire Saturday afternoon. According to the Daily NonPareil the incident happened at around 3-p.m. in an alley outside a residence at 16th and High Streets. Sgt. Chad Meyers told the paper 28-year old Jonathan F. McDowell and his father were arguing when the father allegedly came at his son with a clenched fist, and the son, feeling threatened, pulled out a .45-calber handgun before firing a single round into the ground.

A neighbor called police, who arrived to find the father had fled the scene.Meyers said McDowell legally owned the gun and had a concealed carry permit. Officers cited the 28-year-old for unlawful discharge of a firearm within city limits.

Posted in News |