The (podcast) Freese-Notis weather forecast for Atlantic, and the KJAN listening area, along with weather data for Atlantic.
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The (podcast) Freese-Notis weather forecast for Atlantic, and the KJAN listening area, along with weather data for Atlantic.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1,014.8KB)
Subscribe: RSS
Authorities in Missouri Valley say a local man was arrested earlier this week following a pursuit and three-hour long search while he tried to elude law enforcement in Harrison County. Officials who spoke with The DailyNonPareil said 37-year old Rick A. Erwin, of Missouri Valley, was taken into custody at around 9 p.m. Tuesday near Old Lincoln Highway. Authorities say Erwin was arrested for suspicion of eluding, interference with official acts, reckless driving, driving without a driver’s license, careless driving and a number of other traffic violations. He remains at the Harrison County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
The incident which led to his arrest began at around 5:30-p.m., Tuesday, when a police officer attempted to pull Erwin over as he was driving a 1995 GMC Jimmy with no plate, in Missouri Valley. Erwin failed to stop and continued west onto East Erie Street, eventually leaving the city on U.S. Highway 30. He then reportedly stopped at a gas station. When the police officer exited his cruiser Erwin sped away, traveling east on Highway 30 before entering southbound Interstate 29. While on I-29 Erwin accelerated to speeds in excess of 100 mph, the police department said, before exiting at Loveland, where he traveled east on 145th Street before stopping. Erwin exited and ran across I-29 and down the east shoulder.
The chase and search for Erwin involved officers with the Missouri Valley Police Dept., Harrison and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Departments, the Iowa State Patrol, and an Omaha Police Department helicopter. The search ended just before 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, when officers lost contact with the man and his vehicle. But about one-half hour later, authorities in Harrison County received a call about a subject walking along the railroad tracks north of the DeSoto Avenue and Old Lincoln Highway. They used a thermal imaging device to locate Erwin and take him into custody.
The deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas is prompting questions about regulatory oversight there. In Iowa, officials say fertilizer is only produced at a handful of sites across the state, but many others store fertilizer. Workplace safety in Iowa is overseen by Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement. Administrator Steve Slater says annual inspections aren’t required at most sites that handle fertilizer. “If we have a complaint or a serious injury, they’d certainly fall under our inspection list. But they’re not on a general scheduled inspection list as being a high-hazard industry unless there’s an issue like I just mentioned,” Slater says.
Depending on the circumstances, Slater says the rules may be tighter for plants that process fertilizer. Slater says Iowa has a mostly good track record with fertilizer plants, but the incident in Texas is likely to prompt reviews of regulations nationwide. “This is like the occurrence that just happened in Boston – you can’t predict this stuff – when it does happen, it makes big news and big headlines and provides good opportunities (to discuss) whether we’re doing enough and how we can do things better,” Slater says. Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials say there are at least two existing fertilizer plants in Iowa, located in Fort Dodge and Sergeant Bluff. A third facility has just begun construction in southeast Iowa’s Lee County.
The state Department of Agriculture’s website lists more than 3,000 companies licensed to store, sell or distribute fertilizer in Iowa. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates 700 retail facilities in Iowa that store more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. Four people died and 15 more were injured when ammonium nitrate exploded at a plant near Sioux City in 1994.
(Radio Iowa)
346 AM CDT FRI APR 19 2013
EARLY THIS MORNING…CLOUDY…BREEZY. NORTHWEST WIND 20 TO 25 MPH.
TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 20 TO 25 MPH.
TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG EARLY IN THE MORNING. LOW IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT.
SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN. NOT AS COOL. LOW IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.
SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS. LOW IN THE LOWER 40S.
MONDAY…SHOWERS LIKELY AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.
MONDAY NIGHT…RAIN SHOWERS LIKELY. LOW IN THE MID 30S. CHANCE OF SHOWERS 60 PERCENT.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carlos Beltran hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth, Adam Wainwright pitched seven solid innings and the St. Louis Cardinals escaped a ninth-inning jam for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. Philadelphia put runners at first and third with nobody out against Edward Mujica, but the fill-in closer retired three straight batters to preserve the victory.
Yadier Molina went 3 for 4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals, who had seven hits one night after getting held to Beltran’s seventh-inning double in a 5-0 loss to A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wainwright (3-1) wasn’t as sharp as his previous start, when he pitched a four-hitter and matched a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in an 8-0 win over Milwaukee, but he was still effective.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid will make his return to Philadelphia when Kansas City visits the Eagles for a Thursday night game in mid-September. Kansas City opens the season Sept. 8 at Jacksonville, plays its home opener Sept. 15 against Dallas, and then visits the Eagles — where Reid spent 14 years as head coach — on Sept. 19 for a prime-time game. The Chiefs return home against the Giants on Sept. 29, visit Tennessee the next week, and then have three straight at Arrowhead Stadium against Oakland, Houston and Cleveland. They visit Buffalo before a bye week Nov. 10, and then visit the Broncos before two more at home against San Diego and Denver. The Chiefs play three of their last four on the road: at Washington and Oakland, against Indianapolis on Dec. 22, and at San Diego to finish the season.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid denied a report Thursday that the team has given permission to the Miami Dolphins to speak with left tackle Branden Albert. Reid said the report was not true, denying any suggestion the Chiefs granted permission to help facilitate a trade of the franchise tackle for a second-round pick in next week’s draft. Albert has not attended any of the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason workouts after expressing his displeasure with getting the franchise tag. Albert said he wants a long-term commitment, and has indicated he’s unwilling to move to the right tackle. Nevertheless, Albert has already signed the tender, which means he will make about $9.3 million if he plays for Kansas City under the franchise tag next season.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith has been relishing his chance to get on the field with the Kansas City Chiefs. Even if it’s April, and only for three days — all without pads. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been itching for the moment ever since he learned of the trade that sent him to Kansas City. The Chiefs finished a voluntary, three-day minicamp Thursday, which is allowed for teams that underwent an offseason coaching change. They’ve certainly been helpful for a team that also experienced a quarterback change. Smith has been able to bore into the Chiefs’ playbook, begin building chemistry with his wide receivers and offensive line, and get some hands-on work with coach Andy Reid and new offensive coordinator Doug Pederson.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild are moving their primary minor league team to Iowa. The Wild made the long-anticipated announcement Thursday that their American Hockey League affiliate will relocate from Houston to Des Moines, starting next season. Wild chief operating officer Matt Majka says the organization was unable to agree on terms of a new arena lease at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The Aeros have been the Wild’s top minor league club in the 30-team AHL since 2001. Des Moines is about a 3½-hour drive from the Twin Cities.
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa says a mudslide behind a residence hall has damaged several vehicles in its parking lot. The university said yesterday that heavy rains caused the mudslide behind Mayflower Residence Hall late Wednesday night. No one was injured, but the parking lot behind Mayflower became inundated with several feet of mud and debris.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state treasury has received an annual payment from tobacco companies totaling more than $65 million. The payment is the result of a 1998 settlement agreement between tobacco companies and states over tobacco-related health care costs.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa program geared at helping people avoid foreclosure has received a federal grant for more than $600,000. The Iowa Mortgage Help foreclosure prevention initiative received the grant from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. State officials announced the award yesterday.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of Midwest bankers says that strong farm income continues to boost the economy in Iowa, Nebraska and other Plains states. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey from Omaha, Nebraska. He says agricultural businesses and energy-producing firms continue to thrive in the region.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union is seeking an order stopping the enforcement of Iowa laws that make it a crime to abuse the American flag. ACLU filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., whose members are known for protesting outside soldiers’ funerals with anti-gay messages. The lawsuit says police in Red Oak and Council Bluffs threatened to enforce Iowa’s flag abuse statutes against during protests between 2010 and 2012.
The lawsuit argues the laws are unconstitutional, and were invalidated by a federal judge’s ruling in 2007. Lawmakers amended one of the laws after that ruling, but ACLU attorney Randall Wilson says they remain an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. Church members drag, stand and spit on flags during protests.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of bankers says that strong farm income continues to boost the economy in rural areas of 10 Midwest and Plains states. The overall economic index for the region grew to 58.3 in April from March’s 56.9. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey. He says agricultural businesses and energy-producing firms continue to thrive in the region.
But the continued growth in farmland price index that hit 66.9 in April remains a concern for smaller farmers. The index ranges from 0 to 100, with 50 representing growth neutral. Any score above 50 suggests economic growth in the months ahead. The index is based on a survey of rural bankers in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.