LaVon Eblen visits with Iowa Western Community College Cass County Center Director Ann Pross about the Jazz & Wine fundraiser this Sunday.
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LaVon Eblen visits with Iowa Western Community College Cass County Center Director Ann Pross about the Jazz & Wine fundraiser this Sunday.
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(Radio Iowa) — Mother Nature set a new record for Iowa in February. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says “The preliminary numbers have us at 22.5 inches of snow averaging across the State, which would break the record set in 1962. Glisan says having nearly two feet of snow fall in Iowa in February is NOT normal. “In a given February, we typically get 6.8 inches over the 30-year average, so yes, that’s a lot more snow than what we tend to get.” The accumulation of snow during this winter SEASON is setting records, too. Glisan says that’s remarkable because December temperatures were five degrees ABOVE average and the majority of precipitation that fell before the turn of the year was rain. “It wasn’t until we got into January and, especially February, when we started getting record snowfall,” Glisan says.
A “snow pack” was established early in the season with the blizzard after Thanksgiving in southern Iowa, according to Glisan. His data shows from southwest Iowa up through northeast Iowa there’s been between 30 and 40 inches of snow so far this winter. Glisan says “And in [the] very central portion of the border between Minnesota and Iowa, 50 to 60 inches , so some pretty big accumulation.” As for what’s causing this snow cycle, Glisan points to what he calls the “arctic intrusion” in late January. That’s when temperatures dipped to the negative 30 and negative 40 range.
“We’ve been stuck after that in a very active Polar Jet pattern, where we have, every four or five days, systems moving through the State, dumping anywhere from three-to six-inches at a given time, and that pattern has just stuck on into the State for the last month,” according to Glisan. There’s a chance of light snow this weekend, but Glisan says the weather should be “relatively calm” across the state. A batch of arctic air will cause temperatures to dip at the beginning of next week, but Glisan predicts a “gradual warm-up” after that.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) β A man accused of setting his stepson aflame in Des Moines has taken a plea deal and avoided a murder trial. The Des Moines Register reports that 42-year-old Randy Miles Jr. pleaded guilty Friday to involuntary manslaughter and fleeing the state to avoid prosecution. Prosecutors dropped charges of arson and first-degree murder in return for Miles’ pleas. Prosecutors say he’ll be sentenced later this month to up to 30 years in prison.
Authorities say Miles fled to Grand Forks , North Dakota, following his confrontation with 26-year-old Christopher Lenhart on Aug. 25, 2017. Witnesses told police that Miles had argued with Lenhart and then threw gas on him while Lenhart was inside a vehicle. The gas then ignited. Lenhart died two days later at an Iowa City hospital.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) β The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business leaders. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the report.
The overall index ranges between 0 and 100. Growth neutral is 50, and a figure greater than 50 indicates growth in that factor over the next three to six months.
Here’s a look at some other, neighboring States’ economic indices:
More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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Class 2A Semifinals
Grundy Center 59, Cascade 49
Treynor 58, Central Decatur 53
Class 1A Semifinals
Newell-Fonda 81, Marquette Catholic 56
West Hancock 59, Montezuma 50
Class 5A Championship
Valley, West Des Moines 65, Southeast Polk 60
Class 3A Championship
Center Point-Urbana 54, North Polk 36
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) β The trial of an Indiana man accused of killing a Fort Dodge woman has been relocated again and rescheduled. The Messenger reports that 26-year-old Phillip Williams, of Lafayette, Indiana, was scheduled to start trial Monday in Mason City, where the trial had been moved because of pretrial publicity in Fort Dodge. He and Mackenzie Knigge are accused of killing 26-year-old Jessica Gomez in August 2017.
Williams’ attorney, Katherine Flickinger, objected to the lack of black people in the Mason City jury pool, saying that just one person out of 130 potential jurors was self-identified as black. Flickinger told the judge that Williams “has a legitimate interest in the representation of African-Americans on the jury panel,” and she asked that the trial be moved to a county with a higher black population.
On Wednesday the judge moved the trial to Cedar Rapids in Linn County and scheduled it to start March 25. Knigge also has pleaded not guilty. She’s scheduled to begin trial June 10.
The month of February in Atlantic was colder and wetter than average. The High for the month was 27.1 degrees, which was 8.3 degree below normal. The average Low was 3.6 degrees, or 11.6 degrees below the norm. Snowfall for the month amounted to 30.3 inches at the KJAN studios, with melted precipitation coming in at 1.71 inches, or three-quarters of an inch above average.
The warmest day was on Feb. 3rd, at 53-degrees. The coldest days with temps of -12, happened on Feb. 18th & 19th. Looking ahead to the month of March, the High in Atlantic is typically 48.3 degrees, and the average Low is 26.2. Precipitation for the month normally amounts to 2.38 inches.
Jim Field visits with Cass County Public Health Director Beth Olsen and Victoria Means about the “Matter of Balance” program offered again this spring.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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