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Airport grants announced: Audubon, Creston, Greenfield & Shenandoah

News

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Two dozen Iowa airports are getting federal grants to improve their safety and operations. Senator Charles Grassley on Monday announced the awards totaling more than $7.4 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. He says the money is awarded based on national priorities.

Locally:

The Audubon Airport Authority will receive $429,875 to construct a parking lot and rehabilitate the runway.

The Creston Municipal Airport will receive $218,500 to construct a building in which to store snow removal equipment.

The Greenfield Municipal Airport will receive $66,500 to update the airport’s master plan to help identify the airport’s future needs.

The Shenandoah Municipal Airport will receive $76,000 to construct a taxiway.

The largest award of $1.53 million will go to the Ankeny Regional Airport, which will be used to improve the runway safety area. The Washington Municipal Airport will also get more than $1 million to rehabilitate its runway.

Rainfall amounts in the area

Weather

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

24-hour rainfall totals (7am Mon-7am Tue) 6/21/11

Atlantic – .65″

Audubon – 2.8″ total (1.8″ yesterday, 1.0 the day before)

Hamlin – 1.00″

Harlan – .91″

Massena – .57

If you live in the KJAN listening area, have a rain gauge, and would like to tell us how much rain and/or hail you received, please e-mail kjannews@metc.net. Thanks!

Iowa to use I-29 rest area for flood staging area

News

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Transportation will be closing the Onawa rest areas along Interstate 29 in western Iowa so they can be used as staging areas for crews battling Missouri River flooding. The department says the northbound rest area will be closed Wednesday morning, the southbound rest area sometime Thursday.

On Tuesday, crews will begin stockpiling rock in the truck parking area of the northbound rest area. The stockpiling will take place in the southbound rest area on Wednesday. The department says the rest areas will remain closed up to 10 days.

Onawa is 33 miles south of Sioux City.

Iowa town dry after flood fears cause evacuations

News

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

MODALE, Iowa (AP) – The western Iowa town of Modale has pulled out air conditioners, hauled out refrigerators and made plans to relocate for weeks or months in anticipation of Missouri River flooding. Now, residents are wondering, where’s the water? Many of the town’s 300 residents have cleared out of their homes, prompted by warnings that parts of Modale could receive 2 to 4 feet of water. But so far, nothing has happened.

Residents say they’re frustrated by the uncertainty, and question whether officials overstated the danger. Debbie Horan manages the United Western C-Store. She says residents were worked into a panic when they heard the projections and have now scattered to other communities. She says it’s unclear when or if people will return.

Opening statements heard in Swanson murder trial

News

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The jury was seated and heard opening arguments Monday in Carroll, during the first of two murder trials for Minnesota teenager Michael Swanson. Swanson is charged in the killing of convenience store clerks in Humboldt County and Kossuth County in November.

Humboldt County Attorney, Jennifer Benson described Swanson as a “sane individual who understood what he was doing and planned it out.” Benson says Swanson told officers he shot Sheila Myers in the face so she wouldn’t be able to identify him, and told them that the two shootings he committed made him feel powerful. Swanson’s defense attorney Charles Kenville told jurors that Swanson did not know what he was doing. He says Swanson was diagnosed with a mental disorder at age three and went on to have problems with his behavior, was in and out of treatment, and later got into drugs. Kenville told jurors they need to listen to all the testimony carefully and at the end of the trial he believes they will find Swanson insane.
Swanson is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the deaths of Vicky Bowman Hall of Burt and Myers. The trial involving the death of Hall is scheduled to begin July 26 in Rock Rapids.

Wind and hail damage in overnight storms

News, Weather

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

More heavy storms crossed Iowa overnight, bringing at least three reports of tornadoes along with heavy rain, hail and high winds. Meteorologist Craig Cogil, at the National Weather Service, says there are scattered reports of damage across the state. 

Cogil says most of the reports were for wind damage but there were also some reports of large hail. The highest winds were clocked in Woodbury County at 70 miles an hour. Tornadoes were reported in Plymouth County near Kingsley, in Polk County near Valeria and in Hardin County near Eldora. Damage is still being assessed. No injuries are reported.

In Western Iowa, thunderstorm wind damage was reported to have occurred: near Logan and Missouri Valley, at around 8:30-p.m ; near Mapleton and Little Sioux at around 8:45-p.m., and then again at around 9:15-p.m.; and, near Carroll at just about 10:15-p.m.

Winds gusting up to 60-miles per hour were reported near Red Oak at around 9:25-p.m., and in Cumberland, at around 9:50-p.m.

(Radio Iowa & NWS)

GREG BARNETT, of Atlantic (visitation 6-27)

Obituaries

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

GREG BARNETT, 63, of Atlantic, died Sat., June 18th, at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn. Visitation with the family of GREG BARNETT will be held from 10:30-11:30-a.m. Mon., June 27th, at the Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Burial will be in the Southlawn Cemetery in Atlantic, with a luncheon to follow at the funeral home.

Greg Barnett is survived by:

His sons – Brian (Stacy) Barnett, of Joplin, MO, & Andy (Angie) Barnett, of Iowa City.

His sister – Sharon (Wilbur) Hansen, of Atlantic.

His brothers – Gene (Patty) Barnett, of Storm Lake; Richard (Jess) Barnett, of Wall Lake, & Robert Barnett, of Des Moines.

2 grandchildren

SHIRLEY J. DAVIS, of Avoca (svcs set for 6-22)

Obituaries

June 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

SHIRLEY J. DAVIS, 78, of Avoca, died Mon., June 20th, at her home. Funeral services for SHIRLEY DAVIS will be held 11-a.m. Wed., June 22nd, at the United Church of Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

There is no public visitation or public burial.

Shirley Davis is survived by:

Her husband – Rex Davis, of Avoca.

Her sons – Craig (Ronda) Davis, of Shelby, & Scott Davis, of Avoca.

Her daughter – Debra (Larry) Manz, of Avoca.

9 grandchildren 15 great grandchildren

Drake Hires New Assistant From University of Utah

Sports

June 20th, 2011 by Jim Field

      DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Drake University men’s basketball
program has added another assistant coach.
     Head coach Mark Phelps said in a news release on Monday that
Stan Johnson will join the staff after three years at the
University of Utah.
     Before joining the Utes, Johnson coached at Cal State Northridge
in southern California; Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar,
Mo.; and Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
     Johnson played ball at Southern Utah University for three years,
then finished his college career at Bemidji State.
     In May, Phelps hired Brett Nelson from Arkansas as an assistant
coach, Jamelle McMillan from Arizona State as coordinator of
basketball operations and former Drake guard Ryan Wedel as graduate
manager.

Pujols Out 4-6 Weeks With Arm Fracture

Sports

June 20th, 2011 by Jim Field

     ST. LOUIS (AP) – St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols
will be out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured left forearm.
     The team announced the results of an MRI and CT scan Monday, a
day after Pujols was injured during a home game against Kansas
City. The team said Pujols has a non-displaced fracture of his left
radius and his arm is in a splint.
     Pujols was hurt on a play at first base in the sixth inning. He
was fielding a long throw and Kansas City’s Wilson Betemit collided
with his glove hand as Pujols was pulled toward home.
     The Cards’ three-time MVP went down to the ground in pain.
Pujols is hitting .279 this year, starting to heat up after a slow
start.
     The team says his left shoulder was sore, but no structural
damage was found.