United Group Insurance

Accident east of Griswold Monday morning

News

March 29th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(Delayed post due to server issues)…

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident this (Monday) morning, three-miles east of Griswold. Officials say a 2007 Chevy Cobalt driven by 25-year old Jessica Ann Tye, of Griswold, was traveling east on Tucson Road at around 7:20-a.m., when the vehicle dropped off onto the shoulder and crossed back over the road, before coming to rest in the north ditch. The car sustained about $3,700 damage.

KJAN’s Jim Field honored with Distinguished Service Award by Iowa Football Coaches Association

Sports

March 28th, 2016 by admin

KJAN's Jim Field receives his IFCA Distinguished Service Award from Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz

KJAN’s Jim Field receives his IFCA Distinguished Service Award from Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz

The Iowa Football Coaches Association held their 2016 Distinguished Service Awards Banquet on Friday at the Iowa Football Indoor Practice Facility in Iowa City and KJAN’s own Jim Field was honored.  The Distinguished service award is given by the organization to individuals that have provided years of service to Iowa High School Football.  Field was one of seven individuals that were honored at the event.  He was honored for 28 years of broadcasting Southwest Iowa football, covering countless games and conducting thousands of interviews.  He was nominated for the award by former Atlantic Head Football Coach Gaylord Schelling.

As part of the event honorees were able to tour the Iowa Football Facilities, take in spring practice for the Hawkeyes, and enjoy a program.  Iowa High School State Champion Coaches were also presented with their Championship rings at the event.

 

Trial date set for 3 men charged in Council Bluffs slaying

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A trial date has been set for three men charged in a Council Bluffs shooting that left one man dead and another injured. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 22-year-old Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, 19-year-old Ben Lein and 30-year-old Markis Davis are scheduled to go to court May 24th. The men face charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and first-degree robbery for their alleged roles in the fatal shooting of Anthony Walker earlier this month. The shooting also injured Patrick Schutz.

A Pottawattamie County attorney says the three men will be tried together.  Court documents say the March 7th shooting happened while the suspects attempted to rob money and drugs from Walker.

Proposed drag racing site revs up at old Onawa airport

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – About 400 Onawa-area residents have attended a community event in order to learn more about a proposed drag racing strip that would be built on the site of the former Onawa Municipal Airport. The Sioux City Journal reports that the session at the Onawa Community Center offered information about the potential Onawa Racing and Entertainment Complex.

The City Council’s Alternate Airport Use Committee has proposed turning the old runway into a foundation for a new parking lot/pit area, as well as a 3,400-foot drag strip. The Onawa City Council closed the airport last July, citing a lack of use and revenue. By the end of the racing season this fall, the drag strip could support races in three categories: 1/8-mile, 1,000 feet or 1/4-mile.

Deadline approaching to end utility disconnection moratorium

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The protection that keeps utilities from disconnecting customers in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) ends on Friday. Numbers from the Iowa Utilities Board show around 31-thousand (31,049) customers who are signed up for LIHEAP  had past-due utility bills in February. I-U-B spokesman, Don Tormey, says some of those customers went into the winter season behind on bills from the summer.

“The Utilities Board always encourages those customers to work closely with their utility company, or possibly their community action agency to arrange payment agreements with their utility or to continue to apply for energy assistance payments through April 30th,” Tormey says. The I-U-B numbers show around 212-thousand customers who were not in the LIHEAP program who were behind on their utility bills at the end of February. Tormey says it’s important for customers to communicate with utility companies any time they get behind on bills.

“Utilities want to work with customers. It costs money to go out there and disconnect… to post the property to give proper notice to the customer prior to any disconnection — they are required to do that,” Tormey says. “So, it takes time and effort and money to do that, they want to keep those customers.” If you have talked with your utility company and can’t work something out, Tormey says the I-U-B can help.

“Customers can always call the Iowa Utilities Board customer service staff, and we will assist them with issues that are not resolved directly with their utility,” according to Tormey. He says you can call toll free 1-877-565-4450. He says you can also find out more on their website. “There is information posted on the home page Iowa Utilities Board website at I-U-B-dot-Iowa-dot-gov (iub.iowa.gov). And we also have a LIHEAP informational page, and there is link to that in our website as well,” Tormey says. “But we encourage customers who still think they can apply for energy assistance to do so through their local community action agency through April 30th of this year.

I-U-B information shows customers owe more than 39 million dollars from overdue utility bills, and that includes about nine million from customers in the energy assistance program. The overall number of past-due accounts was down about four percent this year compared to February of 2015. The amount owed is down about four million dollars compared to last year.

(Radio Iowa)

SW Boys team wins IBCA All Star series

Sports

March 28th, 2016 by admin

The Iowa Basketball Coaches Association All-Star series over the weekend at Dallas Center-Grimes High School.  The team representing Southwest Iowa Boys won the championship by beating the Northwest squad 103-85.  Atlantic’s Ryan Hawkins had 17 points in the Championship game while Nodaway Valley’s Jackson Lamb led the team that game with 18 points.  Hawkins and Lamb were both named to the All-Tournament team and Harlan’s Kyle Juhl was named the Boys tourney MVP.

IKM-Manning’s Kyle Wagner won the boys three point contest.

The Southwest girls team made it to the finals as well but lost in the championship 85-57 to the Northeast squad.  Harlan’s Jordyn Moser was named to the All-Tournament team, she led the team in the title game loss with 13 points.

(Update) 8 children, 2 adults & 1 teen injured in SWITA bus vs. SUV accident

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(In an update to our earlier reports) The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says eight children, two adults, and a teenager were injured during a collision this (Monday) morning, between an SUV and a SWITA Bus. The accident happened at around 7:46-a.m. on Fairview Road, just west of Buck Creek Road, as the bus, driven by 58-year old Virgil Koontz, of Lewis, was traveling westbound.

The bus was struck head-on by a 1998 Chevy Blazer, driven by 15-year old Charity Lynn Williams, of Atlantic, as she was traveling east on Fairview Road. Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren told KJAN News Koontz saw the SUV approaching and had stopped just before the collision, a move which likely reduced the number of injuries.

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA

Williams, Koontz, and a second adult and eight children who were aboard the SWITA bus, were all transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac Ambulance, where they received a medical evaluation.

Damage to the SWITA bus was estimated at $2,000, while the SUV sustained $4,000 damage. Williams was cited for Operating on Wrong Side of Roadway.

Fire Danger remains HIGH in Shelby County

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The field/grassland Fire Danger Index remains HIGH in Shelby County. Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says the next few days are expected to be windy. Drying, along with abundant sunshine, at least through Wednesday, will likely continue to contribute to the danger of controlled burns spreading beyond their intended area. There’s a 50% chance of rain Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, which Seivert says will allow the area to green-up a bit, thereby reducing the fire danger threat.

High fire dangerOfficials are still asking you to conduct any Controlled Burns during the early morning or late evening hours, when winds will be reduced or near calm.

Non-injury accident in Page County, Saturday

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer says no injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident Saturday morning, near College Springs. Palmer says 37-year old Casey Devlin Greenwell, of Albany, MO., was traveling south on Page County Road J-52 at around 7:50-a.m., when his 1997 Geo Tracker went into the west ditch and came to rest on the driver’s side. No citations have been issued at this time.

Backyard & Beyond 3-28-2016

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

March 28th, 2016 by Jim Field

LaVon Eblen visits with Betty Auten of the Lewis Improvement Club about their Spring Fling.

Play