With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.6MB)
Subscribe: RSS
The Vision Iowa Board awarded 23 projects around the state with Community Attraction and Tourism — or “CAT” — grants this year, including those located in Harlan, Coon Rapids, Templeton and Winterset, Board spokesperson Jessica O’Riley says the CAT program reached a big milestone in 2013. “The total CAT project costs, from the very first CAT award to this year, topped one-billion dollars,” O’Riley says.
The CAT program was launched 14 years ago. In 2013, the total CAT project costs topped 42-million dollars ($42 million). The Vision Iowa Board awarded just over five-point-five million dollars ($5.5 million) to those projects.
The smallest CAT grant award this year was 25-thousand dollars ($25,000) toward the construction of a park pavilion in the small northwest Iowa town of Moville. The largest awards went to massive projects in Des Moines and Pella. The Vision Iowa Board awarded a one-million dollar grant to the Pella Sports Park project, which carries a total price tag of nearly $7.5 million. Officials in Pella believe the facility, once opened in 2015, will draw regional tournaments.
Locally: The Merrill Field Renovation Project in Harlan and the Templeton Community Center Project each received $200,000 from Vision Iowa; A project that incorporates the construction of 35 miles of state-of-the-art “soft trails” through a seven-square-mile landscape at Whiterock Conservancy near Coon Rapids, received $400,000, and the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset also received $400,000 from Vision Iowa.
The biggest CAT grant awarded in 2013 was $1.1 million for the renovation of a 35-year-old public space in downtown Des Moines formerly known as Nollen Plaza. The $9.7 million project, called Cowles Commons, will include gardens, a new water feature, and a new stage for Des Moines Performing Arts programs.
(Radio Iowa)
Assuming there’s snow on the ground, the Hitchock Nature Center in Honey Creek will hold its annual guided snowshoe hike through the Loess Hills on Jan. 11th. The Omaha World-Herald reports the event is scheduled to start at 10-a.m. and 1-p.m., and will allow visitors to learn about winter ecology, the animals and migrant birds.
Each hike averages about 15-to 20-people. The event is designed for those 12 and older, and costs $5 per person. The price includes the hike, refreshments and use of snowshoes. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required by Jan. 10th. You can call 712-242-1197 to register.
There must be at least 4-inches of snow on the ground in order for the event to take place. If there’s no snow, the Hitchcock Center will cancel the event and return your registration fees.
For more information, go to www.pottcoconservation.com/parks-and-habitat-areas/hitchcock-nature-center/
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Chargers rookie coach Mike McCoy says he expects running back Ryan Mathews to play against the Kansas City Chiefs despite missing practice Wednesday because of an injured left ankle. Mathews wore a walking boot to protect his ankle. He has played in all 15 games despite leaving one game with a concussion and two others with a hamstring injury.
Says Mathews: “There’s a big difference between being injured and being hurt. I’m just trying to work hard and be there for my teammates, and that’s all that matters.” For Mathews, drafted 12th overall in 2010, it would be his first season without missing a game. He has rushed for a career-high 1,111 yards in helping the Chargers (8-7) stay in playoff contention.
The (podcast) Freese-Notis weather forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather information for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1,003.2KB)
Subscribe: RSS
403 AM CST THU DEC 26 2013
TODAY...PARTLY SUNNY UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON THEN CLEARING. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.
TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 15 TO 20. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.
FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 40. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.
FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.
SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY…BREEZY…COLDER. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE.
SUNDAY…CLOUDY…BREEZY. MUCH COLDER. SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE MORNING. HIGH 10 TO 15.
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW NEAR ZERO. HIGH AROUND 15.
Gifford was nominated by Kellie Jimerson, an administrator at the Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center. The center is owned by Care Initiatives, which is Iowa’s largest nonprofit senior health care provider. Jimerson told the paper that Gifford, who joined the center in February 2008, helped improve the facility. Gifford started her career in nursing at age 14 as a certified nursing assistant. She graduated from Creighton University in 2003.
The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) is developing a website that will list available rental properties throughout the state. It’s free for landlords to post a listing and a dedicated call center makes sure that available listings are kept current. IFA spokesperson Ashley Jared says they expect ‘Iowa Housing Search dot org’ (www.iowahousingsearch.org) to go live in mid-January. She believes it will fill a need in the state.
“There is not one current listing of rentals in the state of Iowa. Our office gets calls daily from renters and people who would like to rent, asking what’s available,” Jared says.
The IFA can direct people to some listings, according to Jared, but they often are not updated to show which properties are actually available. “This website is going to be different…it tracks units that are actually vacant and we have a call center that’s dedicated to following up with landlords on an every two-week basis to make sure the information is up to date and accurate,” Jared says. In the coming weeks, Jared says the IFA will be reaching out to landlords to post available properties on the website.
Statewide, she estimates over 13-thousand (13,000) units have already been listed. Thirty-four other states have similar websites, including Colorado, which has used their site to help flood victims find affordable housing quickly.
(Radio Iowa)
A man from central Minnesota was struck and killed by a car late Wednesday night on Interstate 35 in south central Iowa. The State Patrol reports 74-year old Lawrence Anderson, of Marine on St. Croix, MN, was chasing a dog that had gotten away from a stranded vehicle on the shoulder of I-35 in Warren County, when he was hit in the left lane of the interstate by a southbound SUV. Anderson died at the scene. The driver of the SUV was not injured.
Officials say the accident happened near the St. Charles Exit (Mile marker 52) at around 10:30-p.m., Wednesday. The driver of the 1997 Chevy Suburban that struck Anderson was identified as 34-year old Shelton Short, of Osceola. The Patrol says Short did not see Anderson on the road and was unable to avoid the collision.