United Group Insurance

Boil Advisory lifted for Pisgah

News

January 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported late Sunday night a boil advisory has been lifted for the Harrison County city of Pisgah. The boil advisory had been issued following loss of pressure in the entire system Thursday evening. An electrical contact on one of the pumps tripped out and prevented the wells from turning on.

The electrical problem has been repaired and pressure has been restored, but the drop that occurred in water pressure could have possibly allowed bacteria to enter the drinking water. The water has been sampled and determined to be safe.

KJAN listening area forecast from the NWS: 1/13/14

Weather

January 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

346 AM CST MON JAN 13 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. NOT AS COLD. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. WEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING. BREEZY. LOW AROUND 30. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. WINDY…COLDER. SCATTERED FLURRIES. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY…COLDER. LOW AROUND 15. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 5 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. VERY WINDY. LOW IN THE MID 20S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

Iowa AG keeping eye on Target’s handling of information breach

News

January 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Officials with Target revealed Friday that the addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of some 70 million customers were impacted by the security breach which the company had said last month involved only 40 million people. Bill Brauch, the head of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, says its something Iowa is watching along with others. Brauch says nearly every state is part of a group that is looking at the Target situation and are in communication with the company. Brauch says the Attorneys General have two goals.

“Trying to determine whether Target did all it reasonably should have to avoid the problems that are there — the privacy breeches — and then also tracking what Target is doing to try to resolve that situation,” Brauch explains. He says they will be sure that the company follows through. “So many Iowans are impacted that we’re gonna be very involved, in making sure that first of all, that if Target didn’t do what it was reasonably expected to do to avoid these problems, that it fixes that situation pronto,” Brauch says. The company has been working with them.

“We appreciate the fact that Target has been up front with us in reaching out to us and communicating with us and we hope that that continues as we move through the process,” Brauch says. It’s hard to know exactly how many Iowans may’ve had their vital information stolen, so he says it’s important that you keep an eye on your accounts. “We strongly urge Target customers to watch their credit card bills — or if it was a debit card used — watch them very, very carefully,” he says. Brauch advises everyone, Target shoppers and others, to check their credit report every four months for any irregularities. He says the four major credit agencies are legally required to give you a free credit report once a year.

“You can do that very easily by going to annualcreditreport.com,” Brauch says. “That is the free site set up by the federal government. We strongly discourage consumers from going to pay sites that might be labeled free sites but really aren’t.” Brauch says if you see anything that looks out of the ordinary you should contact your credit card company.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa News Headlines: Mon., Jan. 13th 2014

News

January 13th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One state senator wants to make sure Iowa law enforcement officers are getting adequate training on using stun guns. The Des Moines Register reports Senator Tom Courtney of Burlington plans to investigate the rules for stun gun use during the legislative session that begins today.

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are highlighting the benefits of planting trees, shrubs and native grasses for water quality and wildlife habitat in the state. The forestry bureau of the state Department of Natural Resources and Trees Forever are hosting a series of public meetings about the importance of natural buffers along waterways. The meetings will be held January 21st in Waverly, Feb. 11th in Charles City, and March 18th in Osage.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa may allow graduates of the state’s two law schools to start practicing law in the state without taking the bar exam. The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa State Bar Association is considering the idea to help young lawyers get started quickly without accumulating more debt.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Roy Marble scored 22 points, Aaron White added 19 and Number 20 Iowa ended the game on a 22-9 run to hand Number 3 Ohio State an 84-74 loss yesterday. Melsahn Besabe had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Gesell added 11 points and Jarrod Uthoff had 10 off the bench for the Hawkeyes, who ended a string of eight straight losses to the Buckeyes.

Marble’s 22 lift No. 20 Iowa past No. 3 OSU, 84-74

Sports

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Roy Devin Marble scored 22 points, Aaron White added 19 and No. 20 Iowa ended the game on a 22-9 run to hand No. 3 Ohio State its second loss of the week, 84-74 on Sunday.  Melsahn Besabe had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Mike Gesell added 11 points and Jarrod Uthoff had 10 off the bench for the Hawkeyes (14-3, 3-1 Big Ten), who ended a string of eight straight losses to the Buckeyes. It was Iowa’s first win over a top 5 team since an 83-65 victory at No. 2 Missouri on Dec. 15, 2001.

LaQuinton Ross scored 22 points, Amir Williams had 11 and Lenzelle Smith Jr. 10 for Ohio State (15-2, 2-2), which had opened with 15 consecutive wins. The Buckeyes fell 72-68 in overtime at No. 5 Michigan State on Tuesday night.

Iowa State PG Kane’s status uncertain for Kansas

Sports

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State isn’t sure if point guard DeAndre Kane will be available for Monday night’s game against No. 18 Kansas because of an ankle injury. Kane sprained his left ankle late in Saturday’s 82-75 loss to Oklahoma, the first of the season for the ninth-ranked Cyclones (14-1, 2-1 Big 12).

Kane was carried off the court by teammates, but coach Fred Hoiberg says his availability for the matchup against the rival Jayhawks (11-4, 2-0) will be a “game day” decision.  Kane says his sprained ankle remains sore, adding that he will try to do everything he can to play against the Jayhawks.

Kane, a senior transfer from Marshall, has blossomed into one of the nation’s most versatile players. He is averaging 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

IDA JANE ANNETTE BOSS, 84, of Stuart & formerly of Menlo (Svcs. 1/15/14)

Obituaries

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

IDA JANE ANNETTE BOSS, 84, of Stuart (& formerly of Menlo), died Sat., Jan. 11th, at the Stuart Community Care Center. Funeral services for JANE BOSS will be held 10-a.m. Wed., Jan. 15th, at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart.

Visitation will be held from 6-to 8pm Tue., Jan. 14th, at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Jane Boss Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home.

LEONARD EUGENE BAUER, 90, of Exira (Svcs. 1/14/14)

Obituaries

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

LEONARD EUGENE BAUER, 90, of Exira, died Fri., Jan. 10th , at the Exira Care Center. Funeral services for LEONARD BAUER will be held 10:30-a.m. Tue., Jan. 14th, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Mon. (1/13), from 9-am until 9-pm.

Burial will be in the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, SD.

LEONARD BAUER is survived by:

His sons – James (Mary) Bauer, of Billings, MT, & David Bauer, of Williston, ND.

7 grandchildren & 1 great-grandchild.

5 things to know about Iowa legislative session

News

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers will convene Monday morning for the 2014 legislative assembly with modest expectations, given that it’s an election year and the schedule calls for a short session. Still, there are some policy proposals on the table, a budget must be approved and some political posturing is expected.

Here are five things to know about the session:

1. SHORT SESSION

The sessions that occur in even-numbered years are designed to be shorter and tend to deal more with budget basics and less with sweeping policy debates. This year there are just 100 days scheduled, compared with 110 days in odd-numbered years. And leaders have already moved up a number of procedural deadlines to help speed the process and perhaps conclude before April 22, when lawmakers stop receiving daily expense payments. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, of Council Bluffs, said the calendar is designed that way for a reason. “When they created that timeline, they always presumed that the election year would be shorter than the non-election year,” Gronstal said.

1. MODEST POLICY GOALS

Gov. Terry Branstad has laid out a series of small policy priorities that the legislative leaders seem inclined to support. They include an expansion of Internet access, a crackdown on school bullying, job training efforts and a program supporting veterans. More substantive work is not expected, especially given that the Legislature accomplished some big policy efforts last year, with agreements on a property tax cut, new education spending and low-income health care expansion. And some ongoing issues — such as the debate over increasing the state fuel tax to pay for road repairs — seem unlikely to advance. “The legislature has only so much energy and they exhausted a good share of it last year,” said Republican political consultant Doug Gross.

1. BUDGET TALK

Even in a speedy session, legislators still must approve a state budget. One key issue will be how to manage the state’s projected budget surplus of nearly $900 million. But while Democrats will likely seek some new spending and Republicans may float tax cuts, Branstad is cautioning that most of that funding is needed to pay for the tax cut and education spending approved last year. “We wanted to make sure it was sustainable for the whole five years,” Branstad said of those plans. “That’s the reason you cannot spend the ending balance.”

1. POLITICAL POSTURING

Despite those realities, lawmakers will likely raise some items more for political reasons than with any real legislative intent. All the House members and half the Senate are up for re-election. In addition, a number of members are seeking higher office, such as Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who is running for governor, or Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Red Oak, who is seeking the open U.S. Senate seat. That means they all want stuff to brag about out on the campaign trail. So Democrats running the state Senate are likely to talk about boosting the minimum wage, while Republicans ruling the House may pitch tax cuts. But neither issue is likely to advance.

1. CRYSTAL BALL

Amid the campaign talk is a lot of chatter about how these elections will impact the makeup of the legislature for 2015. Currently the Democrats hold a 26-24 majority in the Senate, while Republicans enjoy a 53-47 edge in the state House. Both parties are hoping to pick up seats in the 2014 elections as there will be some vacancies in both chambers. Should the Republicans take over the Senate and hold the House, the Legislature might pursue a far more conservative agenda in 2015, perhaps seeking further restrictions on abortion and a referendum on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Republicans have proposed such legislation in the past, but it has been stalled by Democrats in the Senate.

Iowa may cut bar exam for some law students

News

January 12th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa may allow graduates of the state’s two law schools to start practicing law in the state without taking the bar exam. The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa State Bar Association is considering the idea to help young lawyers get started quickly without accumulating more debt. Typically, graduates of the University of Iowa and Drake University’s law schools must wait 4½ months after graduation before learning whether they passed the bar exam. During that time, many student take out more loans for living expenses.

Drake law school dean Allan Vestal says that time is a waste for most students. The proposal would still require graduated to pass an ethics exam and background check. Graduates would also have to take a class on Iowa laws and court procedure.