The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.5MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Creston Police say two men were arrested on separate charges, Monday morning. 23-year old Richard Lee Leingang, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for OWI/1st offense. Leingang was later released on his own recognizance. And, 25-year old Thompson Lee Jones, of Creston, turned himself in at the Creston Police Department. Jones was wanted on a warrant out of Polk County for Possession of controlled substance – Marijuana/1st offense. He later posted a $5,000 cash or surety bond.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City has taken its first formal step to lift its ban on pit bulls in the city. The City Council voted 4-1 on Monday for an ordinance that would remove the ban adopted in September 2008. It came after pit bulls or mixes accounted for a high number of dogs in the city that had been declared vicious or at risk.
The current ordinance describes a pit bull as an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier or any dog that looks like or has characteristics of being one of those breeds. Two more readings and votes on the new ordinance are required for the new policy. City staff research says animal control regulations across the country are moving away from breed specific provisions.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been delayed for a man accused of killing an Iowa high school student almost 40 years ago. The trial had been scheduled to begin Monday for 65-year-old Jerry Burns, of Manchester. Burns has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Police arrested him Dec. 19, 39 years to the day after 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed. Her body was found the next day inside her family’s car at a Cedar Rapids mall. She had been stabbed in the face and chest.
Burns’ attorney Leon Spies had sought the delay. He says the new tentative starting date is Feb. 10, but that could change if Burns were to request moving the trial out of Linn County. Police say investigators matched a blood sample from the crime scene with a sample taken from Burns.
(Radio Iowa) — Members of Iowa agriculture sector are finding hope in the tentative trade deal announced between the United States and China. President Donald Trump says China has agreed to buy between 40 and 50 billion dollars in U-S agriculture products, if the deal goes through. Iowa State University economics professor Wendong Zhang says that’s significantly more than any single-year of U-S exports to the Asian giant. But it’s not clear whether the new number reflects an annual promise. “The Chinese probably left more wiggle room-there’s a really big number but there’s no time frame tied to it,” he says.
Zhang says tariffs that could have been imposed this week will not go into effect. That’s some relief, but now farmers and others will wait to see whether the threat of December tariffs is also lifted. Zhang welcomes what he calls important first steps as the two sides each still angle to come out ahead. “The trade war has been elevated so much, I think in the end both countries need to find a way, that, in some respects, both leaders need to go back and say we won the trade war, somehow,” Zhang says.
Zhang says a shallow agreement on big issues like technology transfer and intellectual property protections is likely. But significant increases in Chinese imports of U-S corn, ethanol and beef could also be part of the deal.
Today: Partly cloudy. High around 58. NW @ 15-25 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 30. NW @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 58. NW @ 10.
Thursday: P/Cldy. High 62.
Friday: P/Cldy. High 68.
Monday’s High in Atlantic was 68. Our Low was 27. Last year on this date our High was 48 and the Low was 29. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 89 in 1892. The Record Low was 17 in 1952.
JAMES “JIM” JOHNSON, 85, of Exira, died Sunday, Oct. 13th, at the Exira Care Center. Memorial services for JAMES “JIM” JOHNSON will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, Oct. 18th, at the Exira Lutheran Church. Kessler Funeral Home in Exira has the arrangements.
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Family visitation will be held at the Exira Lutheran Church, from 9:30-a.m. until the time of service, Friday.
Burial will be held in the Exira Cemetery, at a later date.
JAMES “JIM” JOHNSON is survived by:
Wife: Donna Johnson, of Exira.
Daughters: Brenda (Bill) McAdaragh of Tinly Park, IL; Colette (Ed) Ergenbright of Newton; Laurie Johnson of McAllen, TX.
Son: Jason (Angela) Johnson of Derby.
13 grandchildren, his in-laws, other relatives and friends.
Police in Red Oak responded at around 6:10-p.m. Monday, to a fight between a man and a woman in the 700 block of N. 4th Street. Upon investigation, officers arrested 38-year old Jacob Lynn Derby, of Red Oak, on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault by intending to impede air or blood flow, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Derby was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and was being held without bond.
Police in Red Oak were called at around 1-a.m. today (Tuesday), to the 400 block of East Elm Street, for a fight in progress. Upon further investigation, officers arrested 25-year old Shilo J. Major, of Red Oak, and 31-year old Joshua Arthur Rhodes, of Council Bluffs. Both were charged with Assault.
Major and Rhodes were transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on $300 bond, each. Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted in conducting the arrests.
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State budget experts say revenue for the current fiscal year is expected to grow 1.4 percent to total $7.97 billion and next year will see a 2.7 percent increase, taking the state tax collections just over $8.18 billion. The revenue growth estimates are significantly slower than last year’s 6.4 percent expansion but that was driven in part by tax policy changes.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The mother of a 4-year-old boy who shot himself after finding an unsecured gun in her vehicle has been sentenced to a year of probation. Polk County court records say 28-year-old Rachel Rowe also was fined $315. The boy found the .45-caliber handgun inside another container in her vehicle and shot himself in an upper arm.
MARION, Iowa (AP) — Work has begun to expand the airport runway in the Cedar Rapids suburb of Marion. The Gazette reports a groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for the $1.7 million project. The work will widen the runway from 23 to 60 feet, meeting the standards of a basic service airport. And additional $400,000 is being spent to replace lighting. The project is being funded by a $424,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation and city bonds.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Backers of a skateboard under construction in downtown Des Moines say they have reached their $6.3 million funding goal. The Lauridsen Skatepark will be the nation’s largest when it’s completed in spring 2020. The 88,000-square-foot skate park is being built on five acres of land between Second Avenue and the Des Moines River.