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Sweet & Sour Meatballs (1-31-12)

Mom's Tips

January 31st, 2012 by Jim Field

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • Oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 can chunk pineapple

Combine beef, egg, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, salt, onion and pepper; mix well.  Shape into balls; brown in oil.  Drain.  Warm 1 tablespoon oil and pineapple juice over low heat.  Mix cornstarch and sugar; add soy sauce, vinegar and water.  Add to pineapple juice mixture.  Cook until thick, stirring constantly.  Add pineapple and meatballs; heat through.  Serve.

Bluffs Care Center fined over gangrene case

News

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A Council Bluffs care facility has been fined nearly $62,000 by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, after a resident allegedly contracted gangrene following a fall and broken leg, and died. The Des Moines Register says the Regency Rehab and Skilled Nursing Center was also cited for 23 other violations during the past 12 months, including failing to follow physicians’ orders, but no fines were imposed for those alleged violations.

According to the report, the resident who died at the care facilty, had suffered a broken leg in September. A doctor gave the Regency staff instructions to keep an immobilizing device on the resident’s leg, to allow the bone to heal. He told inspectors that he assumed Regency staff would know to remove the device temporarily, to assess the resident’s skin and bathe the leg, as required.

The staff however, apparently failed to remove the device, and also applied ice to an open wound on the resident’s heel, constricting the blood vessels, and slowing the flow of blood to that area.  In October, the resident was admitted to a hospital, with the foot apparently consumed by gangrene. State records said the foot was nearly black, due to “Negligence/no blood flow.”  The resident died on October 27th.

Other, recent sanctions against Iowa Nursing Homes, include the Friendship Home in Audubon being fined $8,000 by the State, after a resident fell to the floor in a lounge area, and was knocked unconscious. The resident allegedly suffered a fractured hip, facial injuries and bruises to the head. State records say the resident died shortly after undergoing surgery to repair the hip.

Weather records fall by the wayside, Monday as temps soar

News, Weather

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Many locations in Iowa and Nebraska broke record high temperatures Monday, including here in Atlantic. The temperature at the KJAN studios (The OFFICIAL National Weather Service reporting station for the community), reached 65-degrees, which shattered the old record of 58, set 24-years ago (1988). Other sites broke records dating back more than 80-years. Lincoln, NE., reached a high of 71, Monday. The old record was 60, in 1931.

In Omaha, the previous record of 60 in 1974, was beat by 9-degrees (69), Monday. Sioux City set a record high temperature for January 30th, when the thermometer reached 65-degrees, breaking the record of 57 set in 1964. And, Des Moines also reached 65, which surpassed the old record high of 57, set in 1988.

Brad Small, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says Ottumwa reached 65, breaking the old record of 59. Lamoni saw 63 degrees, knocking off the old record by three degrees. Webster City reached a high of 59, breaking the old record of 53 set in 1931. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says “it’s been a January for the ages.” That’s because Iowa has a 60-degree day in January about once every 10 years. There have been three so far this month, with a chance to hit 60 or higher somewhere in the state today.

The forecast temperature in Atlantic today, is 58. That would tie a record high set on this date, in 1892.  There’s the possibility of snow, by Friday.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast for Tue., Jan. 31 2012

Podcasts, Weather

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

We broke our old record high temperature for Monday, here in Atlantic…to find out more, and hear today’s forecast for the KJAN listening area, listen to this podcast forecast….

Play

Dealing with cattle zapped with stray voltage

Ag/Outdoor

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Ag groups and utility companies are being challenged to propose changes in a bill that would set up a new statewide standard for addressing cases of “stray” electric voltage that zap farm livestock. Representative Stewart Iverson, a Republican from Clarion, is the bill’s manager.”It’s just easy to say, ‘No, no, no.’ How do we solve the problem?” Iverson asks. “Because we know stray voltage can be a huge problem.” It’s mainly a problem on dairy farms where, for example, cows hooked up to milking machines sometimes can get zapped if there’s a power surge. Matthew Steinfeldt, a lobbyist for the Iowa Farm Bureau, says farmers and utilities are doing just fine in resolving any problems and the bill’s unnecessary.

The best thing is to quickly identify and resolve stray voltage (issues). That’s what farmers want to do, but what this bill does, I mean, it’s a major change that will have a significant effect,” Steinfeldt says. “In a way, it takes away a right to due process. No other group in the state of Iowa is subject to something like this.” Kellie Paschke lobbies for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, another group that is opposed to the bill.  “This bill goes beyond just setting a standard for stray voltage,” Paschke says. “It completely changes how stray voltage claims can be pursued.” A three-member subcommittee has given initial approval to this controversial bill, but the three legislators say they’re hoping the interest groups involved suggest “major” changes in the legislation. Representative Brian Quirk of New Hampton was a member of the three-member committee. Quirk, who happens to be an electrician, says the bill needs to better define the standards for the stray voltage tests. 

“Cattle are a lot like people…Their tolerance levels (for pain) are a lot different,” Quirk says. “Where is that threshold?” Quirk supports the bill’s requirement that the state Utility Board be the first stop for resolving disputes over stray voltage. “I like the fact that the Utility Board, being a third-party resource, to actually define where the fault did occur,” Quirk says. “Should it be with the utility or with the consumer?” Critics say the bill limits a farmer’s ability to sue for damages if their livestock are harmed by stray voltage. Timothy Coonan is a lobbyist for Iowa R-E-C’s. 

“As Rural Electic Cooperatives, we’re very supportive of the diary industry. This bill is not to take a shot at the dairy industry, but more about resolving safety issues that result from stray voltage,” he says. “The process we’re proposing leads to resolution of those issues much quicker, much safer and less costly for everyone concerned.” The bill as currently drafted tries to combine laws and regulations from the states of Idaho and Wisconsin. Those states rank in the top five nationally in terms of dairy production. Iowa ranks 12th in the number of pounds of milk produced per year. According to the Iowa Dairy Association, there were more than 200-thousand dairy cattle in the state in 2010. There were more than 19-hundred dairy farms that year in Iowa.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

New study defends Corps of Engineers actions on 2011 Missouri River flooding

News

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

An independent review of last year’s prolonged Missouri River flooding says there was little more the U-S Army Corps of Engineers could have done to avoid the widespread, expensive damage. Among those on the review team, Cara McCarthy is senior forecast hydrologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Portland, Oregon. McCarthy says they looked through a mountain of information.She says, “First of all, it’s just finding out about the flooding, looking at the numbers and finding out the extremes and then finding out, not just the water amount, but the damage amounts, talking to people and hearing what happened to them.” McCarthy says members of the Corps of Engineers started to react early in the spring as soon as they saw the massive inflows of snow melt and rain move into the reservoir system.

“By May 1, they recognized that they had a lot of water to get rid of, so they had actually started to get rid of water in the beginning of April,” McCarthy says. “Even if they had released more water in April than they did, they couldn’t have evacuated all that water. It was just a tremendous amount of water that came down.” While she admits it’s difficult to strike a perfect balance, she says the report recommends the Corps find a way to set aside more upstream flood control storage space to avoid a repeat. “That’s really what was needed this year,” McCarthy says. “If you do have that, you have less water in the reservoir so you have less water for recreation and less water for downstream water uses and for irrigation, so this is the problem the whole Missouri River system needs to look at.” Road repairs from the flooding in Iowa alone exceed 50-million dollars. The Corps estimates almost 600-million dollars in damage was done just to levees along the river.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Forecast for Cass and area counties, 1-31-12

Weather

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. SOUTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S.

FRIDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. COLDER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S.

FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

Atlantic teen cited for assault

News

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Police in Atlantic say a 15-year old female was cited last Friday for allegedly assaulting another juvenile. Jordan Nielsen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of Serious Assault. The teen was later released to her parent, and cited into juvenile court.

The Atlantic Police Department reports also, the arrest Sunday, of 26-year old Tyler Gordan Bills, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Bills was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.

Iowa Coach Says Fixing Defense Still a Priority

Sports

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Iowa gave up 103 points in its loss to Indiana on Sunday and coach Fran McCaffery says they continue to try and find a way to shore up the defense. “Not happy at all with how we’re playing, we’ve got to get better at the defensive end of the floor. We shuffled the lineup a little bit to see if that would help. I think it helped in some areas, maybe not so much in others, so I think we have a couple of important days of practice coming up,” McCaffery says. McCaffery says you can only do so much work in practice on defense.

He says you can work on all kinds of drills and try different combinations. “But ultimately it comes down to a matter of toughness, and we lack that right now, I don’t mind saying it, we don’t have the toughness that’s necessary to defend in this league,” McCaffery says. Iowa did score 89 points in the game. McCaffery was asked if he’d thought about giving up the fast-paced offense. “No, nothing’s changed my mind. I don’t mind being in a 103-89 game, I just don’t want to have 89,” McCaffery said. Iowa is now 11-11 overall on the season, and 3-6 in the Big Ten conference. Iowa hosts Minnesota on Wednesday.

Cyclones Face Kansas State Tonight

Sports

January 31st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State returns to action tonight against Kansas State looking to avoid a letdown after upsetting Kansas on Saturday. Cyclone coach, Fred Hoiberg, says they got a lot of great exposure from that win on national T-V.  “You know our guys from start to finish against Kansas played as hard, with as much passion as we have all year. I’ve been so proud of our guys how they’ve come together, especially since the conference season started, and you have to in order to compete in this league, you have to compete with that type of energy every time you take the floor,” Hoiberg says. He said the recognition is great, but they have 10 more games to go in the season. Hoiberg says the game against the Wildcats will be physical.

He says K-State gets almost half of its shots back off the offensive rebounds. “We talked about it against Kansas, we did a great job of limiting them to five offensive rebounds, two second chance points. We’re going to have twice as good an effort against Kansas State in order to do that same thing,” Hoiberg said. Iowa State is 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12 conference and alone in fourth place. K-State is 15-5 and 4-4 in the conference, in fifth place. Tip off is eight p-m.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)