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UPDATE: Ringgold County pursuit ends in a fatal shooting

News

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed a fatal shooting occurred Sunday night, in Kellerton. According to a news release, the sheriff’s office received a call indicating a man by the name of Chance Newton had displayed a gun in a threatening manner, then left the area in a vehicle at around 10:12 p.m.   Deputies and members of other local law enforcement agencies pursued the vehicle driven by Newton, who had returned to Kellerton.

“During the pursuit, Chance Newton fired shots at a pursuing deputy, striking the deputy’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said through a news release. “The pursuit ended when Chance Newton was shot by a self-inflicted gunshot wound while driving through the town.” Newton’s vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

No law enforcement officers fired their weapons, and none were injured, the sheriff’s office reports. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

(Podcast) KJAN News, 8/9/21

News, Podcasts

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The latest area News at 7:07-a.m. from Ric Hanson.

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Gulf ‘dead zone’ grows, may mean more regulation for Iowa farmers

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A federal report on the so-called “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico finds it’s much larger than initially forecast earlier this year. The report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration blames runoff from Midwestern farm fields for the massive area where there’s too little oxygen to support marine life. Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman (LAY-mun) says the state’s been working to address the growing problem. “It certainly is alarming,” Lehman says, “and I would argue that many of the strategies in Iowa’s nutrient reduction plan simply are not incentivized enough to get enough practices put in place on the farm.”

The NOAA report is concerning, Lehman says, and could lead to more regulations on agriculture. He’s hopeful that won’t happen and that government will work -with- farmers on their environmental practices. “We know that there’s some real difficult decisions that will be ahead,” Lehman says. “I’d much rather us make that investment with farmers, many, many of whom are doing exactly the right things, rather than jump towards a regulatory-only system that many others will recommend.”

Because there will likely be more regulatory pressures put on agriculture following this report, Lehman says it’s even more important the incentive fixes are made to the nutrient reduction strategy. “I think we’re going to see more and more calls for a peer regulatory approach rather than a mixed approach that’s built on investments for farmers,” he says, “which is all the more reason to start now, making those investments with farmers, because largely, we’ve done a good job on the farm.”

The NOAA report says the dead zone is ten times the size of New Orleans’ Lake Ponchartrain. The area off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas now covers more than 63-hundred square miles, about a thousand square miles larger than it’s been the past five years.

Trucking industry continues to see driver shortage

News

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa)- Trucking companies continue to be behind when it comes to finding enough drivers to get behind the wheel. Iowa Motor Truck Association president, Brenda Neville, says they’d been behind before the pandemic, and it didn’t get any better. “We had people that retired early during the pandemic, and then we have so many different jobs out there now that are fighting for the same people that we are trying to get into trucks,” Neville says. “Some of our members are reporting an even greater shortage of drivers than they have seen in several years. So, I certainly think that that is a problem we are seeing across all segments of the trucking industry.” Neville says

57 percent of all truckers today are over the age of 45 and 23 percent are over the age of 55. That trend would see nearly one-quarter of the current trucking workforce hit retirement age in the next 10 years, not including the nearly eight percent of truck drivers currently working above the retirement age. She says the industry has done a lot of things to try and lure people in. “We’re seeing an increase in wages, we’re seeing enhanced benefits packages. Some companies are looking at the amount of time that drivers are out on the road,” according to Neville. “I think they are really trying to be very creative, they are trying to be very aggressive, and we are seeing a number of different things. I think some companies are seeing some success with that.”

Neville says there are openings from the big rigs to smaller trucks. She says one positive is you can get into the industry relatively quickly. She says the training can be six months to one year depending on the program. “And you can be making some very good money very quickly without the debt of a two-year or four-year school,” Neville says. She says you can determine how long you want to be on the road. “There’s a variety of different routes that you can take on that will meet your specific needs. Trucking companies have been very good and very creative at making those jobs much more attractive to a wide variety of people,” she says.

Neville says the industry needs an estimated 60-thousand-800 truck drivers immediately to fill open spots.

Two tornadoes touch down in northwest, north-central Iowa on Sunday

News, Weather

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds rolled over Iowa last (Sunday) night, according to meteorologist Andrew Ansorge at the National Weather Service in Johnston says “We do have a report of a tornado about half way between Fort Dodge and Harcourt around 11:30 last evening,” Ansorge says. “That’s the only tornado report we’ve had. We’ve heard lots of reports of funnel clouds but no real damage that we’ve heard of at this time.”

There’s since been a second tornado confirmed in northwest Iowa’s Osceola County, just before five o’clock last night that ripped the roof off a chicken barn in Ocheyedan, though no injuries are reported. Ansorge say there’s another chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday.

Police find marijuana, stolen items during police search of Spencer storage unit

News

August 9th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Police in Laurens say they found nearly 300 lbs of marijuana and stolen items in storage in Spencer. A storage unit rented by William Cole, who was arrested in late July in Laurens, was searched. Laurens Police located and seized 260 lbs. of marijuana which has a street value of $550,000 to $750,000, a 9 mm handgun, a stolen generator out of California, a stolen 48-inch deck mower out of Des Moines along with a number of other items.

Cole is currently in the Pocahontas County Jail on previous charges. Authorities further charged him with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver marijuana, 1st-degree theft, 2nd-degree theft, failure to affix a drug tax stamp, and felon in possession of a firearm.

1 person arrested after “Shots fired” incident in Atlantic Sunday night

News

August 8th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Photos by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

(UPDATED 8:45-a.m., 8/9/21) (Atlantic, Iowa) –

One person was taken into custody following a reported “shots fired” incident in Atlantic, Sunday. The incident took place at around 10:06-p.m. at the Turkey Creek Lodge located at 1104 E. 7th Street. As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested 53-year-old Julian Joe Gallegos, Jr., of Albuquerque, NM for reckless use of a firearm and going armed with intent.  Gallegos was transported to Cass County Jail where he is currently being held.

(Original story follows….)

One person was taken into custody following a reported “shots fired” incident in Atlantic, Sunday. A call about the incident at the Turkey Creek Lodge on east 7th Street came in at around 10:05-p.m. Atlantic Police Sgt. Spencer Walton told KJAN News a male suspect was arrested. The unidentified male was arrested at around 10:38-p.m.

Police were working with the victims and suspect to determine what transpired. Sgt. Walton said additional details will be released later, as an active investigation was underway late Sunday night. He said “There is no additional threat to the community, we’re very thankful for that.”

At least one or two shots, possibly more, were fired during the incident. The Cass and Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Atlantic Police at the scene. Sgt. Walton said “Big props to everybody that showed up tonight. Obviously in southwest Iowa when a significant call comes out, everybody shows up, and we’re thankful for that.”

 

Man serving time for Cherokee County crime dies in prison by suicide

News

August 8th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Coralville – An inmate serving a sentence out of Cherokee County has died in prison. The Iowa Department of Corrections, Sunday, said 28-year-old Anthony William Geltz was pronounced dead due to apparent suicide at approximately 11:04 p.m., Saturday, August 7th. His death occurred at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, in Coralville.

Geltz had been serving a 2 year sentence for the crime Assault Causing Injury – Peace Officers/Others from Cherokee County.  His sentence began on December 17, 2020. The department investigates all suicides within its correctional facilities.

Stanton man arrested Saturday night in Red Oak

News

August 8th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Red Oak Police report the arrest Saturday evening, of 36-year-old Joshua Andrew Fink, from Stanton. Fink was arrested for Driving While Suspended, and Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense, a Class-D Felony. Fink was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond pending a court appearance.

Authorities warn State Fair visitors to lock their vehicle

News

August 8th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa — With the Des Moines metro area has averaged more than 100 stolen vehicles per month this year, authorities are warning too many drivers make it easy for thieves to steal even more vehicles. Law enforcement departments, including the Iowa State Patrol, Des Moines Police, West Des Moines Police, Ankeny Police and the Polk County Sheriff, report 765 stolen vehicles from the beginning of the year. Another 796 vehicles were burglarized.An officials with the Iowa State Patrol, Lt. Nathan Ludwig, tells KCCI, that with the State Fair beginning on Thursday, drivers should remember to lock their car, and not to leave valuables in plain sight. Police say drivers have given thieves a happy hunting ground by leaving unattended vehicles running in parking lots with air conditioners on when it’s extremely hot and while they run into a convenience store, or simply leaving the keys in an unlocked vehicle while it’s unattended. Ludwig told KCCI, people are “Just getting lazy.”

Another common misconception, according to investigators, is that push-to-start vehicles left running cannot be stolen if a key fob is away. That is not the case. The most common targets in Central Iowa include Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks.