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(Podcast) KJAN News, 4/28/21

News

April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The 7:07-a.m. broadcast news from News Director Ric Hanson.

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Convicted robber who escaped from an Omaha WRF is arrested in Carter Lake

News

April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(KETV, Omaha) – A man who escaped from a corrections center in Nebraska was apprehended late Tuesday night, in Carter Lake. According to KETV, a man in his early 20’s – whose name was not immediately available – was serving a six-year sentence for robbery at the Omaha Correctional Center. He escaped from a nearby work release facility, but was arrested a short time later.

Omaha Police told the tv station the man got into an argument at a work release facility, when he attempted to get away. Guards called for backup around 11:30 p.m., after they tried to spray him with mace. The man took off, still wearing an ankle monitor. It’s unclear how he escaped. Police said at some point he cut off the monitor, which sent a signal to police and other agencies. Officers found him at the Super 8 near Airport Drive and Locust in Carter Lake, where he was arrested.

Police said he was not armed but called him “dangerous.” Officers said the man sprained his ankle, but no one else was hurt. He’s now in police custody in Iowa and is expected to be transferred back, once Omaha Police get the proper warrant.

Man found guilty in murder of Fort Dodge pastor

News

April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The man accused of killing a Fort Dodge pastor was found guilty by a Scott County jury on Tuesday. Joshua Pendleton was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the death of Rev. Allen Henderson, who was attacked outside St. Paul Lutheran Church on October 2, 2019. Pendleton pleaded not guilty after he was found competent to stand trial. The trial began last week in Davenport. It was moved to Scott County because of pre-trial publicity.

Pendleton will be sentenced June 18 in Webster County District Court in Fort Dodge.

Study of sexual violence among Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Iowa

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April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A nonprofit group for Iowans who are Asian American and Pacific Islanders is releasing its findings from a months-long study on the community’s attitudes and perceptions about sexual violence. Study author Loulwa Soweid  says participants reported barriers in reporting and preventing sexual violence within their communities, and they need more resources from the state.

Soweid says, “Participants were saying, ‘We want more education about our rights, we want more support from organizations, we want access to jobs.'” One of the big challenges is language. Soweid says, at first, it was disheartening to see the same patterns and barriers people have experienced in the past. “Then I shifted my perspective, and I think in the end, it just means there’s still work to be done,” Soweid says, “Change can be slow.”

The group “Monsoon Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity” facilitated the community listening sessions. The first round began last July and ended at the beginning of this year. The group plans to host more listening sessions in the future for other underrepresented populations in Iowa.

(reporting by Kassidy Arena, Iowa Public Radio)

Court documents cite Iowan among those victimized in international pet scam

News

April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan who paid hundreds of dollars for a dog that was never delivered is listed as one of the victims in what federal prosecutors describe as an overseas scam targeting Americans. Prosecutors say puppies and other animals were listed for sale on the internet and once someone showed an interest, the scammers sent texts and email about getting the animal to its new home via a delivery service.

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the scammers also set up a fake delivery service — often demanding more money to get the pets transported or to deal with exposure to Covid. A woman from Fruitland, Iowa is listed as Victim number 2, in court documents. Prosecutors say she paid more than 18-hundred dollars for a mini-dachshund a year ago.

Twenty-eight-year-old Desmond Bobga, a citizen of Cameroon, was extradited from Romania to the U.S. to face wire fraud, identity theft and other charges in the case.

Legislature sends governor bill targeting financial exploitation of dependent adults

News

April 28th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature has sent the governor a bill to give investment advisors some legal protection for reporting suspicions that someone who cannot manage their own finances is being fleeced.  “It defines financial exploitation as wrongfully depriving eligible persons of assets, properties, etc.” That’s Senator Tim Kraayenbrink of Fort Dodge, who says the proposal is patterned after laws in 27 other states. It outlines when financial advisors can delay transactions if they suspect it’s not in the best interest of a dependent adult.

Advisors who report suspicious financial activity to authorities would be shielded from lawsuits. Representative Jon Jacobsen of Council Bluffs read from a Boston College paper during House debate of the bill. “A 2018 report by the US (Securities and Exchange Commission) estimated 90% of older adults who suffer financial abuse are exploited by trusted individuals such as neighbors, care providers, church officials or family members,” Jacobsen said, “and that accumulated losses can be in excess of $3 billion a year.”

In a separate bill, legislators are setting aside money so the Iowa Insurance Division can hire an investigator to focus on complaints about financial fraud targeting elderly and dependent adults. Legislators are also asking for a yearly report on how many dependent Iowa adults are victims of financial exploitation.

Traveling in Iowa? 511 has made some updates to help you through construction season and beyond

News

April 27th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Whether you’re a master travel planner or just learning to navigate Iowa’s winter and construction travel seasons, Iowa’s hub for traveler information, www.511ia.org or the Iowa 511 app, is one tool to help you find the most reliable, up-to-date, traffic-related information in the state.

As you may have noticed, the www.511ia.org website, which has been active for nearly two decades, recently went through a major overhaul. For more than a year the Iowa Department of Transportation ran a test version of the new site alongside the existing site and gathered your feedback on features and functions. With your comments taken into consideration, the new site was fully launched on March 17. The “old” full-featured version and “trucker” versions of the 511 website were retired. The information from both sites have been folded into one robust site designed to allow you maximum flexibility to find the information you need. Professional drivers can still put the site in “trucker mode” by simply turning on the “Commercial Vehicle” toggle at the bottom of the layer bar.

As we move into construction season, one of the most helpful new features is the Weekly Construction Digest. You can choose from pre-defined areas that include major construction projects, metro areas, or regions of the state, and 511 will give you a heads-up regarding construction events starting the next week about active construction events happening in that area. The weekly digest is different from the “Your 511” feature that has been available for some time in that it is only available via email, includes only construction events (Your 511 also includes other traffic incidents), and is for pre-defined areas, not custom routes.

How the new construction digest emails work

Let’s say you have an area that you travel regularly. You can click the menu button in the upper right corner of www.511ia.org, go to “new 511” and then click “Construction Weekly Digest Sign up.” Once you enter your e-mail you can select weekly updates on major projects including:

  • Council Bluffs Interstate System
  • Iowa City’s I-80/380 project
  • I-74 project in the Quad Cities

You can also choose to get information in major metro areas including:

  • Cedar Falls/Waterloo
  • Cedar Rapids/Iowa City
  • Council Bluffs
  • Des Moines
  • Quad Cities
  • Sioux City

A third option allows you to choose a region of the state. Once you set up the digest, you’ll receive an email every Friday afternoon that includes all construction events that are active or planned to start and may impact traffic for the next week. If the information is changed during the week, you’ll receive an email with the update. Included with your construction update is a link to each project as it is shown on www.511ia.org.

Being aware of work zones helps you avoid them if possible or know that you will encounter them on your trip so that you can prepare to travel safely through them.” Then you could always put in the plea to slow down and pay attention if you can get it to flow.

Atlantic man arrested in Red Oak Tuesday

News

April 27th, 2021 by admin

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of an Atlantic man on Tuesday. At 4:04 p.m. officers arrested 24-year-old Anthony Allen Charles Rohner of Atlantic for Domestic Assault Causing Bodily Injury. He was arrested at Broadway and Nuckols Street in Red Oak and taken to the Montgomery County Jail. Rohner was being held on $1,000 bond.

Majority Leader says if House accepts Senate GOP’s top two tax priorities, other issues could be resolved ‘pretty quick’

News

April 27th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says it is unlikely Republicans legislators will agree on how to address complaints that companies like Apple and Amazon are censoring conservatives. Senators have voted to withdraw state and local tax breaks for big tech companies if a court rules Iowans are being censored. A plan in the House narrowed the bill, to apply only when Iowa elected officials or political candidates have online posts or accounts removed.

“I’m not ready to throw any bill away for the session because there are a lot of negotiations going on,” Whitver says, “but it seems like we’re probably far enough apart on that issue that it’ll be tough to find resolution this year.” Friday is the 110th day of this year’s legislative session, the last day members of the Iowa House and Senate get a daily stipend to cover expenses. It’s often a target date for adjourning for the year.

IA Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver

“The House has passed a lot of different bills. We’ve passed a lot of different bills and we need to just get on the same page and figured out what those joint priorities are, what we can pass to move this state forward and end with a successful session,” Whitver says. “I am very optimistic that we will end a very successful session here fairly soon, but we just still have a lot of negotiations left to go to get to that point.” Senate Republicans, for example, have proposed a wide array of tax cuts, while House Republicans have proposed a series of tax credits.

“We’re still having that conversation, but I think overall we’re fortunate here in Iowa that we can even have that conversation,” Whitver says. “We managed our budget very prudently over the past few years, even through the pandemic we ended with a surplus, so that we can come back and not offer a stimulus payment to people, but offer permanent, lasting tax cuts to Iowans and still have a responsible budget.” Democrats have argued at least part of the state’s one billion dollar budget surplus and cash reserve should be used to help individuals and businesses in Iowa who’ve taken a financial hit in the pandemic.

Whitver says Senate Republicans are prioritizing 100 million dollars in property tax relief, with a proposed state take-over of the mental health system, along with eliminating some tax revenue guideposts set up in 2018, so a series of income tax cuts can take effect. “We want that tax cut to be done this year. We also have been very adamant about removing mental health off of the property tax rolls,” Whitver says. “If we can find agreement on those two things, I think a lot of other things will fall in place pretty quick.”

Whitver made his comments during an interview with Radio Iowa.

Ramp from southbound Interstate 29 to westbound I-129/U.S. 20 in Sioux City will be closed on Tuesday, May 11

News

April 27th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – April 27, 2021 – A bridge deck overlay project on Interstate 129 in Sioux City requires closing the ramp from southbound I-29 to westbound I-129/U.S. 20 from 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, until Monday, July 12, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office.

During this project, motorists will be detoured to Singing Hills Boulevard, then to northbound I-29 and westbound U.S. 20 (see map).