Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning reports the “Soiree with the Swans” event set to take place tomorrow (Saturday), has been moved from the Schildberg Recreation Area to the back-up location: The Atlantic American Legion Memorial Building (2nd and Poplar Streets). Kanning will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans at the Atlantic American Legion Memorial Building, from 11:30 a.m.-until 1:00 p.m., Saturday, with a light lunch will be available for free, but you are encourage to make a free-will donation.

The donations are being accepted (for swan care). Atlantic is celebrating 20 winters of the Trumpeter Swans wintering here. The event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and ARISE.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa officer is helping equip a six-member police force on an island in the Bering Sea more than 3,400 miles away. Davenport Officer Peme Canas pledged his support to the officers in Savoonga, Alaska, after learning they had no sidearms or other gear to protect the nearly 700 residents of the St. Lawrence Island community. He reached out to fellow officers and others for help. Now bulletproof vests, stun guns, police badges and other gear are on the way. Canas says he knows the officers in Savoonga will be moved by the kindness of people they will never meet.

The driver of a 2016 Chevy Malibu was cited after the vehicle was involved in a rear-end collision, Thursday morning, in Red Oak. Authorities say 24-year old Dominick Yzaguirre, of Lenox, was cited for Driving While Suspended and No Insurance – Accident related, after the vehicle – registered to Reyes Castillo, of Lenox -struck the rear bumper of a 2006 Ford F-250 owned by 46-year old John Davis, of Villisca. The accident happened at around 9:40-a.m., at the intersection of N. Broadway and W. Cherry Streets.

Damages from the collision amounted to $5,700.

Denison, Iowa — After five decades on the air at 107.1, KDSN FM (in Denison) is making an historic move on January 6th to a new home on the radio dial- ​104.9​. KDSN — a KJAN sister-station, reaches listeners in eight western Iowa counties. Its family-friendly programming includes a popular blend of local news, sports, weather, farm, school info, community events, as well as great music “hits” from the late 60’s to the present. KDSN staff and on-air personalities are well known friends to thousands of Iowans throughout their broadcast area.

KDSN is fully integrated into the area’s sports, school, and agri communities. Local sports enthusiasts enjoy weekly Coach’s Corner broadcasts from eight schools and fans get live coverage and streaming of multiple high school events plus syndicated Iowa and Iowa State games. In addition to local news, KDSN has Radio Iowa, ABC News, and several farm and market reports each weekday.

KDSN has deep local roots and firmly believes in giving back to the community. Don Luensmann, Crawford County Memorial Hospital Executive Director of Marketing and Development, commented “KDSN is part of the fabric of community life in West Central Iowa. They leverage their popularity with listeners to benefit a variety of area events and demonstrate every day their commitment and support for the people who live and work here. It’s difficult to imagine a better media partner and friend than KDSN.”

The station plans to shut down the FM 107.1 signal on Sunday, January 5 to complete the engineering and tower work required to move to the new 104.9 frequency. This transition is usually complete in 3-6 hours barring weather or other technical issues. Should any delays occur listeners can tune to AM1530 for live updates or check the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KDSNRadio/. The frequency change was negotiated when the station sold last year and will hopefully result in improved coverage after the move.

KDSN FM is a 6000 watt station broadcasting 24 hours a day. It is locally owned by Crawford County Broadcasting.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports two arrests. Late Thursday morning, 45-year old Matthew Brummet, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County Warrant for the charges of Violation of a Protective Order and Probation Violation. He was being held at the Union County Jail awaiting a bond hearing. And, at around 1-a.m. today (Friday), 44-year old Brad William Reed, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a non-injury accident. Reed was driving a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country van northbound on Lincoln Street, when the van collided with a legally parked 2017 Ford F-250 pickup registered to SIRWA.

Damage from the incident amounted to $7,000. Reed was taken to the Union  County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – A mental competency evaluation has been ordered for a man accused of beating to death a pastor outside a central Iowa church. A judge recently approved a request from the attorney for 36-year-old Joshua Pendleton. The attorney says his client has been acting irrationally. Pendleton has pleaded not guilty in the Oct. 2 slaying of the Rev. Allen Henderson. Court records say Pendleton acknowledged to investigators that he fought with a man at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge. The 64-year-old Henderson was senior pastor at St. Paul and had served as a chaplain to area first responders.

(Radio Iowa) — Three flood-prone sections of Interstate 29 in southwest Iowa were raised last year and while they’re still not flood-proof, the Iowa Department of Transportation says they are ready to weather future flooding. The D-O-T’s Austin Yates says I-29 and nearby I-680 are typically impacted the same way during a flood.  “Right now, with all this work done, I-29 and I-680 will be able to remain open together at the same time,” Yates says. “We’re not going to have to close one before the other.”

The three sections were raised different heights, ranging from two inches to 14 inches to more than two feet. Yates says the new asphalt is a big clue something has changed, but drivers may not notice the road is higher. He says it’s kind of like target practice. “If you’re aiming at a target that’s 50 feet away and you raise that target up a foot,” he says, “your eye isn’t going to need to move to see that.”

The three sections include northbound I-29 from Honey Creek to Loveland, a stretch of southbound I-29 north of Crescent, and a stretch near Blackbird Marsh. Yates said flooding would’ve still closed those parts of I-29 in March, but not in September or June, if the changes had already been in place.

(Reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — The February 3rd Iowa Caucuses are just a month away and it’s clear many Iowans are still contemplating their Caucus Night choice. Brenda Bachman of Marengo gives voice to what’s on the minds of many Iowa Democrats. “The number one goal is to get Trump out,” Bachman said. She and her husband, Marvin Bachman, are undecided voters. “I’m promising all the pollers that I’ll make a decision in January,” Bachmann said. Dave Waters of Boone has met all the candidates and says he’d be comfortable supporting any of them. “I’m not nervous one bit because there are so many good ones,” Waters says. is brother, Brent Waters of Perry, has sort of settled on a candidate. “But it could change ’cause I change my mind every day,” Waters says. “They’re all good.” Ray Harden of Perry hasn’t made a final choice yet either. “It’s going to have to be soon, isn’t it? The Caucuses are creeping up on us,” Hardin said.

The Caucuses are 31 days away. Over the holiday, Rachel Boon of Grimes started trying to see the candidates, in person, but she’s been reading a lot about the candidates online. “Higher education’s a really important to me, so I’m interested in student debt, college affordability,” she says, “also looking at income inequality.” Cedar County Democratic Party chairman Larry Hodgden of Tipton endorsed Kamala Harris in October, but she’s no longer in the race. He says there’s a lot riding on this decision. “No matter what our big ideas are, no matter what our goals are, we don’t get any of that done without winning the next election,” Hodgden says.

He says it’s important for Iowa Democrats to choose someone who can win the White House and lead a General Election ticket that helps Democrats win enough races to take majority control of the U.S. senate. Fourteen candidates remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Julian Castro ended his campaign yesterday (Thursday). Marianne Williamson didn’t drop out, but she laid off all her staff on December 31st.