The latest U-S-D-A report estimates the value of Iowa farmland now averages eight-thousand dollars an acre. Farmland values in Iowa were up nearly two percent in the past two years according to the U-S-D-A. The other “corn belt” states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri all failed to see an increase in land values. The U-S-D-A calculation includes the value of homes and farm buildings along with pastures and cropland in its value measurement. The national average price for farmland is about three thousand dollars. That means the value of farm property in Iowa is more than twice that.

The U-S-D-A calculates the average price for an acre of Nebraska farmland has declined by one-point-seven percent from 2015 values. Farmland values are UP nine-and-a-half percent in Wisconsin and UP by about one percent in Minnesota. The other neighboring states of Illinois and Missouri saw a decline of about one-and-a-half percent. In South Dakota, the drop was about three percent.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say 37-year old Ryan Feldhacker, of Creston, was arrested Thursday evening at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Feldhacker was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for controlled substance violations.  He was being held in the Union County Jail without bond, pending sentencing.

And, two people from Ringgold County were injured during a single-vehicle accident Thursday evening, in Union County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 27-year old Tonya Elizabeth Tindle, and 30-year old Shaune Tindle, both of Mount Ayr were hurt, when the rear end of 1992 BMW Tonya Tindle was driving, suddenly locked up. The car went into a skid and out of control. It rolled over and entered a ditch on the east side of High and Dry Road, where the vehicle came to rest on the passenger side, facing south.

Shaune Tindle suffered suspected minor/incapacitating injuries, and was transported by helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Tonya Tindle, who was wearing her seat belt, suffered from possible/unknown injuries, and was taken by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. Authorities cited her for Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance/Accident related. Damage to the car was estimated at $3,000.

Two men already serving time in the Pottawattamie County Jail face new charges of Probation Violation. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 24-year old Ismnael Ali Jordan and 37-year old Justin David Collier, both of Council Bluffs, were read the latest charges against them at the jail, and then returned to the custody of Jail staff.

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

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines mother whose baby daughter died on a changing table has been given five years of probation. On Thursday a judge also suspended a 10-year prison sentence for Laci Taylor. She’d pleaded guilty to felony neglect of a dependent person after prosecutors lowered the charge.

Court records say Taylor left the 3-month-old unattended on the table on Sept. 18 last year. The girl’s airway was cut off when she rolled over, and her neck was compressed against a table ledge.

A man from Cromwell reported to the Creston Police Department, Thursday, that someone had stolen several power tools from his vehicle. The theft occurred sometime between July 31st and Aug. 3rd, while the vehicle was parked at 902 N. Sumner Avenue, in Creston. The loss was estimated at $1,305.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) – A 22-year-old Kansas man has been charged with vehicular homicide for the crash deaths of four Iowa residents in western Nebraska. Authorities say a car driven by 22-year-old Jeser Cisneros-Hernandez, of Liberal, Kansas, crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 26 south of Lake McConaughy on July 1st, striking two motorcycles carrying two people each.

Authorities say 54-year-old Sheila Matheny and 61-year-old James Matheny, from Bedford, Iowa, were on one motorcycle. The other riders were 58-year-old Michal Weese and 59-year-old Jerolyn Weese, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Cisneros-Hernandez remains in the Keith County, Kansas Jail today (Friday). He’d told investigators that he’d had little rest the day of the crash while driving from his workplace in Sidney, Montana, home to Kansas.

Nearly 300 members of Sioux City’s Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refueling Wing will be deployed overseas beginning in October. Colonel Larry Christensen, the base commander, says it’s one of the largest deployments in recent history of the unit and involves two separate entities. He says they usually deploy the airplanes, crews and maintenance, but this time they are also deploying a lot of the support staff that deal with food service, communication, supply and security that don’t deal directly with the airplanes.

Senior Master Sergeant Ron Bennett says they will start leaving in September and be stationed in countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.  “By the time January of 2018 comes, all 200 will be in their deployed location to do their job for about six months deployed. And then they’ll start cycling them back,” Bennett says.

Members from of the 133rd Test Squadron in Fort Dodge are also part of the deployment. Sergeant Bennett says another 100 airmen from the 185th Operations and Maintenance groups will deploy for 30 to 120 day deployments to similar locations in the Persian Gulf and to support the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. He says they will be doing the same job that they do in their weekend training as the Air Force requires them to drop in among active duty members and to their standard job.

Colonel Christensen says he greatly appreciates the Siouxland community who employ and support the guard members. “This actually affects the whole entire community and their families,” Christensen says. “We are just extremely lucky to have the support that the Siouxland community and the family gives us, and they’ve done that for many, many years.”

The 185th will continue to fly domestic missions as well involving refueling, medical missions and troop transports while their contingent is serving overseas.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak arrested a man early this (Friday) morning on weapon, drug and other charges. 37-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 12:10-a.m. in the 200 block of N. Broadway Street. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on charges of Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Violating the conditions of a Protection Order. His bond was set at $2,000.