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Bluffs man shows up at Pott. Co. S/O to register an address change is arrested on NE warrant

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says a man who showed up at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office Thursday afternoon to make a required address change with regard to the Sex Offender Registry, was taken into custody on a warrant out of Nebraska. Authorities say 36-year old Christopher Lee Karsten, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Failure to Comply with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, and on Nebraska warrants for Domestic Violence Terroristic Threats and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony. Since authorities in Nebraska said they wanted to extradite Karsten, a charge of Fugitive from Justice was also applied. He was being held without bond in the Pott. County Jail.

Iowa court rejects water utility’s effort against districts

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a legal doctrine going back 100 years in Iowa that allows agriculture drainage districts to maintain immunity from lawsuits seeking monetary damages. The ruling today (Friday) presents an obstacle for the Des Moines Water Works, which is pursuing a lawsuit in federal court in Sioux City filed in March 2015.

The water utility for 500,000 Iowans alleges the three counties (Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista) that oversee 10 agricultural drainage districts, should be required to obtain federal water pollution discharge permits and pay the utility more than $1.4 million it has spent for increased filtration methods to remove the nitrates from water.

In Iowa, Trump voters cheer changes, dismiss petty fights

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) – President Donald Trump was the first Republican to carry Iowa’s Wapello County in 44 years and his supporters there are cheering the new president’s quick action on health care, trade, energy and immigration. The voters who helped him capture the state and the presidency last November give Trump high marks for reversing eight years of Democrat Barack Obama’s policies and working to build a wall along the Mexican border.

And yet, even these voters, to whom Trump disproportionately owes his presidency, roll their eyes at his ongoing fixation with his popularity. They shake their heads over widely debunked claims about the crowd size for his inauguration and voter fraud costing him the popular vote.

Iowa farmers, for now, face uncertain weather pattern this spring

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Iowa farmers who are looking ahead to the spring planting season are carefully watching the demise of the La Nina weather pattern to see what may come next. Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub — based in Ames, says it’s almost over. “The La Nina right now is on life support,” Todey says. “We’ll have to see if we can call this a full-fledged La Nina or not. It did reach La Nina category but maybe not for a long enough period of time to be called a full-fledged La Nina.”

Surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are fluctuating and may have an impact across North America. Cooling temperatures the last few months created a La Nina effect, but now that may be vanishing. Todey says the climate experts don’t agree yet on what may happen next. “There’s a small chance we’ll get back to El Nino by summertime, but it seems unlikely at this point,” Todey says. “Now, we’re looking at shorter-term types of things. What’s our soil moisture looking like? Do we see any kind of big ridges that would set in for any kind of reason.”

While some parts of the region haven’t seen as much snow as usual this winter, he predicts most of the Northern Plains should see an early thaw. “It looks like most of the big-time cold is going to stay away for a while, it’s going to stay well up into Canada and that’s a good thing,” Todey says. “We actually may start to see some melting of snow in some of the areas. It should be warm enough to do that. The heavier snowpack areas, we probably won’t do too much eating into that for a while.”

He says his office should have a better idea about potential spring weather in the next month or so.

(Radio Iowa)

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 1/27/2017

News, Podcasts

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

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Senate GOP sends budget-cutting plan to House

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have sent the House a plan that cuts the current year’s state budget — to prevent a looming deficit. Republican Senator Mark Chelgren, of Ottumwa, called the 88-million dollars in cuts the “appropriate” way to fix a “mess.” “We’ve come in here surgically to make sure that certain areas aren’t affected,” Chelgren says.

Democrats like Senator Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids, complain the plan cuts too deeply into budgets for the community colleges and the state universities in Ames, Cedar Falls and Iowa City. “This is a bad budget that does real harm to Iowans,” Hogg said.

Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, complained the budget for the governor’s office wasn’t touched by the cuts. “Not one single dime of sacrifice from the governor’s office,” Quirmbach said. “He doesn’t have to gite up so much as a flower pot.”

Criticism of previous state spending on decorative flower pots was featured in campaign ads for some Republican senate candidates last fall. Senator Julian Garrett, a Republican from Indianola, accused Democrats of offering “miniscule” cuts Thursday to resolve the current budget dilemma. “We have a reasonable proposal here that does solve the problem we’re in,” Garrett said.

State tax revenues ARE growing this year, but not as much as previously predicted — forcing this budget-cutting debate at the statehouse. This plan will be voted upon in the Republican-led Iowa House on Monday. Governor Branstad has indicated to legislators that he’ll approve it.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic woman arrested for Probation Violation; Atlantic man arrested on assault charge

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Police Department today (Friday) reports 25-year old Morgan Dvorak, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Violation of Probation. Dvorak was booked into the Cass County Jail. Wednesday, Atlantic Police arrested 23-year old Jacob Sweeney, of Atlantic, for OWI/1st offense, and, 31-year old Daniel Jensen, of Atlantic, for Domestic Abuse Assault (impeding air flow), and on two Audubon County warrants for Failure to Appear (in court). Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

Middle of the road’ plan emerges on traffic cameras

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The chiefs of police in Iowa’s two largest cities are praising a “middle of the road” approach to traffic enforcement cameras. Wednesday, a bill that would BAN traffic cameras cleared its first hurdle in the senate. Thursday, ANOTHER bill that would allow the cameras, but direct the traffic fines to road maintenance has emerged from a subcommittee. Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, is working on the legislation.

“I felt we needed to have an alternative to zero cameras because safety is real and I appreciate the folks who have concerns about liberty, but there’s also a lot of folks who need the liberty of being able to drive down the road without being hit,” Zumbach says. “And so this bill provides an avenue to have good discussion, to be able to come up with something that we feel is fair.”

Zumbach, who is a farmer, has driven semi loads of grain through downtown Cedar Rapids on Interstate-380 for two decades and he appreciates the speed cameras that are placed there. “Before those cameras, it was vividly dangerous,” Zumbach says. “When I talk about the hair standing up on my arms, it did.”

Speed cameras were installed in 2010 along the “S curve” of Interstate 380 through downtown Cedar Rapids. Wayne Jerman, the chief of police in Cedar Rapids, says that stretch of interstate “is not safe for traditional traffic enforcement.” Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert says the traffic cameras along Interstate 235 that cuts through Des Moines are placed because of design issues, too.

One senator who supports traffic cameras suggests the pending legislation could require a warning, not a fine, the first time a vehicle is caught on camera running a red light or speeding.

(Radio Iowa)

Bluffs man arrested Friday morning after foot pursuit and taser fired

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A report of two suspects breaking into vehicles in Council Bluffs early this (Friday) morning, led to a foot pursuit and one of the suspects being hit by a stun gun. Bluffs Police say at around 4:15-a.m., Officers were dispatched to Lincoln Avenue, and when they arrived observed one suspect near the intersection of Frank St and Morningside
Ave. After a short foot pursuit an Officer deployed his taser and was able to apprehend the suspect. The suspect was identified as 25 year old Keith Wise, of Council Bluffs.

At the time of his arrest, Officers were able to link Wise to four vehicle burglaries. He was charged with four counts of Burglary in the 3rd degree, Interference with Official Acts, Eluding, and Possession of Controlled Substance. The second suspect was not located.

Any information regarding this or any other incident can be reported by calling (712) 328-STOP(7867).

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, Friday, 1/27/2017

News, Podcasts

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

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