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Natural gas prices rise, propane prices are steady

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

While we’re in the midst of a summer heat wave, some Iowans are already thinking about the winter ahead and the price of heating our homes. Iowa Department of Agriculture fuels analyst, Harold Hommes, says the cost of the most popular fuel used to heat homes in Iowa has jumped up by around one dollar in the last few months. Hommes says the move up in price of natural gas is easier to take after the cost bottomed out.

He says the cost reached “incredibly low” values earlier this year of one-dollar, 60 cents to one dollar, 70 cents per million-metric therms earlier this years. Hommes says there’s still good supplies available and with the price hanging around two-dollars, 86 cents, it’s still a “real, real good value.” You can still benefit from lower natural gas prices in the summer season, as it’s used for a lot of products.

“Business and industry continue to use it, it’s fractunated and ends up in a lot of industrial products that we use,” Hommes says. He says natural gas is used to make nitrogen fertilizer for example, and in a lot of other industrial uses. Hommes says if natural gas prices continue to move up, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see an increase in price from the utilities when it’s time to turn on the furnace.

“My guess is that in anticipation for fall demand pick up they’ve already locked in prices at some pretty preferential rates. So , I look for this winter’s prices to be fairly competitive,” according to Hommes. The cost of another heating fuel — propane — is likely remain steady heading into fall.

“One month ago, we were on 98-cents a gallon and we’re still there today, virtually unchanged,” Hommes says. “Even in comparison to last year, at this time a year ago we were at one-one-oh-one ($1.01) so, again, we’re pretty much unchanged if not modestly three cents lower.” Given the market impacts of supply and demand, he says our supply is exceptionally high and the demand is very low during the summer months.

Hommes says, “Right now, we’re sitting here in the Midwest on record inventory levels that exceeded what would’ve been a record last year but we’ve surpassed those.” A few things could change the picture, he says, like a long-range forecast that calls for a bitter cold winter, or if there’s an increased demand for propane by farmers this fall to dry their crops. Still, he predicts there will be -no- significant propane price spikes in the coming months.

“If it does go up during the heating season, I would expect only modest increases,” Hommes says. “It’s going to be one of those years where last year, people got by without locking in the pretty favorable summer prices and we never really saw a great appreciation throughout the winter season.” He predicts a repeat in the winter ahead. In January of 2014, Iowa hit a record high for propane at just over five dollars a gallon, while prices now are about one-fifth that. It’s estimated 67 percent of Iowans use natural gas to heat their homes, 15 percent use electricity, 14 percent use liquid propane.

(Radio Iowa)

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News,7/6/2016

News, Podcasts

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

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3 arrested in Creston

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Police in Creston report three arrests. Early this (Wednesday) morning, 26-year old Chelsey Kile, of Creston, was arrested at her home for Domestic Assault. Kile was being held in the Ringgold County Jail while awaiting the setting of bond. Tuesday evening, 23-year old Tyler McKay, of Creston, was arrested on two Union County warrants for Eluding, Speeding, and Interference with Official Acts. McKay was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,300 bond.

And, 33-year old William Curnyn, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Tuesday evening on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Malicious Prosecution, and False report of an indictable offense to a public entity. Curnyn was subsequently released to Pott. County authorities.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 7/6/2016

News, Podcasts

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

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Severe storms cause damage in western IA overnight

News, Weather

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Severe storms popped-up late Tuesday night and early this (Wednesday) morning across parts of western Iowa, bringing winds gusting up to 75-mph, and heavy rain. The National Weather Service reports thunderstorm winds caused power lines to fall in the Crawford County community of Schleswig just before 11-p.m.  Not long afterward, pea size hail fell, and winds blowing at an estimated 75-mph, caused tree damage at the Denison Airport.

Similar winds of 60-to 70mph caused trees to fall in the Sac County town of Lake View just before 11:30-p.m., Tuesday. Quarter-size hail fell on Aracadia at around 11:30-p.m., while winds gusted up to 65-mph.  And, just before midnight, winds estimated at 59-mph were measured by an automated weather site two-miles north/northwest of Carroll.

Early this morning, the Weather Service issued an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory (Until 8:45-a.m.), for western Montgomery, Mills, and south central Pottawattamie Counties. Doppler radar indicated as much as 3-inches of rain had fallen over the area, causing some minor flooding.

Dutch oven cooking workshop set for Cold Springs State Park

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Conservation Board is holding a “Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop”, July 16th The free public program will be held at the Campground Shelter at Cold Springs Park in Lewis, from 9-a.m. until Noon. images

During the workshop, you’ll learn how to make a breakfast, lunch entrée, and dessert in a dutch oven. You’re asked to bring your own place setting for samples. A Free will donation for supplies will be accepted. You DO NOT have to be a registered camper to attend the program.

Walnut City Council to consider naming I-80 bridge for Kerrie Orozco

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Walnut, Thursday evening, will consider and possibly act on a Resolution “Designating the bridge over Interstate 80 on Antique City Drive and Pottawattamie County Road M-47, as the ‘Officer Kerrie Orozco Memorial Bridge,” and the placement of appropriate signage denoting the designation. On Tuesday, the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors gave its blessing to north-south road bridge designation. The Iowa DOT will have to approve signs for the east and westbound sides of the Interstate before they can be placed near the exit.

Orozco, a native of Walnut and 2004 graduate of the Walnut High School, was 29-years old when she lost her life on May 20th, 2015, while serving as an Officer for the Omaha Police Department. She was the first female officer of the department to die in the line of duty.

Orozco was fatally wounded when a convicted felon, Marcus Wheeler opened fire on officers who were trying to arrest him. Wheeler was killed when another officer returned fire. Orozco was one day away from going on maternity leave to care for the daughter she had delivered prematurely three months earlier.

Branstad names western Iowans to State Boards & Commissions

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Governor Terry Branstad, this week, appointed several western Iowans to various State Boards and Commissions. The appointments became effective last Friday, are unpaid, and are not subject to Iowa Senate confirmation.

Among those persons appointed to:

The Southwest STEM Advisory Board – Alan Ladd, of Atlantic; Gilbert Thomas, of Clarinda; Barbara Crittendon, of Creston; Lisa Hilder, of Red Oak, and Lane Plugge, of Council Bluffs.

The Iowa Arts Council – Ken Sidey, of Greenfield.

Advisory Council on Brain Injuries – Roxanne Cogil, of Jamaica and Jennifer Durfey, of Council Bluffs.

State Building Code Advisory Council – Marsha Bannister, of Panora.

Statewide Independent Living Council – Monalisa McGee, of Council Bluffs.

Medical Assistance Advisory Council – Brandi Jensen, of Earlham, Richard Crouch, of Malvern, and Marsha Fisher, of Adel.

Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council – Robert Fisher, of Adel.

Iowa Council on Homelessness – Diogenes Ayala, of Winterset.

Rural Health and Primary Care Advisory Committee – Patrick Pucelik, of Whiting.

Red Oak woman arrested for Public Intox

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak arrested a familiar face early this (Wednesday) morning. 46-year old Shelby JoAnn Olivares, of Red Oak, was taken into custody just after midnight, for Public Intoxication. Her arrest took place at the intersection of N. 1st and E. Elm Streets. Olivares, who has been arrested numerous times in the past on a variety of charges, was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

Police: Nearly 300 fireworks calls made in Sioux City

News

July 6th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Sioux City Police Department says it received a higher number of calls than normal over the Fourth of July weekend even though the holiday was free of reported pyrotechnic accidents. Sioux City Police Officer Lori Noltze tells the Sioux City Journal that dispatchers received a total of 294 fireworks calls from July 1 through July 4. Noltze says the department has received around 200 calls during former holiday weekends.

She says she hasn’t heard of any major firework accidents in Sioux City and that officers didn’t issue any fireworks-related citations. The Sioux City fire department reported one fireworks-related fire over the weekend. The incident occurred late Monday night when a house was damaged after improperly disposed fireworks ignited in a trash receptacle. There were no injuries.