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Atlantic Police report, 8/13/21

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports five arrests occurred over the past week. Most recently, on Tuesday (Aug. 10), 40-year-old David Thomas was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. On Monday, 42-year-old Monty Casteel, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, and Willful Injury.

On Aug. 6th, 23-year-old Sean Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 5th, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana), and Interference with Official Acts. On Aug. 4th, Atlantic Police arrested 42-year-old Christopher Knight, of Atlantic, for Driving While Barred. And, on August 3rd, 39-year old Chad Wilcox, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

Each of those subjects were transported to the Cass County Jail and booked-in. As of Aug. 13th, only Monty Casteel remained in the jail.

Glenwood man arrested for OWI/1st offense

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Friday (today), of 29-year-old Aaron McDaniel, of Glenwood. He was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense and carrying dangerous weapons. His cash or surety bond was set at $2,000.

A little history about Iowa’s reapportionment process

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The process of drawing new maps for Iowa’s congressional and legislative districts is underway. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency reconfigures district lines every 10 years, based on new population estimates. The U-S Census Bureau released those numbers yesterday (Thursday). Jean Lloyd-Jones was president of the Iowa League of Women Voters when the group was deciding whether to join a lawsuit that challenged the maps drawn back in 1971. “At the end of the call, I took roll and it was tied, so I cast the deciding vote and the next week we walked up there to the state capitol and filed the petition and let the chips fall where they may,” Lloyd-Jones says, “and the chips fell very well for us.”

The Iowa Supreme Court overturned the 1971 redistricting plan the Republican-controlled legislature developed. Lloyd-Jones says the testimony of Betty Kitzman of Ames, a League of Women Voters lobbyist, was critical to the case. “At one point she was being queried by the opposing attorney, the defender of the plan, and he said: ‘Mrs. Kitzman, don’t you think you should have had some Republicans on your committee?’ and she smiled and said: ‘Sir, I am a Republican.’ And he looked aghast and said: ‘But you’re an impartial Republican,'” Lloyd-Jones says.

Lloyd-Jones made her comments during a 2018 forum about Iowa’s redistricting process that was broadcast on C-SPAN. The Iowa Supreme Court tossed out the plan approved by the 1971 legislature and the justices consulted with an attorney in the Legislative Services Bureau to draw up the congressional and legislative district maps used in that decade.

Cass County Sheriff’s report: 6 arrests

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports six separate arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested Wednesday: 47-year-old John Duane Anderson, of Cumberland, was arrested for violation of a no contact order and control of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender.  Anderson was taken to Cass County Jail where he later posted bond. And, 39-year-old Ryan Michael Paul, of Adair, was arrested in Cass County on a Hardin County warrant for failure to appear.  Ryan was transported to Cass County Jail and was released after posting bond.

There were two arrests in Cass County Monday, as well: 22-year-old Nailah Chanel Sawyer, of St. Paul, MN, was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for controlled substance violations and drug stamp violation.  Sawyer was held at Cass County Jail and was later released on her own recognizance. And, 43-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested for violation of a no contact order.  Karns was transported to Cass County Jail and was released the following day after posting bond.

On August 8th, Cass County Deputies arrested 26-year-old Casy James Curnyn, of Denison, for OWI 1st offense and possession of controlled substance-marijuana 1st.  Curnyn was transported to Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. And, as we’ve previously mentioned, 53-year-old Julian Joe Gallegos, Jr., of Albuquerque, NM, was arrested at around 10:40-p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8th, after Cass County Deputies and Atlantic Police Department were called to an incident of shots fired at the Turkey Creek Lodge on E 7th St., in Atlantic.  As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested Gallegos, Jr.,  for reckless use of a firearm and going armed with intent.  He was remains held in the Cass County Jail.

(Update) – West Des Moines woman injured in Cass County crash, Thursday

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

In an update to previous reports, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Friday (today), said a woman from Polk County was injured during a collision east of Wiota Thursday morning. The accident happened at around 8:50-a.m. at the intersection of White Pole Road and 690th Street. Officials say Jovanna Marie Yenchi, of West Des Moines, was driving a 2013 Ford transit van traveling westbound on White Pole Road.

When Yenchi slowed to turn left onto 690th St. her vehicle was struck from behind by a 1983 Freightliner dump truck, driven by Tyson Blane Edwards, of Fontenelle.  Both vehicles crossed into the south ditch and came to rest east of 690th St.  A third vehicle, a 2019 Chevy Colorado, driven by Paul James Hohenberger, of Atlantic, was traveling eastbound on White Pole Rd when his vehicle was struck by flying debris from the collision.  Yenchi was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment.

 

(Podcast) KJAN News, 8/13/21

News, Podcasts

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The broadcast News at 8:07-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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Work release escape of Harley Lowell Merrick

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Sioux City, Iowa (8-am News)  – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports 27-year-old Harley Lowell Merrick, who was convicted of Assault while Participating in Felony and Theft 1st Degree in Woodbury County, failed to report to Sioux City as required, Thursday. Merrick is an American Indian male, height 5′ 6″, and weighs 180 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on 07/15/2021.

Persons with information on Merrick’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Harley Merrick

(Podcast) KJAN morning News, 8/13/21

News, Podcasts

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The broadcast News at 7:06-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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Iowa dairy farmers seek federal aid to recover from COVID-related losses

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Some two-dozen members of Congress are asking the Biden Administration to reimburse dairy producers for losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa State Dairy Association Executive Director Mitch Schulte says that aid is critically needed as dairy producers were just starting to climb out of several years of economic losses prior to the pandemic. “We’re really trying to help these farmers that, due to COVID, suffered severe losses out on their farms and they need this income to help them maintain their operation and keep moving forward,” Schulte says. “I see this as a benefit to our farmers.”

Schulte says nearly 725-million dollars in skim milk revenue was lost due to the pandemic.  “That’s a very large hit as we’ve seen some of our other markets do well,” Schulte says. “Cheese and butter are having fantastic sales. Fluid milk is extremely important to our industry and as we look at the amount of revenue that’s been lost due to closures of businesses and closures of restaurants, that continues to add up.” Most large dairies have been able to weather the pandemic, but Schulte says the rest are in need of federal aid if they’re going to be around to see 2022.

“Their margins are quite a bit tighter and their business is run a little bit different and they’re not marketing quite as much milk,” Schulte says. “It definitely plays a role when you’re looking at those small and mid-sized guys. When a pandemic or something happens to shift that marketplace, it does play a dramatic role in the amount of revenue they’re bringing in.” The U-S-D-A had estimated the drop in milk prices would cost the dairy industry two-point-eight billion dollars.

Opposing sides prep for 2024 vote on constitutional amendment

News

August 13th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution on the subject of abortion isn’t eligible for the Iowa ballot until the 2024 election at the earliest, but the campaigns for and against it have already begun. In 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that under the state’s constitution, Iowa women have a fundamental right to an abortion. Earlier this month, at a gathering of 12-hundred Christian conservatives, Chuck Hurley of The Family Leader praised Republicans legislators for proposing an amendment to nullify that ruling and asked the crowd to take a look at a card they’d been given. “Please, please, study this card and then go to the website that is on the card,” Hurley says. “…It has resources like (church) bulletin inserts, more of these cards and then a video.” The Family Leader, Iowa Right to Life and other organizations have formed a coalition to lobby legislators to advance the proposed amendment again in 2023 or 2024 so it can be put to a statewide vote.

“We can turn the tide and win and defeat Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby and protect unborn children in Iowa,” Hurley said. Jamie Burch Elliott is Iowa director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood North Central States. She says Planned Parenthood is building a coalition of organizations that will oppose the amendment. Burch Elliott points to the increasing number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in Iowa after G-O-P lawmakers moved to shut Planned Parenthood out the government program that provides birth control to poor women. She expects that to be one of many factors in the upcoming debate.

“But what we’re working on now is a statewide strategy to educate and inform Iowa voters,” she says, “and then mobilize them to take action.” A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll taken this spring found about a third of those surveyed support the proposed amendment, but the poll also shows the amendment is favored by 55 percent of Republicans and opposed by 82 percent of Democrats.

“It’s important to keep that in mind,” she says. “It also means that it’s going to be a long, tough and expensive fight.” In 2020, Louisiana voters passed an amendment that’s similar to the one being proposed in Iowa, stating that if Roe v Wade is overturned, their state’s constitution does not secure the right to an abortion. Also last year, Colorado voters rejected an amendment to ban abortions after the 22nd week of a pregnancy.