In an update to our report Tuesday afternoon from Audubon County Emergency Management Coordinator Philip Mennenoh, officials with the City of Kimballton say the City is currently in a brown out situation. Not all residents are effected. There is an issue with the transformer at the substation, and repair means are being sourced. This issue was discovered Tuesday.

Officials say the city is working as hard as possible to alleviate the problem and get full power back, but it is unknown the duration this outage. There will be a cooling center located at the town hall and will be open 12pm to 8pm if residents are needing a place to go to cool off. As more information is known it will be passed on.

(Radio Iowa) – A challenge to California’s looming law on animal confinement is being thrown out by a federal judge in Iowa. What’s known as Proposition 12 will go into effect in January. It bans California businesses from selling pork from pigs that were confined in what it calls “a cruel manner,” or pens with less than 24 square feet of space for each breeding hog. Iowa pork producers argued compliance would sharply boost costs, but Judge C-J Williams ruled there was no proof California intended to harm Iowa producers when voters passed Prop 12. He sided with the motion from California officials and dismissed the case.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), reported three arrests. At around 10:30-p.m. Tuesday, 34-year-old Amber Lynn Pike, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension ($300 bond). Monday afternoon, 20-year-old Alexia Dianna Alvarez, of Omaha, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Violation of Probation ($1,000 bond). And, 70-year-old Jeffrey Kent Stark, of Eagle Grove, was arrested Monday afternoon at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation ($5,000 bond).

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

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The broadcast News at 7:08-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – A survey finds Iowa had the highest cash rent average for cropland this year at 233-dollars an acre, three-dollars an acre higher than last year. Farmers across the country are paying an average of 141-dollars per acre to rent cropland. That’s up two-dollars from last year. Iowa State University Extension ag economist Wendong Zhang says cash rents closely follow farmland values. “Iowa has seen about 20% growth, evidenced by many of the auction prices as well as the expert opinion survey,” Zhang says. “Iowa land values have shown about 18% growth from last July to July 1st of this year.”

He says having cash rents follow farmland values is supported by their recent survey of farm managers and ag lenders. “Typically, the cash rent to land value ratio, regardless of the change over the past decade, people have all anticipated this to be around 3.1%,” Zhang says. “In general, when the land markets goes up, then land prices goes up, then the cash rent typically tracks that as well.” Zhang expects the farmland values and cash rents to remain high. “In the near future, we will likely see this level of high land value, high cash rent to stay because the interest rate is still fairly low,” Zhang says. “Even though we have seen some increase in supply, in general, it’s still limited due to COVID payments and other things.”

Of the top five states, Iowa had the highest cash rent average followed by Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Minnesota.

A garage fire in Atlantic remains under investigation. The blaze at 800 Olive Street was reported at around 2:50-a.m.  Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel II told KJAN News the structure was fully engulfed in fire when the first crew arrived on the scene.

Photos submitted

The house sits on the corner of 8th and Olive, with the garage directly to the south. Chief Cappel says the garage was a complete loss.

A house to the south of the garage sustained heat damage to its vinyl siding. No injuries were reported. Fire crews were on the scene for about an hour.

There was a storm in the area at the time, but Cappel didn’t think lightning played a role in the fire. Atlantic Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Fire Department at the scene.

Atlantic Fire responded to a garage fire at around 3-a.m. today (Wednesday). The incident occurred at 800 Olive Street. When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were coming from the structure, which was not attached to a residence. Additional information as to the cause, was not immediately available.

Photo’s submitted to KJAN News.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports by the close of business on Tuesday, Aug. 24th, one additional candidate had filed nomination papers in advance of the Nov. 2nd City Elections. Atlantic 5th Ward Councilman Richard “Dick” Casady filed papers for re-election to his seat on the Council. No other names were added to the list that began when the filing period opened on Monday.

Candidates who filed their nomination papers for Mayor in Atlantic include Councilpersons Pat McCurdy, Grace Garrett and Kathy Somers. Shirley Jensen filed Monday in her bid to sit on the Parks and Rec Department Board.

(Updated/Griswold, Iowa) Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, drew a reporter-estimated crowd of about 100 people during stop in Griswold, Tuesday afternoon. Speaking at the Griswold Community Center, Ernst answered questions from those who submitted them in advance. She skipped her traditional opening statements and went directly to the Q&A for about an hour. One of the first questions she was asked, came from Nathan Berg, of Atlantic, who said he understands Ernst and Governor Reynolds were in favor of bringing 13,000 Afghan refugees to Iowa. Ernst that amount was incorrect. He also asked about the vetting process for those refugees.

She said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds had suggested about 2,000 refugees would come to the State. Refugees are already arriving at Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin. According to reports, as many as 22,000 refugees may be dispersed among three sites across the country. Ernst referenced another time, when Governor Robert Ray allowed mass amounts of refugees into Iowa.

Those arriving now, or soon in Iowa, started their process of vetting, “months and months ago,” according to Ernst. Ernst said there is no way they can get all Americans out of Afghanistan before the Taliban’s August 31st deadline. The Special Immigrant Visa program started in 2009. Applicants must provide a letter of recommendation and proof they were employed to support U.S. government activities in Afghanistan. Refugees with these visas are now being flown to other countries before their arrival in the United States. According to the Department of Defense, they’re undergoing biometric screening, which means checking palm or finger prints or using facial recognition software to confirm the person’s identity. President Biden, Tuesday afternoon said that the U.S. is on track to complete its evacuation mission by the 31st, and he does not plan to have American troops in the country past that date.

Another question had to deal with what Ernst thought the final changes would be to estate taxes, particularly with regard to how it will affect farmers.

Ernst said any changes made now to the next reconciliation package, may not work, because democrats will likely make them retroactive. She describes the issue as “A train wreck waiting to happen.” Karen Bagshaw, of Massena, asked why Republicans can’t use the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden (who Bagshaw said was “Not my president”) from office?