KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A man about to be tried on a murder charge has opted for a non-jury trial in southeast Iowa. The Daily Gate City reports that Judge Mary Brown dismissed the prospective jurors Tuesday after learning that Adam McCain wanted her to oversee his trial and determine the verdict. He’s pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, accused of killing his former girlfriend in Keokuk. Prosecutors have said McCain stabbed 27-year-old Calove Sackman once on Feb. 5, got into his vehicle and ran her over, and then got back out and stabbed her several more times.

Officers found Sackman lying on a sidewalk. The court records say she identified her attacker as McCain, who lives in Fort Madison. The trial is scheduled to begin today (Wednesday).

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

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(By Craig Alan Becker/Atlantic FFA Reporter) — The Atlantic High School welcomed Tyler Comes, Southwest State Vice President, and Carter Wagner, Southwest District Vice President, to a chapter visit on October 4th, 2019. While at the high school, Comes and Wagner lead interactive workshops for the agriculture education classes. Topics included the FFA brand, opportunities, leadership, and decision-making. The officers also talked with the agricultural education instructor, Mr. Miller, about what the future of Atlantic FFA looks like.

During a year of service to the organization, Iowa FFA officers serve as ambassadors for agriculture and the FFA. They travel to FFA chapters throughout the state to connect with members and talk about the many opportunities available to students enrolled in agricultural education. Brett Dreager said, I had a lot of fun. It was fun learning new communication strategies.”

Agricultural education incorporates three aspects of learning. These aspects include the classroom, FFA, and SAE. The classroom provides basic knowledge. FFA develops leadership and personal skills. A Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) provides hands-on learning while working on the job or in an agricultural business. DJ Shepperd, “ I like the workshops. You have to learn to slow down and explain things to people better. We all do not learn the same way. I had a lot of fun”

The Iowa FFA Association is comprised of 242 local chapters, preparing over 15,600 students for future career opportunities. FFA activities and award programs complement instruction in agricultural education by giving students practical experience in the application of agricultural skills and knowledge gained in classes. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — The trial of a second person accused in the beating death of a Des Moines man has been delayed. A Jasper County judge granted the request from the attorney for 51-year-old Jeffrey Stendrup, of Clive. Stendrup and 26-year-old Jaycie Sheeder were charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in the slaying of Jeremy McDowell. His body was found June 22 last year in Newton in the back of a vehicle Sheeder had been driving.

She was sentenced Oct. 3 to life in prison and last week filed notice of her attention to appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. Authorities say Sheeder, of Coon Rapids, kept silent about Stendrup’s involvement in the attack and never tried to stop it. Jasper County court records say Stendrup’s new trial starting date is Feb. 12. It had been scheduled to start next week.

Two people were arrested on separate charges Tuesday, in Creston. According to Creston Police, 26-year old Jacob Cauthorn, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. He was later released on a $1,000 bond. And, Melissa Clark, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Suspended, the bond for which was $300. Clark faces additional Union County charges/warrants for two counts of Violation of Probation on original charges of Forgery, and an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. Clark was being held without bond on the warrants.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(By Craig Alan Becker, Atlantic FFA Reporter) —  On Thursday October 2, 2019, Atlantic FFA members attended numerous fall contests at Northwest Missouri State University. This year, the chapter had five members compete in the Livestock Evaluation contest, placing 33rd out of 60 teams. In this contest, members had the opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge of various livestock breeds. Those who competed had to place breeding and market classes of beef, swine, and sheep, while also doing three classes of oral reasons. Individually, Malena Woodward placed 40th, Wyatt Redinbaugh placed 94th, Sofia Mendez placed 141st, Kaitlin Jensen placed 182nd, and Kate Oettchen placed 200th out of the 223 contestants from Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. Sofia Mendez said, “I like judging livestock but I didn’t like giving reasons”. Kate Oettechen said “I thought it was really fun. That was a cool experience.”

Taylor MeCreedy and Hannah Carlson competed in the Horse Evaluation contest. The event gave students the opportunity to learn agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of equine science. Competing FFA members evaluated halter and performance equine classes. Taylor placed 5th and Hannah 40th placed out of 90 contestants.

Northwest Soils Team: Kate Oettchen, Sofia Mendez, Malena Woodward, Wyatt Redinbaugh, Kaitlin Jensen

Northwest Horse Team: Taylor McCreedy and Hannah Carlson

Northwest Derby Greenhand test: Alyssa Derby

Northwest Dairy Cattle Team: Jackson McLaren, Dylan Comes, Daniel Freund, Logan Eilts

Northwest Ag Business team (All photos in this series were submitted by the Atlantic FFA)

In the Dairy Cattle Evaluation contest, the chapter placed 1st out of the Iowa teams and 8th overall. The purpose of the District Dairy Cattle CDE is to enable students to develop skills in dairy animal selection and dairy herd management. They evaluated and ranked dairy animals based on visual factors of selection. Daniel Freund placed 11th, Dylan Comes placed 24th, Jackson McLaren placed 40th and Logan Eilts placed 70th out of 100 individuals. Jackson Mclaren said, “I thought it was fun. My favorite part was just trying new things”.

At the Farm Business contest the Atlantic team of Tate Den Beste, Drey Newell, Adriana Mendez, and Gunner Kirchoff placed 1st out of the Iowa teams and 5th overall. Individually Drey was 15th, Tate placed 17th, Gunner placed 18th, and Adriana placed 44th. The contest is designed to stimulate instruction of economic and agricultural business management principles in the secondary agriculture curriculum. These principles include the following: the ability to apply the economic principles and concepts listed in analyzing the farm business and making farm business management decisions, the ability to analyze and select the most appropriate type of farm business organization for a given farm situation, the ability to develop the ability to use records and manage resources for optimum returns to resources.

In the FFA Knowledge test, Atlantic member Alyssa Derby placed 6th out of 132 individuals. The contest consisted of a 100 question written examination covering general FFA knowledge. After the contest, Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller commented, “I was very happy with the results. Each team placed in the top 3 for the Iowa teams. Most of our students use this contest as a way to see if they will be interested in trying this at the State Level for the Iowa FFA Association. ”

NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — A trial has begun for the owner of a northern Iowa dog breeding operation who’s been charged with several counts of animal neglect. Opening statements were made Tuesday regarding the case against 66-year-old Barbara Kavars, of Manly. Court records say Kavars was holding Samoyed dogs in inhumane conditions when officials raided her operation on Nov. 12 and visited at other times. The records also say the dogs’ kennels lacked food and had water containers that were filled with ice.

Kavars denied any wrongdoing and told officials she didn’t think the dogs needed additional care. Station KIMT reports that a Worth County sheriff’s deputy testified Tuesday that he saw dogs with matted hair and feces on the snow-covered ground. The testimony is scheduled to resume today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) — A former Des Moines Register columnist who hosted many of the newspaper’s yearly bike rides across the state of Iowa is hoping for a reconciliation that keeps the event’s management team in place. The man who’s managed the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa for the past 16 years resigned yesterday, along with the rest of the RAGBRAI staff, and announced plans for a competing “Iowa’s Ride” during the same week as RAGBRAI next July. Chuck Offenburger was the “Iowa Boy” columnist for the Register for 21 years. “I was surprised and shocked when I heard this,” Offenburger told Radio Iowa Tuesday evening. “I had no idea that this was in the works or that this might happen.”

In a statement posted online, the RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz who resigned said the decision was based on how The Register and its owner handled its story about Carson King. King is the former I-S-U student who raised three MILLION dollars for the University of Iowa children’s hospital with a poster he held up during an E-S-P-N broadcast. Offenburger, who resigned from the Register in 1998 to protest treatment of other veteran reporters, says in his view the paper “handled the story appropriately,” but Offenburger is hoping the RAGBRAI staff who resigned and The Register’s management can meet and resolve the dispute. “Visit about this and see if they can put it back together and move forward,” Offenburger says.

Offenburger, the newspaper’s “co-host” of RAGBRAI for 16 years, says the annual, week-long ride is one the most important tourism events in the state. “In some ways, it’s more important than the State Fair from the standpoint that it brings people from all over the nation and all over the world into Iowa and shows them our towns, our small towns and cities all the way across the state,” Offenburger says, “so we take the crowd to these communities.”

The RAGBRAI’s now-former manager says the newspaper’s executives blocked him from responding the way he wished to RAGBRAI enthusiasts who had questions about the paper’s Carson King story. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition issued a written statement expressing extreme concern about the future of RAGBRAI, which the coalition described as “iconic” and both culturally and economically important to the state of Iowa. The group expressed hope that a cross-state bike ride continues — in whatever version that may be — in a way that elevates bicycling and promotes safety. The Register said Tuesday, the 2020 RAGBRAI will be held as planned.

(Radio Iowa) — The weather was drier — but the latest U-S-D-A crop report doesn’t show a lot of progress with the harvest. The report says field conditions remained wet and that limited farmers to around three working days last week. Seven percent of the corn crop has been harvested — compared to three percent the week before. It’s still two weeks behind the average harvest. The soybean harvest advanced a little faster — with 17 percent now harvested — compared to five percent last week. That’s still 11 days behind the average.