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Corn planting almost complete, beans close

Ag/Outdoor

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Most farmers in the state have parked their planters. The U-S-D-A report shows corn planting is virtually complete and 87 percent of the seeds have already poked out of the ground. The emergence is five days ahead of the five-year average. The report shows 81 percent of corn is in good to excellent condition. Just seven percent of the bean crop remains to be planted and the pace is 12 days ahead of normal. Southeast Iowa still has one-quarter of its projected bean crop to be planted. Nearly three-quarters of the soybeans have poked out of the ground and the first condition rating finds 76 percent in good to excellent condition.

Iowa’s top farming official reacts to ransomware attacks, plant shutdowns

Ag/Outdoor

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Two meatpacking plants in Iowa saw cancelled shifts and a halt in production this week, following a cyberattack on the world’s largest meat producer. J-B-S plants in Marshalltown and Ottumwa were forced to slow down or temporarily stop production lines. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says he’s concerned about interruptions which can hurt the industry, including local livestock producers. “Any disruption in packing capacity will push that supply back up on farms,” Naig says. “The good news right now is that we’re getting reports that many of the plants are operating — at a reduced capacity, but they are operating and that’s important.”

Naig says it’s past time for the U-S to examine its computer infrastructure and to make corrections to prevent further hacking. “The bigger picture here with these cyberattacks is that it was first on critical energy infrastructure, with the energy pipeline recently, and now with the food supply chain, we’ve got a lot of work to do as a country to shore up and defend our critical infrastructure,” Naig says, “and cyber is certainly one of those areas that needs a focus.”

J-B-S, which is based in Brazil, closed all of its beef plants on Tuesday after the breach. The White House says the ransomware attack likely came from a criminal organization based in Russia.

Fatal crash in eastern Iowa, Wednesday morning

News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

A collision in eastern Iowa early this (Wednesday) morning, claimed the life of a man from Marshalltown. The Iowa State Patrol reports 23-year-old Lino Rivera-Reyes died after the 2017 Dodge SUV he was driving cross the center line of Highway 14 across the Mile Long Bridge, in Marion County, and collided with a Volvo semi-tractor. The driver of the semi, 62-year-old James David McElvain, of Corydon, tried, but was unable to avoid the crash. McElvain was not injured in the collision that took place at around 5:40-a.m.

The accident remains under investigation.

Grand opening today for new barge terminal on Missouri River

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A cooperative based in Fort Dodge has built an 11-million dollar barge terminal on the Missouri River near the small Iowa town of Blencoe.

The NEW Cooperative Port of Blencoe is about 50 miles up river from Council Bluffs. The port has the capacity to load and unload up to nine barges at a time. Test runs began in April. The official opening is today. The Missouri River terminal may help reduce operating costs for western Iowa farmers. Shipping commodities like corn, soybeans and fertilizer by barge is cheaper than transporting the materials by trucks or trains. One tow managing 15 barges can handle as much material as 870 semis according to the Iowa D-O-T.

The Port of Blencoe is now the northernmost access point to barges on the Missouri River. Barge traffic out of Sioux City ended around the turn of the century due to a combination of factors, including a lack of consistent river depth for navigation. State officials say the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to maintain a nine-foot depth in the Missouri near the Port of Blencoe to accommodate barge movement.

Mills County Sheriff’s report, 6/2/21: Numerous arrests & 2 accident

News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), reports numerous arrests occurred from May 25th through June 1st:

  • On Tuesday (June 1), 48-year-old Andrew Robert Skokan, of Omaha, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear (FTA), on a charge of Railroad Vandalism. Bond was set at $300.
  • On Monday (May 31) 52-year-old Alfredo Rosalez Moreno, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for FTA, re: Driving While Denied or Revoked – Bond: $50,000.00
  • Last Saturday, 23-year-old William James Kallhoff, of Lincoln, NE., was arrested for Trespassing. – Bond $1,000.
  • On May 28th, Jaymie Ilene Rowe, age 25, of Hastings, was arrested at the Page County Jail, on a warrant for Trespassing and Criminal Mischief 4th – Bond: $2,000.
  • 51-year-old Michael Alexander Capps, of Council Bluffs, was arrested May 27th, for Driving Under Suspension. – Bond $1,000.
  • 32-year-old Audrey Elise Martin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested May 27th at the Pott. County Jail, on a warrant for Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Theft in the 1st, Conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony, and Criminal Mischief in the 2nd. – Bond $45,000.
  • That same day, 43-year-old Andy Charles Andrew, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. – Bond $5,000.
  • On May26th, 33-year-old Samantha Renee Martin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a warrant for Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Theft in the 1st, Conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony, and Criminal Mischief in the 2nd. – Bond $45,000.
  • And, on May 25th, 47-year-old Jerry Lee Dawson, of Silver City, was arrested in Mills County, for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd and 3rd Degrees. – Bond $7,000.

There were also two, non-injury accidents reported. Both took place May 29th, and involved vehicles driven by 19-year-old Cory Julich, and 21-year-old Makayla Huffman, both of Glenwood. The collision took place at the intersection of 250th & Gaston Avenue. The second collision happened on Highway 34, about a mile east of I-29. Officials say vehicles driven by 43-year-old Brian Dvorak, of Papillion, NE., and Jesse Beno, of Carson, were traveling eastbound on the highway, when the hood of a vehicle being transported on a trailer pulled by Dvoark’s 2014 Chevy, suddenly flew off and struck Beno’s 2018 RAM.

The impact caused the pickup’s windshield to shatter and glass to fly into the cab. Beno suffered possible/unknown injuries from the flying glass, but was not transported to a hospital.

Auditor Sand Releases Special Investigation of the CivilCommitment Unit for Sexual Offenders

News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Wednesday), released a report on a special investigation of the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO) in Cherokee, for the period August 1, 2019, through February 28, 2021. CCUSO is operated by the Division of Mental Health and Disability Services within the Department of Human Services (DHS) and is located on the campus of the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. CCUSO houses sexually violent predators from all ninety-nine Iowa counties.

The special investigation was requested by CCUSO and DHS officials as a result of alleged improprieties regarding actions taken by a former administrative assistant, Renae Rapp, which resulted in unauthorized payroll disbursements to her husband. Ms. Rapp’s husband was also previously employed by CCUSO. Sand reported the special investigation identified $61,610.66 of improper disbursements, including $52,618.19 of gross wages paid to Ms. Rapp’s husband and $8,992.47 of related payroll costs. The excess pay and benefits were a result of Ms. Rapp using her husband’s key fob and making manual adjustments to the payroll system to show he worked when he did not. The improper pay was electronically deposited to a bank account Ms. Rapp shares with her husband.

Sand recommended CCUSO officials implement procedures to ensure information recorded in the time keeping system is verified and accurate and adjustments to it are properly monitored. Sand also recommended CCUSO officials implement procedures to ensure compliance with requirements established by the Code of Iowa. Copies of the report have been filed with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cherokee County Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. A copy of the report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s web site at https://auditor.iowa.gov/reports/audit-reports/.

Ransomware attack disrupts operations at JBS meatpacking plants in Marshalltown & Ottumwa

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Some shifts were cancelled at J-B-S meatpacking plants in Marshalltown and Ottumwa yesterday after a cyberattack on the company. An updated post on the Facebook page for the J-B-S plant in Ottumwa said the company is continuing to work through its I-T issues and no pigs were scheduled to slaughtered today (Wednesday) in Ottumwa on the first or second shift. However, shifts for other tasks within the facility in Ottumwa are still on as normal.

J-B-S is based in Brazil and is the world’s largest meat producer. All of its BEEF plants were shut down Tuesday by the cyber breach. J-B-S plants that process pork — like the two in Iowa — had some level of disruption, but weren’t completely idled. Markets were rattled by the news as J-B-S plants process about 20 percent of the cattle and hogs slaughtered in the U.S. The White House said the ransomware attack likely came from a criminal organization based in Russia.

(Podcast) KJAN News, 6/2/21

News, Podcasts

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The 8:09-a.m. broadcast news, with Ric Hanson.

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Wednesday Girls State Tennis Results

Sports

June 2nd, 2021 by Jim Field

@ Byrnes Park, Waterloo

Class 1A State Singles

Round 1: 

  • Jessica Sun, Shenandoah beat Lily Fenton, Maharishi  7-5, 6-3
  • Catherine Straus, Spirit Lake/Okoboji beat Maddie Frey, Creston/O-M  6-0, 6-2

Quarterfinals:

  • Jessica Sun, Shenandoah beat Emily Blom, Pella 6-3, 6-1

Semi-Finals (Thursday):

  • Jessica Sun, Shenandoah vs. Sasha Hyacinth, Columbus Catholic

Consolation:

  • Maddie Frey, Creston/O-M beat Kayla Kellogg, Charles City  6-0, 6-0

Consolation Quarterfinals:

  • Maddie Frey, Creston/O-M beat Victoria Schwarting, Osage 6-0, 6-2

Consolation Semi-Finals (Thursday):

  • Maddie Frey, Creston/O-M vs. Brenna Phillips, Columbus Catholic

Class 1A State Doubles

Round 1: 

  • Alexa Weber/Belle Weber, Union beat Rhenn Rolenc/Merced Ramirez, Red Oak  6-1, 6-0
  • Landry Miller/Allison Narmi, St. Albert beat Caroline Meis/Madison Claussen, LeMars  6-0, 6-1
  • Ally Burger/Courtney Carstensen, Xavier beat Morgan Driskell/Sam Dunphy, Creston/O-M  6-0, 6-1

Quarterfinals:

  • Ella Tallett/Avery Link, Xavier beat Landry Miller/Allison Narmi, St. Albert 6-0, 6-3

Consolation:

  • Elli Hanson/Sophia Butler, Spirit Lake Park beat Morgan Driskell/Sam Dunphy, Creston/O-M 6-4, 6-3
  • Caroline Meis/Madison Claussen, LeMars beat Rhenn Rolenc/Merced Ramirez, Red Oak  6-0, 6-3

Consolation Quarterfinals:

  • Landry Miller/Allison Narmi, St. Albert beat Regen Halsne/Btynna Huen, Ballard 6-3, 6-2

Consolation Semi-Finals (Thursday):

  • Landry Miller/Allison Narmi, St. Albert vs. Alexa Weber/Belle Weber, Union

Two Marshalltown men die in separate crashes three hours apart

News

June 2nd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Two separate accidents took the lives of two Marshalltown residents on Tuesday in Marshall County. The first occurred in the late afternoon as a vehicle driven by 72-year old Terry Stubbs crashed after passing several other vehicles on Highway 30 east of Marshalltown and crashed onto the gravel shoulder. Stubbs was transported to UPH-Marshalltown where he late died.

About three hours later, 59-year old John St. Clair was killed when he failed to navigate a curve on Luray Road in rural Marshall County. St. Clair’s vehicle rolled several times and he and his pick-up came to a rest in a farm field.