The Cass County Conservation Board has cancelled Saturday’s Sweethearts Snowshoe Hike, due to the lack of snow. The Sweethearts Snowshoe Hike was to be held at the Pellett Memorial Woods outside of Atlantic, 7-p.m. Saturday, February 17^th..  The Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend will still take place, however.

It’s a wonderful family program for bird watchers of all ages and is free of charge. All you need is basic knowledge of bird identification! It is not required that you record every species you see, only those that can be properly identified. To participate in the bird count go to the website: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/ and follow the instructions. Please help the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon Society by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The bird count is February 16-19^th 2018!!!!

Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s officials report the driver of a sanitation truck that overturned and ejected him Thursday afternoon near Crescent, died at a local hospital. The man was identified as 38-year old Jeremy Daniels, of Council Bluffs. The sanitation vehicle is owned by S & L Sanitation Enterprises, Incorporated. The accident remains under investigation.

Authorities reported Thursday, that the accident involving a 2007 Sterling sanitation vehicle, happened at around 1:10-p.m. on Mynster Springs Road, west of Old Lincoln Highway. A preliminary investigation determined the sanitation vehicle was being operated westbound on Mynster Springs Road from Old Lincoln Highway.  As the vehicle was negotiating a curve to the left, the vehicle over turned and the driver was ejected.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports, a man wanted on a warrant for Violation of Probation, turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office, Thursday morning. 53-year old Timothy Allyn Marr, of Council Bluffs, was transported to the Pott. County Jail after being served with the warrant.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A tentative settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed over nearly $1.8 million in unpaid revenue-sharing funds from the former Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino. The Sioux City Journal reports that attorneys notified a U.S. magistrate last week of the tentative deal. The terms have not been disclosed.

The nonprofit Community Action Agency sued the Belle of Sioux City, which operated the Argosy, and Belle’s parent company, Penn National Gaming, on behalf of itself and other nonprofits that had received grants from Missouri River Historical Development Inc. That organization was the state-licensed nonprofit group that collected and distributed a portion of Argosy gambling profits to charitable and civic organizations.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of stabbing to death his grandparents in the Mason City home they shared has been ruled competent for trial. A judge said in a Cerro Gordo County District Court filing Tuesday that 25-year-old Codie Matz will be able to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense. In December his attorneys filed court documents saying it “appears the defendant is suffering from a mental disorder.”

Matz’s trial is scheduled to begin March 27. He’s pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he killed 61-year-old Kenneth Hackbart and 64-year-old Kathleen Hackbart. Officers found their bodies Nov. 7.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, is backing an immigration bill along with Senator Chuck Grassley that would eventually allow children brought to the country illegally by their parents to become citizens. That part of the proposal for those under what’s known as DACA has generated some controversy, but Ernst says she hasn’t gotten negative feedback. “I’ve have not gotten any pushback on that and I have talked to, even folks on the far right of the spectrum, conservative leaders across Iowa,” according to Ernst.

She says the conversations went better than she expected. “I was actually really surprised at the engagement that they are having with the pathway to citizenship, because understanding that these children who are now young adults did not break the law,” Ernst says. “So they are here, they are members of our community. Why would we not want to make them productive citizens.”

Ernst says they are needed in the state. “I would love to see them go on and be in the military. I would love to seem them go on and go to college and be a doctor and a nurse, because we need them in rural areas,” Ernst explains. “They are productive members of our society — and again — they haven’t broken the law.”

Ernst says leadership has said they will look at a lot of different proposals from both sides on the immigration issue. She says she’s not sure what the final bill will look like.

(Radio Iowa)

The family of an Audubon man missing since Feb. 10th is asking the public for help in locating him. His family says 38-year old Jason Malloy has no car, and .no money. Text messages and calls to his phone are not answered. The family says Jason is known to suffer from mental issues. He’s described as being 5-feet 11-inches tall, about 180-pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

If you know where he is, call the Audubon Police Department, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency. You may also contact: the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation 1-800-346-5507. If you recognize him authorities say DO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION YOURSELF. Get as much information as you can (e.g. license number of a vehicle, exact location of sighting, activities individual involved in) and then call law enforcement or the number mentioned above.

Jason Malloy

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Corrections Department says an inmate struck a correctional officer at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville. The assault occurred around 2:05 p.m. Thursday. The officer handcuffed the inmate and then moved inside a cell to help move him, because the inmate uses a wheelchair. The department says the inmate then used both fists to strike the officer once on the side of his head.

The officer suffered bruising and scratches from the strike and a headache. He was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for examination. The names of those involved have not been released.