Red Oak Police responding this (Tuesday) morning to a reported incident of assault and an intoxicated female, arrested 23-year old Ashley Nicole Woodman, of Red Oak. Woodman was taken into custody at around 7:15-a.m. after officers found she was very intoxicated and had allegedly assaulted a male at a residence in the 1000 block of Corning Street, in Red Oak.

As Woodman was being placed into custody, she allegedly resisted and began to fight with officers. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault and Interference with Official Acts.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An Omaha mortuary and its insurers have sued a Pennsylvania company, alleging that it didn’t properly rebuild a cremation machine blamed for a fire that injured four people. The Jan. 26, 2016, blaze heavily damaged the Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler funeral chapel. The lawsuit was filed last month by Heafey’s corporate entity and Cincinnati Casualty Co. and Cincinnati Indemnity Co. They seek a jury trial and at least $5.75 million from Matthews International Corp., which is based in Pittsburgh.

The bodies and cremains of deceased people that had been in the burning structure later were taken to other mortuaries owned by the company. Co-owner Bill Cutler said Tuesday that the rebuilding is expected to be completed in September.

Restoration work on the 100-year old barn at the Leet/Hassler Farmstead in Manning, has begun. “Save the Farm” efforts were announced this spring, and more than $10,000 has been raised towards the project. Kerkhoff Kraftsmen from Carroll, who have experience in renovating and repurposing old barns, started the work in mid-March. Electricity has been added to the hay loft, the floor has been repaired, and the south wall has been stabilized. They will sand the floor and clean the rafters and floor next. New steps will be added to the hay loft, which can then be used for dances, weddings, and photo opportunities. Estimated cost of this phase is $16,000.

LeRoy Dammann, who oversees the maintenance at the Heritage-Hausbarn Park, and Dr. Rexanne Struve, DVM, are in charge of the “Save the Farm” project. Additional funds will be needed for repairing the foundation on the scale house, replacing the roof on the Arts and Crafts Style Home, and working on other buildings on the property, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Park also includes the 1660s German Hausbarn and the 1913 Trinity Church.

The Heritage-Hausbarn Park will host a 100th birthday party for the Leet/Hassler Farmstead Saturday, May 13. Admission to the grounds will be free from 9 am – noon. Breakfast will be served from 9 – 10:30 am, with a free will offering. Old-time games, horse-drawn wagon rides, and other activities for the entire family will begin at 10 am.

When completed, the hay loft at the Leet/Hassler Farmstead will be available for barn dances, weddings, receptions, meetings, and as a unique photo site.

The Iowa Transportation Commission meeting today (Tuesday) in Ames, has approved RISE Grants for Cass County and Sioux City. In Cass County, a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Grant of $2.119-million was approved from the county share of the RISE Fund, for a Local Development grant to assist in paving of approximately 2,022 feet of Glacier Road, 6,274 feet of Buck Creek Road, 5,431 feet of Echo Road, and turn lanes on Olive Street located north of Atlantic. The project is necessary to provide improved access to more than 205 acres for industrial purposes, or more specifically, the Elite Octane, LLC., ethanol plant project, and other ventures that may arise. The road projects are expected to be completed by July 2018.

The Transportation Commission also approved more than $3.77-million for Sioux City, from the city share of the RISE Fund, for a modified Immediate Opportunity grant. The funds will be used to assist in the construction of 7,050 feet of new roadway, turn lanes at Aviation Boulevard and Discovery Boulevard, intersection improvements on Expedition Court, and realignment of 500 feet of Gavin Street and 300 feet of Discovery Boulevard located on the southwest side of town.

Officials say the project is necessary to provide improved access to the proposed expansion of Seaboard Triumph Foods Inc., an integrated food company producing premium pork products for both domestic and international markets, to support the creation of 909 new full-time jobs and more than $322 million in associated capital investment. This project is anticipated to be completed by July 2018.

(9-a.m. News)

The Trevor Frederickson Foundation recently donated $1,500 to the Atlantic Youth Sports Association. The funds will be used to help with new scoreboards at the Little League Complex (located across the street from the KJAN Studios). Fund spokesperson Melanie Petty (Trevor’s mom), said “Baseball was a huge part of Trevor’s life and we were very happy to help them with this project.”

(Left) Sara Wood and Melanie Petty (Photo submitted)

The board has a clean up day planned for this Saturday, April 15th at 9-a.m. The more volunteers that show up the quicker it can be accomplished. Volunteers are encouraged to bring rakes, clippers, gloves and anything else they can think of to use for clean up.

This year’s season will run from May 11 – June 23rd. The complex is also used for traveling teams, the high school softball tournament and the YMCA Tball program.

All funds raised at the annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament are given back in Trevor’s name to things he loved. This year’s tournament will be held on Saturday, August 12th.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Two area school districts will hold public meetings with regard to their separate, proposed 2017-18 School Year budgets. In Elk Horn, the Exira-EHK School Board meeting takes place in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn building. Their session starts at 6-p.m. with a Public Hearing on the Budget.

New business during their session includes: approval of the 2017-18 School budget; approval of R.L. Craft’s repair proposal for a section of roof on the Elk Horn building; approval of a district van purchase; approval of Master Contract Changes for Teaching Staff, for 2017-18, as well as personnel hires, transfers, resignations, etc.

In Anita, the CAM School Board will open public hearings at 6:30-p.m. in the CAM High School Media Center, on the 2017-18 School Calendar and 2017-18 Certified Budget. Later on during their session, the Board will hear an update and possibly act on a change order for the Elementary Building addition. They’ll also act on: Approving the 2017-18 School Calendar and Certified Budget; Operational Sharing and other matters.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report the arrest at around 1:45-a.m. today (Tuesday), of 32-year old Omasan MaCarthy, of Spencer. MaCarthy was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation. He was being held in the jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

And, at around 11:55-p.m. Monday, 40-year old Shelby Weis, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Weis was brought to the Ringgold County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond for Union County, as well as a warrant out of Dallas County, for Probation Violation.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is holding a series of public meetings this week to offer updates on the planned operation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System. Corps spokeswoman Amy Gaskill says today’s (Tuesday) meeting is in Omaha/Council Bluffs and it’s open to all. Gaskill says, “Anybody who’s interested in learning more about our water operations and can provide input if they have information to help us operate the system differently, or with more information.”

The public meetings will include a presentation on current conditions in the river basin and the Corps’ plans for operating the reservoir system in the year ahead. There will also be time for questions. Gaskill says the system is ready for any possible flooding situation, though no flooding is anticipated on the Missouri this spring.

“We have a lot of space left in our storage in the reservoirs to handle the water that’s going to be coming down from the mountain snow melt, so we’re looking pretty good there,” Gaskill says. “A significant amount of the plains snowpack has already melted and been through the system, so we’re looking pretty good there as well.”

Gaskill says they’ll also provide updates on how the river is being monitored. “We manage the river and keep a close eye on it, working with our partners from the National Weather Service, from NOAA, making sure we can respond as soon as we can,” she says.

Today’s meeting is at 5 PM at the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa)