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Adair County Supervisors approve amended Wind Energy Ordinance

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A public hearing featuring a large crowd, was held Wednesday morning in Greenfield, as part of the Adair County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. The hearing was with regard to an amended Ordinance “Assessment of Wind Energy Conversion Property,” and was followed by passage of the third and final reading of the Ordinance, which affects persons who are both in favor of, and opposed to, the construction of numerous Mid-American Energy wind turbines throughout the county.

The amended ordinance sets a 2,000-foot setback for turbines from non-participating residences, and an 800-foot setback for property owners who wish to be associated with Mid-American Energy wind farm turbines.

The Arbor Hill and Orient wind energy projects tentatively calls for the construction 275 turbines, and the option to build 100 more. In all nearly 500 turbines are expected to be built, and will be spread throughout the County. Currently, more than 400 landowners have signed-up to have the turbines built on their land.

And, while the Adair County Supervisors passed the amended Ordinance, they tabled a more comprehensive plan addressing the health concerns, noise and other issues dealing with the turbines.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 10/4/2018

News, Podcasts

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

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Des Moines police investigating early morning shooting death

News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(UPDATE) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police are investigating the early morning shooting death of a man. Police say officers and fire department medics responded at 2:25 a.m. Thursday to a shooting report on the city’s north side. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound and medics transported him to a hospital, where he later died. The man was identified as 42-year-old Thurmon Tervale Cole, of Des Moines.

Police are investigating and there have been no arrests. It’s the city’s 10th homicide this year.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 10/4/2018

Podcasts, Sports

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Creston Police report, 10/4/18

News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Creston Police Department reports two separate arrests took place Wednesday night. At around 10:20-p.m., 33-year old Jasmine Earth, of Winnebago, NE., was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $300 bond. And at around 7:50-p.m., 53-year old Craig Hauser, of Creston, was arrested for 2nd offense Public Intoxication. Hauser was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & Funeral report, 10/4/2018

News, Podcasts

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

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More than five dozen judges on November’s retention ballot

News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s governor appoints the judges who preside in Iowa courtrooms, but judges as well as the justices on the Iowa Supreme Court periodically face what are called “retention” elections.  Iowa judges are not elected. Instead, a Judicial Nominating Commission interviews applicants.

The commission submits three candidates to the governor for each opening and the governor makes the final call on which of the three get the job. The newly-appointed judge or justice faces a retention election after serving on the bench for at least a year, then every eight years after that. Three members of the Iowa Court of Appeals are up for retention votes this year, along with 63 district court judges.

Go to https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iowabar.org/resource/resmgr/judicial_performance_review/2018/2018_Judicial_Performance_Re.pdf to find a biography for each judge on the ballot and how each judge has been rated by the Iowa State Bar Association.

It is extremely rare for judges to be voted off the bench. However, in 2010 three Iowa Supreme Court Justices lost their retention elections after joining in the court’s 2009 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. In 2016, the justice who wrote that opinion as well as two other members of the Iowa Supreme Court who had joined the unanimous ruling on same-sex marriage won their retention elections.

Bedford man arrested on Burglary warrant

News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports 31-year old Brad Larson, of Bedford was arrested on this (Thursday) morning in the 1300 block of State Highway 2. Larson was arrested on a warrant for 1st degree burglary and was being held at the Taylor County Jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate. Additional charges are pending.

USDA Report 10-4-2018

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

October 4th, 2018 by Jim Field

w/Denny Heflin.

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Mitchell County Students develop an app to report threatening behavior

News

October 4th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A group of high school students in a northeast Iowa county have developed a new “app” to manage tips about threats to school safety in the area. Seven students from Osage, Saint Ansgar and Riceville worked with the Mitchell County Sheriff’s office to design and publish the app. Jenna Plotzke is a senior at Osage.

“Messages can get mis-communicated and we have problems where you think there’s a kid with a gun or anything like that, so we wanted an easier way to communicate and a more efficient way to communicate if there was a threat and let administration know,” she says.

The Mitchell County Threat Reporter app lets students anonymously report threats like bullying or an active shooter directly to law enforcement. Mitchell County Sheriff Greg Beaver wanted an easier way for students to report potential threats after 17 people were killed in the Valentine’s Day shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school.

“Go back and look at the history of active shooters in our schools and school violence — so many of our young people say, ‘Well, we knew he was going to do it or she was going to do it,’ but they don’t pick up 911 and call,” he says. “We find out afterwards and it’s too late. If we can get these young people to report confidentially, through an app, what better way to get the information ahead of time.”

The app is available at the Google Play Store right now. The app asks six general questions, from what the threat is to who’s involved and where it could happen. Plotzke says she and the six other students who worked on the app hope it can be used nationwide. “I think it would be really beneficial if we’d be able to get it to other counties in Iowa or even nationwide, if other people could use our interface to then create an app that can then help their county,” she says.

“I know Mitchell County is pretty small and if you had a bigger county, how much more beneficial it could be and how many more reports they could have and help diffuse situations before they get out of hand.” The Mitchell County Threat Reporter app will be released for the iPhone and other Apple devices later this week.