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Oakland man found guilty of murder

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A jury in Pottawattamie County deliberated about three hours before handing down a guilty verdict in the first-degree murder trial of Robert Reynolds, Friday. His sentencing is set for 1:30-p.m., January 14th. The Daily NonPareil reports the jury of nine women and three men heard closing arguments Friday morning from the prosecution and defense in the case of Reynolds, a 63-year-old Oakland man charged in the shooting death of Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey, 64, of Atlantic, during the early morning hours of April 8th.

That morning, around 3 a.m. at his Oakland home, Reynolds fatally shot Kinkade-Dorsey just above the right eye with a 9mm handgun. Kinkade-Dorsey was a friend of Reynolds’ wife, Theresa, and was staying at the home before heading to Omaha to catch a flight to California to see her grandson off for a deployment with the Air Force. The three had spent the previous evening drinking with the Reynolds’ neighbors, who left around 10:30 p.m. Around 3 a.m. Theresa Reynolds awoke to find her husband screaming at Kinkade-Dorsey in the kitchen.

After she entered the fray, telling Robert Reynolds to stop yelling, he left the kitchen and returned with the gun. After more shouting he eventually shot Kinkade-Dorsey.  In his presentation Pottawattamie County Matt Wilber noted the incident was not an accident or mistake, not provoked or justified.

Eric Nelson, who represented Reynolds with Joseph Reedy, argued that his client had no reason to want to cause harm to Kinkade-Dorsey, casting doubt on a motive. Nelson outlined four reasons to reasonably doubt Reynolds’ guilt:

• There was no blood found on the clothes Reynolds wore that night.

• There was no gunshot residue on the clothes.

• Theresa Reynolds’ clothes from the night were not tested for blood or gunshot residue.

• The clothes of Amber Hoyt – Robert Reynolds’ stepdaughter – from the night were also not tested for blood or gunshot residue.

Nelson said it’s clear the evidence shows Kinkade-Dorsey is dead. Nelson noted character witnesses that vouched for Reynolds’ general peaceful and nonviolent behavior, noting he wondered if Kinkade-Dorsey had in any way provoked a confrontation. After hearing those arguments, the jury deliberated at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse before the verdict was announced at about 3 p.m.

Economic Development Board approves awards to support the creation of jobs

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board today (Friday) awarded direct financial assistance and tax benefits to four companies for job creation and expansion projects. Among them was a logistics company that plans to acquire a site in Council Bluffs. XTL, Inc. is a leading customized logistics solutions provider that utilizes state-of-the-art robotic warehousing and inventory control for commodities and finished goods.

The company specializes in providing capacities to primary processors and employees in order to maximize on-site production while using off-site logistics resources. This $62 million capital investment project was awarded tax benefits through the HQJP to create 50 jobs, of which 16 are incented, at a qualifying hourly wage of $17.06.

Today’s awards will assist in the creation of 156 jobs, retain 89 jobs and will result in over $157 million in new capital investment for the state. The board also approved innovation funding to six startups.

ISU Extension and Outreach Hosting On-line Program on Choosing Health Insurance

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Changes in health insurance raise many questions for consumers. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a free on-line workshop to help local residents understand how to make Smart Choices for purchasing health care coverage. The free workshop will take place Wednesday, December 10th from 6-8 p.m. To register for the workshop go on-line to http://tinyurl.com/pvmceb7. Once registered, participants will receive a website link for logging in to join the workshop from their personal computer as well as a link to access handouts.ISU Extension

Brenda Schmitt and Joyce Lash, Human Science Specialists in Family Finance will facilitate the workshop. Participants will understand key health insurance terms and concepts, learn to identify personal health care needs and priorities, understand key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and examine the pros and cons of hypothetical insurance plans.

The workshop is intended for both current health insurance consumers and those who are newly eligible through the Affordable Care Act. The Smart Choice workshop will not offer one on one assistance or advice for enrolling in a particular insurance plan. Questions about the on-line program can be directed to Brenda Schmitt at 641-512-0650.

Villisca man arrested Thu. afternoon on court order

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Deputies in Montgomery County, Thursday afternoon, arrested a man wanted by court order (mittimus) on an original charge of OWI/1st offense. 33-year old Alan Joe Turpen was taken into custody at around 3:15-p.m. in the 500 block of east 5th Street, in Villisca. Turpen was brought to the Montgomery County Jail to serve a two-day sentence required to satisfy the court’s order.

Audubon employer announces closure; 61jobs to be lost

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

An Audubon County manufacturer has announced its workers were given notice earlier this week that their jobs are being eliminated. California-based Anthony International,  the world’s largest manufacturer of specialty glass, commercial glass refrigerator & freezer doors, case lighting, and display & merchandising systems said Monday, 61 of its employees in Audubon were given notice that as of January 16th, they will be out of a job.

Shawn Simmons, Vice President of Human Resources for Hillphoenix, Anthony’s parent company, stated that some of the Audubon employees will have the opportunity to relocate to Richmond, Virginia for roles in which they qualify and that they will be working to provide support to all Audubon employees during the transition.

Anthony opened in Audubon in 2010, after the acquisition of Trausch Industries. At that time, 118 people were employed at the Audubon Plant. In 2012, Dover Corporation, acquired Anthony International, merging it with Hillphoenix. Monday’s announcement came as a surprise to both the workers at the business as well as officials with Audubon County Economic Development.

(KNOD/Harlan)

Council Bluffs planning Fairmount Park restoration

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs officials are planning a nearly $1 million restoration of the historic Fairmount Park with the help of $100,000 from a Rotary club. Mayor Matt Walsh announced the project Thursday. The 90-acre park features a greenhouse, ice skating, sledding, a petting zoo and an old bell tower. But the Daily Nonpareil reports the park’s forest is overgrown and its facilities need renovation.

Officials say the project will restore the woodlands and establish new trails to improve pedestrian access from nearby neighborhoods. The project also calls for a plaza on the site of the former Fairmount Lodge.

Mick McKinley, the former president of the Rotary Club of Council Bluffs, says the group was looking for a service project to help fund to commemorate its 100-year anniversary.

City Councilman in Harlan announces resignation

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Councilman Aaron Anliker has announced he is resigning from the Harlan City Council effective December 31st. Anliker served seven years for the City. Officials will appoint his replacement sometime in December. That person will fill Anliker’s remaining three years of a four-year term.

Anyone interested in the position that lives in Ward 1 and 4 could be eligible to be considered for the position. Call the Harlan City Hall at 755-5137 or contact Mayor Gene Gettys, Aaron Anliker or city administrator Terry Cox for more information.

Service on the council will begin January 1st. Besides council meetings, the appointed member will be involved in committees of the council as well, to be determined for the next year in the coming month.

(KNOD/Harlan)

Photography by Diana Velasco: Two Nationalities at Museum of Danish America

News

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Museum of Danish America will present Photography by Diana Velasco: Two Nationalities from November 28 – March 15. This exhibition presents a series of photographs exploring individuals who grew up with parents of two different nationalities – as Velasco herself did, with a Danish mother and Spanish father. The exhibition is organized by the Denmark Immigration Museum outside of Copenhagen. The exhibition will also feature an artist-in-residency project that will involve the community members of Elk Horn and result in another exhibition, Sense of Place, to be opened at the museum in May 2015. Support for this exhibition and for the artist-in-residency comes from the Iowa Arts Council. Diana Velasco, Cristina

Photography by Diana Velasco: Two Nationalities will open at the museum during the Danish Villages’ annual Christmas celebration of Julefest on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving. The museum, its Genealogy Center, and its historic house museum, Bedstemor’s House, will have free admission on November 28 and 29. Special refreshments and activities will be held during those dates as well. The artist herself will give gallery talks about the exhibition in the main floor gallery throughout the celebration days.

The museum will have four different exhibits open throughout the winter months, including Exploring Danish Happiness, which looks into the reasons why Denmark is consistently ranked as “one of the happiest countries on Earth.”

For more information, visit the museum’s website, danishmuseum.org or call (712) 764-7001.

(Podcast) 8-a.m. KJAN local/state News, 11/21/2014

News, Podcasts

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

With Ric Hanson.

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Forecast: Brief warmup this weekend, iffy Thanksgiving, and winter is still a toss-up

News, Weather

November 21st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Iowans are enduring much colder-than-normal, snowy weather for the last half of fall, and while there’s a little relief in sight for the weekend, the winter ahead is still a toss-up. Jeff Zogg, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says they’ve re-run all of their computer models to get a glimpse at December through February and so far, it’s 50-50.

“We’re calling for equal chances for temperature,” Zogg says. “That means there’s really no strong signal of above-, near- or below-normal temperatures. For precipitation, generally equal chances, maybe a little bit of a dry signal across the eastern part of the state.” Armchair prognosticators may claim this current cold spell could be a sign of a bitter, blizzard-filled season ahead, while other say it’s an indicator a warmer winter is on the way. Zogg says nobody really knows at this point.

“When you go back and look at past winters, really the temperature trends that you see in November really have very little if any predictability as to the rest of the winter,” Zogg says. “Yes, we have been quite cold for the first part of November but that would not necessarily translate into a certain trend for the rest of the winter.” While much of Iowa should see highs in the 40s this weekend — a nice change from the 20s — but the travel forecast for Thanksgiving looks dicey.

“This weekend, we’re looking for a warm-up, even a chance of rainfall on Saturday and Sunday,” Zogg says. “Temperatures will be warm enough for rain but there is the potential for some additional unsettled weather next week, particularly towards Thanksgiving. We’re seeing the potential for below-normal temperatures again, maybe another system to bring us some rain or snow.” Stay tuned in to the latest forecast at weather-dot-gov.

(Radio Iowa)