712 Digital Group - top

Teenager shot in Davenport Saturday night has died

News

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A Davenport shooting victim has died. Davenport Police say 16-year-old Jovontia Jones died at University Hospitals in Iowa City. Officers were called to a report of shots fired in the central city Saturday night. They found shell casings and were investigating when a shooting victim, a young man, showed up in a private vehicle for treatment of life-threatening injuries at a Davenport hospital. He was transferred to Iowa City and police learned of his death on Sunday.

(Radio Iowa)

Five startups selected for 2018 AgriTech Accelerator class

Ag/Outdoor

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Leaders of an initiative to help startup companies involved in agriculture have identified the program’s sophomore class. Megan Vollstedt, executive director of the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator, says they received many great applicants from around the country and world. “Agriculture is everywhere. It’s the base of so many communities and industries. The innovations that we see can affect agriculture in any location, customers are everywhere for these innovations,” Vollstedt said. Five early stage ag tech companies were selected by a board of directors comprised of agribusinesses that invest in the Accelerator program. “Solving legitimate problems in the industry with a solution that really resonates with the industry and the need that’s there,” Vollstedt said.

The five ag tech startups chosen to participate in the 100-day Accelerator are Osceola, Iowa-based U.S. Design Consultants, Krobel Corp of Mankato, Minnesota, AgHelp in Grand Rapids, Michigan, VakSea, based in Baltimore, and Nigerian company BirdPreneur. The program will begin May 29 and conclude on August 30. The five startups will receive intensive mentoring and $40,000 in seed funding.

(Radio Iowa)

Survey of Iowa’s labor market to cover all 99 counties

News

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development have announced a plan where they will team up for a survey of the labor market in all 99 counties. Workforce Development’s Ryan Murphy oversees the labor market information division, and says it will be a study of what’s called the laborshed area.”I often compare it to a watershed area where you have lakes and streams that flow into a large bodies of water. People are more familiar with that,” Murphy says. “A laborshed area is more like a commuting pattern where we have people traveling in on two-lane highways, and walking to work and the interstate to a central employment area.”

He says it gives counties and idea of the source of workers. “Your employees come from much further away than your county right — it could be the next county over or two counties depending on if you are on an interstate or four-lane highway,” Murphy explains. “And it really shows the quantity, the size of your labor market area, your labor pool. So it better describes the area where your employer or perspective employers could be drawing their employees from.”  While it’s obvious in some counties where the workers are coming from — others aren’t as easy to figure out. “It’s very important for those border communities. We know we are not just getting people in Decorah for work from Winneshiek County. We know that there are people from Minnesota and Wisconsin that are also coming to that area for work. This helps employers identify where there could be pockets of available labor,” Murphy says.

The second phase of the laborshed study involves a phone survey of the potential labor pool. “Asking people about whether they are employed or not employed. Their wages, their benefits currently being offered, their occupations, their industry, their desired ages, their benefits, how far they are commuting,” Murphy explains. “One of the really unique data points that we have with the laborshed survey is where are people looking for jobs if they are looking. If they are likely to change employment or accept new employment — what resources are they using to do that?”  Iowa’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country. Murphy says the survey will hopefully help better match up employers with employees. “The laborshed study doesn’t create new people, so what we’re trying to do is really hone in on where there are pockets of available labor within the existing pool that we have,” according to Murphy.

With all the telemarketing and phone scams going on, it can be hard to get people to participate in the survey. Murphy says they try to let people know that this is a legitimate process. He says they send out news releases in the areas they are working in so people know if they are asked questions about their employment, they can know that it is a legitimate survey from Iowa Workforce Development.  They will begin the laborshed study in July and plan to complete 44 counties in the first year and the remaining 45 in the second year. Murphy says they are using state and federal funds for the survey and it will cost around 950-thousand dollars each year. The data from the surveys will be provided to local economic development organizations and partners for free.

(Radio Iowa)

OWI arrest in Adams County

News

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop on a vehicle whose driver failed to obey a stop sign at 170th and Sycamore in Adams County, early this (Monday) morning, resulted in an arrest. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says Alex Koltoff, of Lenox, was taken into custody at around 12:15-a.m., for OWI/1st offense and issued a citation for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign. Kolthoff was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

RAMONA HARRIS, 88, of Anita & formerly of Adair (Svcs. 5/25/18)

Obituaries

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

RAMONA HARRIS, 88, of Anita (& formerly of Adair), died Sunday, May 20th, at Caring Acres in Anita. Funeral services for RAMONA HARRIS will be held 11-a.m. Friday, May 25th, at the Roland Funeral Home, in Atlantic.

Visitation with the family will take place one-hour prior to the service at the funeral home, Friday.; Online condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

Burial will be in the Reno Methodist Cemetery, south of Cumberland.

RAMONA HARRIS is survived by:

Her sons – Armond Harris, and; Kelby (Dorothy) Harris, all of Adair, and Jim (Jyl) Wightman, of Winterset.

12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Skyscan forecast for Atlantic & the area, 5/21/18

Weather

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Today: Any remaining showers ending this morning. Areas of fog possible. Becoming partly cloudy. High 73. E winds becoming NW @ 10.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 55.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy w/isolated afternoon showers/thunderstorms. High 82. SE @ 10-15.

Wednesday: P/Cldy w/iso. morning shwrs & tstrms. High 82.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High of 84.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 71. Our Low this morning 54. Last year on this date our High was 64 and the Low was 43. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 97 in 1939. The Record Low was 27, in 1895.

Midwest Sports Headlines: 5/21/18

Sports

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jack Flaherty struck out a career-high 13 to earn his first major league win and Tyler O’Neill homered as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1. Making his ninth big league start, Flaherty gave up just two hits and walked one in 7 2/3 dominant innings.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Austin hit a pair of two-run homers, Sonny Gray pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 10-1 Sunday to win their eighth consecutive series. Miguel Andujar and Austin Romine added back-to-back homers in the ninth for the Yankees. Eric Skoglund was pounded for six runs over five innings for Kansas City.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The running back who won the Heisman for LSU in 1959 with a memorable Halloween night punt return touchdown against Mississippi has died. Billy Cannon was 80. LSU says Cannon died at his home in St. Francisville. Cannon led the Tigers to a national championship in 1958. The following year, his tackle-breaking 89-yard punt return led LSU to a 7-3 victory over Ole Miss. That helped Cannon win LSU’s only Heisman. He went on to play for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

TOKEKA, Kan. (AP) — Courtney Force reached the Funny Car semifinals Sunday in the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals before dewy conditions postponed the eliminations at Heartland Motorsports Park. Force, the points leader and No. 1 qualifier, will face J.R. Todd when action resumes Monday.

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, May 21st 2018

News

May 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two major provisions of the Republican tax cut bill won’t happen until Iowa meets revenue targets that critics say may take many years. Eliminating so-called “federal deductibility” and raising the state’s standard deduction, along with further dropping tax rates, won’t happen until the state reaches a certain amount of tax revenue and shows significant growth in the previous year. Those changes could happen no sooner than 2023.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport ministry that had an extended fight with the city over its efforts to feed and assist homeless people has closed because of unexpected bills. The Quad-City Times reports that Timothy’s House of Hope closed Thursday after operating for nearly nine years. Timothy’s is a ministry of Compassion Church. Ministry founder and Pastor Jim Swope says the closure is influenced by about $8,000 in winter utility bills as well as last year’s legal battle.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies and jail officers in Dubuque County will soon begin wearing body cameras when they are on duty. The Telegraph Herald reports the county recently approved purchasing 100 of the cameras for all the sworn officers in the department.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Police say a child has been killed in one of four overnight shootings that left three others wounded. The Courier reports that officers were called to a house around 5:15 a.m. Saturday and found a victim, described as a boy, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. In two other separate shootings early Saturday, three other people suffered injuries not believed to be life threatening.

Corning man arrested for burglary of a vehicle

News

May 20th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports 67-year old Jimmy Lee Hartman, of Corning, was arrested recently for Burglary of a Vehicle after a caller informed Adams County Dispatch on May 16th, that Hartman had allegedly broken into a vehicle and was physically inside the vehicle, moving things from the center console to the seat. He was taken into custody and held in the Adams County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Area School Boards to meet Monday evening

News

May 20th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

At least two area school districts will hold their regular monthly School Board meetings, Monday. In Griswold, the Board meeting gets underway at 5:30-p.m. in the Central Office at the Middle School/High School Building. They’ll start off with a 2017-18 Budget Amendment Hearing, which includes a presentation of the proposed amendment. and public comment.

Afterward, the Board will hold a hearing with regard to the Instructional Support Levy (ISL), which includes a presentation of a Resolution of Participation. Old Business includes an update (If available) from KPE Architects and Estes Construction, with regard to the District’s facilities improvements, and action of approving a Technology Plan. New Business includes approving the aforementioned 2017-18 Budget Amendment and ISL Resolution, as well as the following for the 2018-19 School Year: Nutrition prices; Registration Fees; Activity Pass Fee; Fuel Bid Specs; Technology Support Bid Specs and a Boost 4 Families Preschool Tuition Grant.

The Audubon School Board meets 7-p.m. Monday in the High School Board Room. They too, will hold a Public Hearing on an Amended 2017-18 Budget (Which is standard practice), and later on act on approving the amendment, along with:

  • Pay increases for Employees not represented by Collective Bargaining;
  • School Fees & Lunch Prices for FY 19
  • accepting milk and bread bids
  • action of the Boiler Room Roof Project

and other administrative matters.