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Three motorcycle accidents over the weekend, 1 fatality

News

September 11th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

It was a bad weekend for motorcycle accidents in southwest Iowa. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said 38-year-old Joshua Suhr, of Council Bluffs, who was not wearing a helmet, died Sunday at a hospital in Omaha, following an accident that took place Saturday evening, northwest of Underwood. Witnesses told authorities two southbound motorcycles traveling on L-34 passed them at a high rate of speed. Suhr, who was on one of the cycles, apparently wasn’t able to negotiate the curve near Sumac Road, and lost control of the vehicle.

The Iowa State Patrol says a Mills County man was injured in a motorcycle accident Sunday afternoon, near Glenwood. Officials say  20-year-old Lucas Ring, of Glenwood, was thrown from the Yamaha FZR-600R cycle he was driving, when it entered a ditch. The Patrol says Ring was wearing a helmet. The accident happened at around 2:40-p.m., when as Ring was traveling north on 221st Street, he drove on the shoulder and lost control. Ring was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Glenwood Rescue.

And, 39-year-old Renae Hansen was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic and later transferred by helicopter to Creighton Medical Center, after the motorcycle she was driving southbound on Highway 83 near Walnut, ran off the roadway on a curve and entered the south ditch, at around 4-p.m., Saturday. It was not clear from the Sheriff’s report where Hansen was from.

Man arrested for taking items from camper units in Mills Co.

News

September 11th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Police in Glenwood say one person was taken into custody following an investigation Monday into a suspicious persons report. Authorities said 25-year-old Kenneth Hartwell (residence not listed) was charged with 4th-degree theft, 3rd-degree criminal mischief, and driving under suspension, after officers responded to a call about a person tampering with campers in the 200 block of Valley Street, in Glenwood. During their investigation, officers located and items allegedly stolen from the campers. Hartwell was transported to the Mills County Jail.

Survey: few Iowa companies plan to add workers before end of the year

News

September 11th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A new report shows few Iowa employers are expecting to add jobs over the last three months of the year. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter of 2012 yielded a net employment outlook of just 10-percent. Karen Miller is spokeswoman for Manpower in Des Moines. “For the fourth quarter of this year, we’re looking at 20-percent of the companies that we surveyed are planning on increasing (employment) while 10-percent are planning on decreasing. So we have a net employment outlook of 10-percent,” Miller said. Another 68-percent of Iowa employers surveyed expect to maintain their current staffing levels, while two-percent are uncertain.

Iowa employers’ hiring plans are much weaker when compared to the third quarter survey. “We had a very robust third quarter outlook,” Miller said. “The net employment outlook for the third quarter was 24-percent.” The Manpower survey mirrors a report released last week by the Iowa Business Council – showing the CEOs of Iowa’s largest companies anticipate a slowdown in sales, capital spending and employment in the coming six months. Miller suspects many business owners are taking a “wait and see” approach.

“I think employers are being really cautious because of the pending elections, health care, global economic issues and fluctuation and the (drought),” Miller said. “We’ve had a myriad of factors that have impacted the fourth quarter number.” Manpower surveyed more than 18,000 employers across the U.S. The overall national report shows 17-percent expect to add to their workforces and 9-percent expect a decline in payrolls – for a fourth quarter net employment outlook of 11-percent.

(Radio Iowa)

Former IA Lt. Gov. Patty Judge to be keynote speaker at Cass Co. Dem. HQ Grand Opening

News

September 11th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Cass County Democratic Party say a Grand Opening of its Election Headquarters will be held next Tuesday, September 18th. The event, and fundraiser for Iowa House Candidate John Rose, will feature former Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge, as the keynote speaker. Rose, who is running against Republican Jack Drake from Griswold, for House District 21, will also speak at the event, which runs from 5-to 6:30-p.m., Sept. 18th, at the Democratic Party headquarters. Snacks and refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Sherry Toelle, at 712-243-4861.

2 injured when van runs out of gas in Pott. Co. & is hit from behind

News

September 11th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Two Nebraska residents were injured Monday on Interstate 29 near Crescent, when a van ran out of gas and was hit from behind. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2002 Ford Windstar van driven by 32-year old Brylona Moreland, of Omaha, was traveling south on I-29 at around 6:10-p.m., when the vehicle’s gas tank ran dry. The van came to rest on the traveled portion of the interstate, and was hit from behind by a 2007 Pontiac G-6, driven by 27-year old Christopher Buser, of Bellevue, NE.

Following the impact, both vehicles came to rest in the west ditch. Moreland, and a passenger in the van, 34-year old Terrell Jones, of Omaha, were transported to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. Neither was wearing a seat belt. Buser suffered minor injuries, but refused medical treatment at the scene. Officials say several traffic citations were issued to Moreland.

Senate confirms Rose as federal judge

News

September 10th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Senate has confirmed U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose as a federal judge in Iowa. Sens. Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley say the Senate voted 89-1 on Monday to confirm Rose in Iowa’s Southern District, which includes Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Davenport. Rose was one of three candidates recommended by Harkin to replace Judge Robert Pratt, who has taken senior status. President Barack Obama nominated her in February. Rose has served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa since 2009. She spent over 12 years in the office as an assistant U.S. attorney. Rose received a bachelor’s degree in 1994 and a law degree in 1996, both from the University of Iowa.

Corn harvest remains ahead of schedule

Ag/Outdoor, News

September 10th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The corn harvest continues significantly ahead of schedule in much of the grain belt with 15 percent of the crop out of the fields in the 18 states that produce most of the nation’s corn crop. That’s ahead of the 5 percent normal average for this time of the year. Iowa farmers are reporting 10 percent finished compared with the average of 1 percent. In Nebraska harvest is 12 percent complete compared with the 1 percent average. Missouri is more than half finished when the average is 15 percent. A few soybean farmers are harvesting with 4 percent done nationally. Two percent is the average. Crops were planted earlier this year because of a warm spring. Harvest is moving quickly because crops matured faster than usual in this summer’s heat.

Gov. Branstad orders flags flown at half-staff

News

September 10th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is ordering flags at state government buildings and other sites to be flown at half-staff to honor those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Branstad called for the flags to be lowered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at public buildings, grounds and other facilities throughout the state. Individuals, schools and businesses also are encouraged to fly flags at half-staff during this period as a show of respect. The Sept. 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED FOR MORE COUNTIES IN WESTERN IA, EFFECTIVE TUESDAY

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

September 10th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT AND PAGE

339 PM CDT MON SEP 10 2012

RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR EXTREME FIRE DANGER. THIS REPLACES THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH WHICH HAD BEEN ISSUED PREVIOUSLY. A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

RED FLAG WARNINGS ISSUED FOR MUCH OF THE KJAN LISTENING AREA TUESDAY

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

September 10th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-DALLAS-POLK-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD

324 PM CDT MON SEP 10 2012

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS.. THIS REPLACES THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED.

SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH…WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. IN ADDITION, THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY  WILL DROP TO 15 TO 25 PERCENT IN THE AFTERNOON. FIELD CROPS ARE NEARLY CURED AND HAVE BECOME HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE. IN COMBINATION WITH THE FORECAST CONDITIONS TUESDAY…THIS WOULD LEAD TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH. IN ADDITION…THE DRYING OF GRASSES IS WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE DUE TO THE HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS THIS SUMMER.

IF A FIRE STARTS TUESDAY AFTERNOON…RAPID FIRE GROWTH WOULD BE POSSIBLE AND IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN. A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.