A large hog barn was destroyed by fire early this (Friday) morning in northwest Iowa’s Plymouth County, wiping out a herd of 350 pigs.

Photo courtesy Radio Iowa

The blaze hit Jordan Dirksen’s two-story barn near Oyens) about 2 A-M. Oyens Fire Chief Brian Juhl says as soon as fire crews got to the scene, they knew they had their hands full. “When we arrived, we had fire visibly showing and coming out of the second floor which was full of straw,” Chief Juhl says. “Also, when we opened it up, we had fire on the main floor.” The Le Mars fire department also responded.

Firefighters tried to save the 70-year-old barn, but Juhl says they soon learned their efforts were futile.  “When we first got on scene, we were trying to see if we could knock it down quick but it didn’t take long for us to realize we’re not going to be able to knock it down with it being full of straw up in the loft,” he says. “We went on the defensive, trying to control how it burns.” The fire was kept from a propane tank and after about two hours, the barn collapsed. No human injuries are reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Atlantic report an Cass County woman wanted on Decatur County warrants for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, has turned herself-in to police, Thursday. 20-year old Taylor Short, of Anita, was booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance in front of the magistrate.

And, 30-year old Daniel Long, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear on a 2nd degree Theft charge. Long was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says he’s been getting several inquiries from citizens about the Page County Burn Ban that was put into effect earlier this week. Brothers says the City of Clarinda’s Ordinance states that during a burn ban the only type of burning allowed is:

OUTDOOR COOKING FIRES. Outdoor Cooking fires (barbecue grills) burning common cooking fuels such as natural and/or LP gas or charcoal being use for the cooking of food for human consumption are permitted, but that open ground fire pits cannot be used. Any other type of open burning is strictly prohibited and absolutely no recreational fires are allowed.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A teenaged driver from Glenwood died at a hospital in Omaha following a crash Thursday night in Mills County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 17-year old Tanner Porter, who was wearing his seat belt, died at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after being flown from the scene of the crash off of 221st Street.

Authorities say Porter was traveling south on 221st Street  in a 1997 Dodge pickup at around 8:15-p.m., when the vehicle left the road to the right and went out of control. The pickup rolled several times and hit a power pole before coming to rest in the west ditch.

A pair of national hunting organizations is announcing plans to hold their annual joint expo in Iowa next year. Des Moines is the 2015 host for the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. Rehan Nana is a spokesman for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.  “Iowa has a great outdoor heritage and this is our third time we’re going to be in Iowa for National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic,” Nana says. “It’s the only city we’ve been in three times and we had such a great time the past two, we want to make it back for number three.”

It was a natural move to return to the Hawkeye State for the event, he says, as Iowa has more chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever than any other state — 104 chapters — with some 20-thousand members. “If you’re a pheasant hunter, if you’re an outdoors person at all, this is the best show for you,” Nana says. “Really from wild game cooking to bird dogs to habitat conservation and habitat management, all things under the sun.” Last month, Milwaukee hosted this year’s show. Des Moines last hosted the show in 2010. At that event, U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Conservation Reserve Program general signup #39. That C-R-P effort has served as one of the U-S-D-A’s most successful conservation programs.

Nana says a significant sum of money has been invested in wildlife habitat projects in Iowa through the years. “Since 1985, there’s been over $45-million spent in Iowa based on all of our chapters’ efforts for over 111,000 habitat projects. That’s more than 1.1-million acres for wildlife there.” The event is planned for Iowa’s capitol city February 20-22 of 2015. Learn more at the website: www.pheasantfest.org

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak arrested 23-year old Devin Alexander Davis, of Red Oak, late Thursday night. Davis was taken into custody a residence in the 700 block of north Broadway Street, on a valid Montgomery County warrant charging him with Violation of his probation. Davis was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $15,000 cash bond.

The results of a study conducted by the Iowa Hospital Association reports the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic generates 361 jobs that add $23.5 million to the economy in Cass County and the surrounding area.  The IHA study says also, that CCMH employees by themselves spend $5.4 million on retail sales and contribute $326,521 in state sales tax revenue.

CCMH CEO Todd Hudspeth said in a Press Release that “People are often surprised to learn how many people we employ and the size of our business.” He says “It takes a lot of patient care professionals to enable us to care for our community twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and even more staff behind the scenes.”

Cass Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) Executive Director Russell Joyce, said the “Cass County Health System has become major player in the area of “quality of life” that we market for our area. Having an up-to-date facility that is well staffed and equipped, along with an administration, plus a Board of Trustees, that looks to the future is a large part of growing a community.” Joyce added that there is an “Influx of younger families returning or relocating to our community along with retirees, both looking for a higher level of life quality,” and that  “We can thank our health care providers for helping make this happen.”

The IHA study examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the rest of the state’s health care sector. The study was compiled from hospital-submitted data on the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals and with software that other industries have used to determine their economic impact.

The study found that Iowa hospitals directly employ 71,437 people and create another 57,792 jobs outside the hospital sector. As an income source, hospitals provide $4.2 billion in salaries and benefits and generate another $1.8 billion through other jobs that depend on hospitals.

In all, Iowa’s health care sector, which includes employed clinicians, long-term care services and assisted living centers, pharmacies and other medical and health services, directly and indirectly provides 307,402 Iowa jobs, or about one-fifth of the state’s total non-farm employment.

The Iowa Hospital Association is a voluntary membership organization representing hospital and health system interests to business, government and consumer audiences. All of Iowa’s 118 community hospitals are IHA members.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A jury has acquitted a former drug offender who voted despite having lost her right to cast a ballot, in a rare trial that highlights Iowa’s harsh policies toward voting rights for ex-felons. Jurors rejected a perjury charge yesterday against Kelli Jo Griffin, who was accused of lying on a voter registration form before she cast a ballot in a municipal election in November.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha-based economist says a survey of bankers in Iowa, Nebraska and eight other Midwestern states suggests the regional economy is experiencing slow to no growth. The Rural Mainstreet Index by Creighton University economist Ernie Gross rose slightly above growth neutral in March, to 50.1, compared with 48.4 in February.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A two-hour standoff between a Davenport man and local authorities has ended peacefully. The Quad-City Times reports the suspect was taken into custody around 11 a.m. yesterday after speaking with a negotiator. No injuries were reported.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) —North Carolina Central is the Number 14 seed in tonight’s East Regional in a second round matchup Friday against third seeded Big 12 tournament champion Iowa State. Iowa State is taking note of what the Eagles have done this season: A 20-game win streak, a road win at North Carolina State and a close loss at Wichita State, the only undefeated team in the country and the Number One seed in the Midwest.