PAGE COUNTY BURGLARIES UNDER INVESTIGATION
(Undated)--The Page County Sheriff's Office is investigating a series of burglaries that occurred during the holidays. On December 29th A window was forced open at the South Page School and files were taken from the Superintendent's office. also on that date, a business in Blanchard was burglarized, and some tools and money were taken.
Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer tells KMA News that on January 3rd and 4th, three residences in the southeast part of the county were burglarized. No one was home at the time of any of those burglaries, access was gained by damaging doors to gain entry. Nothing was taken, but the incidents remain under investigation. Also on the 4th, a building east of Clarinda was burglarized. Some hand tools are missing from that building.
Palmer says that there is a possible connection between the four burglaries occuring last weekend, since forced entry was gained in the same way in all four instances, but so far, nothing has been ruled out. Palmer says that they also may be linked to the burglaries occurring on the 29th of December, but the investigation is ongoing, and right now, the two burglaries occurring in December are being treated as separate instances from the ones occurring last weekend.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Page County Sheriff's Office at 712-542-5193.
7:54:18 PM
SIRWA CUSTOMERS STILL UNDER BOIL ORDER
(Creston)--Creston and the surrounding areas are still requested to boil their water for the time being. The boil order warning is still in effect for all cities receiving water from SIRWA. The boil order was put into place over a week ago after problems occurred in the Creston Water Treatment Plant.
The initial testing, which SIRWA received the results for, looked encouraging, The DNR is working very closely with SIRWA, Creston Water Works, and all the consecutive systems involved to make sure that all of their systems meet standards required to insure safe public drinking water. They will continue flushing and testing Tuesday in the hope of meeting the required standards so they can remove the boil order warning as quickly as possible. The DNR has the final say on when the boil order can be lifted.
Stay tuned to KMA Radio or visit the website at www.sirwa.org for further updates.
7:53:42 PM
VILSACK CONFIRMATION HEARING SET FOR NEXT WEEK
(DES MOINES, Iowa AP) -- U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin says the confirmation hearing for former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as the nation's next agriculture secretary will be on Jan. 14.
President-elect Barack Obama chose Vilsack for the post. Harkin, an Iowa Democrat who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, predicts an easy confirmation for Vilsack.
Vilsack served two terms as governor, winning election in 1998 and in 2002. He did not run again in 2006 and made a brief run for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Since leaving office, Vilsack has taught at Drake University's law school in Des Moines and has been a consultant with a variety of clients.
7:53:10 PM
FIRE DESTROYS THURMAN HOME
 (Thurman) -- State and local fire officials are investigating a fire destroying a Thurman home last night.
Firefighters from Thurman, Tabor, Sidney, Randolph, Percival, Pacific Junction, Hamburg and Nebraska City responded to the scene of the fire at 501 West Street in Thurman shortly after 8:45 p.m. The Fremont County Sheriff's Office says the family living in the home was out of town at the time of the fire. Below-zero temperatures made it difficult for firefighters to battle the fire. The house is a total loss. The State Fire Marshall's Office will investigate the fire.
01/05/2009 6:04:32 AM
LARRY SHANNON JOINS KMA'S AFTERNOON LINEUP
 (Shenandoah) -- KMA's Afternoon lineup gets a new voice.
Tarkio resident Larry Shannon is filling the station's 3-to-5 timeslot with a new talk program. Born in St. Joseph, Shannon traveled around the midwest before moving to Texas. Every summer, he would visit the family farms in Westboro and Tarkio.
At age 12, he took a tour of KMA and fell in love with radio, and he now has over a decade and a half of broadcasting experience. Shannon has now moved back to Tarkio to run the family farms.
Shannon sees the show as a continuation of the Afternoon Show, covering the local scene, talking to area people, giving stock and grain reports, breaking news, and severe weather when it occurs. He'll also interview authors of books, and others.
Shannon also does a variety of Internet work. He has a website called radiodailynews.com, and a website called talkradiodailynews.com. It's for media folks to find out what's going on in the radio, television, and Internet media.
Shannon is looking forward to the new show, saying he was very excited when he was contacted to fill the two-hour time slot. again, the show can be heard every weekday from 3 until 5. Shannon made his comments on KMA's "Afternoon Show".
01/05/2009 6:07:00 AM
IOWA DATABASE TO HELP TRACK DOCTOR-SHOPPERS
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ A new database is expected to help doctors and pharmacists track drug addicts who ``doctor-shop'' to get their fix.
State regulators say the centralized computer system will track purchases of most prescription drugs in Iowa. The system, expected to go online in March, was approved by lawmakers in 2006.
The system is designed to block drug abusers who visit multiple doctors to get duplicate prescriptions for powerful medications. They then take the prescriptions to different pharmacists so the pharmacists won't notice they're filling multiple orders for the same person.
Under the new system, Iowa pharmacies will use an Internet-based system to report the prescriptions they fill. Pharmacists and doctors will be able to check the database to see what type of drugs a person has already been prescribed by another doctor.
01/05/2009 6:07:51 AM
RESOLUTION OF VALLEY NEWS BUILDING'S FUTURE TOPS HUNT'S '09 TO-DO LIST
 (Shenandoah) -- Shenandoah Mayor Dick Hunt is hoping a big story from 2008 will be resolved in 2009.
It was one year ago this month that fire gutted the Valley News Today building on West Sheridan Avenue. At last report, officials with Western Iowa Newspapers were seeking bids for the structure's demolition. Hunt tells KMA News resolving the building's future tops his to-do list for 2009. Another big issue facing Hunt and the city is facing all other cities and counties in KMA Land--the budget. While city officials are just beginning to crunch the numbers, Hunt is bracing for the effects of a tough national economy. Demolition of nuisance properties is another of Hunt's priorities.
2009 also marks the end of Hunt's term as mayor. Hunt says he hasn't decided whether to run for reelection in November--and doesn't expect to make a decision until this summer.
Post Comments | View Comments
01/04/2009 6:04:55 PM
FOUR INJURED IN WEEKEND RED OAK ACCIDENT
 (Red Oak) -- Icy street conditions are to blame for a two-vehicle accident injuring four in Red Oak over the weekend.
Red Oak Police say 40-year-old Brian Vrba and three passengers--14-year-old Grant Vrba, 14-year-old Jordan Vrba and 13-year-old Haley Frank, all of Red Oak--were taken by Red Oak Fire and Rescue to Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. Authorities say Brian Vrba's S-U-V was eastbound on East Summit when it was struck head-on Saturday by a westbound S-U-V driven by 24-year-old Sean Elston, also of Red Oak. Authorities say Elston's vehicle spun out of control, attempted to enter the south ditch in order to avoid a collision. Authorities, however, say the accident was unavoidable due to icy road conditions. Elston and a fourth passenger in Vrba's vehicle were not injured.
01/04/2009 6:05:44 PM
 MONTGOMERY COUNTY AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE VILLISCA BURGLARIES
(Villisca) -- Montgomery County authorities are investigating a rash of burglaries in Villisca.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says three break-ins occurred sometime between Friday night and early Saturday morning. Authorities say the burglaries occurred at the Villisca Presbyterian Church on 3rd Avenue, the Southern Hills Vet Clinic on "U" Avenue and the Saint Joseph Catholic Church on High Street. Only cash was reported stolen from each location. Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office or Crimestoppers at 712-623-5107 or 1-800-432-1001.
01/04/2009 6:06:31 PM
BUDGET PROBLEMS MAY DOMINATE IOWA LEGISLATURE
 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ When the Legislature convenes Jan. 12, lawmakers will face a short-term budget headache that is eclipsed only by long-range financial difficulties stretching into the future.
Not long ago, the state had a budget surplus. Now it faces big deficits.
Although the size of the shortfall is disputed, Republican state auditor David Vaudt estimates it at $600 million and GOP legislators claim it could be $700 million. Democrats say it might be a bit smaller but agree that it's big.
Gov. Chet Culver has already ordered $180 million in cuts for the current fiscal year.
Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal of Council Bluffs and House Speaker Pat Murphy of Dubuque say it's going to be a tough year and it is unlikely there will be any money for new programs.
Republicans are predicting that Democrats will try to increase taxes to offset slowing tax collections but Democrats say a tax increase is unlikely.
01/04/2009 6:07:33 PM
 CAR DRIVES INTO CREEK, 1 DEAD
ATKINS, Iowa (AP) _ One person has died after driving a car into a creek next to Highway 30 near Atkins, where the car was submerged for at least 15 minutes.
Police pulled two unidentified people from the creek and declared one dead on Saturday night. The other person was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
About 30 people, including an ice rescue team, arrived on the scene about 6 p.m., when the car's upturned wheels were spotted from the highway. The banks around the creek are about five feet deep.
Officials pulled the car out of the water with a tow truck.
01/04/2009 6:08:11 PM
WARRANTS ISSUED FOR ARREST OF OWNER OF GUN
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) _ Warrants have been issued for a Council Bluffs man who police say owned the gun used in a deadly shooting last fall.
Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber says the warrants charge 24-year-old Mitchell Schard with involuntary manslaughter, accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice for the Oct. 18 shooting that killed 20-year-old Steve Hurd. Authorities have said the shooting was accidental.
Another man, 23-year-old Shane Hollenbach, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Dec. 22. He faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 12.
Hollenbach shot Hurd but police say the gun belonged to Schard.
Police say they have been unable to locate Schard.
WALNUT MAN KILLED IN WEEKEND ACCIDENT
ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) _ A 20-year-old Walnut man has died after an early morning crash near Atlantic.
Police say Logan H. Blum was westbound on Highway 83 near Atlantic when he drove off the roadway after driving straight when the road curved.
Blum's 1999 Oldsmobile Alero went into the north ditch, drove down an embankment, struck a tree and rolled. It came to rest upright.
Blum was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say they don't know why Blum missed the curve. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the accident.
9:30:40 PM
|
