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Cheech the Hound

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Cheech is a 1.5-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound that was taken in as a stray at Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa. Shelter employees attest that Cheech would be a great fit for almost any person or home. In case you were wondering – yes – he did have a best friend named Chong. Unfortunately, when Cheech was recovered as a stray, Chong had been struck by a car and did not recover.

Cheech does not chase cats and he loves playing with other dogs. He is currently one of many great dogs available for adoption at the shelter, so stop in and see if he’d be a great fit for your home or family.

Pet of the Week is sponsored by Faux Paws Bakery in Pella. Thanks to Faux Paws Bakery, the lucky person who adopts Cheech will also receive a $10 Faux Paws Certificate. ????????

AAA Iowa Reports 144{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} Boost in Service Calls From Iowans on Tuesday

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As temperatures fall, the number of problems with our vehicles often rises. Cold weather is especially hard on car batteries and when they die, your car is stuck. Many Iowans tried to go back to work on Tuesday morning after a long holiday weekend and discovered their engines wouldn’t turn over. Gail Weinholzer, at AAA Iowa, says the bitter cold snap took a toll.

“We saw a 144{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} increase in Iowa for service calls yesterday,” Weinholzer says. “The #1 issue was batteries, followed closely by lockouts and tire issues.” Many Iowans who made it to work without too much trouble went back to the parking lot at the end of the day to find their vehicles were dead in their tracks and they needed a jump — or a new battery entirely.

“Whether they just decided to head back to work and needed to start their car and even those folks who’d gone to work yesterday,” she says, “we had a significant bump in that late afternoon time frame as well.” Cars that were left outside during the holiday weekend were likely covered with snow and had frosty windows. While it’s natural to start the engine, flip on the heater and defroster, then go outside to scrape the windshield, that process can be a recipe for trouble.

Weinholzer says, “The other thing, along with checking your battery, you want to make sure when you warm up your car, you don’t actually lock your keys in it.” Dangerous wind chills are predicted for much of Iowa this Friday night and into Saturday, with indices plummeting into the 20s and 30s below zero.

Frigid Weather Sparking Furnace Issues

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The steep drop in temperatures has exposed a lot of issues with furnaces that are now running constantly. West Des Moines Fire Marshal, Mike Whitsel, says his department noticed it right away when the cold snap hit.

“We have seen an uptick in calls for furnaces that may catch on fire or have mechanical issues,” Whitsel says. Whitsel says it seems the earlier mild temperatures made people forget about having their furnaces tuned up.

“A lot of people seemed to have delayed their annual service on those because we were in the 50s all the way up until about a week ago,” according to Whitsel. “So if there is a mechanical issue with them, now we are seeing these things are starting to run very frequently due to the cold weather. we’ve see several of them where maybe belts go bad or there is a mechanical issue that has caused the house to fill with smoke or small fires.” He says a fireplace can be also be dangerous if you have not maintained it throughout the year.

Whitsel says, “Never use your fireplace unless you have maintained that woodburning fireplace routinely and to what the experts say.” Many people are turning to space heaters to supplement their furnace. He says that’s okay as long as you take precautions.

“There are good space heaters and there also some that aren’t really good to use in the home,” Whitsel says. He says you need to get a space heater that is listed by a company such as U-L. Get one that is cool to the touch and will shut off automatically when it falls over. Also be sure the heater is plugged into an outlet that can handle it.

“If you use a space heater and it keeps tripping a breaker, that means that that outlet you have chosen is not compatible with the amount of draw that the space heater is using. So, be very careful of that,” Whitsel says. Whitsel says take some time to learn the best way to use the space heater.

“Whenever you open up a brand new box if you buy a new space heater — always look at the manufacturers instructions for what they recommend on how to use it,” Whitsel explains. He says space heaters need their space to prevent fires. Keep the areas around space heaters clear so there is nothing near them that can catch fire and they can effectively heat.

TOUTING WATER QUALITY, SOIL HEALTH AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT FOCUS, CRAIG LANG ANNOUNCES SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE BID

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BROOKLYN, Iowa – Dairy farmer and former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang announced his campaign for Iowa secretary of agriculture today, saying he is committed to bringing together Iowans to improve the state's soil health, water quality and rural economy.

“As we look forward the coming new year, I look forward to bringing Iowans together to tackle the issues that are most important to the future not only of rural Iowa, but our entire state. Those issues are our state’s soil health, water quality and rural economy. How we address each one will determine whether our soil washes away or regenerates, our water becomes dirtier or cleaner and our rural communities struggle or once again become the vibrant economic engines we know they can be,” Lang said during an announcement at his family’s dairy and beef operation in eastern Poweshiek County.

Lang, who also served as president of the State Board of Regents, will seek the Republican nomination for the post held by Bill Northey since January 2007. Northey is awaiting Senate confirmation as U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary of farm production and conservation.

Noting the pressing need to protect and regenerate Iowa’s 29 million acres of farmland, Lang said, “We can reverse the loss of our precious soil and improve overall soil health by bringing back the bovine industry, diversifying crop rotations and adding more cover crops. It’s been proven that cover crops can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff by 30 percent. Iowa farmers seed an estimated 1 million acres of winter cover crops. My goal is to increase that number to 5 million acres in five years and continue on from there.”

He pledged to expand current efforts to promote trade, especially to China, which has reopened its markets to U.S. beef. “I will work to promote more agricultural sales in India and other Asian countries, too. And, I will work to create more ownership in the local manufacturing of the products we raise, encourage more high-speed internet connectivity, seek more support for young farmers and rural entrepreneur networks and lead the discussion about the importance of rural investment capital and strategic rural ventures,” Lang added.

Lang also vowed to bring together diverse groups to bolster Iowa’s agriculture sector. “We’re all in this together as Iowans. We face great challenges and we have tremendous opportunities. We will either succeed together – or fail together. I’m an optimist and a realist, and I know we will succeed if we chart the right course and work together to achieve a common goal,” he said.

“Let’s embrace our challenges and make the most of our opportunities. Let’s recognize and reward the hard work and commitment of Iowa’s farmers and agri-businesses. And, let’s set our sights on being the leader nationally and internationally in soil health, water quality and a sustainable, vibrant rural economy.”

Lang and his two sons, who are the family’s sixth generation of farmers, milk a 700-head dairy herd, farm 1,200 acres and run a cow/calf beef operation.

Lang was one of the longest serving leaders of both the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, where he served as president from 2001 through 2011, and the FBL Financial Group, where he served as chairman of the board for a concurrent term. He also was chairman of the Grow Iowa Values Fund and, under Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, vice chair of the Iowa Economic Development Board.

In addition to being a family farmer, Lang is president of The Prairie Strategy Group, a company engaged in identifying and solving complex challenges in food production, policy and logistics. Lang is recognized nationally and internationally as a consultant for rural economic development, consensus and opportunity building. While working with the Ministry of Agriculture on agriculture bio-technology in China, Lang signed the first-ever non-governmental organization memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology on behalf of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Lang and his wife, Mary, have four grown children and three grandchildren.

Scammers Targeting MidAmerican Energy Customers

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

DES MOINES, Iowa – (December 22, 2017) – Several MidAmerican Energy customers are being targeted over the phone today by scammers, who are posing as utility employees and threatening to shut off power unless the customer makes a payment over the phone with a prepaid debit card. Customers receiving these calls should hang up the phone immediately.

In these most recent calls, scammers have targeted commercial customers as the holiday shopping season winds up. Nonetheless, scammers can target anyone at any time of year, so all customers should be on the lookout. Scammers are persistent and aggressive. They use sophisticated methods to trick customers, which can include:

  • Spoofing Caller ID to make the call appear as if it is coming from the utility.
  • Requiring customers to make an immediate payment using a prepaid (Green Dot) card.
  • Impersonating energy auditors in an attempt to get inside homes or businesses.
  • Intimidating customers by showing up at their front doors or claiming a crew is en route to disconnect service.
  • Claiming there is an issue with electric or natural gas service equipment inside or outside the house and requesting immediate payment.

Customers who receive a suspicious call should hang up and call local police and their energy provider to report the scam and check the status of their account. Customers can check their balance online using My Account at www.midamericanenergy.com or by calling MidAmerican Energy at 888-427-5632.

Protecting customers from scams is a top priority for MidAmerican Energy. If customers are behind on bills, they will receive several notifications; disconnection is a last resort, not a first step in the process. MidAmerican Energy accepts many different forms of payment; a specific payment method is never required when paying your bill.

Customers should follow these steps to stay safe:

  • Never give out personal information such as credit card or account numbers. Utilities will not ask for this information over the phone.
  • Beware of any caller who asks you to pay with a prepaid (Green Dot) debit card. MidAmerican Energy does not accept this type of payment.
  • Ask for proper identification from anyone who approaches you claiming to be from a service provider. Call the service provider directly to verify the purpose for the visit. Use the number published on your monthly bill or the company’s website.

For more information, visit www.midamericanenergy.com/scams or watch this informative video. The Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s office has also set up a hotline with more information on the scam at 515-725-5387.

About MidAmerican Energy Company
MidAmerican Energy Company is an energy provider serving 760,000 electric customers and 742,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. It is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Information about MidAmerican Energy is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.midamericanenergy.com.

Three Arrested After Search Warrant Executed

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On December 15, around 2:45 PM, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 610 Wood St in Eldon. As a result of the search warrant three people were arrested:

71-year-old Ernest Weeks of Eldon charged with Possession, receipt, transportation, or dominion and control of firearms by a felon a Class D Felony bond was for the amount of $5,000, which Weeks posted.

Timothy Gillespie, 56, of Eldon charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, FTA on Violation Restraining Order (3 counts), Carrying of weapons (City of Eldon) Discharge of Weapons (City of Eldon) all Simple Misdemeanors. Possession of Controlled Substance (2nd Offense) and Theft Third Aggravated Misdemeanor. Possession of Controlled Substance (Two or More Previous Convictions) a Class D Felony. Gillespie’s bond is $12,900.

32-year-old Carissa Bower of Eldon was charged with Possession Methamphetamine and Possession Marijuana both are Serious Misdemeanors. Possession of Drug Paraphernalia a Simple Misdemeanor. Bower’s bond was $2,000, which Bower posted.

Water Department Cautioning of Water Main Breaks

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

The Oskaloosa Municipal Water Department wants to alert Oskaloosa residents of water main breaks within the city on December 27.

The first one crews are tackling is on C Avenue West between North C and North D Street. As a result of this work, the water department will have C Avenue West closed in both directions between North C and North D. Please find an alternate route if you need to travel in this area. Staff expect utility locates to clear and begin repairs after 10 AM.

The other leak is by 135 Geneva Drive. Staff will need to evaluate whether or not they will need to close Geneva from the frontage road along A Avenue East to 1st Avenue East in order to complete that repair. If the street does need to be closed, the water department will work to post notice on their Facebook page.

Due to the extreme cold the amount of time needed to complete the repairs may be longer than usual. We apologize for the inconvenience that this will cause those wanting to drive through these areas, but ask for your patience as staff work to fix the leaks and get the roads opened again.

Identity Released on Deceased Pilot After Crash

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

On Saturday, December 23, 2017, at approximately 2:20 PM officials of the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 2082 210th Street about an aircraft that had crashed. Upon emergency personnel’s arrival, it was discovered that the pilot was deceased.

The results of the preliminary investigation indicate that the aircraft struck a power line causing it to crash to the ground. Officials are not speculating on what caused the aircraft to be flowing this low.

The pilot that died as a result of the airplane accident has been identified as 70-year-old Bruce Gene Devick of Marshalltown, Iowa.

Devick was piloting a single engine, 2-seat light sport airplane.

The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this accident, along with members of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Jason Aldean Receives ‘Coolest Gift Ever’

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So, what do you get the man who has everything for Christmas–up to and including his first newborn son, who was delivered a few weeks before Santa was on the clock? Well, if you’re Jason Aldean’s wife, Brittany, you just might buy him … a bowling championship belt.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdJzrEmgGfW/

Aldean posted a picture of the flashy waist-gear on Christmas evening, with an approving note affirming it was perhaps “the coolest Christmas gift ever” from his wife and kids. He also references “Night Train Laynes,” which is, of course, a play on the title of his fifth studio album as well as his wife’s middle name.

Looks as if Brittany rolled herself a strike with this gift…and let us not forget, she was responsible for the best gift of all, baby son Memphis, already earlier in the month!

Aldean’s home has a private two-lane bowling alley (which Brittany has documented in Instagram stories), so it’s safe to say the singer is a fan of the sport. As we aren’t quite sure exactly where he’ll find the right occasion to wear such an, er, statement-making new belt, it’s a good thing to know that he can put it to use on his home turf.

Aldean is a sports fan in general, having gotten Memphis already in the act wearing Georgia Bulldogs gear before the little man even left the hospital after being born.

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