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Sunnyside Park gates to open this afternoon

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The gates to Sunnyside Park will be opened today (Friday), beginning at 4-p.m. Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring advises motorists to “Use great caution as you drive through the park, due to gravel and debris on the streets.” Herring says the tennis courts are open and ready to used by the public FOR TENNIS ONLY.

He says motorists should also be alert to the presence of walkers, joggers, disc golf players and children at play. Herring hopes you will enjoy and respect the parks and their property, because they are there for everyone to enjoy.

Teen facing charges in Storm Lake High School lockdown

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A Storm Lake city official says a high school student is facing charges after he tried to hit another student and said he would come back to school with a gun to end an argument. Public Safety Director Mark Prosser says the 16-year-old was arrested at his home and is charged with multiple felonies, including making terroristic threats and assault.

Officials say the teenager was restrained after attempting to assault the other student on Thursday, but later broke free. He also is suspected of hitting a teacher with a chair. Officials were unsure if the suspect left the school afterward. The high school and a neighboring community college were placed on a brief lockdown as a precautionary measure.

Woman distracted by rescue/police scene backs into parked car

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak say a woman distracted by a police and/or rescue situation happening nearby, backed into a parked vehicle, Thursday evening. 55-year old Wilma Dykes, of Red Oak, was backing up to park next to a legally parked 1998 Dodge Stratus, but wasn’t paying attention to how close she was. Her 2007 Kia Sorento collided with the Dodge, causing a total of $2,500 damage. The accident happened at around 7:25-p.m., near the intersection of Grimes and 6th Streets, in Red Oak. Dykes was cited by Police for Failure to have a Valid Driver’s license.

3 Red Oak men arrested for assault

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak say three men were arrested Thursday, on assault charges. Officials say 34-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 6-p.m. on an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Aggravated Assault. Rinehart was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

And at around 10-p.m., Thursday, Red Oak Police arrested 42-year old Roland Charles Chapin, Jr., and Roland Charles Chapin the 3rd, both of Red Oak. Chapin, Jr., faces a felony Assault charge, while Roland Chapin III faces a simple misdemeanor charge of Simple Assault. Both men were arrested at a location on Joy Street and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where Chapin, Jr.’s bond was set at $5,000, and Roland Chapin III’s bond was set at $300.

SOREN PETERSEN, 74, of Atlantic (3-18-2015)

Obituaries

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

SOREN PETERSEN, 74, of Atlantic died Thursday, March 12th at the Atlantic Nursing & Rehab Center.  Funeral mass for SOREN PETERSEN will be held on Wednesday, March 18th at 10:30 am at the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic.  Roland Funeral Service in Atlantic has the arrangements.

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Open visitation will be held on Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm at the funeral home.

No family visitation has been set.

Cremation has taken place, Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City at a later date.

Online condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

SOREN PETERSEN is survived by:

His sons – Samuel (Gale) Petersen, of West Des Moines, & Dr. Shawn (Daurine) Petersen, of Atlantic.

His daughter – Johanna (Kirk) Bradley, of Atlantic.

and 5 grandchildren.

Iowa early News Headlines: Fri., March 13th 2015

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Republican straw poll, which has long been held in the college town of Ames, is moving. State GOP officials announced yesterday that the event would be held in Boone at the Central Iowa Expo on August 8th. They said earlier this year they would take bids to host the political gathering, in an effort to better manage costs.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Department of Transportation officials say they’re getting a good response from electronic signs that use sometimes snarky messages to promote driving safety. Dakin Schultz, a traffic planner for the state DOT in Sioux City, tells the Sioux City Journal the signs have been grabbing the attention of drivers across the state with messages including sassy wordplay and parodies of popular songs.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 28-year-old man was charged with possessing explosive devices after officers who broke up a fight at a Storm Lake residence found homemade bombs. The officers responded early Wednesday morning to a report about the fight and arrested three people on charges related to the melee. The officers report that they found bombs inside the residence and subsequently arrested Dion Caldwell.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a body found on an island in the Cedar River has been identified as a man who was reported missing about a week ago. Investigators found 25-year-old Matthew Hudson Junior dead on an island north of the Quaker Oats bridge yesterday.

Red Oak settles over church fight

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The City of Red Oak, and a company connected to the outgoing chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party have reached a settlement in a dispute over a now-demolished church the company owned in the city. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Kirojen LLC of Lincoln purchased a tax lien for the abandoned church at a tax sale in 2012. J.L. Spray, the GOP chairman, was listed in Iowa state records as the company’s president. The city later described the church as dangerous, with a sagging roof and broken windows, and it wanted Spray to pay to have it demolished.

Spray, an attorney in Lincoln, became Nebraska’s GOP chairman in 2013. He steps down this month at the end of his two-year term. Spray said it was the city’s responsibility to cover the cost. He has said information provided by Montgomery County during the tax sale made it appear the building was in better shape than it actually was. A court order last year authorized the city to tear down the church, built in 1890, on a 5,040-square-foot lot at Fifth and Hammond Streets. A contractor demolished the building in August and billed the city $19,000, according to court documents.

The city sued Kirojen to recoup its costs. Last week, Spray offered to pay $10,000 and to deed the property to Red Oak, according to the city. This week, the City Council voted 3-0 to accept the offer. Mayor Bill Billings said the city plans to put the property up for auction.

Gronstal comments on Davenport superintendent’s stand

News

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Senate’s Democratic leader says he doesn’t “condone” but does sympathize with the decision an eastern Iowa superintendent has made. Davenport superintendent Art Tate announced this week that rather than cut staff, he will dip deeper into the district’s reserve funds and use more money than allowed by law to make up for a short-fall in state support. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal, of Council Bluffs, commented on the situation Thursday during his weekly news conference.

“I don’t condone lawbreaking, either by local superintendents or by House Republicans with the aid of Governor Branstad,” Gronstal said. “Here’s what Iowans need to know about this situation: this is simply the highest profile example of many discouraging events across our state.” A statement issued by the Iowa Department of Education indicated the superintendent could be charged with a misdemeanor and could lose his job if he follows through on his plan.

Tate argues the long-standing formula for distributing state aid to schools needs to be rewritten, to fix the advantage districts in more affluent areas have over districts like his. Tate has said he’s following the example of Republicans in the legislature who have failed to follow existing state law which requires school funding decisions to be made far in advance. Republicans balked at following the law and did not vote last year to set the amount of general state aid that should be forwarded to districts for the school year that begins in August.

Gronstal says there were NO meetings this week in the statehouse on the school funding subject and it’s time for Iowans to pester Republicans to make a decision. “We need to show school boards like the Davenport School Board and to show students like the Davenport students that the State of Iowa will stop eroding our reputation for great schools,” Gronstal said Thursday. Republicans have proposed a one-and-a-quarter percent increase in general state aid to district for the school year that begins this fall. Democrats propose a four percent increase. That’s a gulf of about 100-million dollars between the two parties.

(Radio Iowa)

NWS forecast for Cass & surrounding Counties in IA 3/13/15

Weather

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

315 AM CDT FRI MAR 13 2015

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLEAR. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TODAY…SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 70. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 30S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SUNDAY...SUNNY…BREEZY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 40S.

MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S.

Morris hits game-winner, No. 13 Cyclones beat Texas 69-67

Sports

March 13th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Monte Morris rose up and hit an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer, capping a 12-0 closing run that lifted No. 13 Iowa State to a 69-67 victory over Texas in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament Thursday night. Morris finished with 24 points for the second-seeded Cyclones (23-8), who trailed by 16 points before clawing back into the game. Still, Iowa State trailed 67-57 with less than 4 minutes to go when it unleashed a full-court press that helped it draw even.

Morris’s 3-pointer with 1:42 left tied it at 67, and the teams swapped empty possessions before Texas (20-13) got the ball back with 38.1 seconds left. Isaiah Taylor allowed the shot clock to melt down before driving the lane and missing a running jumper. Texas ( 20-13) got the rebound and kicked it out to Javan Felix, but he misfired on a long 3-pointer and the Cyclones’ Dustin Hogue grabbed the long rebound and called timeout.

With 5.8 seconds left, Hogue took the inbounds pass and race dup court, found Morris in the corner, and the sophomore guard calmly rose up over the Longhorns’ Demarcus Holland for the game-winning shot — sending the Cyclones streaming off the bench into a jubilant pile. Georges Niang added 22 points for the defending tournament champion Cyclones, who advanced to play the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner in the semifinals Friday night.