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Montgomery County Woman Charged with Insurance Fraud

News

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Des Moines – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau said Monday (today), a Montgomery County woman, 45-year-old Amanda Riggle, of Red Oak, was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Fraudulent Submissions (Class D Felony), Fraudulent Practices in the First Degree (Class C Felony), and Theft in the First Degree (Class C Felony) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

The charges against Riggle stem from an investigation that began in December 2023. According to criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, Riggle filed accident insurance claims containing false information with her insurer. Riggle obtained $11,545 from her insurer which she otherwise would not have been entitled to.

On April 11, 2024, Riggle was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Atlantic Trojans Boys Golf Season Is Off To A Good Start

Sports

April 15th, 2024 by admin

The Atlantic Trojans boys golf team is off to great start to their season. They are holding steady with 17 golfers on the varsity level. The Trojans are coming off a 4th place finish at the Lewis Central Tournament last week.

Coach Kendra Henningsen said things are going well so far this season even though there has been some ups and downs but thinks the team is on the right track.

Coach Hennings talked about the individuals that are doing well for the year.

 

Coach Henningsen says that she is looking forward to watching the guys and wants to see their hard work paying off.

Coach Henningsen talked about what the Trojan’s fan base can expect when they come out and watch her team this season.

The Trojans next golf meet will be Tuesday April 16th as they will be taking on Denison-Schleswig in a Hawkeye Ten regular meet at Majestic Hills Golf Course in Denison. That golf meet will start at 4:00 p.m.

 

GERHARDT “Gary” EDWARD GOEKEN, III, 62, of Chicago, IL (AHS Class of ’79) – Memorial Mass 5/4/24

Obituaries

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

GERHARDT EDWARD GOEKEN, III, 62, of Chicago, IL  (“Gary” to his friends and family and Atlantic High School Class of 1979 graduate), died October 27, 2023 in Chicago. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., May 4, 2024, at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic. Roland Funeral Service  in Atlantic has the arrangements.

A time to share memories, which will include lunch for friends and family, will be held at Roland Funeral Home following the service.

A private burial will be held in the Atlantic Cemetery.

GERHARDT “GARY” GOEKEN is survived by:

His sisters – Karen Simons, of Carlsbad, CA, and Mary (Roger) Simonis, of Schaumburg, IL.

His brother – Karl (Jill) Goeken, of Centennial, CO.

Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

Iowa law protecting pedestrians in crosswalks may soon expand

News

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The legislature has passed a bill requiring motorists in Iowa to yield not just to pedestrians in crosswalks, but to bicyclists, skateboarders and people on scooters or in wheelchairs. It expands current state law, which says drivers face criminal charges if they injure or kill a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Representative Jon Dunwell of Newton says it’s important to protect others using a crosswalk to navigate traffic.

“Speaking as someone who back in 2000 I was in a bike lane and got hit by a truck and spent seven days in the hospital with four operations, and I can tell you how important it is with bikes and cars on the road that we protect bicyclists and create these safety areas,” Dunwell said. Representative Thomas Gerhold of Atkins says the bill will save lives and prevent injuries.

“Create more awareness from drivers when they are approaching a crosswalk, either marked or unmarked,” Gerhold said. The bill is headed to the governor’s desk. It passed the House at the end of February on an 84 to eight vote and the Senate approved it unanimously last week. The neighboring states of Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois have similar laws.

Feenstra: Farm Bill may be up for House vote in mid-June

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Work is progressing on crafting the new Farm Bill, and Iowa’s Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says he’s hopeful the legislation that’s so important to the heartland will be finalized soon. “We’ve got the text ready to go, but before we can release the text, we have to know the tax score, what it’s going to cost,” Feenstra says. “The Congressional Budget Office has got to create that score because we’ve got to know, how do we pay for this? That’s what we’re waiting for.”

The Farm Bill is typically updated every five years, but a new version didn’t materialize last year, and Congress passed a one-year extension which will last through this fall.  “We’ve been dragging this thing out, but we’re really hoping that by May we can get it out of committee, and then mid-June, get it off the floor of the U.S. House, and then it’s up to the Senate,” Feenstra says. “I know our producers, just talking to them around all of my 36 counties, this is a really big deal.”

Feenstra says there’s a lot of concern over the crop insurance element of the Farm Bill. “With our low commodity prices right now, with soybeans below $12, and corn around $4.30, everybody’s worried because insurance is that safety net,” Feenstra says. “The input costs of putting that crop in, you’ve got to cover yourself and that’s the big, big issue.” He says there’s also a great deal of concern about the export market and finding new free trade agreement areas in which to grow.

Injury accident in Atlantic Monday morning (4/15/24)

News

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – One person was injured and transported to Cass Health in Atlantic, following an accident that occurred at around 7:39-a.m. near 5th and Elm Streets. According to Atlantic Police, a 1996 Ford Explorer was traveling west on 5th Street, when for reasons unknown, the SUV crossed the travel lane and collided with a legally parked 2006 Dodge Durango that was facing east on 5th Street.

The unidentified driver of the Ford was transported to the hospital to be evaluated for possible, minor injuries, and unknown medical issues that may have caused the accident. Richter & Son Towing in Atlantic responded to pull the two vehicles apart, as emergency responders were unable to get the doors open and the driver of the Explorer out of their vehicle for further evaluation. Cass EMS and Atlantic Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Atlantic Police at the scene. Addition information was being withheld at this time. Police ask that anyone with information about the incident call the Atlantic P-D at 712-243-3512.

Iowa’s John Nestor on spring practice

Sports

April 15th, 2024 by admin

After playing sparingly as a freshman John Nestor is making progress at corner this spring at Iowa where he hopes to fill the void left by Cooper DeJean’s entry into the NFL Draft. The native of Chicago appeared in 10 games as a freshman and is drawing comparisons to former star Riley Moss.

Nestor says Moss is a player he looked up to.

The Hawkeyes close out spring drills with an open practice on April 20th

WNBA Draft preview

Sports

April 15th, 2024 by admin

Former WNBA star and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo believes former Iowa star Caitlin Clark will succeed at the next level. The two-time natonal player of the year is expected to be taken by the Indiana Fever with the frst pick in tonight’s WNBA Draft.

 

Lobo says Indiana is is perfect landing spot for Clark.

 

Lobo says Clark’s game will translate to the pro level.

 

Lobo says Clark’s vision and ability to facilitate will help her succeed.

Cyclone Men’s Basketball Adds Three Transfers

Sports

April 15th, 2024 by admin

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has announced the addition of three transfers to the 2024-25 Iowa State roster. Seattle transfer Brandton Chatfield, Northern Iowa transfer Nate Heise and Charlotte transfer Dishon Jackson will all join the Cyclones this summer.

Chatfield is a 6-10 forward out of Orofino, Idaho who played for the Redhawks the last three seasons. Chatfield comes to Iowa State with one season of eligibility remaining. Chatfield will be the first known player from Idaho in program history.

He started all 37 games for Seattle last season, ranking second on the team in rebounds per game at 5.4. He averaged 9.4 points per game, while shooting 60.1 percent from the floor. He also tallied 30 blocked shots and 15 steals. Chatfield was named to the NABC Honors Court in 2022 and was a WAC All-Academic selection in 2022 and 2023.

“Brandton brings tireless work habits and a blue-collar mentality to the court each day,” Otzelberger said. “His skill level at his size will be an asset to our offense. Defensively he takes tremendous pride in his team getting stops and you can count on him to block out. Brandton’s experience will serve our program immediately upon his arrival.”

Chatfield scored in double figures in 14 of his 37 games, including a pair of games with a career-high 18 points. He recorded three double-doubles on the year, while reaching double figure rebound totals four times. He just missed a fourth double-double with nine points against Utah Tech.

In three seasons at Seattle, Chatfield started 87 of the 99 games he appeared in. He led the Redhawks with 5.4 rebounds per game in 2022-23, while averaging 7.0 points per game. He was 22-of-56 (39.3 percent) from downtown in 2022-23 as well. Chatfield started his career at Washington State with fellow transfer Dishon Jackson and former Cyclone Aljaž Kunc. Chatfield redshirted the 2019-20 season and appeared in seven games in 2020-21 before transferring to Seattle.

Heise is a 6-5 guard out of Lake City, Minn. who played for the Panthers the last four years. Heise comes to Iowa State with one season of eligibility remaining and can apply for a medical redshirt for missing a majority of the 2022-23 season.

An All-Missouri Valley Conference Third Team selection, Heise appeared in and started 32 of the 33 games for the Panthers last season. He led Northern Iowa with 431 points, averaging a career-best 13.4 points per game. He connected on 47-of-132 3-pointers (35.6%). He averaged 6.1 rebounds per game, while also leading the Panthers with 78 assists (2.4 per game). Heise earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District First Team honors this season.

“Nate’s competitive spirit stands out in all that he does on the court,” Otzelberger said. “His basketball IQ, shooting ability and strength in attacking the paint will elevate our offense. Defensively he takes tremendous pride in shutting down an opponent’s best player. Nate is a proven winner and will immediately add to our culture.”

He scored in double figures in 22 of the 32 games he played in last season. Heise recorded four double-doubles on the year, scoring at least 19 points in each one of them. He just missed a triple-double against Belmont, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He had multiple steals in nine games, including three against North Texas.

During his junior year, he appeared in two games before suffering a season-ending hand injury. He scored 24 points in the two games. He started all 32 games as a sophomore, averaging 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He started 21 games as a freshman, averaging 7.6 points per game. He was named to the Missouri Valley All-Freshman Team.

Jackson is a 6-11 center out of Oakland, Calif. who played for the 49ers this season. Jones comes to Iowa State with two seasons of eligibility remaining after spending three years at Washington State, where he was teammates with fellow transfer Brandton Chatfield and former Cyclone Aljaž Kunc.

“Dishon possesses tremendous offensive skill, power and versatility,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a mismatch player that can create advantages and facilitate offense. Defensively, he’s an effective rim protector with terrific rebounding instincts. The maturity and leadership that Dishon has demonstrated will immediately impact our program.”

Jackson started all 30 games he appeared in for the 49ers last season, averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals per game. He was second on the team in rebounding and third in scoring. He scored at least 15 points in 10 games, while reaching double figures in 17 games. He tallied a career-high 21 points against UAB. He notched two double-doubles on the year, including a career-high 12 rebounds against Tulsa. He had a career-high seven assists against East Carolina to go along with 10 rebounds and five points.

Prior to going to Charlotte last season, Jackson was at Washington State for three seasons. He made 49 appearances for the Cougars, including 19 starts. He redshirted his final season in Pullman due to an injury he suffered during the 2021-22 season. He averaged 7.2 points per game as a freshman for the Cougars, as he earned PAC-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention honors.

Bodies of 2 deceased people recovered in rural Oklahoma County

News

April 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

UPDATE- On April 14, the OSBI, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner recovered two deceased persons in rural Texas County. Both individuals will be transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine identification, as well as cause and manner of death. This is still an ongoing investigation. Police have not confirmed if the bodies belong to the two missing Kansas women, one of whom is the wife of a former youth pastor in Griswold (IA).

The bodies were recovered one day after it was announced four people were arrested in connection with the disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley. The mothers were traveling together from Hugoton, Kansas to pick up Butler’s children in Eva, Oklahoma from a children’s birthday party but the women never reached their destination. Their vehicle was later found abandoned on a rural highway in Texas County, Oklahoma, about 11 miles south of Elkhart, Kansas, on the Oklahoma-Kansas state line, three miles short of where they were supposed to pick up their children.

(Left to right): Veronica Butler; and Jilian Kelley,

OSBI special agents immediately began investigating the vehicle and determined there was evidence to indicate foul play.