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Two Council Bluffs Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Council Bluffs men were sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine:

  • Michael Guy Given, 36, was sentenced on August 14, 2024, to a 120‑month prison term; and
  • Brian Michael Hogan, 50, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, to a 120‑month prison term.

According to public court documents, between March and April 2023, Given and Hogan conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. During a search warrant, law enforcement located methamphetamine, a digital scale, and drug packaging materials.

After completing their terms of imprisonment, Given and Hogan will each be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (SWINE) Task Force.

Wolverines Hosting Woodward-Granger this Friday Night

Sports

September 17th, 2024 by Christian Adams

Although the results haven’t quite been there for the Nodaway Valley Football team the Wolverines will look to change that this Friday night when they take on the on the Woodward-Granger Hawks. For co-head coach Jack West, he is proud that his team has improved on the things that he has put in front of them.

One thing that Nodaway Valley does have is lots of young talent. West says the junior and sophomore classes “are really big classes for us in terms of just numbers and also the talent and work ethic”.  On the defensive side of the ball junior Ahston Hannold and sophomore Caleb Christensen led the team and are in the top 20 in the Pride of Iowa Conference in total tackles. West says he’s happy to see their progress on the field.

Offensively senior Paul Berg is leading the ground attack with 107 yards on just seven carries. This includes a 75-yard Touchdown run, which is the longest in the conference to date.  Berg was actually a late add to the Wolverine squad. Having prior football experience Berg joined the team shortly before the school year started and has had no problem finding success. West has found that he a knack for running the football.

Nodaway Valley will have a tough test this Friday. Woodward-Granger comes in with a 2-1 record and 1,005 yards of total offense, including 485 yards through the air. West knows that it’ll be a challenge to slow Talan Fuson, Max Dalton, and the Hawk offense.

Kickoff in Greenfield is scheduled for 7pm.

Project to rid common carp from NW IA lake

Ag/Outdoor, News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is nearly ready to start a project to get rid of an invasive species of fish in an 830 acre lake in northwest Iowa. Mike Hawkins, a fisheries biologist with the D-N-R, says weather over the past two years delayed the effort to rid West Swan Lake in Emmet County of common carp.

“Both of those winters we tried to draw the lake down, get it to winter kill,” Hawkins says. “Last winter we tried to help a little bit with a chemical that helps renovate fisheries. We were not successful. We had the warmest winter on record last winter. We had a very short window for pulling that project off.” Common carp feed on the bottom of lakes, make the water murky and cause problems for other species of fish.

“We’re going to try this one last time this fall,” Hawkins says. “We’re going to do an open water treatment if we can get the water levels down far enough and kill off those carp.” West Swan Lake levels were elevated by this year’s flooding.  “We need the lake down about three, three-and-a-half feet,” Hawkins says. “It’s all just mathematics and how much of the chemical we have available and the logistics and the expense of doing that.”

Hawkins says one side of the lake has dropped enough and they’re waiting for the water level on the other side to fall and match it. West Swan Lake is the last in a small chain of natural lakes and marshes that eventually flows into the west fork of the Des Moines River. Hawkins says regardless of the outcome of the carp eradication effort, West Swan Lake will be restocked in the spring with Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Blue Gills and Largemouth Bass.

Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz previews Minnesota

Sports

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa prepares for the 118th meeting against Minnesota in the Twin Cities. For the Hawkeyes it is the Big Ten opener and their first road test of the season.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz who expects this to continue a string of close games in the series.

Iowa won four of five road games last season.

Ferentz feels quarterback Cade McNamara and the offense are making progress but the Hawkeyes have yet to play a complete game.

The Hawkeye defense has been victimized by three long touchdown passes the past two weeks and the Hawkeyes gave up a punt return for a touchdown in a 38-21 win over Troy.

Iowa State’s Matt Campbell approaches Milestone

Sports

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is approaching a milestone. Campbell is one victory shy of tying Dan McCarney as ISU’s all-time leader in wins. The 20th ranked Cyclones close non conference play at home on Saturday against Arkansas State.

Campbell is in his ninth season as Cyclone coach.

The Cyclones are 2-0 and ranked 20th but Campbell says they are only focused on improvement.

Under former Tennessee coach Butch Jones Arkansas State is 2-1 after a 28-18 loss at Michigan.

Even though the bye week came early Campbell felt it was productive.

Spencer continues flood recovery

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The northwest Iowa community of Spencer continues working on the recovery from devastating flooding that hit in late June. Spencer Chamber and Foundation executive director Sheriffa Jones says 40 percent of all buildings were impacted by flood water. “It’s really going to be hard to make residents and businesses whole, but we’re going to try our best to do as best as we can with all of the agencies working together.”

Jones says the Chamber Foundation received more than 250-thousand dollars from almost 500 donors across the country and has awarded grants to 35 businesses and more than 170 residents throughout Clay County. “There’s always this huge outpouring of support initially, and we definitely saw that, and then it dissipates, and this is going to be a recovery effort that’s going to take years, three years, five years, ten years, 20 years,” she says. “Ultimately, Spencer and Clay County will never be the same.”

Jones estimates most property owners did not have flood insurance and are receiving federal, state and local help. But she admits not everyone will receive all the funding they need to recover. Some flood victims are living in 40 state-funded R-Vs at the Clay County Fairgrounds as developers work on rebuilding homes. Another 40 R-Vs will be filled soon. The R-Vs are not meant to be used during the winter, so residents will be moved into FEMA trailers or rental units.

City leaders have started meeting with developers about plans to rebuild homes through a recent state program.

Senator Grassley discusses possible government shutdown

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is doing a “wonderful job,” despite growing frustrations among other Senate Republicans as the deadline nears for a solution to prevent a federal government shutdown.

Johnson is having trouble getting the votes needed to avoid the shutdown at month’s end, and while some in the Senate say if the House can’t act by Thursday, they’ll do it themselves, Grassley is offering Johnson a little more leeway. “He’s got very narrow margin, can only lose two or three votes,” Grassley says, “and in the House, if the majority party doesn’t stick together, you don’t run the show.”

Grassley fears the type of message it would send to voters if Congress can’t find a way to cooperate and prevent the shutdown, especially with the general election looming in November. “They should not show the disunity that they’re showing now on not approving appropriations for next year,” Grassley says, “or the public’s going to read it that they don’t know how to run the House of Representatives, so you might as well turn it over to the Democrats.”

Sen. Grassley

Grassley calls government shutdowns a “stupid idea.” “It costs money to shut down the government. Do you know what? Even costs money for 10 days before the government might shut down, for the government to get ready to shut it down, and then it costs money to open up the government,” Grassley says, “and then what’s the government for?”

Grassley says the federal government’s main purposes are to protect the people and to offer needed services, and it can’t do either one if it’s closed for business. He anticipates there will be a “continuing resolution” that would prevent a shutdown, or at least push back the anticipated date.

(Update) Retired police sergeant dies in eastern IA UTV/car collision

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

BLACK HAWK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol has identified a man killed Monday night in a crash involving a UTV in rural Black Hawk County. According to a crash report, 56-year-old Andrew Eric Clark, of Cedar Falls, a retired Waterloo Police Department Sergeant,  was operating a 2019 Polaris Ranger northbound on N Union Road and failed to yield while attempting to turn left onto W Cedar Wapsie Road. Clark’s UTV hit a 2013 Chrysler 200 that was traveling southbound on N Union Road.

Clark died from his injuries. A 41-year-old Ryan (IA) man driving the Chrysler was injured.

Grand opening of new Dobson Pipe Organ Builders facility in Lake City

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The July, 2023 groundbreaking at site of Dobson Pipe Organ Buildings in Lake City, Iowa. (Dobson Pipe Organ Builders photo)

(Radio Iowa) – After a devastating fire three years ago, Dobson Pipe Organ Builders — the western Iowa business that does work around the globe — celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in Lake City today (Tuesday). Dobson owner, John Panning, announced in 2022 that they were committed to rebuilding on the same site as their former headquarters, which was completely destroyed by a June 15, 2021 fire. Dobson staff continued building organs while their new facilities were under construction, working out of various open spaces provided by the community.

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders organs, known as opuses, are featured in cathedrals, churches, performing arts centers, and college campuses throughout the U.S. and world.

Sioux City area surgical hospital agrees to $12.67 M settlement to resolve federal probe

News

September 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A health care provider in the Sioux City metro has agreed to pay over 12-and-a-half MILLION dollars to settle a federal investigation of alleged kick-backs. The U-S Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa says kickbacks make health care more expensive and create the potential for health care decisions that are not in the best interest of the patient. The Dunes surgical hospital in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota was accused of making significant payments to a non-profit affiliate of a physician group whose physicians made referrals to the facility.

Those payments allegedly funded the salaries of athletic trainers who generated referrals to the surgical hospital. The settlement also resolves allegations that the surgical hospital provided free or below-market-value clinic space, staff, and supplies to another group of physicians.

The news release from the U-S Justice Department indicates the Dunes surgical center cooperated with the government’s investigation and has taken a number of significant steps to reach a resolution to the case. The facility was also accused of false billings to Medicare, Medicaid as well as TRICARE, the health care program for active duty military, veterans and their families. As part of the settlement, the surgical center has agreed to pay the states of Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska will be paid nearly one-four-four MILLION for the Medicaid infractions.