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Iowa baseball prepares to host Michigan in B1G series

Sports

April 3rd, 2024 by admin

Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller wants more innings and fewer pitches from his starting staff as the Hawkeyes get set to host Michigan in a three-game Big Ten series beginning Friday. In 21 combined starts, Brody Brecht, Marcus Morgan and Cade Obermueller (Oh-bir-myool-ir) are averaging just under four-and-two thirds’ innings of work.

 

Hawkeye starters have combined to strike out 130 batters but have walked or hit 110.

 

While the pitching has struggled the Hawkeyes are winning with offense. They are second in the Big Ten with a team batting average of .320 and lead the conference by averaging more than nine and-a-half runs per game. Iowa is 15-11 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten.

 

Heller says while they lack the power hitters they have had the past few years the Hawkeyes have five hitters with three home runs or more and eight have an on base percentage above .400.

 

The Hawkeyes will be without two of their top three hitters against the Wolverines. Left fielder Sam Peterson and first baseman Andy Nelson are both nursing injuries.

 

Like Iowa, Michigan struggled early against a challenging non-conference slate. The Wolverines are also 4-2 in the Big Ten after winning two of three against defending champion Maryland.

Malvern woman arrested on an Assault charge

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say a woman from Malvern was arrested Tuesday evening on an Assault charge. 36-year-old Cally Ann Evans was arrested at around 7:25-p.m. in Malvern, and charged with Assault. Bond was set at $300.

Iowa Open Spring Football Practice Set For April 20

Sports

April 3rd, 2024 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa football team will hold an open practice presented by US Cellular on Saturday, April 20, in Kinnick Stadium. The open practice will conclude Iowa’s spring drills and is free to attend.

Gates to Kinnick Stadium will open at 9:45 a.m. (CT) with practice scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. Fans will be able to enter select gates, including Gates A (south end zone) B (southwest) and H (northwest). Regular season game-day search procedures will be in place and fans will be allowed to sit in the south and west stands.

Free parking will be available on hard surface lots, while normal ramp fees will be charged. Tailgating will not be allowed. Concession stands will be open at select locations on the concourse with limited menu items available. Additional information is available at hawkeyesports.com/footballgameday.

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season with three straight home contests, hosting Illinois State in the season opener on Aug. 31, Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game on Sept. 7, and Troy on Sept. 14.

In Big Ten Conference play, the Hawkeyes host Washington (Oct. 12), Northwestern (Oct. 26), Wisconsin (Nov. 2) and Nebraska (Nov. 29) on Black Friday. Road games include traveling to Minnesota (Sept. 21), Ohio State (Oct. 5), Michigan State (Oct. 19), UCLA (Nov. 9) and Maryland (Nov. 23).

Questions concerning the purchase of 2024 football tickets, including general public, UI faculty/staff and UI student season tickets by current UI students, should be directed to the UI Athletics Ticket Office. The office telephone number is 1-800-IA-HAWKS and ticket information is available at hawkeyesports.com/footballtickets.

Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz talks about the offensive line

Sports

April 3rd, 2024 by admin

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz hopes an experienced offensive line will help the Hawkeyes’ worst in the nation offense make progress next season. Iowa has seven players returning with starting experience up front.

 

It is a position group that has struggled in recent years.

 

Ferentz believes the offensive line has the potential to be better.

 

Iowa announced the Hawkeyes will close spring drills with an open practice on April 20th.

Wartburg’s Dick Peth to retire

Sports

April 3rd, 2024 by admin

After 27-years at the helm Dick Peth is retiring as men’s basketball coach at Wartburg College. Darin Svenson reports.

Billion dollar jackpot up for grabs again tonight

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Powerball jackpot has grown to more than one BILLION dollars for Wednesday’s drawing. It follows the Mega Millions jackpot won last week that was also more than one BILLION dollars. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, watches a specific aspect of the game when the jackpots get higher. “It’s something that’s called coverage. And what that number means is how many of all of the possible combinations of numbers in the game have been purchased or quote unquote, covered for a particular drawing,” she says. Neubauer says the addition of another drawing has had an impact on coverage numbers for Powerball.

“Because the Monday drawing in Powerball has only been around for about three years now, the coverage for a Monday drawing has always been lower. I think people are still figuring out that Powerball has a Monday drawing,” Neubauer says. “So in our recent drawings, what we’re seeing is that there is a higher quote , unquote coverage number for Wednesday and Saturday.”
Neubauer says the coverage number isn’t always a predictor that a jackpot will be claimed. “Interestingly when the Mega Millions jackpot that huge Mega Millions jackpot was just won last week. The coverage in that game wasn’t wasn’t terribly high. It was also only in the twenty percent range and there still was jackpot winner in the game,” she says.

Neubauer says the Powerball game has come a long way, the starting jackpot at the beginning was two million dollars.

Officers returned to duty following an investigation into a fatal shooting in Fort Dodge

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Fort Dodge, Iowa) – The Webster County Attorney’s Office has released a report into a fatal, officer-involved shooting incident that took place last month. The incident happened March 16th, in Fort Dodge. Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll released the report Tuesday, detailing his factual findings and conclusions regarding the use of deadly force on Tyler C. Stansberry in the officer involved shooting involving four Fort Dodge Police Officers in the early morning hour of March 16th, 2024, at 1525 4th Ave. S., in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Fort Dodge Police Officers involved were Officer Nicholas Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane, and Officer Matthew English.Driscoll found the use of force, to include deadly force used by the Fort Dodge Police Officers to be justified. In the four-page report, Driscoll details factual findings supporting the conclusion.
Attorney Driscoll’s report said “On March 16, 2024, at approximately 8:40am, the Fort Dodge Police Department responded to a call for service at 1525 4th Avenue South in Fort Dodge. The call indicated that an individual inside the residence, later identified as 24-year-old Tyler C. Stansberry, was exhibiting out of control behavior, including injuring a dog inside the residence. Officers also discovered that Mr. Stansberry had an active arrest warrant for a violation of probation relating to a conviction for domestic violence. Once officers arrived on scene, they spoke with family members of Mr. Stansberry, outside of the house so that the family members would be kept safe from Mr. Stansberry. The family members advised officers of further details about the abuse of animals that day, and other erratic and violent behaviors being exhibited by Mr. Stansberry, which led the family to contact law enforcement. A family member also advised that Mr. Stansberry had armed himself with a knife just before law enforcement was contacted, was pacing around the basement with a knife in an agitated state, had been punching a dog and had yelled threateningly at one of his family members.
“Officers collected additional information about Mr. Stansberry’s actions that day, his recent behaviors and mental health struggles, as well as learning about a prior similar incident a few years earlier where Mr. Stansberry had barricaded himself during a call for service. The officers then put together a plan for how to approach Mr. Stansbury in the basement. Four officers then made their way through the main level of the house to the basement door and proceeded down the stairs. While proceeding down to the bottom of the stairs, Officer Ruggles called out ‘Tyler…Tyler. Come talk to us man.” Mr. Stansberry did not respond. The four Officers then continued down the stairs to the basement, led by Officer Ruggles armed with a Taser and a shield, followed by Officer English armed with his service pistol loaded with live ammunition in his right hand, Officer Lane armed with a less-lethal beanbag round loaded in a shotgun, followed by Sergeant Webb.”
The report went on to says “The body cameras show the officers methodically entering the basement and checking for Mr. Stansberry, and that three of the officers reached the bottom of the stairs. Upon doing so, Lane passes Ruggles and English and opens a door to a bathroom. He then checks and clears the bathroom located to the Officer’s right at the base of the stairs. Immediately after the bathroom is cleared, Ruggles announces ‘Tyler, Tyler, come over here…’ as the officers still do not know where Mr. Stansberry is located. Upon this request by Ruggles, Mr. Stansberry immediately screams and charges from a darkened adjacent room to the left of the officers, who are still positioned in front of the bathroom at the base of the stairs. The officers turn to their left, to the direction of the screams and observe Mr. Stansberry charging them at a high rate of speed with a knife in each hand. Within approximately one second of when Mr. Stansberry begins to charge and scream, he has almost reached the officers. Ruggles then deploys his taser, Lane fires his less-lethal bean bag round, and English fires two live rounds from his service pistol, striking Stansberry twice in the torso.
“Webb is still on the stairs, with a partially obstructed view, due to the tight quarters at the bottom of the stairs and does not fire his weapon. Mr. Stansberry falls to the ground and lands at the feet of the officers, still located in the tightly enclosed area at the base of the stairs in front of the bathroom. After going to the ground, Mr. Stansberry was still resisting the officers’ attempts to disarm him. He was lying on his chest, while still holding onto the knives in each of his hands and not letting them go. Officers eventually subdued him and were able to remove the knives from his hands. Once Mr. Stansberry was disarmed and secured, medical personnel were immediately called to aid Mr. Stansberry and a call was made to dispatch of shots fired. Later, Mr. Stansberry succumbed to his injuries from the two live rounds that struck his body, and he was pronounced dead.
“Analysis by the DCI Criminalistics laboratory of the firearm and ammunition used by Officer English, concluded that the fatal rounds were consistent with the ammunition used and firearm fired by Officer English. Given the established facts of this case, the Webster County Attorney’s Office has concluded that Officer Nick Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane, and Officer Matthew English each used “reasonable force” in responding to the use of deadly force by Tyler C. Stansberry on March 16, 2024. Each used a level of force that a reasonable person in like circumstances would have judged necessary to prevent an injury or loss. Further, Officer English’s use of deadly force was reasonable, in that it was reasonable for him to believe that such use of force was necessary to avoid injury or risk to his life or safety or the life or safety of another. Further, the use of deadly force by Officer English was reasonable in that it was reasonable for him to believe that such force was necessary to resist a like force or threat, in accordance with Iowa Code…”
The report said “Officer Nick Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane and Officer Matthew English were each justified in the use of reasonable force, including deadly force, in that each reasonably believed that such force was necessary to defend himself or another from an actual or imminent use of unlawful force by Tyler C. Stansberry, in accordance with Iowa Code…”
With the release of the Webster County Attorney’s report, the Fort Dodge Police Departments focus is now on returning the involved Officers to full-duty status. We will make sure that the Officers mental and physical needs are met while navigating the days ahead. Unfortunate events such as this impact all involved, to include their families, the department, and the Fort Dodge Community. We are eager to get these Officers back to work, serving the Fort Dodge Community.

Cass County Sheriff’s report, 4/3/24

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), released a report on arrests that occurred from March 20th through the 31st.

On March 31st, 18-year-old Blake Welch, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense.  Welch was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance; 42-year-old Lesli Wiston Altamirano, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/2nd Offense.  Wiston Altamirano was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On March 30th, 43-year-old Nichole Anaya, of Atlantic, was arrested for Driving while Revoked and Possession of a Controlled Substance – 1st Offense.  Anaya was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance; 19-year-old Alex Rush, of Griswold, was arrested March 30th, on a warrant for Probation Violation.  Rush was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On March 29th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 33-year-old Devin Register, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Register was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his release after time served; 28-year-old Kris Sorcey, of Atlantic, was arrested for Driving while Revoked.  Sorcey was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On March 24th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 65-year-old Randall Krogh, of Atlantic, for OWI/2nd Offense, and Interference with Official Acts.  Krogh was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

And, on March 20th, 45-year-old Brian Meredith, of Wheaton, IL, was arrested in Cass County, for OWI/1st Offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance – 1st Offense.  Wheaton was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

Another proposed constitutional amendment for a flat rate income tax

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Another proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution has emerged at the statehouse. Republicans in the Senate are proposing a constitutional amendment that would require a flat rate for personal income taxes in Iowa. Under current law, Iowa’s multi-rate system is being phased out, to reach a single rate of three-point-nine percent by 2026. Republican Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig says multiple rates that impose a higher tax the more income a person earns penalizes success.

“Every time you feel like you’re moving ahead, you’re rewarded by a salary, there’s another hurdle,” Schultz says. “We’re just going to take another chunk of that money.” Eleven states have a flat tax and four of those states have constitutions requiring a flat income tax. Democrats oppose the concept. Senator Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, says the amendment would limit the legislature’s authority to make decisions about taxing and spending. “Taxes are not necessarily things that people want to pay, but services are what they expect to receive,” Winckler said, “and that balance is important.”

Last week, House Republicans proposed a constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds vote by lawmakers to raise income taxes. Proposed constitutional amendment have to clear the House AND the Senate twice — in years that are separated by a statewide election — before Iowans see the proposed amendment on a ballot for yes or no vote.

NE Iowa man sentenced to 17-years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography charge

News

April 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A man from northeast Iowa was sentenced last week to serve 17-years in Federal prison, for receiving child pornography. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, says public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, proved 49-year-old Corey Lester Schlemme, of Oxford, set up multiple Facebook accounts under various names to send and receive child pornography. After receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a subsequent search of Schlemme’s Oxford residence confirmed that he was sending and receiving child pornography.

Review of seized evidence also determined that Schlemme represented himself as a minor female in fraudulent Facebook accounts to persuade a minor victim to produce and send him child pornography. Over the course of nine months, Schlemme exchanged thousands of messages with the minor and solicited numerous videos and images of the minor engaged in sexually explicit acts. At the time of this investigation, Schlemme was a coach for the Clear Creek Amana School District.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Schlemme will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Schlemme was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $5,000.00.

The case was investigated by the Johnson County Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, with assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.