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Iowa early News Headlines: Sunday, Jan. 28th 2018

News

January 28th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:55 a.m. CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been delayed for a Cedar Rapids teen accused of killing a man and injuring another teen in a 2016 shooting. Television station KCRG reports that 17-year-old Kenyauta Vesey-Keith is being tried as an adult on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, willful injury causing serious injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors say Vesey-Keith shot 21-year-old Brandon Johnson and a 16-year-old boy in March 2016. Johnson died from his injuries.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa city could welcome a new outdoor pickleball complex later this year. The Cedar Falls City Council has approved a project for new pickleball courts at Orchard Hill Park that will be financed with public and private money. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club and locals fundraised to move the project up to this summer.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A $1.25 million lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha over the construction of the Omaha National Cemetery. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Seedorff Masonry Inc. of Strawberry Point, Iowa, has sued a Chicago construction company and the project’s insurer over what it says is $1.25 million in unpaid bills.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of tissue samples from hunted deer in Iowa have been turned over to be tested for chronic wasting disease. The samples are part of a nine-day collection effort by deer hunters and state officials that ends Sunday. The first weekend of the effort in Allamakee and Clayton counties provided 54 samples. Chronic wasting disease is a neurologic disease of deer, moose and elk that is always fatal for the animals.

RAGBRAI 2018 route announced Saturday night

News, Sports

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The 2018 RAGBRAI route was announced Saturday night, in Des Moines. The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) runs July 22nd through the 28th. It begins in Onawa with the traditional dipping of the tires in the Missouri River and concludes in Davenport with the tires dipped in the Mississippi River.

In between, riders will stop overnight in Denison, Jefferson, Ames, Newton, Sigourney and Iowa City.The path includes Highway 30 on parts of the western leg.Full route details will be announced in March.

The Register reports the route is just over 428-miles long and has about 12,576 feet of climb. Officials say it should be fairly easy, compared to past rides. It will be the fourth flattest in RAGBRAI’s 46-year history, and the seventh shortest.

For more: https://ragbrai.com/2018/01/27/ragbrai-2018-route-overnight-towns-have-been-announced/

 

 

Cedar Falls approves outdoor pickleball complex project

News, Sports

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa city could welcome a new outdoor pickleball complex later this year. The Cedar Falls City Council has approved a project for new pickleball courts at Orchard Hill Park that will be financed with public and private money. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club and locals fundraised to move the project up to this summer.

Pickleball has become a popular game among seniors and students in Cedar Falls. It’s played on a badminton-sized court with a tennis net, plastic paddles and a pickleball.

The project would be financed by the pickleball club’s $50,000 and private grants. The city would offer $50,000 with general obligation bonds. Another $50,000 is being requested from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association, which will make a decision next month.

Shark Tank star talks about program in visit to Iowa

News

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A star of the television show “Shark Tank” was in Iowa Friday to speak at an event. Billionaire businessman Kevin O’Leary is a one of the “Sharks” who hear pitches from entrepreneurs and then decide if they will invest in that person’s business. The show is heading into its 10th year — and O’Leary tells Radio Iowa he is surprised by its longevity. “I am and we all are. This was a show about business and business is boring — at least we thought — and that’s not the case,” O’Leary says.

O’leary, who is also known as Mr. Wonderful on the show. He can be very blunt in telling an entrepreneur what he thinks of their chances to succeed. “I get a lot of flack for telling the truth and I’m not going to stop. The truth is going to be the truth and the fact that your business has no merit is going to play itself out and you are going to lose all your money,” O’Leary “I just think the other sharks are disingenuous. They try and make themselves feel better by saying to somebody ‘I’m not going to write you a check, but keep doing what your are doing.’ I’d rather say, ‘look you are going to go to zero…and really entrepreneurship is about success and failure. And I have a very simple metric — if it’s not making money in 36 months — take it behind the barn and shoot it.”

O’Leary says he’s had some big failures and some big successes in the investments he’s made on the show. “Probably my biggest surprise is a company called Potato Parcel, which ships a picture of you on a potato to somebody. I’m making a fortune on that,” O’Leary says. He says you never know what’s going to work. O’Leary says he does get a lot of people who come up to him and ask to borrow money, and he says people need to know they can’t pitch him a plan and be on the show. “There’s a law about this, you can’t predetermine the outcome of something like Shark Tank. They simply ask these entrepreneurs if you have ever petitioned or pitched a shark,” O’Leary explains. “And if you lie about it when I see you I’ll stand up and say I can’t talk to this person. Because I want the show to go on, I’m very proud of it, I’ve got 40 plus deals to protect, and I’m just thrilled to where we’ve gotten to.”

O’Leary gave the keynote speech at the Land Investment Expo in West Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

Ernst says legislation approved in Senate would prevent abuse against athletes

News, Sports

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst hopes the attention received by the sentencing of former Michigan State and Olympic sports doctor Larry Nassar for abusing female will help push through legislation that’s passed the Senate on the issue. “Our bill requires amateur athletics governing bodies to immediately report sexual abuse allegations to local or federal law enforcement, or a child welfare agency,” Ernst says. The Republican from Red Oak says the legislation also makes it safer and easier for victims to report abuse. “It ensures organizations develop and enforce policies to prevent these horrendous crimes from happening in the first place,” according to Ernst.

Ernst called the abuse of female gymnasts “horrifying and disgusting.” She co-sponsored the bill with both Republicans and Democrats and wants to see it become law. “I am urging the House to act quickly on this legislation so that we can better protect the young athletes of our nation. With the winter Olympics right around the corner, we must insure that athletes are protected,” Ernst says.

Ernst talked about the bill during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa)

Bill would let Iowa prosecutors treat robbery with a fake gun same as a ‘real’ armed robbery

News

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Committing a robbery with a FAKE gun would be treated by the justice system the same as an actual armed robbery if a bill under consideration at the statehouse becomes law. Prosecutors, law enforcement and convenience stores are backing the bill. Kelly Meyers, with the Iowa County Attorneys Association, says a hold-up with a toy gun has serious consequences. “That clerk doesn’t necessarily know whether that gun is real or a toy. The trauma is the same. So, we would like to take a narrow approach to addressing this real-life problem,” Meyers said.

Prosecuting a fake armed robbery is difficult as well, according to Meyers. “The perpetrator leaves, for instance, and they ditch the gun somewhere – the county attorneys still have prove that was indeed a dangerous weapon, so the clerk is in trauma, they don’t know if that’s a real gun or a toy gun,” Meyers said.

At a meeting on the bill, some critics said the penalties for creating a crime with a fake or real weapon shouldn’t be the same. A leading gun rights advocate said the bill needs further study to determine if it will deter crime, or if it will help county attorneys prosecute someone.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Joyce Russell, Iowa Public Radio)

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 1/27/2018

News, Podcasts

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Play

Iowa company sues for work not paid for Omaha cemetery

News

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A $1.25 million lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha over the construction of the Omaha National Cemetery. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Seedorff Masonry Inc. of Strawberry Point, Iowa, has sued a Chicago construction company and the project’s insurer over unpaid bills.

The lawsuit says Archer Western Construction entered into a contract in 2014 with the Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish materials and perform the labor for the cemetery. An attorney for Seedorff, a subcontractor on the project, says Seedorff provided nearly $3.2 million in labor and materials, but Archer has paid the company only $1.9 million.

In the lawsuit filed Monday, Seedorff alleges Archer and Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America owe Seedorff $1.25 million, plus interest. The cemetery opened in 2016.

Grand opening set for Omaha lodge for cancer patients

News

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held next week for the grand opening of an $11.5 million housing facility for people and their families traveling to Omaha for cancer treatment. The American Cancer Society broke ground in late 2016 on the Hope Lodge Nebraska, located just off of Dodge Street near the Nebraska Methodist Hospital System. Lodging there will be free of charge for patients and their families traveling more than 40 miles for treatment. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Tuesday.

The three-story lodge includes 32 private rooms with baths. Sitting/television areas and laundry facilities are located on each floor. Common areas include kitchen, dining room, library, conference, exercise, game and meditation rooms. Free transportation will be available to local treatment centers for patients staying at the Hope Lodge.

Effort underway to test hunted Iowa deer for disease

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of tissue samples from hunted deer in Iowa have been turned over to be tested for chronic wasting disease. The samples are part of a nine-day collection effort by deer hunters and state officials that ends Sunday. The first weekend of the effort in Allamakee and Clayton counties provided 54 samples.

Chronic wasting disease is a neurologic disease of deer, moose and elk that is always fatal for the animals. The disease first appeared in Iowa’s wild deer herd in 2013 and each year since. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has placed extra emphasis on tracking the movement of the disease with the cooperation of hunters.

Last year, two deer tested positive for the disease as part of the effort in the same counties.