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DCI Arrests Council Bluffs Man for First Degree Murder

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On February 17, 2024, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting an unidentified deceased female body located in rural Fremont County, Iowa. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office requested the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to assist with the investigation.

The body was transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner and later identified as Brianne McIntosh, 28, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Autopsy results indicate that McIntosh sustained severe facial injury related to her death. McIntosh had been reported as a missing person to the Omaha Police Department on December 12, 2023, by a relative.

On October 14, 2024, DCI agents, the Council Bluffs Police Department, and the 4th Judicial Fugitive Investigation Unit arrested Justin Sickler, 45, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the following criminal charges related to McIntosh’s death:

Count 1: Murder in the First Degree (Class A Felony)

Count 2: Abuse of a Corpse (Class C Felony)

Count 3: Theft in the 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor)

Sickler was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Justin Sickler booking photo

Third Edition of Iowa High School Football Rankings (Oct. 14, 2024)

Sports

October 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Rankings for Class 2A, Class 1A, Class A, and Eight-Player will be determined throughout the 2024 regular season by official rankings committees, as debuted in 2023. The committee rankings for 2A, 1A, A, and 8P will feature a top 10 consensus-built list as compiled by a six-person group: Two former head coaches and one media member – each representing different state regions – and three IHSAA staff members. The IHSAA will use the rankings as a primary tool for postseason assignments, while maintaining school and geographic considerations.

Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) is a formula instituted in 2018 using records to determine a team’s relative strength in a single regular season.

PLAYOFF QUALIFIYING INFORMATION

 

STANDINGS & POINT DIFFERENTIAL

Classes: 2A, 1A, A, 8P.

Qualifiers: 32 per class.

Regular Season: 8 weeks.

About: Complete district standings are available as automatic qualifiers will be the district champion, district runner-up, district third place team, and the district fourth place team in Classes 2A, 1A and A. The +/- point differential is used as a 17-point tiebreaker, with overtime games counting for +/- 1.00. In Eight-Player, automatic qualifiers will be the district champion, district runner-up and district third place team. There will be two at-large qualifiers in Eight-Player based on the +/-17 point tiebreaker.

First Round Matchup Release: 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19

 

RATINGS PERCENTAGE INDEX

Classes: 5A, 4A, 3A.

Qualifiers: 16 per class.

Regular Season: 9 weeks.

About: Formula instituted in 2018 using team’s record, their opponents’ record, and their opponents opponents’ record to determine relative strength in a single regular season. Class 5A uses RPI to determine all 16 playoff qualifiers. In 4A and 3A, RPI will determine the four remaining at-large qualifiers, as the district champion and runner-up from each of the six districts will earn automatic qualifying spots. Starting in 2024, the +/- 17-point tiebreaker will be utilized if necessary to determine automatic qualifiers in 4A and 3A.

First Round Matchup Release: 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26

 

RATINGS PERCENTAGE INDEX:

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Rank School W L
1 West Lyon 7 0
2 PCM 7 0
3 Spirit Lake 6 1
4 Van Meter 6 1
5 Kuemper Catholic, Carroll 6 1
6 Northeast 7 0
7 North Fayette Valley 6 1
8 Roland-Story 5 2
9 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 5 2
10 Anamosa 6 1

 

Class 1A

Rank School W L
1 Grundy Center 7 0
2 Dike-New Hartford 6 1
3 Emmetsburg 7 0
4 Wilton 7 0
5 Hinton 6 1
6 South Hardin 6 1
7 Regina, Iowa City 6 1
8 Sigourney/Keota 6 1
9 Treynor 6 1
10 OABCIG 5 2

 

Class A

Rank School W L
1 West Hancock 7 0
2 ACGC 7 0
3 Saint Ansgar 6 1
4 Lisbon 7 0
5 Tri-Center 6 1
6 Gehlen Catholic, LeMars 6 1
7 Maquoketa Valley 6 1
8 Pekin 6 1
9 Riverside 5 2
10 North Linn 6 1

 

Eight-Player

Rank School W L
1 Lenox 7 0
2 Bishop Garrigan, Algona 7 0
3 Don Bosco, Gilbertville 7 0
4 St. Mary’s, Remsen 7 0
5 Gladbrook-Reinbeck 6 1
6 Audubon 7 0
7 Iowa Valley 7 0
8 Woodbine 6 1
9 Bedford 6 1
10 GTRA 6 1

 

How a service dog became a beloved member of the UNI marching band

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – University of Northern Iowa football fans are delighting in watching a new four-legged member of the Panther Marching Band take the field at halftime this season. Winnie, a golden retriever, is the service dog for sophomore student Gabi Riessen, who has a chronic condition called POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

“My heart rate fluctuates more than other people,” Riessen says. “I can get dizzy just standing, and so Winnie will warn me before I pass out, or if my heart rate’s too high, so I can sit down.” Riessen transferred to the Cedar Falls campus when her old school didn’t allow her to join activities because she would need her service dog with her. U-N-I marching band director Justin Mertz says Riessen and Winnie are now local celebrities.

“When we first spoke on the phone, the plan was, you know, she was not really gonna really do any marching,” Mertz says, “But then we met her, we met Winnie, and we saw what they would both be capable of, and we agreed to give it a try. And the next thing, you know, there’s a dog on the field.”

Riessen plays cymbals and mallet percussion in the band’s stationary frontline ensemble. Winnie accompanies her human, dressed in full gear and attached to her by a leash around Riessen’s waist. You can watch Riessen and Winnie perform next at U-N-I’s Homecoming football game against Missouri State on October 26th.

Jellyfish found in Iowa farm pond

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – It’s common to see a jellyfish along a beach in a warm weather state, but it’s unusual to find one in an Iowa farm pond. That’s what D-N-R fisheries biologist John Lorenzen recently confirmed after hearing from a farmer in Guthrie County.

“What are the odds of jellyfish surviving in a pond in Iowa? And so my initial reaction was, it’s got to be something else. But they definitely were jellyfish,” Lorenzen says. He says the Peach Blossom Jellyfish, an animal native to China and are about the size of a nickel. D-N-R Aquatic Invasive Species Program Coordinator Kim Bogenschutz was intrigued by the discovery.

“Honestly I thought it was pretty cool,” she says. ” I think that these jellyfish are something that we just don’t know that much about. When I dug into the data, I did find two previous reports from quarries in Iowa.” Bogenschutz says the jellyfish do not pose any environmental concerns and, due to their tiny size, aren’t able to sting humans.

D-N-R officials say there are theories on how the jellyfish ended up in Iowa, including migrating birds, fish stocking, or someone dumping their aquarium, which is illegal.

IowaColdCases.org founder says her stepfather’s death unsolved

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The woman who founded a website about missing Iowans and unsolved Iowa murders says three years into the project, her stepfather died in an explosion. Jodi Ewing says her stepfather — Earl Thelander of Onawa — was renovating a home when it exploded and he died in 2007 from severe burns. Ewing says the explosion was caused by thieves who stole 20-dollars-worth of copper from propane gas lines in the home.

“Our family lost the patriarch due to a crime that has not yet been solved,” Ewing says. “We still believe that there’s hope, that eventually justice will be served.” This case is among over 400 so-called cold cases in Iowa. Ewing’s website — Iowa Cold Cases dot org (www.iowacoldcases.org) — tells the victims’ stories.

“Some people will say, ‘Well, it’s been 30 years. It’s never going to be solved,’ or something like that,” Ewing says, “but doesn’t matter if the perpetrator is dead or if they were executed in another state or what the circumstances are, just getting a name after years, decades it makes a huge difference for the families to know who is responsible for the death of their loved one.”

Ewing started the website 20 years ago while she was working for a newspaper in Sioux City and was getting calls from families asking her to write about their loved one’s case.

Four drivers receive special recognition at SWITA Fall Driver Meeting

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa)  Four drivers were recognized for going above and beyond at the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency’s (SWITA) fall driver meeting on Saturday, September 28th at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club.

Wray Ludington

SWITA Driver Wray Ludington was recognized for helping to discover that a regular rider needed help at his home. Wray knows his riders well and became concerned when a daily user of the Atlantic taxi service had not been seen for a couple of days. Wray contacted the Atlantic Police, and they conducted a wellness check. It turns out this client was in need of medical attention. Wray’s knowledge of his riders made a major difference in this person’s well-being.

Another health-related situation arose during a SWITA trip that was being driven by Pete Menke. A commotion started in the back of a work route bus overnight and Pete had the quick-thinking reaction to pull over and assess the situation. A rider was suffering a seizure and Pete immediately called 911 to get help. Medical responders met the bus on Interstate 80 and tended to the rider. Pete is a regular night driver for work routes from Omaha to Oakland.

Pete Menke

Officials say two drivers were also recognized for going above and beyond to make RAGBRAI transportation a success in Glenwood, Red Oak, and Atlantic this summer. Lynn Baumbach wasn’t initially sure about shuttling large groups around with so many bikes and people in town, but she dominated the challenge. She covered extra time as needed and handled changes to the routes. She said she enjoyed the experience.

Mike Ames was also a standout driver during RAGBRAI week. Mike helped fill backlogged stops in each town and was instrumental in adjusting the setup in Red Oak on the fly.  Many people have reached out to say how much they appreciated the SWITA shuttle service during the first three RAGBRAI overnight stops and commented how well it went compared to other locations.

Mike Ames

Lynn Baumbach

Nebraska man killed in a Guthrie County crash Monday morning (Oct. 14th)

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A man from Nebraska died in a crash early this (Monday) morning, in Guthrie County. According to the sheriff’s office, Guthrie County dispatch received a 911 call at around 2:50-a.m. from a man who saw a vehicle in a field near Frontier Road, just north of White Pole Road. The caller said the vehicle’s airbags deployed, but he could not find anyone around the vehicle. Adair Fire and Rescue responded to the scene a short time later. When a deputy arrived on the scene at around 3:20-a.m., he was informed a person (presumably from the vehicle) was found deceased about 30-feet from the vehicle. The deceased was identified as 41-year-old Ross M. Ingalise, of Omaha. The man had been ejected from the vehicle, a KIA Optima. He was not wearing a seat belt.

An investigation determined the KIA was traveling north on White Pole Road when it left the roadway on a curve. The car entered a ditch and continued north through the ditch until it struck an embankment along the side of Frontier Road. The impact with the embankment caused the vehicle to go airborne for several yards before it struck the top half of a telephone pole, causing the pole to snap in-half. The vehicle continued airborne for several more yards until it landed in a fence row for a pasture.

The car continued through the fence at some point, ejecting Mr. Ingalise as the vehicle turned back to the southeast. His body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny. The crash remains under investigation. Damage to the Guthrie County REC telephone pole was estimated at $1,500. The car was a total loss.

Trojan Preview – Week 8 – 10/18/2024

Trojan Preview/Who’s Gonna Win?

October 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

KJAN Sports Director Asa Lucas’ weekly discussion with Atlantic Head Football Coach Joe Brummer. This week we talk about the Week 7 win against Perry and the importance of this week’s game against Harlan with postseason implications on the line.

Play

Glenwood Police report, 10/14/24

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports two arrests took place Sunday: 21-year-ol Mekhi Cooper, of Omaha, NE, was arrested for Possession of a controlled substance. Cooper posted a $1,000 bond and was released from custody.

And, 21-year-old Da’Lana Brazar-Blackwell, of Lincoln, NE, was arrested for OWI 1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.

Drake women’s basketball media day

Sports

October 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Drake women’s basketball coach Allison Pohlman views lofty expectations as an opportunity and not a challenge. Reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Katie Dinnebier returns for a Bulldog team that is favored to win a third straight league title.

The Bulldogs will be in search of a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, but they have not won a tournament game since advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen” in 2002.

Pohlman says the style of play that has made Drake so successful will not change.

Drake opens the regular season November fourth at North Dakota State.