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Police plan to beef up Des Moines skywalk security

News

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say they plan to beef up security of the downtown skywalk system in the wake of an attack earlier this month on a man and his girlfriend. Station KCCI reports that the plan unveiled Tuesday includes updated security cameras. Sgt. Paul Parizek also says the department plans to assign more officers to ensure the skywalk system remains safe.
Tom Conley’s company provides security for the skywalk under contract to the skywalk association, and he says he welcomes additional support from the police department. Police say a 21-year-old man and his girlfriend were attacked Oct. 12 by 20 to 30 teens or young men in the skywalk near the Wellmark YMCA. The man was later hospitalized for treatment after being kicked and punched. The woman also was punched.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: Wed., Oct. 23rd 2019

Weather

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy w/scattered light rain. High 56. SE winds becoming NW @ 10-15 mph.

Tonight: Light rain ending; Becoming partly cloudy. Low 30. NW @ 5.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 50. N @ 10.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 58.

Saturday: P/Cldy. High 66.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 56. Our Low 34. Overnight (thru 5:15-a.m. today) we received just under .01″ rain, with sprinkles falling at 5:15. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 61 and the Low was 28. The record High for this date in Atlantic, was 81 in 1901 & 1991. The Record Low was 13, in 1895.

High School Volleyball Playoff Schedule 10/23/2019

Sports

October 23rd, 2019 by admin

Classes 3A, 4A, and 5A will play first round volleyball playoff matches tonight around the state. Here is a look at matches involving area teams. All matches are set for 7:00pm first serve.

Class 3A Region 3

Atlantic @ Red Oak – ON KJAN
Shenandoah @ Clarinda
Saydel @ Des Moines Christian
Clarke @ Creston

Class 3A Region 2

Greene County @ Kuemper Catholic
Bishop Heelan @ OABCIG
Cherokee @ Humboldt
Southeast Valley @ Algona

Class 4A Region 1

Storm Lake @ LeMars
Spencer @ Denison-Schleswig

Class 4A Region 2

ADM @ Harlan
Winterset @ Norwalk

Class 5A Region 2

Sioux City West @ CB Thomas Jefferson

Lopez Foods buys idled Cherokee meat processing plant

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A new owner plans to reopen a meat processing facility in northwest Iowa. Oklahoma-based Lopez Foods — a family-owned business — bought the plant in Cherokee from Iowa Food Group, which closed the facility in April. Bill Anderson with Cherokee Area Economic Development says 40 people worked at Iowa Food Group before it closed.

“Our number one priority was taking care of those employees, taking care of that workforce and now with Lopez Foods moving into that facility we want to assist in helping them repopulate the facility with the workforce,” he says. Lopez Foods expects to reopen the plant in early spring. The plant was idle for four years before Iowa Food Group started it up again in January.

The plant dates back to 1965 when Wilson Foods opened it to slaughter beef and pork. Tyson Foods acquired it in 2001 and produced deli meats at the facility. “It had a long history of employing families throughtout our communities and other communities, quite frankly, outside of Cherokee County,” Anderson says.

About 400 people were working at the plant when Tyson closed it in 2014. Lopez Foods, the plant’s new owner, is a key supplier for restaurants and retailers, including McDonald’s and Walmart. The company’s plant in Oklahoma City produces frozen ground beef patties, partially cooked and fully-cooked sausage patties and sliced Canadian-style bacon.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes; additional reporting by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)

JAN ELAINE HUEGERICH, 62, of Exira (Mass of Christian Burial 10/25/19)

Obituaries

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

JAN ELAINE HUEGERICH, 62, of Exira, died Tuesday, Oct. 22nd, at the Exira Care Center. A Mass of Christian Burial for JAN HUEGERICH, will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, Oct. 25th, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, in Exira. Kessler Funeral Home in Exira has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is on Thursday, Oct. 24th, from 4-until 7-p.m., with a Rosary at 5-p.m.

Burial is in the Exira Cemetery.

JAN HUEGERICH is survived by:

Her husband – Mike Huegerich, of Exira.

Her daughters – Kelli (& her significant other, Lorenzo Keahey), of Ankney; Katie (Nich) West, of Whiting, and McKenna Wardrip, of Irwin.

Her brothers – Chris (Rowena) Wardrip, and Jay (Lesa) Wardrip, all of Kansas City, MO.

7 grandchildren, other relatives, her in-laws, and friends.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., Oct. 23rd 2019

News

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 1.m. CDT

STUART, Iowa (AP) — A man wounded in a shootout with officers that also wounded two deputies has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says in a news release Tuesday that 52-year-old Randall Comly fired a gun at Guthrie County Deputy Kent Gries and Stuart Police Officer Tyler DeFrancisco on Thursday inside an apartment. Neither were shot. However, two deputies posted outside the apartment, Steven Henry and Jim Mink, were both shot. Investigators say they may have been hit by gunfire from fellow officers returning Comly’s gunfire.
Both Mink and Henry were released from the hospital Saturday morning. Comly was also wounded in the confrontation. He has since been released from the hospital and is being held in jail.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A nonprofit controlled by the former director of a popular annual Iowa bike ride is hosting a conference featuring the new competing event that he launched this month. The Iowa Festivals and Events Association, which lists former RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz as its president, is hosting its first conference in Coralville this week. Juskiewicz and his aides with a new event, Iowa’s Ride, are among the speakers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake University has announced receipt of a $5 million donation that will support the school’s athletics and help fund programs to benefit rural communities. The university said in a news release Tuesday that Former DuPont Pioneer president and Drake University trustee Paul Schickler and his wife, Claudia, made the donation. Of the gift, $2 million will go to renovate the school’s Knapp Center, where the Bulldogs’ basketball games are held.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — Attorneys for a child who was sexually assaulted by a teacher at an Iowa school have announced a $650,000 settlement paid by four school districts. Spirit Lake attorney John Sandy says the settlement was agreed to by the school boards of Sibley-Ocheyedan, Sioux City, Akron Westfield, and Mediapolis community schools. The lawsuit stemmed from the case of Kyle Ewinger, who was convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing student at Sibley-Ocheyedan.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Board members of an insurance program for Iowa’s municipal governments are rethinking their long-standing practice of holding public meetings at resorts in other states. Directors of the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool have faced criticism since The Associated Press reported last month that they have long held meetings once a year at getaway destinations in Florida and Michigan.

Midwest Sports Headlines: 10/23/19

Sports

October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Packers and Chiefs met more than 50 years ago in the first Super Bowl, pitting the best from the NFL against the best from the AFL. Fourteen players who took the field that day at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would land in the Hall of Fame, including quarterbacks Bart Starr and Len Dawson. The Packers triumphed 35-10 in a game that was a far cry from the event the Super Bowl would become in more recent years.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — No. 23 Iowa State will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s home game against Oklahoma State. The Cyclones are 5-2 so far this season and struggled early. Coach Matt Campbell says it took a while for his young players in skill positions to get settled. Now that they have, Iowa State is rolling.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Nowhere did Wisconsin’s stunning loss at Illinois reverberate more than in Iowa City. The upset gave the 20th-ranked Hawkeyes new life in the Big Ten West. In recent weeks, Iowa hasn’t looked like a team that is ready to seize such an opportunity. Iowa plays at Northwestern this weekend.

Riverside sweeps past Exira-EHK

Sports

October 22nd, 2019 by admin

The Riverside Bulldogs picked up a Class 1A Region 2 playoff win on Tuesday night at home over the Exira-EHK Spartans 3-0. The Bulldogs jumped out early in the first two sets and came on strong in the third to earn the sweep 25-12, 25-17, 25-16.

The Bulldogs used early runs in the first two sets to grab control. In the third the Spartans had the early edge. The Bulldogs use a 9-0 at the end of the set to secure the victory. Bulldogs Head Coach Michaela Schwartzkopf said her team played comfortable early in the match.

Kenna Ford had 31 assists for the Bulldogs and Jadyn Achenbach led the offense with 14 kills. The third set rally was no surprise to Schwartzkopf because she said the team has played from behind most of the season.

The Bulldogs improved to 24-12 with the win and will now host the CAM Cougars in the Regional Quarterfinals on Monday. We’ll have that match on KJAN. The Spartans end their season with a record of 6-23.

Class 1A and 2A Playoff Volleyball Scoreboard 10/22/2019

Sports

October 22nd, 2019 by admin

Class 1A Region 2

(3-0) Woodbine 25-25-28, Heartland Christian 15-14-26
(3-0) West Harrison 25-25-25, Whiting 18-15-18
(3-2) Boyer Valley 25-20-24-25-15, Ar-We-Va 17-25-26-9-7
(3-1) Coon Rapids-Bayard 25-26-24-25, Paton-Churdan 19-24-26-22
(3-0) Glidden-Ralston 25-25-25, Audubon 13-16-13
(3-0) Riverside 25-25-25, Exira-EHK 12-17-16
(3-0) CAM 30-25-25, Orient-Macksburg 28-20-14

*We’ll have Riverside hosting CAM in Regional Quarterfinal on Monday night at 7:00pm on KJAN.

Class 1A Region 3

(3-0) Bedford 25-25-25, Essex 18-12-20
(3-0) Lenox 25-25-25, Diagonal 10-15-9
(3-0) Lamoni 27-25-25, Central Decatur 25-20-22
(3-2) East Mills 26-22-24-25-15, Fremont-Mills 24-25-26-20-5
(3-0) East Union 25-25-25, Mormon Trail 7-10-14
(3-0) Southwest Valley 25-25-25, Murray 22-12-19
(3-0) Stanton 25-25-25, Griswold 8-22-14

Class 2A Region 3

(3-0) West Monona 25-25-25, Missouri Valley 22-14-13

Class 2A Region 4

(3-1) AHSTW 22-25-25-25, Tri-Center 25-23-20-14

Class 2A Region 5

(3-2) West Central Valley 25-21-24-25-15, Panorama 16-25-26-14-5

Man accused in police shootout charged with attempted murder

News

October 22nd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

STUART, Iowa (AP) — A man wounded in an Iowa shootout with officers that also wounded two deputies has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says in a news release Tuesday that 52-year-old Randall Comly fired a gun at Guthrie County Deputy Kent Gries and Stuart police officer Tyler DeFrancisco on Thursday inside an apartment. Neither were shot.

However, two deputies posted outside the apartment, Steven Henry and Jim Mink, were both shot. Investigators say they may have been hit by gunfire from fellow officers returning Comly’s gunfire. The shooting occurred in Stuart. Both Mink and Henry were released from the hospital Saturday morning. Comly was also wounded in the confrontation. He has since been released from the hospital and is being held in jail.