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Iowa early News Headlines: 8/12/2019

News

August 12th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Bond has been set at $2.2 million for a 44-year-old woman charged in the shooting deaths of two Iowa men. The Daily Nonpareil reports that a judge set bond for April Montello-Roberts, of Shenandoah, on Friday. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and two counts of attempted murder of an officer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Recent campaign events revolving around the opening of the Iowa State Fair mark the end of one phase of the Democratic presidential race and the beginning of another. Nearly two dozen candidates seeking the party’s nomination to oust President Donald Trump attended the fair, the annual Wing Ding dinner and other activities in Iowa aimed at allowing voters an up-close-and-personal view of potential nominees. The next phase is the sprint toward Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, now six months away.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rising flood costs have led to a new wave of state initiatives intended to protect against severe storms in the future. Texas voters will decide this year whether to create a $793 million fund for flood-control efforts. Governors in Arkansas and Missouri have launched studies after flooding overtopped levees. Other states also are looking at spending more on flood protection. The Associated Press has tallied $1.2 billion in damages to public infrastructure from this year’s storms and floods.

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Officials in one eastern Iowa county are regrouping after a voters rejected a jail bond issue for a second time. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports that Jackson County voters didn’t approve a $6.5 bond issue to build a 50-bed jail this month.

Midwest Sports Headlines: Monday, 8/12/2019

Sports

August 12th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, Paul Goldschmidt and Dexter Fowler also homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9. St. Louis rallied from an 8-4 deficit to sweep the three-game series and move into second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Chicago Cubs. Josh Bell had two homers and four RBIs for Pittsburgh, which has lost eight straight. Pablo Reyes added a solo shot in the ninth.

DETROIT (AP) — Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler each homered twice, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-2 for a split of the four-game series between the worst teams in the AL Central. It was Dozier’s third career multihomer game, all of which have come on the current road trip. He hit two against the Twins on Aug. 2, and then duplicated the feat Thursday in the series opener in Detroit.

UNDATED (AP) — Most of the attention surrounding transfers this offseason justifiably has focused on the high-profile quarterbacks who have switched schools. But the first college football season since the arrival of the transfer portal also will feature plenty of impact performers at other positions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Simone Biles soared to her sixth U.S. women’s gymnastics title, rebounding from an atypically sloppy performance on opening night to put on a show in the finals. Biles put together a two-day total of 118.500, nearly five points clear of runner-up Sunisa Lee. Biles began the finals by drilling a triple-twisting, double-flip on floor exercise, the first time a female gymnast has completed the skill in competition. Biles won three events in all to extend an unbeaten streak that began in 2013.

Zimmerman wins 2019 Tournament of Champions with final hole birdie

Sports

August 11th, 2019 by admin

2019 Tournament of Champions Winners. Left to Right: Nathan Zimmerman, Darron Baker, and Jim Mullenix

Nathan Zimmerman didn’t hold the lead until the final hole at the 2019 Tournament of Champions. Zimmerman, representing the Treynor Recreation Area Golf Course, birdied the par five 18th hole to turn a one shot deficit into a one-shot victory in the Championship Division of the 61st Annual event at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club. Jared Koch, representing Majestic Hills Golf Course in Denison, held at least a share of the tournament lead until that final hole. Koch bogeyed the 18th hole to give up his one shot lead.

Zimmerman hit a long second shot on the 18th after his tee shot went a little right. He then chipped up to within 2 feet to give himself the chance to roll in the birdie. Koch hit a great second shot the went just over the green. His chip hit on the collar of the green and ended up still about 15 feet from the hole. He rolled his putt to the right of the hole about three feet away. He then rimmed out his par attempt that would have triggered a playoff with Zimmerman.

Zimmerman finished the weekend at 6-under par 200 total. He shot rounds of 66, 69, and 65 to grab the victory. Koch finished at 5-under 201 with rounds of 65, 68, and 68. Atlantic’s Jake Olsen finished third with a 2-under 204 weekend total. Jake’s rounds were 68, 65, and 71. Past Champion Alex Bireline was 4th at +1, 207 with a strong final round of 64. Atlantic’s Zach Christianson and Past Champion Ron Peterson tied for 5th at +2, 208. Chirstianson also had a final round of 64 on Sunday.

The Senior division was won for the second year in a row by Darron Baker of the Eagle Grove Golf Club. He shot a weekend total of +11, 217 to secure the win by two shots over Past Champion Rick Thompson. Baker had rounds of 73, 73, and 71. Don Newbury was third at +14, Jim Wood 4th at +18, and Daryl Armstrong 5th at +19.

The Super-Senior Division Champion was decided by a playoff. Arnie Leistad and Jim Mullenix both finished 54-holes at +9, 215. Mullenix then defeated Leistad in a sudden death playoff to secure his first win at the T of C. Last year’s Champ John Willmore finished 3rd at +14, 220.

Thomas’ slam leads Cardinals to comeback win over Pirates

Sports

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, Paul Goldschmidt and Dexter Fowler also homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9 Sunday. St. Louis rallied from an 8-4 deficit to sweep the three-game series and move into second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Chicago Cubs.

Josh Bell had two homers and four RBIs for Pittsburgh, which has lost eight straight. Pablo Reyes added a solo shot in the ninth. Thomas, a rookie outfielder playing his 21st game, drove in five runs. His first career slam came off Kyle Crick (3-7) and put the Cardinals ahead 9-8. He also had an RBI triple in the fourth.

John Gant (8-0) tossed a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. St. Louis outfielder Jose Martínez left the game in the fifth with right shoulder discomfort.

The Cardinals will play 24 of their next 30 games against teams with losing records and a combined .446 winning percentage. St. Louis is 31-20 against teams with losing marks. Yadier Molina is, “very likely,” to rejoin the team on Tuesday, according to manager Mike Shildt. Molina has been out since July 8 with a right thumb tendon stain. He has missed the last 28 games.

Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty (5-6 3.72) will take on Kansas City RHP Glenn Sparkman (3-7, 5.71) in the first of a two-game series on Tuesday in Kansas City. Flaherty struck out 10 batters in seven innings of a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Warren wows in Iowa as candidates’ sprint to caucuses begins

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nearly two dozen Democratic presidential candidates paraded through Iowa this weekend, speaking at the state fair, the annual Wing Ding dinner and a forum on gun control.

The sheer volume of contenders signals a new phase of the primary campaign, ending the get-to-know-you period and beginning a six-month sprint to the Iowa caucuses.

In that time, the historically large field will likely winnow, front-runner Joe Biden will be tested more forcefully and a fierce competition will unfold for candidates to be seen as the more viable alternative.

They’ll be competing for the support of Democrats who say repeatedly that, despite their differences, their top priority is landing on a nominee who can defeat President Donald Trump.

Red Oak man arrested on a warrant Sunday

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a Red Oak man was arrested at around 1:20-p.m. Sunday, following a traffic stop for speeding. 36-year old Miguel Angel Lopez was arrested on a Taylor County warrant for a controlled substance violation. Lopez was turned over to Taylor County Deputies and held without bond in their jail.

Nebraska trial delayed over crash deaths of 4 from southwest Iowa

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska trial of a Kansas man charged with the 2017 traffic deaths of four Iowa motorcyclists has been delayed again until October.

A judge recently agreed to delay the trial for 24-year-old Jeser Cisneros-Hernandez, of Liberal, Kansas. He’s pleaded not guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide, one of reckless driving and one of failing to drive in his lane. The new trial date is Oct. 15. Cisneros-Hernandez remains free on bail.

Prosecutors say Cisneros-Hernandez’s vehicle hit two motorcycles carrying two people each on July 1, 2017, near Ogallala. Authorities say 54-year-old Sheila Matheny and 61-year-old James Matheny, from Bedford, Iowa, were on one motorcycle. The other motorcyclists were 58-year-old Michal Weese and 59-year-old Jerolyn Weese, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Iowa newspaper carrier saves woman from sex trafficking ring

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Court records show a Des Moines newspaper carrier helped save a woman caught in a sex trafficking ring. The Des Moines Register says one of its delivery workers, Lavon Franz, was on her paper route early the morning of July 28 in Ankeny when she saw a woman waving her arms on the side of the road. When Franz pulled over, the woman — who had no cellphone or ID — was crying and said she wanted to go back home to a small town about an hour northwest of Ankeny.

Franz took the woman to a convenience store, where an employee called police. Police arrested a 25-year-old woman from East Dubuque, Illinois, on suspicion of pimping and human trafficking. Police say Walters scheduled times for men to pay the rescued woman and others for sex at hotels in Ankeny.

Bond set for woman charged in killings of 2 Iowa men

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Bond has been set at $2.2 million for a 44-year-old woman charged in the shooting deaths of two Iowa men. The Daily Nonpareil reports that a judge set bond for April Montello-Roberts, of Shenandoah, on Friday. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and two counts of attempted murder of an officer.

Prosecutors say Montello-Roberts was in cahoots with her boyfriend, 28-year-old Troy Petersen, of Essex, in the robbery and killing of 52-year-old Jerrot Clark on Sunday. Police say days later, they fled when a Council Bluffs officer tried to pull over their truck, then randomly approached 51-year-old Steven Carlson’s home with a plan to take a hostage to use as leverage to escape police. Officials say Petersen instead shot and killed Carlson. Authorities say the pair later crashed their truck fleeing from police, and Petersen was shot dead by an officer.

Montello-Roberts has a preliminary hearing set for Friday.

Officials rethink plan after jail bond issue fails twice

News

August 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Officials in one eastern Iowa county are regrouping after a voters rejected a jail bond issue for a second time. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports that Jackson County voters didn’t approve a $6.5 bond issue to build a 50-bed jail this month. The result is similar to an August 2018 vote.

Sheriff Russ Kettmann says the outcome was disappointing. He says the main concerns he heard about the proposed jail related to its price and location. But the county must do something because the current jail, built in 1972, has a number of problems. State authorities have said the facility could be shut down.

If the jail shut down without a replacement, the county estimates that it could cost $987,000 a year to transport inmates to and from other jails.