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Police ID 2 people whose bodies were found in apartment

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have release the names of two people whose bodies were found in a Burlington apartment. A Burlington Police Department news release identified them as 59-year-old Kevin Shavers, who lived in the apartment, and 33-year-old Marlo Pilkington, who lived in Fort Madison. The release did not describe the nature of their relationship.

Police also didn’t disclose the causes of the deaths, saying toxicology test results have not yet been received. The news release did say the department doesn’t think there is any ongoing risk to the community. Neighbors called police July 17 to report that they’d not seen the man for several days.

WENDELL SHEER, 66, of Kempner, TX (Svcs. 7/29/19)

Obituaries

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

WENDELL SHEER, 66, of Kempner, TX, died Saturday, July 20th, at home in Texas. Funeral services for WENDELL SHEER will be held 11-a.m. Monday,July 29th, at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids. Ohde Funeral Home in Coon Rapids has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the church from 10-until 11-a.m., Monday.

Burial will be in the Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids.

WENDELL SHEER is survived by:

His wife – Janet Sheer, of Texas.

His children – Rachel Franics, of Millville, PA, and David Sheer, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

His brothers – John Sheer, of Bayard, and Wayne Sheer, of Davenport.

and 4 grandchildren.

Carroll man in jail for alleged home invasion now linked to another gun-related incident

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A Carroll man who was arrested during a home invasion in Storm Lake on Sunday morning has now been linked to another incident in June. The Storm Lake Police Department reports they were notified by a clerk at a local convenience store that on June 4, at around 3:50 a.m., a vehicle approached the drive-up window and an occupant in the back seat brandished a handgun. Video camera footage and interviews led authorities to believe the vehicle and its occupants were from the Carroll area. Eighteen-year-old Boumkouth Lol was identified as a person of interest. During the Sunday, July 21 incident, Lol, 21-year-old Rebecca Yalle and a 15-year-old female committed a home invasion, attacking the occupants inside. Lol and a male resident ended up fighting in the apartment complex hallway, eventually crashed through a neighboring door.

During the incident, Lol was found to have been armed with a 9mm handgun, and additional information received following his arrest has led authorities to believe this was the same one used in June. Lol remains in custody at the Buena Vista County jail. In addition to felony assault and burglary, Lol is charged with carrying weapons and assault while displaying a weapon.

Tax preparer gets year and a day in prison for false returns

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A tax preparer has been sentenced to a year and day in prison for preparing fraudulent returns. Prosecutors say 49-year-old Serge Cibuyi was sentenced Tuesday in Cedar Rapids. He’d pleaded guilty to one count of preparing and filing a false tax return.

In his plea agreement Cibuyi admits that, while living in Cedar Rapids, he prepared fraudulent returns by claiming false deductions and credits or by inflating legitimate deductions and credits. Cibuyi paid people to let him use their dependents on other taxpayers’ returns to boost refunds.

Prosecutors say he prepared and filed at least 36 false tax returns with a tax loss to the United States in excess of $100,000.

Trailer and ATV reported stolen in Union County

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a trailer and an ATV have been reported stolen from area properties. A man from Shannon City reported Tuesday, that sometime since July 20th, someone took a lowboy trailer from a farm field. The trailer, with an estimated value of $1,500, was painted white and has one chrome wheel. And, a man from Creston reported Tuesday, that sometime between 4:30-p.m. and 8-p.m. Tuesday, someone entered his property and took a 2011 Polaris Sportsman ATV with an estimated value of $4,000. The camouflage color ATV has a broke thumb throttle. If you see either of those items, contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

LINDA BROWNLEE, 74, of Adair (Memorial Svcs. 7/27/19)

Obituaries

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

LINDA BROWNLEE, 74, of Adair, died May 22nd, at home. Memorial Services for LINDA BROWNLEE will be held 2:30-p.m. Saturday, July 27th, at the First Presbyterian Church in Adair. Hockenberry Funeral Home has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family, along with a luncheon will be held at the Adair Fire Hall, following the Memorial Service.

A Private family burial will be held in the Sunnyhill Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the family for designation to Linda’s favorite charities.

LINDA BROWNLEE is survived by:

Her husband – Harold Brownlee, of Adair.

Her Step-daughters: Helene (Mark) Modlich, and Jeanna Brownlee.

Nebraska Medicine Working with CCHS to Provide Endocrinology Telehealth Service

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTIC- Beginning in August, patients at Cass County Health System (CCHS) can attend telehealth appointments with Dr. Laura Graeff-Armas through the CCHS Diabetes Center. Dr. Armas is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dr. Laura Graeff-Armas

For Nebraska Medicine, the primary goal is to ensure that patients have access to specialty endocrine services regardless of their location. Through telehealth appointments, the need for long travel is eliminated by virtually connecting the provider and the patient. The Diabetes Center Director, Aubrey Molgaard, RN, CDE, CHC, will participate in the appointment as well.

Molgaard says “This is a major success for our patients. Dr. Armas is an exceptional physician, and the care that she can provide to our patients is really exciting.” Dr. Armas will provide care for patients managing conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and osteoporosis or metabolic bone disease. She graduated from Creighton School of Medicine in 2001. She completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Creighton University in 2004 and was a Resident Faculty at the Osteoporosis Research Center in 2004-2005. She subsequently completed an Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellowship at Creighton University in 2007.

Dr. Graeff-Armas is board certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She has been a faculty member for the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center since 2015. She is a member of many professional organizations and is published in peer-reviewed journals.

Appointments with Dr. Armas can be made by calling 712-250-8830.

Iowans urged to quiz presidential hopefuls about water quality

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A coalition of environmental groups is calling on presidential candidates to prioritize drinking water in their policy plans. From lead pipes in schools to nitrates in rural areas, the director of Healing Our Water-Great Lakes Coalition, says people in Iowa and nationwide are struggling to access safe and affordable drinking water. Laura Rubin says water should be top of mind for presidential hopefuls and she urges Iowans to speak out and question the candidates when they’re in town. Rubin says, “There is not a single issue in this election that is more important than the fact that in 2019, in the United States of America, there are millions of people who do not have access to clean, safe and affordable water for themselves, their families and their children.”

For presidential candidates, Rubin says drinking water should come before every other issue. “While much of the presidential conversations focus on job creation and healthcare, which are vital issues, the fact is, that for the families who don’t have access to clean drinking water, all else is secondary,” Rubin says.

A recent poll of early voting states by C-B-S News and YouGov shows healthcare and climate change are top of mind for voters. Some political scientists are skeptical that concerns over drinking water could compete with those issues.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

Briar Cliff University gets court injunction against school’s ex-president

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Briar Cliff University in Sioux City has been granted a temporary injunction against its former president. The university asked for the injunction against Dr. Hamid Shirvani, to prevent him from disclosing confidential information about Briar Cliff in a potential lawsuit against the institution. Shirvani threatened to sue the university in May. In asking for the injunction, current president Rachelle Karstens stated that Briar Cliff has genuine concerns that its former president may immediately disclose B-C-U’s confidential information as a result of his threatened lawsuit and demand against BCU. Shirvani was hired as president in 2016, but left the school under a separation agreement in 2017 because of what he called family, personal and professional considerations.

A statement released by Briar Cliff indicated university officials are seeking to protect “proprietary” as well as confidential information. The statement went on to say “the well-being of the university’s students, faculty and staff is paramount” in the decision to pursue legal action against the former president

Info. about Audubon Community Visioning Program will be available Aug. 3rd

News

July 24th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The City of Audubon is participating in a 2019 Community Visioning program. Officials say the goal of the program, is to develop a landscape plan that will graphically illustrate the vision for Audubon. You are invited to see the new ideas created this summer. Plan on attending an informational program August 3rd, from 9-a.m. to 1-p.m. It will be held outside the library Cultural Center, during T-Bone Days. This is your opportunity to discuss the proposed projects with local committee members, the design team, and Trees Forever staff.

If you have any questions, please call Sara Slater at 712-563-2742.