United Group Insurance

(Update) Police identify 3 killed in head-on crash at Cedar Falls

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Iowa have released the names of three people from Waterloo killed in a crash that also seriously injured three others. Police say 20-year-old Elijah James Showalter, 21-year-old Daniel James Delagardelle and 16-year-old Brady Hagenstein died in the Friday evening in Cedar Falls.

Police say the three were traveling in a speeding westbound car on Viking Road that crossed the center line and hit an eastbound SUV head-on. Three people in the SUV — a Cedar Falls husband and wife and their 9-year-old daughter — were hospitalized with what officials say are non-life-threatening injuries.

Keys has 34, Purdue women upset No. 18 Iowa 76-70

Sports

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Andreona Keys scored 22 of her career-high 34 points in the second half and Purdue knocked off its second straight ranked opponent, beating No. 18 Iowa 76-70, Saturday.

Dominique Oden added 16 points and Karissa McLaughlin 15, 12 in the second half, for the Boilermakers (12-7, 3-2 Big Ten), who beat No. 21 Rutgers on Thursday. Oden, McLaughlin and Keys combined for all 25 Purdue points in the third quarter on 10-of-15 shooting, 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and the Boilermakers took a 57-49 lead into the fourth.

Then Megan Gustafson rallied Iowa (15-3, 3-2). She scored 11 of the Hawkeyes’ first 14 points. Alexis Sevillian made it a 1-point game with a 3-pointer at the 7:20 mark and Chase Coley made it 67-65 with a jumper at 2:36. Iowa then had two misses and a turnover on its next possession before Keys made a layup with 1:14 to go. After another Hawkeyes miss, fouls took over and the Boilermakers made 7 of 8 free throws for their first win at Iowa City since 2008.

Gustafson finished with a career-high 37 points plus 14 rebounds for her nation-leading 17th double-double of the season.

Wigginton’s 30 points propel Cyclones past Baylor 75-65

Sports

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Freshman Lindell Wigginton scored a career-high 30 points and Iowa State beat Baylor 75-65 on Saturday to snap a four-game losing skid. Nick Weiler-Babb added 15 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Cyclones (10-6, 1-4 Big 12), who picked up their first league win while beating the Bears (11-6, 1-4) for the 14th time in 16 tries at home. Wigginton buried a 3 and fellow freshman Cameron Lard hit a layup with 4:26 left to put Iowa State ahead 64-58 and force a Baylor timeout. Lard then rescued a Cyclones possession by pushing a loose ball to the perimeter, and Wigginton responded with a 3 that made it 69-62 with 1:36 to go. Weiler-Babb then drained the shot clock and hit a mid-range jumper to push Iowa State’s lead to 71-65 with 51 seconds to go.

Lard scored 11 points with nine rebounds and five blocks for the Cyclones, who survived a 1 of 12 shooting stretch midway through the second half. Freshman Tristan Clark had 16 points and 15 rebounds for Baylor (11-6, 1-4), which lost despite grabbing 19 offensive rebounds Wigginton and Lard are the future of Iowa State basketball, so seeing those two lead the way at times was an encouraging sign for a program in the middle of a rebuild. Wigginton took over Iowa State’s offense with guard Donovan Jackson (3 points on 1 of 10 shooting) struggling to hit anything. Sophomore Solomon Young added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Iowa State plays at TCU on Wednesday.

Accident in Creston Sat. afternoon: No injuries

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Police in Creston say no injuries were reported following an accident early Saturday afternoon at the intersection of S. Peterson and W. Jefferson Streets. Authorities say a 1987 Ford Taurus driven by 88-year old Marjary Maxine Lowe, of Creston, was southbound on S. Peterson and had stopped at the intersection before proceeding to continue south, when the car hit a 2008 Kia Optima, driven by 19-year old Carson Joe Wheat, of Orient. Wheat was traveling east on W. Jefferson, when his vehicle was struck on the driver’s side door.

Officials say the accident happened at around Noon, Saturday. A parked vehicle on Jefferson near the intersection blocked Lowe’s view, which contributed to the crash. No citations were issued. Damage to the vehicles amounted to $2,600.

MICHAEL ATKINSON, 78,of Anita & formerly of Atlantic (Mem. Svcs. 1/19/18)

Obituaries

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

MICHAEL ATKINSON, 78,of Anita (& formerly of Atlantic), died Saturday, Jan. 13th, at Caring Acres, in Anita. Memorial services for MICHAEL ATKINSON will be held 2-p.m. Friday, Jan. 19th, at the Roland Funeral Home, in Atlantic.

Online condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

MICHAEL ATKINSON is survived by:

His daughter – Christine Hinson, of Omaha.

5 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Sioux City bridge repair project may be delayed until 2019

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say there may be a delay in starting repair work on a bridge that spans the Big Sioux River, connecting Sioux City to North Sioux City, South Dakota.

The Sioux City Journal reports the anticipated five-month closure of the Military Road bridge may not happen until 2019. The city had originally slotted the work to begin this year but says a languishing permit process through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could push back the start date.

Sioux City submitted a required permit application to the Corps in February. Civil engineer Brittany Anderson says the Corps ran into funding issues that hampered its ability to approve and review the permits, leaving the city’s permit application backlogged among several other project permits.

Police: 3 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash at Cedar Falls

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Iowa say three people have died and three others have been injured in the head-on crash of a sport utility vehicle and a car. Police say the crash happened Friday evening in Cedar Falls.

Cedar Falls police say in a news release that the westbound car on Viking Road was speeding when it crossed the center line and hit the eastbound SUV. Police say three people in the car were ejected and were killed. Three people in the SUV were hospitalized with what officials believe are non-life-threatening injuries.

The names of those involved had not been released by midday Saturday.

Toddler found unresponsive in Council Bluffs fire dies

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 2-year-old girl found unresponsive along with her mother in a Council Bluffs apartment fire has died. The Omaha World-Herald reports that A’Nyia Patton died Friday night at Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was taken after being found by firefighters in the burning apartment Wednesday morning. An autopsy has been ordered.

The girl’s mother, 37-year-old Michelle Patton, remained in critical condition at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Firefighters were sent to the blaze 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Within minutes, they had the fire under control and found the mother and child in a bedroom. At the time, neither had a pulse and CPR was started to revive them.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Des Moines parking meters now to charge nights, weekends

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Those parking at some downtown Des Moines meters will soon have to pay for extended hours. The Des Moines Register reports that parking meters in downtown Des Moines’ Court Avenue entertainment district will begin charging on nights and Saturdays starting Wednesday. With the change, meters will charge for parking from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Currently, the meters stop charging at 6 p.m. on weekdays. There is no charge for weekend parking. Free on-street parking on Sundays will remain.

The change is part of the city’s Park Downtown Des Moines program intended to move long-term parkers into parking garages. As part of the program, Des Moines will lower the hourly rate it charges at city-owned parking garages by $1.

Iowa woman sentenced for false invoices overcharging state

News

January 13th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An officer for a contractor who admitted falsifying and submitting invoices that resulted in nearly $808,000 in overcharges to the Iowa Transportation Department has been sentenced to supervised release. Federal prosecutors say 31-year-old Jenna Wilson, of Sergeant Bluff, was sentence Friday in Sioux City’s federal courthouse. In addition to two years’ supervised release, she was ordered to pay a nearly $34,500 fine.

Court records say Wilson raised the per-unit price on expanded polystyrene fill used in the 2016 reconstruction of the Interstate 29 interchange at Salix. The polystyrene fill was properly invoiced by its original supplier. Wilson pleaded guilty in August to making false statements.