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Groups sues to block Iowa abortion measure set to be enacted

News

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are suing to block a measure set to be signed into Iowa law this week that would impose a three-day waiting period on women seeking abortions.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court seeks an emergency injunction to block the waiting period that would go into effect immediately upon being signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. Branstad says he’ll sign it Friday morning.

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood said Wednesday in a joint news release that the measure will interrupt already-scheduled abortion appointments and that some of those women could be near the point in which they can longer induce abortion through medication. The lawsuit says that would force them to have a surgical abortion or carry the pregnancy to term.

MICHELLE MARIE (WHITE) MOORE, 55, of Gallup, NM (formerly of the Griswold area) – Svcs. 5/27/17

Obituaries

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

MICHELLE MARIE (WHITE) MOORE, 55, of Gallup, NM (formerly of the Griswold area), died April 17th, 2017 at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. A Celebration of Life Service for MICHELLE MOORE will be on Saturday, May 27th, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Griswold beginning at 1-p.m., followed by visitation until 3-p.m.  Rieken-Vieth Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

MICHELLE MARIE (WHITE) MOORE is survived by:

Mother: Janice White, of Griswold.

Her husband – Patrick Moore, and children: Emily Moore, Colin Moore and Brendan Moore, all of Gallup, NM.

Her sister – Laura (Clay) Clement of Hancock, IA

A special friend of the family Megan Ebke, of Griswold, as well as many other relatives and friends.

GERALD KAY, 98, of Atlantic (Svcs. 05/08/2017)

Obituaries

May 3rd, 2017 by admin

GERALD KAY, 98, of Atlantic died Wednesday, May 3rd at his home. Funeral services for GERALD KAY will be held Monday, May 8th at 10:30am at First United Presbyterian Church in Atlantic. Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation with family will be held Sunday, May 7th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Funeral Home.

Family burial will be prior to funeral services at the Atlantic Cemetery.

Online condolences may be left at www.RolandFuneralService.com

GERALD KAY is survived by:

Wife: Muriel Kay of Atlantic.

Children: Stuart (Phyllis) Kay of Atlantic. Fred (Jane) Kay of Atlantic. Howard (Sandy) Kay of Castle Rock, CO.

Brother: Henry (Special Friend Erma Lange) Kay of Atlantic

7 Grandchildren

8 Great-Grandchildren

Cardinals and Brewers postponed Wednesday; Thursday game moved from day to night

Sports

May 3rd, 2017 by Jim Field

ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 3, 2017 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced that their game against the Milwaukee Brewers scheduled for 7:15 p.m. tonight has been postponed due to weather.  A make-up date will be announced at a later time.

Fans holding tickets to today’s game should use those same tickets for admittance to the rescheduled make-up game.  Fans holding tickets to today’s Official Pre-Game Party at Cardinals Nation will be able to use those same tickets on the date of the make-up game as well.

Additionally, tomorrow’s game (Thursday, May 4) versus the Brewers, originally scheduled for 12:45 p.m., has been pushed back to a 6:15 p.m. start time due to weather.  Gates will open at 4:45 p.m.  The start of tomorrow’s Official Pre-Game Party at Cardinals Nation has been pushed back to 3:45 p.m.

University of Iowa discrimination case goes to jury

Sports

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Jury deliberations have begun to decide a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former top athletics administrator against the University of Iowa.

Attorneys gave closing statements Wednesday in the lawsuit filed by Jane Meyer, a Hawkeyes administrator for over a decade. She filed the suit after being transferred to another department after the firing of Iowa field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, her partner. Meyer’s job was eliminated in 2016.

Meyer alleges she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with a coach, that the school retaliated against her and that she was paid less than a male counterpart for similar work.

The eight-person jury, made up of five women and three men, heard 13 days of testimony that included football coach Kirk Ferentz and wrestling coach Tom Brands.

EVELYN MABEL MORTENSEN, 101, of Atlantic (Svcs. 5/5/17)

Obituaries

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

EVELYN MABEL MORTENSEN, 101, of Atlantic, died Tue., May 2nd, at Atlantic Specialty Care. Funeral services for EVELYN MORTENSEN will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, May 5th, at the Hockenberry Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Visitation with the family is from 5-until 7-p.m. Thursday, May 4th, at the funeral home.

Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

EVELYN MORTENSEN is survived by:

Her husband – Charles C. Mortensen, of Atlantic.

Her daughter – Linda (Steven) Havens, of Wiota.

Her sons – David (Pamela) Mortensen, of Marana, AZ; Patrick (Wendy) Mortensen, of Des Moines (IA), and Michael (Karen) Mortensen, of League City, TX.

8 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Names of 4 fallen officers to be added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial

News

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The names of four officers killed in the line of duty will be added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial in Des Moines, Friday morning. Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will be on hand for the ceremony near the Oran Pape State Office Building (215 E. 7th Street), in Des Moines. The ceremony begins at 10-a.m., and the public is invited to attend.

Among the names being honored is:

  • Special Agent Thomas P. Griffin with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, who, along with another detective, were checking an area of railroad tracks in Des Moines where frequent thefts had taken place as trains staged out of the switching yards. Agent Griffen saw two men stealing items from a boxcar and ordered them to halt. Both men fired at him with a .32 caliber handgun. They were later arrested and convicted of murder before being sentenced to life in prison for the crime, which happened Nov. 15th, 1923.
  • Sgt. Shawn Glenn Miller – West Des Moines Police Department. Sgt. Miller was on-duty returning home from testifying in an ongoing case at the Dallas County Courthouse on Aug. 3rd, 2016, when a vehicle turned in front of Miller’s motorcycle. He died at the scene of the subsequent collision.
  • Officer Justin Scott Martin -Urbandale Police Department. Officer Martin was gunned down as he sat in his Police Cruiser on Nov. 2nd, 2016. He was struck several times and died instantly.
  • Sgt. Anthony “Tony” David Beminio – Des Moines Police Department. Sgt. Beminio was the second victim of the same lone gunman who also claimed the life of Officer Martin.  He was ambushed and struck several times while in his fully marked Police vehicle, and later died at the hospital.

If you are unable to attend the ceremony, the Iowa Department of Public Safety asks that you take time, especially during National Police Week, May 15-21, to thank current peace officers for protecting and serving your community.

Cardinals statement on fan struck by stray bullet

Sports

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 3, 2017 – The St. Louis Cardinals issued the following statement this (Wednesday), morning regarding the fan injured at the game last (Tuesday) night.

Officials said “We are aware of an incident last night in which a fan reported being struck by a stray bullet that presumably originated from outside of the stadium. The fan was treated for an abrasion and a bruise on her arm at First Aid and released.  She was interviewed by police who are investigating the matter.”

Club officials said also, ‘There is nothing more important than the safety of our fans, and the Cardinals are grateful that no one was seriously injured.  We will be sharing more information with the media as further details emerge.”

Cass County Sheriff’s Office warns of IRS phone scam w/a twist

News

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to reacquaint themselves with an old scam with a twist that’s been going around. Authorities say a victim of the recent scam received a voice mail from someone identifying themselves as an IRS worker and stating the victim owed back taxes and needed to get it resolved. Because the victim knew it was a scam, he didn’t return the calls.

Subsequently, the victim received a call that showed on the caller ID as “County Sheriff’s Office”, which he answered. The individual on the other end of the line claimed to be with the county sheriff’s office and that the sheriff’s office had been made aware that the victim had received calls from the IRS and needed to return those calls and get the situation taken care of.

The victim returned the call to the persons claiming to be with the IRS, who told him he was delinquent on his taxes and for security reasons they didn’t want his bank account info and instead wanted prepaid debit cards. Unfortunately, the victim fell prey to this scam and lost $1,900.

Officials want you to know, that Sheriff’s Offices are not linked to the IRS in any way and will never be contacted by the IRS to make contact with individuals by the IRS’s request. It is quite easy for scammers to make their contact numbers appear to be coming from somewhere or someone else on caller ID. Protect yourselves and your loved ones and share the information.

Lewis resident arrested on an Assault charge

News

May 3rd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County, Monday, arrested a man on an assault charge. Officials said today (Wednesday), 39-year old Richard Lee Wegenke, of Lewis, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Wegenke was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $300 cash bond.