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Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, Jan. 27th 2017

News

January 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say the body of a 15-year-old Denison girl missing for a week has been pulled from the Boyer River. Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler tells Omaha, Nebraska, television station KETV that searchers found the body of Yoana Acosta around 3:45 p.m. Thursday in the western Iowa tributary. The teen disappeared Jan. 19 after a car she was riding in crashed into the river.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Workers were expected to complete cleaning some 140,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spewed from a broken pipeline onto an Iowa farm, the largest U.S. diesel spill since 2010. Vacuum trucks were sucking up the fuel that spilled onto an acre of grass and tilled farmland when the pipeline broke. The spill was discovered Wednesday morning.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University is detailing the trips in which a university airplane flew President Steven Leath to and from Minnesota so that he could attend personal medical appointments. Leath announced last month he was reimbursing the university $3,800 for costs of flying to doctors’ visits at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, a three-hour drive from Ames. The school says the reimbursement covered flights in October 2015 and March 2016.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have approved a bill that would resolve an immediate shortfall in Iowa’s $7.2 billion state budget. Lawmakers in the GOP-led chamber voted along party lines Thursday for the legislation, which has cuts totaling about $117 million. The reductions require some Iowa departments to cut about $88 million for the budget year that began last July, leading to less spending on corrections, higher education and public safety.

Atlantic picks up quality win over Elmwood-Murdock

Sports

January 26th, 2017 by admin

The Atlantic Trojans boys basketball team picked up a quality win on Thursday night over Nebraska Class C2 second ranked Elmwood-Murdock 63-56. The Trojans used intense defense to change the game in the third quarter. The Trojans trailed by two at half but outscored the Knights by 10 in the third quarter to build a lead they would hang on to down the stretch.

Atlantic switched to a trapping 1-3-1 zone defense in the third quarter and that sparked a big run for the Trojans.

That’s Atlantic Head Coach Alan Jenkins who really praised the hard work by his team on the defensive end of the floor to change the pace of the game and force turnovers from the Knights.

Austin Alexander led the team with 19 points on the night.  Alexander said it was a good test to play a team they were unfamiliar with.

Garrett Franken finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds on the night. Franken talked about the halftime adjustments that made the difference.

The Trojans were also strong from the free throw line making 17-22 including 12 makes in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Atlantic improves to 10-4 overall on the season and will be right back at it on Friday night at home against Red Oak.

Elmwood-Murdock was led by 16 points from Zach Rust as the Knights suffered only their second loss of the season.

Iowa woman pleads not guilty in Omaha cold case killing

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An Iowa woman charged with first-degree murder for what police say was the killing of a romantic rival has pleaded not guilty. A judge on Thursday also granted 41-year-old Shanna Golyar’s request for a bench trial, set to begin May 10.

Golyar, of Persia, Iowa, is charged in the 2012 disappearance-turned-homicide case of 37-year-old Cari Farver. Golyar was arrested in December of 2016 in connection to Farver’s disappearance, who was last seen in Omaha.

Police say Golyar posed as Farver online and by phone for years after Farver’s disappearance, and also posed as other people confessing to having murdered Farver. A sergeant testified Farver had been dating Golyar’s ex-boyfriend for some weeks when she disappeared.

Farver is presumed dead, although her body has not been found.

Arrest made in Thursday afternoon Bluffs bank robbery

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs responding Thursday afternoon to a reported bank robbery have arrested a suspect in connection with the incident. Authorities say officers were called to the U-P Connections Bank at 204 S. 35th Street in Council Bluffs, at around 1-p.m. While en route, officers were informed that the suspect, a black male got into a white Chevy Trailblazer with Nebraska plates. Officers were given the Nebraska plate number and were told the vehicle pulled into the Bucky’s Express, located at 3501 West Broadway.

36-year old Hubert Theodore Carter III, of Council Bluffs

After they arrived in the area of the Bucky’s Express, officers were able to locate and apprehend the lone suspect, 36-year old Hubert Theodore Carter III, of Council Bluffs, who was at the business’ carwash.  Carter was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Criminal Investigation Division for questioning.

Officers spoke with the bank teller and were informed that Carter had allegedly approached the counter, handed the teller a bank bag and a note. The note made reference to Carter being armed with a gun and to fill up the bank bag. No weapon was displayed. After the teller filled the bag with an undetermined amount of currency, Carter allegedly grabbed the bag and fled the building.

He was positively identified with the assistance of the bank surveillance system. No one involved in the incident were harmed. The bank bag and currency were located in Carter’s vehicle. The man was later transported to County Corrections and booked on charges of Robbery in the 3rd- and Theft in the 1st- Degrees.

Body of teen missing for week pulled from western Iowa river

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say the body of a 15-year-old Denison girl missing for a week has been pulled from the Boyer River. Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler tells Omaha, Nebraska, television station KETV that searchers found the body of Yoana Acosta around 3:45 p.m. Thursday in the western Iowa tributary.

The teen disappeared Jan. 19 after a car she was riding in crashed into the river. A 25-year-old man driving the car and three other teens managed to escape. The driver, Ramon Hernandez, of Denison, is in the Crawford County jail on charges of drug distribution to minors, marijuana possession, reckless driving, driving under suspension and failure to maintain control.

(Update) Anita woman injured in Thursday crash

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

(In an update to our Noon report) — The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Anita was injured during a rollover accident late this (Thursday) morning northeast of Massena. The accident happened at around 11:55-a.m., as a 1998 Isuzu Trooper driven by 55-year old Tami Kae Myers, of Anita, was traveling westbound on Newport Road.

Just east of 765th Street, the vehicle hit a slick spot on the road, struck a ditch and rolling onto its top. Myers was transported to CCMH via Medivac. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $7,500. The accident remains under investigation.

Officials seek poacher who killed eagle; took head, talons

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa conservation officers say they’re looking for a poacher who shot a bald eagle and removed its head and talons. The Des Moines Register reports that a hiker discovered the bird’s carcass Wednesday in Yellow Banks County Park near the Des Moines River. Bald eagles are a protected species under state and federal law.

A news release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state of decomposition of the carcass has made it difficult to estimate when the eagle died.

State Conservation Officer Nate Anderson says anyone with tips or knowledge of the killing can use the Turn in Poachers website at www.iowadnr.gov/tip or by calling the hotline at 1-800-532-2020. Information may be left anonymously.

Nebraska woman must pay back former Iowa employer

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A judge says a Nebraska woman must pay back $260,000 she took from her former employer in Iowa. The Daily Nonpareil  reports that Beth Beutler, of Waterloo, Nebraska, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges of theft and ongoing criminal activity. Several other counts were dropped in exchange for her pleas. She was given a suspended prison sentence of 25 years, a jail sentence of 60 days and five years of probation.

Police say Beutler used a checking machine to withdraw thousands of dollars. The machine lets truck drivers access funds from across the country by giving clerks at truck stops an authorization code to pay for fuel, services or get cash. Police say Beutler got the authorization codes while working at McMullen Brothers Trucking in Carter Lake.

TODD RANDALL KAY, 57, of Council Bluffs (later date)

Obituaries

January 26th, 2017 by Jim Field

TODD RANDALL KAY, 57, of Council Bluffs died Monday, January 23rd at Creighton University Medical Center.  Graveside services for TODD RANDALL KAY will be held at a later date in the Harlan Cemetery.  Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

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TODD RANDALL KAY is survived by:

Mother:  Jusy (Leslie) Knight of El Dorado Springs, MO.

Father:  Leonard (Celine) Kay of Council Bluffs.

Son:  Russell Kay of Omaha.

Daughter:  Melyssa Kay of Omaha.

Accident in Cass County late Thursday morning

News

January 26th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Cumberland and Massena Fire and Rescue along with Medivac Ambulance were called just before Noon today, to a single vehicle accident just east of 765th and Newport Road. A female in the vehicle was reportedly suffering from a head injury at the scene. No other details were immediately available.