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Iowa early News Headlines: Wednesday, Feb. 1st 2017

News

February 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has approved a bill that would pass up federal dollars in order to remove state funding Planned Parenthood, and the measure is expected to advance in the new GOP-controlled Legislature. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-5 Tuesday afternoon in support of the legislation, and it now heads to Senate for a full floor vote.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man is admitting he lied during the investigation of the 1985 killing of his estranged wife’s lover, as part of a plea agreement that drops a murder charge. Anthony Burtch entered a guilty plea to obstructing prosecution, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors will dismiss a first-degree murder charge the death of 22-year-old Lance DeWoody, who was found shot to death on the University of Iowa’s Oakdale campus in 1985. The agreement will give Burtch credit for six months of time served.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University says a postdoctoral researcher from Iran has returned to campus after he was temporarily blocked following President Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions. The university says a visiting scholar from Iran who was expected to start this week has decided not to come to Ames. Meanwhile, a graduate student from Iran who was turned away at an airport in Stockholm on Saturday was again rejected from a flight at a different airport.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Police in Keokuk say they have arrested a man after finding a person dead in a house near Keokuk’s riverside. Police say officers were called around 9:45 a.m. Monday to the house regarding a death. Inside, officers found a body and determined the death was suspicious. Later in the afternoon, police arrested 23-year-old Devan Joseph Williams, of Keokuk, and charged him with first-degree murder. The victim’s name has not been released.

Former Cards exec said to accuse Astros in hacking case

Sports

February 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

NEW YORK (AP) — A statement on a Twitter account attributed to a former Cardinals scouting executive convicted of hacking into the Astros’ computer system said Houston had earlier “unauthorized access” into the St. Louis computer system.

Christopher Correa, the Cardinals former director of baseball development, is serving a 46-month prison sentence after pleading guilty last year to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. He was banned from baseball for life on Monday by Commissioner Rob Manfred, who ordered St. Louis to give Houston $2 million and its top two picks in this year’s amateur draft.

Federal prosecutors said Correa had access to the Astros’ system from January 2012 until June 2014 and entered the team’s Ground Control database of confidential scouting reports, statistics and contract information 48 times. The statement making the new allegations was released Tuesday on a Twitter account attributed to Correa.

Bohannon scores 17 as Jok-less Iowa crushes Rutgers

Sports

February 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Jordan Bohannon scored 17 points and Iowa took command early and posted its first road win of the season with an 83-63 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night. The win was the second straight for the Hawkeyes (13-10, 5-5 Big Ten) with conference-leading scorer Peter Jok sidelined with a back injury.

This one was a laugher for Iowa, which had lost its first five games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It opened a double-digit lead in the opening five minutes and never looked back, leading by as many as 28 points.

Cordell Pemsl added 15 points for the Hawkeyes, who shot 50 percent from the field and a season-high 61 percent from 3-point range (11 of 18). Bohannon hit five of his seven long-range attempts.

Deshawn Freeman scored 17 points and Mike Williams added 16 for Rutgers (12-11, 1-9), which has lost three in a row and 10 of 11. Corey Sanders was limited to eight points.

No. 7 West Virginia overwhelms Iowa State 85-72 on the road

Sports

February 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Nathan Adrian scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 7 West Virginia overwhelmed Iowa State 85-72 on Tuesday night for its third straight win. Tarik Phillip had 15 points for the Mountaineers (18-4, 6-3 Big 12), who hit 10 3s and forced 16 turnovers in winning their third road game in league play.

West Virginia’s pressure defense got the typically sure-handed Cyclones out of rhythm in the second half. A late 9-0 run capped by a layup by Jevon Carter put the Mountaineers up 70-55 with 5:36 left, sending some Iowa State fans to a rare early exit.

Matt Thomas scored 19 points for Iowa State (13-8, 5-4), which lost at home to a top 10 team for the second time in 15 days. The Cyclones lost to Kansas by four points on Jan. 16.

Atlantic picks up big win over Harlan

Sports

January 31st, 2017 by admin

The Atlantic boys basketball team picked up an emphatic home win over Harlan on Tuesday night 72-49. The Trojans used a concentrated effort to get to the basketball to start their offense and shot the ball well all night.  Grant Podhajsky talked about the great start to the game.

It was a five point game after a back and forth first quarter but the Trojans took control in the second quarter to lead 41-21 at half. Atlantic Head Coach Alan Jenkins thought his team executed the game plan well.

Garrett Franken led the Trojans with 23 points. Scott Leonard dropped in 13 points and both Chase Mullenix and Grant Podhajsky had 10. Atlantic improves to 12-4 and will travel to face Kuemper Catholic on Thursday night, a game we’ll have coverage of on KJAN.

The Trojan defense was also a big factor as they held the Cyclones 16 points under their average. The Trojans also did a better job of slowing down the penetration of Caleb Rasmussen and held him to just 5 points on the night.  Harlan was led by 8 points each from Alec Plagman, Shane Chamberlain and Deren Schmitz.

The Cyclones fall to 9-7 on the season and will next travel to Glenwood on Friday night.

GOP lawmakers OK bill to defund Planned Parenthood in Iowa

News

January 31st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has approved a bill that would pass up federal dollars in order to remove state funding for Planned Parenthood. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-5 Tuesday in support of the legislation, and it now heads to the Senate for a full floor vote. The bill has strong support in the Republican-majority Senate and House.

The bill proposes Iowa give up millions in federal Medicaid money in order to fund its own state-run program that distributes funding for family planning services. The bill excludes money for organizations that provide abortions, though no family planning dollars are now spent on abortions.

Republicans say the bill would redistribute money to rural health clinics that offer family planning services. Democrats contend it would hurt access to quality health care.

Fire chief: Dog saves Clarinda family from house fire

News

January 31st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

CLARINDA, Iowa (AP) — A dog is being credited with saved a Clarinda family from a house fire. Clarinda Fire Chief Roger Williams tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil that firefighters were called just before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to the home in southwest Iowa.

Williams says the family dog awoke a 17-year-old girl, who was then able to get her mother and a man out of the house. Williams says there were no smoke alarms in the rented house. The teen was treated at a health center for smoke inhalation. No one else was injured.

Williams says the fire started in a living room couch, but the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

1 of 3 Iowa State scholars blocked by travel ban is back

News

January 31st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University says a postdoctoral researcher from Iran has returned to campus after he was temporarily blocked following President Donald Trump’s new restrictions on immigration. The university said Tuesday that a visiting scholar from Iran who was expected to start this week has decided not to come to Ames at this time.

Meanwhile, a graduate student from Iran who was turned away at an airport in Stockholm on Saturday was again rejected from a flight at a different airport. The student is now consulting with immigration attorneys to determine whether he should make further attempts to get to the U.S.

The university says it hasn’t received any more reports of students or employees impacted by Trump’s temporary ban on immigration from seven countries.

Council Bluffs Interstate System’s Annual Report released Tuesday

News

January 31st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program today (Tuesday) released its 2016 Annual Report highlighting progress made on construction and design projects over the last year, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office.

Iowa DOT District 4 Engineer Scott Schram said “The program was very busy over the last year completing the railroad relocation project and building structures for the east system interchange. The annual report provides a high-level overview of all of the work and design engineering that occurred in 2016 to provide the public with a summary of how Iowa DOT is working to deliver this important highway improvement project.”

To view the annual report featuring information about completed and active projects, public outreach, program status, statistics for work completed in 2016, and 2017 key projects, visit http://councilbluffsinterstate.iowadot.gov/2016annualreport/. To request a hard copy of the report, or for general information regarding the program, contact the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program office by phone at 712-216-3339 or email info@CouncilBluffsInterstate.com.

The Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing interstates 29, 80, and 480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect.

Irwin woman arrested in Audubon

News

January 31st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Audubon Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 20-year old Kira Spring Eng, of Irwin, on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. Eng was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held pending an appearance before a magistrate.

And on Saturday, 27 year old Carl Joseph Musser, of Hamlin, was arrested in Audubon for Driving Under Suspension.  Musser was transported to the Audubon County Jail and later released on promise to appear in court.