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Red Oak Police investigate vehicular hit-and-run

News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak are looking for any tips that may lead them to the driver of a vehicle that struck a parked SUV early Wednesday afternoon.The owner of a 2006 Dodge Durango reported to authorities an unknown vehicle hit the SUV, which was parked in the 2000 block of Sunnyslope Drive, in Red Oak. Markings on the SUV indicated the vehicle responsible was green and would have been traveling southbound on Sunnyslope Drive, sometime between 12:30-and 1-p.m., Wednesday.

Damage to the Durango was estimated at $500.

THURSDAY, MAY 5th

Trading Post

May 5th, 2016 by Jim Field

FOR SALE:  I have an older style wheel chair for sale, good condition, asking $35.00.  Call 865 963 7499.

4 fallen Iowa officers to be honored Friday

News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Four fallen Iowa officers, including two who were killed in a head-on crash in March, will be added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial. The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced a ceremony will be held 10 a.m. Friday at the Oran Pape State Office Building in Des Moines to honor the officers who dedicated their lives to protecting Iowa communities.

The ceremony will recognize Des Moines Officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales, who were killed in a March 26 crash while transporting a prisoner from Council Bluffs to Des Moines. Ames Police Sgt. Howard Snider, who died in 2012, and Iowa Parole Board Field Agent Albert Paul, who died in 1938, will also be added to the memorial. Gov. Terry Branstad and other state leaders are expected to attend.

On Wednesday, the Governor ordered all flags at the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m., Friday, in observance of the Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony. Flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16th to 20th, as well, in honor of National Peace Officer Week.

The governor’s directive applies to all U-S and state flags on the State Capitol Building and displays on the Capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time, as a sign of respect.

Iowa pastor gets 25 years for sex abuse of 5-year-old girl

News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) – A southwest Iowa pastor has been given 25 years in prison for sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl. Roger Kissel was sentenced Wednesday in Sidney. In March a Fremont County jury convicted the 68-year-old of sex abuse and two counts of lascivious acts with a child.

When he was arrested, Kissel was a pastor at the nondenominational Sidney Cowboy Church. Police have said the allegations weren’t connected to the church. Prosecutors say the crimes occurred in 2013.

Legislative leaders say voters’ anger & frustration won’t doom incument legislaors

News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The top two leaders in the legislature reject the idea the “anti-establishment” fervor among the nation’s voters this year will trickle down and doom incumbents like them running for reelection to the Iowa House and Senate. Republican House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake and Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs are predicting higher voter turn-out this November.

“I think there’s certainly a level of voters that are angry in general,” Gronstal says. Upmeyer says: “I think the senator’s right that there’s a certain level of anger or frustration all around, but I know this: nothing unites Republicans like Hillary.” Gronstal laughs and adds: “I think on that front we’re equal. There are certainly Democrats that react to Trump.”

Upmeyer says having Donald Trump as the G-O-P’s presumptive nominee presents a “great opportunity” for Republican candidates at the state level. “Donald Trump has got rather unconventional supporters in some areas and in fact people who may not have voted with great regularity, so I think this is a wonderful oportunity for us to reach out to even more Iowans who may be interested in what we’re doing,” Upmeyer says.

Gronstal endorsed Hillary Clinton the day before the Iowa Caucuses. He predicts voters energized by Bernie Sanders will stick with the Democratic Party. “Every Caucus season there are winners and losers during the Caucus and some of their supporter stay out of politics, but in most cases those folks then participate in the fall campaigns…and help turn-out the vote for whoever the nominee is,” Gronstal says.

The two legislative leaders made their comments Wednesday, during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that will air Friday night on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa Policy Project issues report on “manure and water”

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa legislature adjourned this year’s session without taking much action on improving the state’s water quality. Now, an Iowa City based research organization has released a report suggesting the state follow changes made in Ohio. David Osterberg, with the Iowa Policy Project, claims there are several problems with Iowa’s current laws dealing with large livestock operations and manure reaching lakes and rivers.

“First of all, the limits. For some reason, we set our limit at 500 animal units, which is very, very large,” Osterberg said. “Ohio has recognized, as most states have, that you need to go down to facilities much smaller than that.” Ohio’s limit is 300 animal units. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, introduced a bill this year that would have copied Ohio’s regulations here in Iowa, but it was never brought up for consideration. Osterberg is hoping this I-P-P research will reach all Iowa legislators before next year’s session.

“We do a study like this, we find out what the evidence is out there — in this case, from other states — and ask the question ‘why can’t we do that in Iowa?’ Hopefully, we’ll move towards a discussion, so if Senator Bolkcom files his bill again, it will get a hearing,” Osterberg told reporters Wednesday in a conference call. You can check out the full report at iowapolicyproject.org.

(Radio Iowa)

NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: 5/5/16

Weather

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

342 AM CDT THU MAY 5 2016

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLEAR. NORTH WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

TODAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…CLEAR…WARMER. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTHWEST WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH INCREASING TO AROUND 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW AROUND 50.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S.

Iowa early News Headlines: Thu., May 5th 2016

News

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has grown even larger. There was no jackpot winner in Wednesday night’s drawing, increasing the prize from $348 million to an estimated $415 million. While that’s not chump change, it’s a far cry from the $1.6 billion Powerball prize shared by three winning lottery ticketholders in January, the largest ever jackpot draw in the world.

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say about 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater has reached one of Iowa’s Great Lakes. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the wastewater was discovered Wednesday morning in a lagoon on West Okoboji Lake, following an electrical failure at a Spirit Lake pumping station. Officials stopped the discharge but some wastewater overflowed through two manhole lids. The wastewater reached Lazy Lagoon, on the northwest shore of the lake.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s governor and two U.S. senators say they will support Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president. Gov. Terry Branstad and Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst said Wednesday they will support whoever is the GOP nominee. The comments came after Trump became the last remaining presidential candidate for the party.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City police are treating the assault of a black University of Iowa freshman as a possible hate crime. Investigators say 19-year-old Marcus Owens walked into a police station Monday night to report that three young white men had beaten him and called him racial slurs. The attack on the Naperville, Illinois, teen was first reported Tuesday night by WLS-TV in Chicago, and many Iowa students have publicly questioned why they didn’t first learn about the attack from the school.

Holliday gives Cardinals 5-4 win over Phillies

Sports

May 5th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Holliday’s RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. The Cardinals had lost five of their last six games while the Phillies had won seven of eight and 10 of 12.

St. Louis loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez. Stephen Piscotty delivered an RBI infield single to tie the game. Holliday then smacked a single through the left side of the infield to drive in plate the winning run.

Ryan Howard’s seventh homer of the season, a three-run shot to center field in the fourth inning, gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead. It was the St. Louis native’s 23rd homer in 67 career games against the Cardinals. Odubel Herrera added a solo home run in the fifth, his third, to make it 4-0.

HELEN BAUDLER, 91, of Greenfield (Svcs. 5/9/16)

Obituaries

May 4th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

HELEN BAUDLER, 91, of Greenfield, died Wed., May 4th, at the Good Samaritan Society, in Fontanelle. A Mass of Christian Burial for HELEN BAUDLER will be held 10:30-a.m. Monday, May 9th, at St. John’s Catholic Church, in Greenfield. Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, May 8th, from 1-until 5-p.m., with the family present from 3-until 5-p.m.; Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

May be directed to the Helen Baudler memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date.

Burial will be in the Fontanelle Cemetery, with a luncheon at St. John’s Catholic Church, to follow the burial.

HELEN BAUDLER is survived by:

Her children: Jim (Sandi) Baudler, of Omaha, NE; Ron (Susie) Baudler, of Fontanelle; Marilyn (Albert) Erixon, of Honeycreek; Joan Baudler (& Bruce Davis), of Danville, CA, and David (Sharon) Baudler, of Medina, MN.

Her sister – Angela (Duane) Pullen, of Creston.

Her brother – Bob (Joyce) Lahey, of Council Bluffs.

16 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; other relatives and friends.