United Group Insurance

Creston man arrested on drug charges in Adams County

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s deputies in Adams County arrested a Union County man on drug charges late Sunday night following a traffic stop. While a deputy was speaking with the driver, 21-year old Malik Rashad Lambert, of Creston, he detected the odor of marijuana. A consent search of the vehicle was obtained, the result of which was the discovery of a lock box inside the trunk.

The Sheriff’s K9 indicated the presence of narcotics inside the box, and when opened by Lambert, was found to have contained 158 grams of marijuana and a little more than $503 in cash. Lambert was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, Distribution of marijuana, and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. He was being held in the Adams County Jail on $17,000 bond.

NWS forecast for Cass & surrounding Counties: 3/28/16

Weather

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

345 AM CDT MON MAR 28 2016

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLEAR. PATCHY FOG. EAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY…SUNNY…WARMER. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. NOT AS COOL. LOW AROUND 40. SOUTHEAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

TUESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH INCREASING TO SOUTH 20 TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS. BREEZY…WARMER. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. COLDER. LOW IN THE LOWER 40S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. BREEZY…COOLER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S.

 

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, March 28th 2016

News

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A Fort Dodge man wanted for questioning in a harassment case is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase through three Iowa counties. Police arrested 35-year-old Aaron L. Jones on Friday. Jones is charged with felony eluding, operating while under the influence and interference with official acts. Authorities say Jones drove off when an officer tried to question him about a harassment case.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Police say a Dubuque man was seriously injured after a two-vehicle crash pushed his vehicle into a home. David A. Gatena was taken to a local hospital after the wreck shortly before 9:30 p.m. Friday. Police say Jamie J. Birch of Dubuque was driving at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck the passenger side of a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Anthony Gatena. David Getena was a passenger.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Employers in northern Iowa are trying to fill a bounty of agricultural jobs. Local economic development officials are touting a series of jobs that are directly and indirectly related to farming. The list includes work in cooperatives, ethanol plants and feed mills. Low unemployment rates in area counties can make it tough to find employees.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport man is protesting a state law that requires him to financially support a child that’s not his. Joe Vandusen received a letter this month from the state telling him he would have to pay child support even though he is not the child’s father. The Forty-five-year-old Vandusen said he and his wife split up without filing an official divorce and have hardly talked in the last 15 years. The child Vandusen is expected to help support is about 1 year old, he said.

WAYNE MARLIN MATTHES, 72, of Griswold (Memorial luncheon 4/2/16)

Obituaries

March 28th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

WAYNE MARLIN MATTHES, 72, of Griswold, died Sat. March 26th, at home. A Memorial luncheon for WAYNE MATTHES will be held beginning at Noon on Saturday, April 2nd, at the Faith Lutheran Church, in Griswold. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

WAYNE MATTHES is survived by:

His wife – Linda G. Matthes, of Griswold.

His five children: Rick Matthes, Pamela S. Mankle, Morgan Otto, Megan Porter, and Maisee Argo.

His brothers – Larry Matthes, Dean Matthes, Paul Matthes, and Rodney Matthes.

His sisters – Cindy Rader and Debbie Clouse.

8 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Realmuto’s bloop pushes Marlins past Cardinals, 4-2

Sports

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — J.T. Realmuto’s two-out, two-RBI bloop single in the sixth broke a 2-all tie and propelled the Miami Marlins to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Realmuto lofted what normally would have been a routine fly ball to right-center field, but Cardinals’ right fielder Stephen Piscotty had been positioned to guard the line moments earlier. The ball barely eluded diving center fielder Tommy Pham, allowing Giancarlo Stanton and Martin Prado to score.

The Marlins’ comeback overshadowed a strong start by Jaime Garcia. The Cardinals’ lefty didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, when Miami struck for two runs. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez spent much of the afternoon working on off-speed pitches. He allowed five hits and walked three while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings.

Lenox man arrested on a warrant, Sunday morning

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County, Sunday morning, arrested a Taylor County man wanted on a warrant. 37-year old Hector Antonio Rodriguez-Menjivar, of Lenox, was taken into custody on a warrant out of Clark County for Failure to Appear on an original charge of OWI/1st offense. Rodriguez-Menjivar was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,900 cash bond.

Memorial fund established for Iowa officers killed in crash

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines Police Officers Burial Association has established memorial funds for the families of two officers killed in a traffic crash on Interstate 80. The funds were opened at the Des Moines Police Officers Credit Union on behalf of Officers Carlos Puente-Morales and Susan Farrell.

Susan Farrell

Susan Farrell

Carlos-Puente-Morales. Officer photos courtesy of the Des Moines Police Department.

Carlos-Puente-Morales.
Officer photos courtesy of the Des Moines Police Department.

The officers died after their police SUV was hit head-on by another vehicle traveling the wrong way on I-80 west of Des Moines. They had been on the job less than six months. The jail inmate they were transporting, 32-year-old Tosha Nicole Hyatt, was also killed. Hyatt was being taken early Saturday from Council Bluffs to Des Moines.

Police say both officers and the driver of the other vehicle were wearing seat belts, but they don’t know if Hyatt was.

Cards’ 3B coach Oquendo takes medical leave of absense

Sports

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals say third base coach Jose Oquendo is taking a medical leave of absence for “the foreseeable future.” Oquendo missed several days earlier this spring when he traveled to St. Louis for knee surgery. He returned to camp on March 20, walking with the aid of crutches. He hasn’t returned to the third base coach’s box since the surgery.

First base coach Bill Maloney handled third base coaching duties while Oquendo recovered and will continue to do so. Assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller will coach first base and assume Oquendo’s infield instruction duties.

Derrick May, the Cardinals’ minor league hitting coordinator, will serve as St. Louis’ assistant hitting coach. The 52-year-old Oquendo has been part of the Cardinals’ major league coaching staff since 1999.

 

Northern Iowa sees bounty of agriculture jobs, few workers

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Employers in northern Iowa are trying to fill a bounty of agricultural jobs. The Globe Gazette reports that local economic development officials are touting a series of jobs that are directly and indirectly related to farming. The list includes work in cooperatives, ethanol plants and feed mills, as well as full- and part-time jobs.

Low unemployment rates in area counties can make it tough to find employees. The rate in many counties around Mason City ranges between 3 and 5 percent, while the statewide average is 4.5 percent. Jennifer Andrade, an IowaWorks business marketing specialist, says her groups is encouraging more businesses to focus on outreach by visiting local high schools.

Iowa man contests support for child he didn’t father

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(Updated 3-p.m.)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport man is protesting a state law that requires him to financially support a child that’s not his. Joe Vandusen received a letter this month from the Iowa Department of Human Services notifying him that he would have to pay child support for his estranged wife’s child, even though he is not the father, according to The Des Moines Register.

Vandusen, 45, said he and his wife split up without filing an official divorce and have hardly talked in the last 15 years. The child Vandusen is expected to help support is about 1 year old, he said. Vandusen contacted the Department of Human Services’ Child Support Recovery Unit to say he’s not the biological father of his wife’s child, and he offered to take a paternity test to prove it. He said he was told it didn’t matter according to state law.

“They said since I’m still legally married, I’m going to be responsible for the child support,” Vandusen said. The Register could not reach state officials for comment, but WQAD-TV in Davenport reported that a Human Services spokesperson said in a case like Vandusen’s, the husband is considered the legal father of his wife’s child.

Other states have similar laws, which are aimed at making sure all children receive sufficient financial support. Vandusen said he was recently laid off from his job and doesn’t have the money to pay child support. He said he also can’t afford to pay an attorney to file for divorce and fight in court against the child support requirement.

Vandusen already owes child support on his own child, who was born to another woman before his marriage. He said “in that case, I didn’t deny it.”