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Western Iowa schools superintendent appeals punishment

News

August 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

TREYNOR, Iowa (AP) — A schools superintendent has appealed the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners’ decision to suspend his state license for 30 days. The attorney for Kevin Elwood told the Daily Nonpareil that the appeal was filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court and that Elwood may continue in his Treynor district post during the appeal process.

On August 7th the board suspended Elwood’s license, saying he should not have let his son work unsupervised as a custodian for the district after the son was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct. Elwood was accused of two violations of Iowa code, including failing to make reasonable efforts to protect the health and safety of students.

In September 2013 Elwood’s son, Kreighton Elwood, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one of false imprisonment.

Iowa early News Headlines: Sat., Aug. 15th 2015

News

August 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — No endorsements were made, but Jeb Bush got the next best thing Friday from the top three Republicans in Iowa —quality time at the Iowa State Fair. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst welcomed the former Florida governor to the fair early Friday and Governor Terry Branstad joined him to flip pork loins on the sizzling grill at the Iowa Pork Producers tent later in the morning.

TREYNOR, Iowa (AP) — A schools superintendent has appealed the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners’ decision to suspend his state license for 30 days. The attorney for Kevin Elwood told the Daily Nonpareil that the appeal was filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court and that Elwood may continue in his Treynor district post during the appeal process.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Classes for about 350 elementary students in Fort Dodge will be held this fall elsewhere due to structural concerns recently discovered at the school. The Messenger reports that Duncombe Elementary’s students will start the school year at the former Fair Oaks Middle School building. Issues with the school’s structure were discovered during summer remodeling.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a man was killed and a woman was injured after their vehicles crashed in Des Moines. Investigators say 46-year-old Thomas Heckinger and 48-year-old Teresa Sagastume were taken to the hospital after authorities arrived shortly after 9 a.m. Friday. Heckinger later died, and Sagastume was treated and released. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.

Garcia, Carpenter team up to lead Cardinals over Marlins

Sports

August 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaime Garcia pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning and Matt Carpenter homered, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Miami Marlins 3-1 Friday night. Garcia (5-4) came within two outs of throwing the first complete game of the season for the NL Central leaders. He gave up six singles, walked one and struck out six. Trevor Rosenthal got his 36th save in 38 chances.

Carpenter’s bunt single broke a scoreless tie in the fifth. He hit a solo home run in the eighth. Tom Koehler (8-10) took the loss and Miami’s three-game winning streak ended. Ichiro Suzuki singled in the Miami fifth for his 2,913th hit in the major leagues. Combined with 1,278 hits in Japan, he equaled Ty Cobb’s total of 4,191. Cobb held the big league mark that Pete Rose eventually passed on his way to a record 4,256 hits.

 

LEON LeROY PUTNAM, 96, of Griswold (Svcs. 8/21/15)

Obituaries

August 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

LEON LeROY PUTNAM, 96, of Griswold, died Thu., Aug. 13th, at the Griswold Care Center. Funeral services for LEON PUTNAM will be held 11-a.m. Fri., Aug. 21st, at the Griswold United Methodist Church. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

Visitation is open at the funeral home on Thursday (Aug. 20th), with the family present from 5-to 7-pm.

Interment will be in the Griswold Cemetery.

LEON PUTNAM is survived by:

His sons – Jerry (Shiona) Putnam, of Griwold, and Leon L. Putnam, Jr. & wife Marla, of Peoria, AZ.

His daughters – Sharon Oles, of Griswold; Judy (Ken) Roberts, of Lyman, & Debbie (Ralph) McAfee, of St. Petersburg, FL.

11 grandchildren, many great- and great-great grandchildren, other relatives, & friends.

Tyson Foods to slash 400 jobs in Denison

News

August 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Officials with Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc., announced today (Friday), the company is reducing its beef production capacity due to a continued lack of available cattle. The company said effective immediately, it will permanently cease beef operations at its plant in Denison, to better align its overall production capacity with current cattle supplies.The move affects 400 employees.TysonLogo

The 400 workers affected by the end of beef production at Denison are being given an opportunity to apply for jobs at other Tyson locations. Even though they will no longer be on the job, eligible displaced workers will receive 60 days of pay, as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

The company says it’s offering financial incentives to hourly workers who qualify for production openings at the company’s Lexington, Nebraska, beef plant. The by-product rendering system at the Denison plant will continue operations. It will process by-products from other Tyson locations and will employ approximately 20 people.

Steve Stouffer, president of Tyson Fresh Meats, said in a Press Release, “This was a very difficult decision because it affects the lives of our people, their families and a community that has supported this plant for more than 50 years. However, the realities of the beef business have changed and we must continue to change with it to remain successful.

Stouffer said also, “The cattle supply is tight and there’s an excess of beef production capacity in the region,” he said.  “We believe the move to cease beef operations at Denison will put the rest of our beef business in a better position for future success.”

The Denison beef plant has a long, rich history in the meat industry. It opened in 1961 as the first plant operated by Iowa Beef Packers (IBP), a start-up company that grew to become one of the world’s leading beef processors. IBP was acquired by Tyson Foods in 2001 and renamed Tyson Fresh Meats.

Tyson Fresh Meats’ other beef plants are located in Amarillo, Texas; Dakota City, Nebraska; Finney County, Kansas; Joslin, Illinois; Lexington, Nebraska and Pasco, Washington.

Rollover accident spawns 2nd crash on I-29 Fri. morning

News

August 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

(Updated 8/17 11:34am)

The Council Bluffs Police Department said today an accident on Interstate 29 this (Friday) morning, resulted in a separate crash moments later. The first accident happened on I-29 at around 7:44-am. near mile marker 53 (or, near the 9th Avenue exit). Emergency crews arriving on the scene discovered the driver, 25-year old Rachel Nelson, of Council Bluffs, had been ejected from her 1996 Ford Explorer during the crash. The woman was critically injured. A passenger in the SUV, 23-year old Lisa Poulsen, and Nelson’s two children, were all transported to the Nebraska Medical Center.

The two children were treated and release from the hospital, while Poulson was expected to be released later. Authorities say Nelson’s SUV was behind a 2001 Ford Ranger pickup driven by 41-year old Dennis Sullivan, of Council Bluffs, when an aluminum ladder fell out of the pickup. Nelson swerved to avoid the ladder, and over-corrected, causing the SUV to slide sideways off the road to right before it rolled into a ditch. On Sunday, August 16th Dennis Sullivan was cited for Failure to Secure Load/Spilling on Highway. This violation carries a fine of $330.

A second crash in nearly the same area happened almost 15-minutes later (just before 8-a.m.). Authorities say several vehicles which had stopped to help at the scene had parked their vehicles on the interstate roadway. Another vehicle struck two of the parked vehicles. No injuries were reported in the second crash. Due to severity of the first accident and the second accident, it was decided to close Interstate 29 southbound, from Interstate 480 eastbound for the safety of persons on scene and motorists in the area.

Backyard and Beyond 08-14-2015

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

August 14th, 2015 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks with Tova Brandt, Albert Ravenholt Curator of Danish American Culture at the Museum of Danish America, about a back to school lawn party and upcoming brown bag lunch and learn programs.

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Heartbeat Today 08-14-2015

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

August 14th, 2015 by admin

Jim Field speaks with Kathleen Delate, ISU Extension and Outreach Organic Specialist,  about the Neely-Kinyon Research Farm Field Day near Greenfield coming up.

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Chiefs Could Sit Several Ailing Players in Preseason Opener

Sports

August 14th, 2015 by Jim Field

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs could be forced to rest a handful of players in their exhibition opener Saturday night in Arizona because of nagging injuries picked up during training camp.

Linebacker is the position where they are most banged up. Former first-round pick Dee Ford is still out from a concussion, Josh Mauga left practice Wednesday with a bum heel, D.J. Alexander is hobbled by an ankle injury and James-Michael Johnson by a calf injury.

That means rookies Ramik Wilson and Justin March could get considerable time.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid plans to play starters in the first quarter, the second unit in the second quarter and into the third, with the rest of the reserves finishing the game.

Jeremy Maclin says he hopes to play after missing two practices this week with a neck strain. Fellow wide receiver Albert Wilson is also questionable with an illness.

 

Iowa duo sentenced for sex trafficking in Virginia

News

August 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Two Iowa residents will spend decades in prison for forcing a young woman into prostitution and torturing her. Aldair Hodza was sentenced to 41 years and eight months Friday in federal court in Richmond. Laura Sorensen was sentenced to 40 years. The Clive residents held a 20-year-old woman captive on a trip to Virginia and forced her to have sex with men who answered online ads. They burned the woman with lit cigarettes and other heated objects, drove nails into her feet and poured bleach into her wounds.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors are recommending prison terms of 35 years – 11 more than the top end of the sentencing guideline range. But U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson said that wasn’t enough, citing the “unprecedented depravity” in the case.