(Radio Iowa) – A Hollywood actress with Iowa ties is back in the Hawkeye State this weekend to make a guest appearance at the annual sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention called Starbase DemiCon. Marjean Holden is best known for her TV roles on “Babylon 5” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” as well as movies in the “Mortal Kombat” and “Jurassic Park” sagas. Holden grew up in Minneapolis and her mother’s family is from the Hampton area in north-central Iowa. “We would come down to grandma and grandpa’s farm all the time,” Holden says. “The big thing was, I get to go to grandma and grandpa’s for like a month in the summer, by myself, without my siblings. It was so much fun. The first thing you learn how to drive is a tractor and a truck, so it’s like yeah, I ten and I’m driving a tractor!”

While she may not make it to the family’s Franklin County farm on this trip, the 58-year-old Holden says she’ll be taking her 17-year-old daughter with her to Pella for the big Tulip Festival. “She’s like, ‘Well, okay, I guess,’ but for me, I’m really excited because I have been to the Netherlands, and I have gone to the Keukenhof there,” she says, “and it was absolutely one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been to in the world.” While she says her mother’s side of the family was all farmers, Holden says her father’s side was mostly entertainers, especially musicians, and acting came naturally for her, starting at age nine. She now has more than 50 TV shows and films on her resume, and wears many hats in L.A., including actress, stuntwoman, martial artist, author and director.

Marjean Holden. (photo supplied)

“I teach personal development as well, so I lead seminars and workshops and transformational trainings,” Holden says, “and I work part time at a gun range, and I do a lot of different things, so it just kind of depends on the day.”

The six-foot-tall Holden says her number-one job now is being a mom, and she will often bring her teen daughter along on the ComiCon convention circuit. At DemiCon in Des Moines, Holden will be taking part in several panel discussions, Q-and-A sessions and signing autographs. She says people will recognize her for different roles at different types of conventions.

“This particular one, because it’s based around space, most questions I will probably get will be around ‘Crusade,’ which was the ‘Babylon 5’ spin-off where I played Dr. Sara Chambers,” she says, laughing. “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you played the doctor,’ and it’s like, ‘Yes, I just played doctor on television. I’m just smart on TV.’”

Holden says her next project is directing a film that focuses on a group of veteran police officers who are thrown into being an undercover ’80s rock band in order to ferret out a drug ring kingpin.

DemiCon runs through Sunday at the Holiday Inn in Urbandale.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Des Moines Police Department posted on social media this (Friday) morning, that in a span of about “5 short hours,” overnight, their officers recovered two firearms from dangerous offenders, and made arrests in cases that directly impact the safety of families in our community.

The Department said “Shortly after 9pm (Thursday), 3rd Watch officers responded to a shooting incident in the 3300 block of S.W. 7th. The 32-yr-old victim remains hospitalized after being shot several times. Within moments of the incident, officers located the suspect, John Streeter, near the scene and took him into custody without incident.

Streeter

Streeter was found to be in possession of a handgun when he was arrested.” He faces charges that include Attempted Murder, Willful Injury, and Intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

Authorities said also, “A few hours later, just after 2am (Friday), an officer attempted a traffic stop for a registration violation near E. 12th & Boyd. The driver of the vehicle being stopped, Dylan Pettyjohn, sped away, beginning a short pursuit that ended two blocks away when he crashed into a stop sign and disabled his vehicle. As he ran on foot, he attempted to throw a handgun onto a building roof. Pettyjohn resisted being arrested, and attempted to disarm the officer of his firearm. He was successfully taken into custody. He was determined to be a felon, prohibited from possessing a firearm, and in possession of marijuana, fentanyl pills, and a large quantity of meth.”

Pettyjohn faces charges that include: Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Marijuana, Fentanyl pills, and Methamphetamine; Eluding; and Attempt to Disarm a Police Officer.

Pettyjohn

(Radio Iowa) – Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids is naming Kristie Fisher as its new president, the sixth president in the school’s history. Fisher has served as president of Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown since 2019. Fisher says there are multiple challenges facing Iowa’s community colleges.

“Regardless which community college is the fact we have so many students who suffered a learning loss because of the pandemic,” Fisher says, “and just all the immense workforce needs, and trying to figure out the best way to meet those needs both of employers and the students who are coming through our doors.”

Kristie Fisher (Kirkwood Community College photo)

Fisher, who graduated from Kirkwood herself, will replace Lori Sundberg, who is retiring in the fall. Sundberg was named Kirkwood’s first woman president in the fall of 2018.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Thursday, of a man from Nebraska. 33-year-old Dontavious Easley, of La Vista, NE, was arrested for Driving while revoked. He posted a $1,000 bond, and was released.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union is celebrating its 100th anniversary at its spring meeting which opens today (Friday). There are nearly 400 members in the group, which promotes interests in the identification, study and protection of birds in the state. Union president Dennis Thompson says one of the things the group is most proud of in its century of history is putting out the quarterly magazine called Iowa Bird Life.  “That talks about sightings that have occurred during a season, spring, summer, fall and winter,” Thompson says. “We also have articles about birds in Iowa, and so that’s kind of our scientific purpose, if you will, to publish that journal.”

Thompson says there will be speakers at this weekend’s events along with several field trips for bird watching.

“One’s going down into Madison County,” Thompson says. “We have one going to Walnut Woods and Browns Woods, another’s going into Chautauqua area in northeast Polk County, and I’m leading one to Easter Lake and Yellow Banks Park.” He says birders of all levels are welcome to attend. The spring meeting is taking place in West Des Moines.

(by Catherine Wheeler, Iowa Public Radio)

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Department reports 44-year-old Joseph Earl Smith, of Red Oak, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, following a traffic stop. Smith was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension. Bond was set at $600.

And, at around 8:50-a.m. Thursday, 39-year-old Andrew James Arrick, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Bond was set at $300.

(Manchester, Iowa) – A semi tractor-trailer driver from eastern Iowa was injured in an accident Thursday afternoon, in Delaware County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2015 Freightliner semi driven by 60-year-old Michael Nelson, of Dundee, was traveling south on 130th Avenue, when Nelson attempted to pick-up a GPS unit that had fallen. When the semi drifted onto the right shoulder, Nelson over-corrected, resulting in a loss of control.

The semi entered the east ditch and rolled over. The accident happened at around 2-p.m., Thursday. Nelson -who was wearing a seat belt – was transported by Unity Point Air to the University Of Iowa Hospital. The vehicle was registered to Jensen Transport, Inc., out of Independence.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies, Manchester Fire, RMC Ambulance and Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement personnel.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two men were arrested on separate OWI/1st offense charges in Creston over the past couple of days. Creston Police says 18-year-old Austin James Breuklander, of Eagleville, MO., was arrested at around 11:25-a.m. Tuesday. Breuklander was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $1,000 bond.

And, at around 2:55-a.m. Wednesday, Creston Police arrested 36-year-old James Nicholas Wilson, of Creston, for OWI/1st offense. Wilson was taken to Union County Jail and later released, after posting a $1,000 bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardeners will host their annual Spring Plant Sale, on May 13th. Kate Olson, Cass County Extension Director, says the event – which takes place on the Cass County Fairgrounds – promises to have a wide variety of perennials available for gardeners looking to update their landscape this year, as well as lawn tools, décor and plants for food gardening.

The sale begins at 8-a.m., on May 13th, and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best plant selection, as the annual spring and fall sales occasionally sell out before 10 AM.  The sale will be open to the public to purchase divided perennials suitable for spring planting, as well as a variety of donated garden tools, books and decor. All items will be sold for a free will offering, with all proceeds from the plant sale used to support Master Gardener scholarships and community grants, as well as projects around the county.

For the annual spring sale, Cass County Master Gardeners will be bringing a variety of perennial and annual plants from their own gardens, as well as plants dug from gardens in the local area. Plants currently expected to be on the sale include several varieties of hostas, daylilies, sedum, salvia, penstemon, turtlehead, and irises; with more expected to be added as the sale approaches. Community members are also welcome to donate plants to this event, and members may even help you dig! If you are dividing perennials in your yard this spring and have extra plants to donate, please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale.

A special offering at this year’s plant sale will be a partnership with the Atlantic FFA to offer food plants and started annuals for sale. Plants will include several varieties of bell peppers, jalapenos, and tomatoes, in addition to garlic, basil, peppermint, cilantro, oregano and onions. Flowering plants will include Marigolds, Zinnias, Coneflowers and 4 varieties of Wave Petunias. This is the first year the students will offer plants for sale, after the recent addition of a new greenhouse at the high school. All FFA plants will be sold at a separate booth and individually priced. Information will also be available on student plant sales from other Cass County FFA chapters.

An informational table will be set up on other gardening partnerships and projects, including growing and donating produce through the Grow Another Row partnership on growing, harvesting and donating extra produce to local pantries and other organizations, to ensure all residents have access to fresh, tasty and local produce throughout the growing season! Details about upcoming Master Gardener activities- including the annual bus tour in early June, and a new local garden tour at the end of June, will also be available at the plant sale. The Cass County Master Gardeners hold annual plant sales twice a year, on the second Saturdays of May and September, to raise funds for projects and scholarship funds and to share gardening information with the public. Mark your calendars now for the fall sale on September 9!

For more information about the plant sale and other Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.  In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening and learn more about the Master Gardener program in Iowa!

(Atlantic, Iowa) – An event scheduled for May 12th in Atlantic will feature Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. The YMCA’s “Luncheon and Q&A” (Question & Answer) session is open to the public by reservation only. The Town Hall-style event takes place from 11-a.m. until 12:30-p.m., May 12th, at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA (1100 Maple St.), in Atlantic. Lunch will be served from 11-to 11:30-a.m.

Reservations are being accepted until May 10th at Noon. To reserve your seat, please call Tina Olson at 712-243-3934.