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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – A man serving a life sentence for a kidnapping in Black Hawk County has died. The Iowa Department of Corrections says 58-year-old Dale Dean Viers died Sunday from likely complications related to COVID-19 and other preexisting medical conditions at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Viers has been serving his sentence at the Iowa State Penitentiary. He was convicted of kidnapping a girl from a Waterloo street in 1994 and abusing her. The Department of Corrections website reports 13 inmates have died of COVID.
Red Oak Police say three people were arrested, Monday. 69-year old Bernard Lee Binns, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:40-p.m. on a Public Intoxication charge. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. And, at around 7:40-p.m., 23-year old Matthew Marlin Williams, and 22-year old Kayla Marie Williams, both of Red Oak, were arrested on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault. Both were being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowans are heading into the holiday with few restrictions on gathering or social activities as Gov. Kim Reynolds places the responsibility on them to gather in small groups to avoid a post-holiday virus surge. Deaths, however, continue to trend upward in the state and a significant number of people remain hospitalized. With fewer coronavirus tests in the past few days the Monday report for Iowa shows 600 additional virus cases and no additional deaths. The state, however, reported 138 deaths on Sunday after listing none in the prior two days, the result of a new method of reporting deaths that can cause data update delays. Iowa has had 3,589 deaths from the virus. On Monday 644 people were hospitalized.
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport authorities are trying to determine the cause of a fire that killed one person. The victim was found Sunday afternoon on the second floor of an apartment building. The Quad-City Times reports that firefighters encountered smoke in the main hallway and sprinklers activated in the apartment. The sprinklers had put out the fire, which was contained to the apartment. Firefighters found the victim dead inside the apartment. The name of the victim has not been released.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — The University of Northern Iowa has received a $2 million donation to build an artificial turf football field. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier on Monday reported the donation from Doug and Ann Goschke. Construction on the outdoor practice facility is set to start in the spring. Head Football Coach Mark Farley says the new facility will allow the team to practice safely in all weather conditions late into fall and in early spring. The couple gave the money to honor Doug’s late sister, Junean Goschke. She graduated from what’s now known as the University of Northern Iowa in 1966.
The Coronavirus pandemic has pulled the plug on ice-skating for this Winter, in Atlantic. Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen told the Parks Board Monday evening, that the tarp for the basketball court is ready to go, but the Board voted to cancel unrolling the tarp and filling it up with water, waiting for Mother Nature to freeze it.
They cited the unknowns with the COVID-19 proclamation and lack of use in past Winters as reasons why there will be no ice skating this year. Rasmussen said if there was no pandemic, they would have had the tarp rolled out already. But with the threat of another proclamation extending the current public health emergency, they would have had to spend time draining the tarp and putting it back into storage.
On bright note, Rasmussen said he checked with a major sporting goods store and looked into purchasing four kayaks and three or four canoes, as well as life jackets, which could be rented out to persons wanting to use them at the Schildberg Quarry lakes for fishing, or other such activities. The equipment would cost roughly $5,000, and hopefully be offset through the use of grants and donations. Rasmussen is in the process of researching grants, and will come back to board when he has more solid backing through those types of funds.
Also, and update to the Atlantic Parks and Rec website is slowly making progress. The good news, is that shelter reservations are being incorporated into the website, and well as ways for people to donate funds for future parks department endeavors, should they want to do so. Reservations for one of the five City Park shelters (Camblin, Kiddie Korral, East and Cedar Park shelters and the downtown City Park Shelter), will available online, soon.
Rasmussen said Parks and Rec brochures will be available when they are finished, at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, and the Parks and Rec Office at Sunnyside Park. Bryant said they’ve been working on the layout and design for the brochures for the past several months. The goal is try and promote the department, its recreational programs and more detailed information. Local volunteer organizations who made the park amenities visibly appealing and maintained will be highlighted in the brochures, as well as various programs that may be sponsored by organizations.
The City’s Trail Network brochures are already available. They, along with Walkability information will be featured in the new brochures, also. Rasmussen said the first run printing of the brochures would probably be around 100 to 500, with the higher amount costing just a few dollars more than a lower printing run.
Montgomery County has received the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials said Monday the county received 300 doses from Moderna. Of the 300 doses, 200 doses went directly to Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for their staff and 100 doses went to Montgomery County Public Health for EMS providers in the county and other healthcare providers not affiliated with the hospital. All the long-term care and assisted living facilities in the county have been paired with a national pharmacy chain to receive vaccines.
Currently, the county is in Phase 1A of the distribution plan, which includes the groups listed above. After all workers included in Phase 1A are vaccinated, the county may move to Phase 1B. Included in Phase 1B are school and childcare staff, people over 65 years of age, people with underlying health conditions, and non-healthcare essential workers. Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has indicated the next round of vaccine could arrive in January. IDPH hopes the vaccine will be available to the general public by mid-spring 2021.
Montgomery County Public Health and Montgomery County Memorial Hospital encourage anyone with questions regarding the vaccine to call Montgomery County Public Health at 712-623-4893.
An Iowa National Guard sniper team recently competed against 23 other National Guard teams and 12 inter-service teams at the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center, Dec. 4-10, at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center in Barling, Arkansas. Spc. Aaron McAndrews, of Grimes, and Cpl. Kyle Thies, of Clarinda, are both infantrymen with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment. They scored a combined total of 504 points. Their accomplishments led them to receive the prestigious Chief’s 50 Marksmanship Badge.
(Far right) Col. Andy Bussell, Commander of the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center presented awards to Spc. Aaron M. McAndrews (Center) and Cpl. Kyle R. Thies (left) during the awards ceremony for the 2020 50th annual Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship and the 30th Annual Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting from Dec. 4-10, 2020, at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center in Barling, Arkansas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Israel Sanchez)
The Iowa team placed third overall in the combined competition, second in the National Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship and first in the Silent Hunter team category. This was the first year that McAndrews and Thies competed in this national event.
The competition consists of shooting, fieldcraft, and sniper related tasks such as call for fire. Teams were challenged by running or rucking short distances, shooting with one arm tied behind their back, and were required to make positive identification on a target within close proximity to other team’s targets.
In one event, teams were required to approach their target without being detected. The Iowa team was one of the few sniper teams that were able to avoid detection. The competition was designed to facilitate, evaluate and test the development of training programs among snipers of all services. Basic marksmanship is an important skill set for military service members.
Sgt. Major Jason Nelson, the senior training non-commissioned officer said “Competitions are a great training event to test our skills. It’s about readiness and each Soldier being fully able to employ his or her weapon when it matters.”
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A man from Pottawattamie County was sentenced last week on a drug charge in Council Bluffs U-S District Court. 48-year old James Michael Willett, Sr., of Council Bluffs, was sentenced Dec. 15th to 135 months (11 1/4 years) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Willett was ordered to serve ten years of supervised
release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
He pled guilty to the offense on August 04, 2020.
The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force opened an investigation on Willett and other co-conspirators for distributing methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs metro area in 2019. On November 5, 2019, staff at a hotel in Omaha, Nebraska, contacted law enforcement after an employee observed drugs in a room where Willet had been staying. Law enforcement searched the room and located methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.
The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports six arrests occurred between November 14th and December 17th. Most recently, on Dec. 17th. 35-year old Payton Thomas Watzke, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft 5th Degree. Watzke appeared before a magistrate and pled guilty.
Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an accident in Griswold, last week. A collision between a 2007 Jeep Patriot and a 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo happened at around 1:48-p.m. December 14th, at the intersection of Adair and Main Streets in Griswold.
Officials says the Jeep, owned and driven by 37-year old Megan Christine Bates, of Griswold, was westbound on Main Street, when it was struck by the northbound Monte Carlo, driven by 17-year old Adam Geoffrey Houser, of Henderson.
No injuries were reported. Houser was cited for Failure to Obey Stop Sign and Yield Right of Way. Damage to the Jeep was estimated at $4,500; damage to the Chevy is estimated at $2,500.