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Missouri man injured in Shelby County accident, Sunday

News

January 2nd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A man from Missouri was injured during a single-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon, in Shelby County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 21-year old Brendan Matthew Moore, of Excelsior Springs, MO., was traveling north on Highway 59 at around 3:45-p.m., when he fell asleep at the wheel of his 2006 Chevy Cobalt.

After the car drifted onto the shoulder of the road, Moore over-corrected, sending the vehicle out of control. It spun across the median and across the southbound lanes of Highway 59 before sliding down an embankment and rolling over. The car hit a chain-link fence before coming to rest on its top on the Regional Waters property.

Moore, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by Avoca Rescue to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.

Central IA man dies following a fall at Ledges State Park

News

January 2nd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES — A 63-year-old Ames man died Sunday, Jan. 1 after a fall at Ledges State Park, south of Boone. According to DNR officials, the man fell approximately 60 feet from an overlook off the Lost Lake Trail at about 11:15 a.m. He was air-lifted out of the park to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines and was pronounced dead on arrival.

The man was part of an annual group hike event at the park. Investigation of the incident is ongoing and the name of the individual is being withheld at this time, pending notification of family.

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, Jan. 2nd 2017

News

January 2nd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:38 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines Police are investigating the death of an 18-year-old man who was fatally shot in a dispute at a downtown nightclub. Police were called to the Des Moines nightclub around 3:30 a.m. Police say Frederico Thompson Jr. died at the scene. Police initially released few other details about Des Moines’ first homicide of 2017.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s department’s newest police dog will soon have his own protective vest thanks to a roughly $2,000 donation. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Dan and Teresa Kalianov decided to help after they heard about a case last summer when the K-9 and his handler were chasing someone with a gun.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A county attorney says she’s seeking first-degree murder warrants for two Missouri men in connection with the March slaying of a Burlington teenager. Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers tells The Hawk Eye she asked a district judge Friday to issue the warrants in the case of 16-year-old Kedarie Pierre Johnson. Beavers says she’s prohibited from releasing the names of the men until the warrants are executed. Police say Kedarie was found in an alley with several gunshot wounds.

ALTOONA, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has been accused of driving at speeds of 110 mph in a 45 mph zone amid a car chase with police. The Des Moines Register reports 36-year-old Belladonna Melissa Guirgis was taken into custody following the Friday night incident. Altoona Police say an officer tried to stop Guirgis in the Des Moines suburb on suspicion of speeding. She is accused of speeding away, driving into oncoming traffic and running a red light. She was later taken into custody.

Evansville controls Northern Iowa in 70-58 win

Sports

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Christian Benzon and Jaylon Brown each scored 17 points in leading Evansville to a 70-58 win against Northern Iowa on Sunday. Evansville (10-5, 1-1 Missouri Valley) never trailed. Bennett Koch’s jumper brought Northern Iowa to within 21-16 with 3:21 remaining before half, but Evansville went on a 13-4 run and led 34-20 at the break.

Brown sandwiched a jumper and a layup between back-to-back 3s by Jaiveon Eaves to start the run. Ryan Taylor’s 3 pushed Evansville’s lead to 45-25 with 12:58 to play. Evansville shot 6 for 11 from 3-point range (55 percent) compared to 5 for 23 (22 percent) for the Panthers.

Jeremy Morgan led the Panthers (5-8, 0-2) with 16 points and Juwan McCloud contributed 13. The all-time series is even at 25 after Evansville won its fifth straight — and seventh in last eight games — against Northern Iowa.

Smith, Chiefs win AFC West title with win over Chargers

Sports

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West title and a first-round playoff bye with a 37-27 victory Sunday against the Chargers in perhaps the final NFL game in San Diego. The Chiefs (12-4) clinched the division with the win and Oakland’s loss at Denver.

For the second straight year, the Chargers were playing perhaps their final game in San Diego. Chargers chairman Dean Spanos has until Jan. 15 to decide whether to move the team to the Los Angeles area and join the Rams in a stadium scheduled to open in Inglewood in 2019. A Chargers-written ballot measure seeking $1 billion in hotel occupancy taxes to help fund a new downtown stadium was soundly defeated on Nov. 8.  The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” played on the PA during a break in the action after a Chiefs field goal made it 37-20 late in the game.

Also uncertain is Chargers coach Mike McCoy’s future. The Chargers have finished last in the AFC West two straight seasons and have missed the playoffs for three straight years under McCoy. McCoy is 27-37 in four seasons, with the Chargers having lost 23 of their last 32 games. They’ve also lost 13 of their last 14 AFC West games dating to late in the 2014 season.

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates tied Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown catches in NFL history by a tight end with 111. Gonzalez spent his first 12 seasons of his career with the Chiefs before finishing with the Atlanta Falcons.

INJURIES: Chiefs S Eric Berry left with an ankle injury in the second half. For the Chargers, safety Darrell Stuckey left with a knee injury, linebacker Christopher Landrum suffered a concussion and guard Orlando Franklin had a shoulder injury.

S. Illinois pulls away from Drake for an 83-69 victory

Sports

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Sean O’Brien scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds and Leo Vincent added 15 points as Southern Illinois pulled away in the second half for an 83-69 win over Drake on Sunday. Southern Illinois (8-7, 1-1 Missouri Valley) had a 37-32 lead at halftime before Drake used a 15-8 run in the first six minutes of the second half, taking a 47-45 lead on Reed Timmer’s layup.

Timmer later hit a 3 pulling Drake to within 56-55, but Sean Lloyd made a layup, Austin Weiher buried a 3, Aaron Cook had a layup as did O’Brien and the lead was at 10 with 8:41 to go. Nick McGlynn’s jumper with 4:04 left was the last time Drake (3-11, 1-1) trailed by single digits. Vincent responded with a 3 making it 75-63.

Timmer led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Ore Arogundade finished with 13 points.

KENT MULLER, 74, of Griswold (Svcs. 1/6/17)

Obituaries

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

KENT MULLER, 74 of Griswold, died Saturday, December 31st, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.  A Memorial service for KENT MULLER will be held 4-p.m. Friday, January 6th, at the Atlantic United Methodist Church, in Atlantic. Rieken-Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be Thursday evening at the Atlantic United Methodist Church from 5:30 until 8:00.

Interment will be at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to Mohm’s Place in Council Bluffs, and the Open Door Mission, in Omaha.

KENT MULLER is survived by:

His wife – Janis (Breckerbaumer) Muller, of Griswold.

His sons – Nicholas Muller & companion Lori Simpson, of Atlantic, and Jon (Maggie) Muller, of Griswold.

His daughters – Bethany (Nathan) Koch, of Iowa City; Misty (Theodore) Johnson, of Runnells; Jill (Matthew) Huebsch, of Wilmette, IL, and Meagan (Nathan) Ross, of Atlantic.

His brothers – Gary (Jackie) Muller, of Mesa, AZ, & Wendell (Connie) Muller, of Massena.

His 17 grandchildren, his father- and mother-in law (Randall & Sharon Breckerbaumer, of Atlantic), many other relatives and friends.

Montgomery County YMCA receives $40k grant for aquatics pool project

News

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Montgomery County Family YMCA of Red Oak, Sunday, said the Y has received word that it will be a recipient of a $40,000 grant award from the Rural Iowa YMCA Facility Improvement Grant Program, which is administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Nick Zimmer, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Family YMCA, said in a Press Release, that the grant award is a major part of the estimated $65,000 needed for the YMCA’s planned Interior Resurfacing project of the Wilson Aquatics Center Pool.

According to Zimmer, “The grant will continue to allow the YMCA to be the number one educational water safety resource center for the southwest Iowa regional counties that we serve. As one of the few indoor aquatic centers in southwest Iowa, we can continue to build on our established water exercise and physical rehabilitation programs through strengthening our collaborative partnership with our county and area hospitals for more health programming for all ages. Socially, the center brings people of all ages together, which allow each generation to better understand and respect one another.”

The Rural Iowa YMCA Facility Improvement Grant Program has distributed $1,000,000 to 18 rural Iowa YMCAs over the past two years. The program seeks to strengthen rural Iowa communities by investing in facility infrastructure projects to sustain youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility initiatives at YMCAs located in communities with populations of 28,000 or less.

Funding for the program is made possible though an appropriation by the Iowa Legislature from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund. The fund was established in Iowa code in 1994 and is the primary funding source for the State of Iowa financed public infrastructure-related expenditures.

Zimmer added that “The YMCA Board of Director’s in August 2016 approved a strategic plan that addresses the priorities of Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibilities for our 2500 members. The focus of the plan is to address the high rate of chronic disease and obesity in our community, plus, how we can better serve the needs of an aging population.” The Aquatic Center, he said, “Is vital to the plan by providing the necessary facility and wide range of programming for our constituency’s needs to be met…..Our swimming pool is ADA accessible, so no one is denied access to the pool.”

The YMCA Facility Committee and Board of Directors will be studying information related to the project timeline in January 2017 so as to limit the amount of pool down-time for the project’s completion. For more information on the Wilson Aquatics Center Pool Interior Resurfacing project or how one can become a member, volunteer, donor, or simply involved with the Montgomery County Family YMCA, please stop in for a visit or tour of the YMCA, call the YMCA at 712-623-2161, or visit the YMCA on Facebook, or the Y’s website at www.mcymca.com.

Marijuana growing operation found in Shelby County – 4 arrested

News

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A search warrant executed Saturday in Shelby County during an ongoing investigation, resulted in the discovery of a marijuana growing operation, and four arrests. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies executed the warrant at 2036 Timber Road in rural Manilla. Four people living in the home were taken into custody. They were identified as 48-year old Sherryle Gorka, 51-year old Randall Ballard, 21-year old Alexander Gorka, and 20-year old Sophia Kurtz.

The suspects were charged with Manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, gathering where controlled substances are used, and Child Endangerment.

Iowa rallies past Michigan 86-83 in OT

Sports

January 1st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Peter Jok scored 25 points, including a decisive 3 with 1:16 left in overtime, and Iowa rallied to beat Michigan 86-83 on Sunday for its fifth straight win over the Wolverines. Freshman Jordan Bohannon added 17 points and six assists for the Hawkeyes (9-6, 1-1 Big Ten), who overcame a monster game by Michigan’s D.J. Wilson for their sixth win in seven games.

Derrick Walton Jr.’s breakaway layup with 21 seconds to go pulled Michigan (10-4, 0-1) within 84-83. But Jok hit two free throws after a hard foul, and Wilson clanked a 3 off the backboard that would’ve likely forced a second overtime.

Wilson set a career high with 28 points, and he added 14 rebounds and six assists. Duncan Robinson scored 15 off the bench for the Wolverines, who were just 12 of 35 from 3-point range. Tyler Cook had 11 points with eight assists in his first start since November for Iowa.