More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell has made incredible strides in recruiting since taking over the program three years ago.
His Cyclone classes have ranked among the best in school history, and his 2019 recruiting haul is on pace to be the best in the history of the program, as Campbell announced 20 players signed letters of intent in the early signing period today.
“When you look at this class, it’s a class that really fits the mold of the culture of our program,” Campbell said. “We got great leadership, young men with great character and families, and I think guys that really have been committed to us for an extended period of time. What I really appreciate about this group is that even before the season began they saw the vision of where this program was going and where it has the ability to go. All of these guys have big-time impact ability. We were able to touch on every position group. As you see us continue to build the program, it’s touching all those areas where you continue to allow great competition as well as building great depth within your program. This group certainly does that for us.”
ISU’s 2019 recruiting class is currently ranked 35th nationally, fourth in the Big 12 and has a composite rating of .854 by 247Sports, all totals which are on pace to set school marks.
Three players in this year’s class are four-star recruits by 247Sports in RB Jirehl Brock (Quincy, Ill.), RB Breece Hall (Wichita, Kan.) and DE Blake Peterson (Alcester, S.D.). Brock rushed for over 2,000 yards and was named Illinois’ Gatorade Player of the Year and Hall also eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier and is invited to the 2019 All-American Bowl.
Both Brock and Hall are top-10 running backs nationally by 247Sports.
Peterson is the top player out of South Dakota and the No. 290 player nationally according to 247Sports.
Campbell had three Iowans ink with the Cyclones today in WR Darien Porter (Bettendorf), OL Jake Remsburg (West Des Moines) and LB Coal Flansburg (Solon).
Porter is rated as the fifth-best player in Iowa and the No. 63 wide receiver nationally by 247Sports and Remsburg is a two-time Des Moines Register Elite Team All-State pick.
“You look at the programs they come from, and all three guys come from high school programs where their football coaches are great leaders and developers,” Campbell said about the Iowa signees. “These are guys that know how to win and what it takes to be successful. All three of them lived that during their high school careers. I think it was really huge for us to keep young men from this state that really understand the values of this fanbase and what we are building here. It is great for us to get three of the best in the state of Iowa to stay home.”
Campbell also announced that Hall, Peterson, QB Easton Dean (Altamont, Kan.) and OL Jarrod Hufford (Newark, Ohio) will be early enrollees and begin classes at Iowa State in the spring semester. All four will compete in spring practice.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating a man’s death in central Des Moines as a homicide. Officers sent Wednesday afternoon to check on a resident found the man’s body. His name hasn’t been released, and police have not said what led officers to suspect a crime had been committed. No arrests have been reported. Police say the slaying is Des Moines’ 11th homicide of the year.
Jim Field has Part 1 of a two-part visit with the Shepherd family of Brainerd, Minnesota. 6 year old Ken, 4 year old Keith and 2 year old Steve were caught with their parents in the Exira flood of 1958. They clung to a gravel truck overnight to survive the disaster as part of the “Lucky 13.”
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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Creston Police report a woman from Creston was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. 36-year old Candace Russell was taken into custody at around 1:35-a.m., for OWI/2nd offense. She was being held in the Adams County Jail for Union County, on a $2000 bond.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Appeals Court has ordered a resentencing for a man imprisoned for beating an 11-year-old boy. The Sioux City Journal reports that the court ruled Wednesday that the trial judge considered an improper sentencing factor when giving 36-year-old Matthew Spaans four years in prison. Spaans and his wife, Nina Spaans, of Hawarden, pleaded guilty to four counts of child endangerment. She received a four-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on two years of probation.
Records say Matthew Spaans beat his stepson with his hands, a 56-inch sword and another item, severely bruising the boy. The documents say the boy was told to make up stories about his bruises or his next beating would be worse.
Police in Council Bluffs say two men, one wearing a Batman costume, the other a green, full-body suit, robbed a Casey’s General Store early this (Thursday) morning. The incident happened a little before 4-a.m., at the 2301 South 24th Street Casey’s in Council Bluffs. The men appeared to be brandishing a rifle and a sword. The robbers gave the clerk a bag, who filled it with an undisclosed amount of cash. The two suspects then left the store through the back door.
The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information that may help solve the crime, call the Council Bluffs Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.