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Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., May 27th 2015

News

May 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a sprinkler helped contain an overnight fire at a Des Moines high school. The Des Moines Fire Department says it responded to a fire at East High School shortly before midnight Monday. Authorities discovered a pressure washer that had been on fire but was extinguished by a single sprinkler head. The device was part of an automatic sprinkler system that activates at a certain temperature. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State officials say there are two probable cases of bird flu in Adair and Webster counties in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says initial testing at two commercial laying operations were positive for bird flu. The operations have a combined total of about 1.1 million birds. The agency says if the disease is confirmed, all birds on the properties will be euthanized. It would also mean there are now 66 cases of the disease in Iowa.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thousands have attended funeral services for Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco. They heard a priest say she loved helping others in times of need and serving as a peacemaker. The Iowa native who was fatally shot last week while serving a warrant is being buried at a cemetery in Council Bluffs, where she lived.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some lawmakers are back at the Iowa Capitol to continue budget talks. The Republican-led House and Democratic-majority Senate must determine an overall spending level and how much new money to provide to K-12 education.

Cardinals’ Gonzales slidelined by shoulder injury

Sports

May 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Cardinals pitching prospect Marco Gonzales won’t throw for about three weeks because of a shoulder injury. St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said Tuesday an MRI showed the 23-year-old left-hander has an impingement. Gonzales is on the roster of Triple-A Memphis, and he skipped a start in late April.

Mozeliak says Gonzales will be re-evaluated in a week to 10 days. Selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2013 amateur draft, Gonzales was among the spring-training contenders for the fifth starting. Gonzales was 4-2 with a 4.19 ERA in five starts for St. Louis last year and pitched in relief in the postseason. He is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in six minor league starts this year.

Garcia gets 1st win, Cardinals beat Diamondbacks 6-4

Sports

May 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Jaime Garcia won for the first time in nearly a year, working six solid innings, and Randal Grichuk homered for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 on Tuesday night. Grichuk and Jhonny Peralta had two RBIs each for the Cardinals, who are a major league-best 30-16. Garcia (1-1) hadn’t won since June 15 at home against the Nationals.

Rookie Yasmany Tomas had two doubles and three RBIs for Arizona, but also made two big outs. He struck out against Matt Belisle with the bases loaded to end the seventh and hit a ground ball for the final out with the tying runs in scoring position against Seth Maness, who earned his third save in four chances. Nick Ahmed homered for the Diamondbacks, who have lost eight of their last nine against St. Louis.

Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals strained his right quadriceps while running out a double in the fifth inning and has been removed from the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adams grabbed his right hip area rounding first base after his hit off reliever Vidal Nuno on Tuesday night. Mark Reynolds pinch ran for Adams.

Nebraska, Iowa schools look to attract monarch butterflies

News

May 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Students at schools in Nebraska and Iowa are joining others around the nation in planting milkweed plants to help attract monarch butterflies.
About 30 students and 10 adults last week planted milkweed, a plant that provides the only food for newly emerged butterfly larvae, behind St. Margaret Mary School in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that another group of students and volunteers also recently dug and planted milkweed at St. Albert School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The two schools were among 10 Catholic schools in the Midwest that received grants to start butterfly-friendly gardens from the National Catholic Education Association.

Creston woman arrested Wed. morning near Stanton

News

May 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop early this (Wednesday) morning north of Stanton in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest of a woman from Union County. Sheriff’s officials say at around 12:10-a.m., a vehicle driven by 46-year old Susan Rae Lemon, of Creston, was pulled over in the 2500 block of 210th Street. Lemon was subsequently charged with Driving While Barred and Open Container. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

Denmark Drive to close at U.S. 275/Iowa 92 in Council Bluffs on May 27th

News

May 26th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Office in Atlantic reports road construction work on Denmark Drive at Metro Crossing in Council Bluffs will require closing Denmark Drive at U.S. 275/Iowa 92 from Wed., evening May 27th, until sometime in mid-August. Metro Drive will remain open throughout construction.IA DOT

Northbound Interstate 29 on- and off-ramps at the U.S. 275/ Iowa 92 Interchange (Exit 47) are expected to remain closed for approximately one year. It is expected that additional lane closures will occur throughout the construction season.

Traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction on U.S. 275/Iowa 92 since June 2014 to allow for reconstruction of the new westbound bridges and adjoining pavement. In mid-August 2015, U.S. 275/Iowa 92 traffic will move from the eastbound lanes to the newly-finished westbound lanes.

I-29 may have one or two overnight closures near the interchange to remove the existing U.S. 275/Iowa 92 eastbound bridge after the traffic shifts to westbound lanes. Detours will be posted and drivers will be notified in advance.

Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29 and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The DOT says this comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect. If you would like more information about detours and traffic impacts visit the program website, www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov.

2 arrests in Mills County

News

May 26th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Two people were arrested recently in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday, 28-year old Konner Matthew Tourek, of Arlington, NE., was arrested just after 2-a.m. Saturday on Interstate 29. Tourek was charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000. And, at around 1:25-a.m. Tuesday, 27-year old Myles Dustin Longcor, of Malvern, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. His bond was set at $300.

2 injured in Mills County crash, Friday afternoon

News

May 26th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Two people were injured during a chain-reaction crash Friday afternoon, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday, at around 4:10-p.m., a 2002 Oldsmobile driven by Marilyn Krisinger, of Griswold, was turning right into the Emerson Cemetery from Highway 59, when her car was hit from behind by a 2006 Chevy, driven by Alexandra Sherman, of Shenandoah.Following the collision, Sherman’s car crossed into the opposite lane, forcing a 2014 Dodge driven by Dale Lauver, of Council Bluffs, to swerve right. When the Dodge made contact with Sherman’s vehicle, the impact caused the Lauver’s vehicle to spin around and end up in the north ditch. Sherman, and a passenger in the Krisinger vehicle, Judy Korytowski, of Omaha, were transported to Red Oak by Red Oak Rescue.

ORA “BILL” HUGH BABBITT, 90, of Avoca (Svcs. 5/29/15)

Obituaries

May 26th, 2015 by admin

ORA “BILL” HUGH BABBITT, 90, of Avoca, died Monday, May 25th, at his home in Avoca. Funeral Services for ORA BABBITT will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, May 29th at the Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca.

Visitation will be held at the Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca Thursday, May 28th from 2- until 8-pm.

Burial will be held at the Shelby Cemetery in Shelby

ORA “BILL” HUGH BABBITT is survived by:

His wife – Maye (Stormer) Babbitt from Avoca

His daughters- Connie Robinson, of Shelby; and Patricia (Rod) Blount, of Merriam, KS.

His son – Garvin (Judy) Babbitt, of Avoca.

His brother – Dell and his wife Sharon Babbitt, of Estes Park, Colorado.

His sister – Hyla Nash, of Atlantic.

9 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and 1 one the way.

Adair-Guthrie County EMA statement on Avian Influenza

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 26th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is responding to the PROBABLE CASE of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Adair County at the Rose Acres Stuart Egg Farm. According to Adair-Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf, the Department has quarantined the premises and once the presence of the disease is confirmed, all birds on the property will be humanely euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Stuart Egg Farm is a commercial laying operation with an estimated 975,000 birds. Initial testing showed it positive for H5 avian influenza. Additional confirmatory testing is pending from the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames.

Because of the possible economic impact if the disease is confirmed both the Adair & Guthrie County Board of Supervisors have approved Emergency Disaster Declarations as of May 26th. Kempf asks residents to “Please avoid this area to help eliminate the spread of any potential HPAI Virus and to allow work to be done.”

350th Street from Pinewood Road (P20) to Riverside Avenue is closed to Thru Traffic and Riverside Avenue from 350th Street to 110th Street is closed to all traffic to help with this situation. If you have question about HPAI you can contact the Iowa Concern Hotline at 800-447-1985 or go  to www.iowaagriculture.gov/avianinfluenza.asp