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WILBUR “BUD” WOODWARD, 97, of Atlantic and formerly of Lewis (4-28-2015)

Obituaries

April 22nd, 2015 by Jim Field

WILBUR “BUD” WOODWARD, 97, of Atlantic and formerly of Lewis died Tuesday, April 21st at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic.  A celebration of life service for WILBUR “BUD” WOODWARD will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at 10:30 am in the United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis.  Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

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Visitation with the family will be held on Monday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the funeral home.

Private famly burial will be held prior to the service at the Oakwood Cemetery in Lewis.

Memorial may be made to the Oakwood Cemetery Association.

Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

WILBUR “BUD” WOODWARD is survived by:

Children:  Duane (Karen) Woodward of Lewis & Beth Ann (John) Myers of Emerson.

5 Grandchildren

10 Great-Grandchildren

CDC eyeing bird flu vaccine for humans, though risk is low

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Federal officials say they’re taking steps to create a human vaccine for the bird flu virus that’s affected the Midwest poultry industry, though they still consider the danger to be low. Dr. Alicia Fry, an influenza expert with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says they’re optimistic there won’t be any human cases of the H5N2 strain that has cost chicken and turkey producers nearly 6.8 million birds so far.

She said Wednesday that most human infections with other bird flu viruses have required close, prolonged contact with infected birds. So, officials are monitoring farm workers who’ve been exposed to affected flocks. Fry said the CDC has taken early steps toward developing a human vaccine in case it’s needed, but that’s a standard procedure with all emerging diseases.

MARIE MAXINE BUTTLER, 89, of Guthrie Center (4-24-2015)

Obituaries

April 22nd, 2015 by Jim Field

MARIE MAXINE BUTTLER, 89, of Guthrie Center died Tuesday, April 21st at the Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center.  Funeral services for MARIE MAXINE BUTTLER will be held on Friday, April 24th at 11:00 am in the First United Methodist Church in Guthrie Center.  Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center has the arrangements.

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Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the funeral home.

Burial in the Union Cemetery in Guthrie Center.

Online condolences may be left at www.twiggfuneralhome.com.

MARIE MAXINE BUTTLER is survived by:

Husband:  Wayne

Daughters:  Patricia Buttler and Pamela Buttler

Riding mowers stolen from Creston business

News

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Creston Police Department is investigating the theft of two riding mowers from a local business. Agrivision, in Creston, reported to authorities a 2004 and 2015 John Deere riding mower were taken from the business at 710 E. Taylor Street, sometime between Noon April 8th and 2:30-p.m. on April 20th. The loss was estimated at $10,029.

Massena City Council Special Session

News

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Massena will hold a Special Session Thursday evening. According to their agenda, the Council will review bids for spraying in the City Park. And they will discuss and/or act on: Nuisance addresses (with regard to the Urban Renewal Plan); Ball Park Bleachers; Manhole issues; and Sewer Rates.

The meeting begins at 6-p.m. on Thursday at the Massena City Hall.

Jones withdraws from Drake Relays

Sports

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Des Moines native Lolo Jones has withdrawn from the 2015 Drake Relays. KCCI-TV says according to Drake Relay officials, Jones, the No. 3 women’s 100-meter hurdler in the world, will not participate in that event or the shuttle hurdle relay, due to a minor injury she suffered during her workouts leading up to the Relays.

Despite Jones’ absence, the women’s Beijing World Championship Preview women’s 100-meter hurdles will feature six of the top 10 hurdlers in the world and defending Relays champion Kristi Castlin along with Olympic gold medalist Dawn-Harper Nelson.

House GOP back less spending than Senate Democrats, Branstad

News

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Leaders in the Republican-controlled Iowa House are offering their budget outline, which includes a lower overall spending goal than the plans put forth by the governor or the Democrat-majority Senate.  House Republicans released their plan Wednesday. Their budget would spend about $7.17 billion, compared to the $7.3 billion spending proposals from Senate Democrats and Republican Governor Terry Branstad.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, a Republican from Hiawatha, says House Republicans want spending to stay within the expected revenue for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. But Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal says the House proposal would cause “significant problems” in managing state government.

Democrats and Republicans remain at odds over how much new funding to provide to schools for the upcoming academic year.

Deep field expected at Drake Relays

Sports

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Higher purses have helped the Drake Relays attract some of its deepest fields in recent years. This year’s meet in the Iowa capital will feature many of the world’s best athletes.

Stars like LaShawn Merritt, Javier Culson, Dawn Harper-Nelson and hometown favorite Lolo Jones will headline the field for the 106th annual meet, which begins in earnest Thursday and concludes on Saturday.

Motion filed in Osborn Pott. County sex abuse case

News

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Defense attorneys for a Pottawattamie County man who was found guilty late last March on four counts of third-degree sexual abuse, have filed a motion for an acquittal or new trial. 47-year old John Osborn was found guilty by Fourth District Court Judge Richard Davidson on March 26th, with regard to sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl last summer. The Daily NonPareil reports Davidson will make a ruling on the motion for a new trial, on May 8th. Depending on the decision, sentencing in the case is also scheduled during that hearing.

Judge Davidson found that the state had proved Osborn and the girl engaged in sex acts on the night of July 16 into July 17, 2014. At trial it was revealed that Osborn and the girl had exchanged text messages and phone calls sexual in nature prior to the July night in question. Both the state and defense used a computer program to retrieve the messages, as Osborn and the girl had deleted the messages on their phones.

The 14-year-old testified that the sexual encounter occurred sometime that night in around 11 p.m. to midnight, while Osborn’s daughter slept in the family’s living room. In his verdict, Davidson said a “window of opportunity” for the acts opened from 11:05 to 11:35 p.m. At trial, Osborn told the court he went to bed at 11 p.m. and didn’t get up until the next morning. Osborn’s daughter testified that she was awake throughout the night until about 3 a.m.

In his motion, defense lawyers said new evidence had come to light. Text messages from Osborn’s daughter to a friend on the night in question were presented at trial, but Judge Davidson noted there was a window of time where the daughter could’ve fallen asleep. The attorney for Osborn noted that the daughter got a new iPhone on July 21st and the family thought all messages had transferred over. After the verdict against Osborn, the family used the computer program to check if any messages were missing and found additional messages from the daughter to the friend on the night of July 16th. The messages were sent numerous times from 10:47-p.m. through 11:31-p.m. , proving, according to the attorney, that the daughter could not have been asleep during the time frame in question.

The motion also questions the testimony of the 14-year-old girl, saying her timeline of events “varies throughout her testimony.” In the state’s resistance to the motion, Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Shelly Sedlak noted the prosecution “does not have to prove a specific time for the sex acts in any case.”

(Podcast) Backyard & Beyond, 4/22/15

Backyard and Beyond

April 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Lavon Eblen talks about the history of “Earth Day.”

Play