United Group Insurance

Iowa man arrested after allegedly flashing gun during road rage incident

News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

A Cedar Rapids man was arrested after police said he flashed a handgun at a driver in a road rage incident on Interstate 380 in Johnson County on Wednesday. According to KCRG-TV, a criminal complaint says 36-year-old Shawn Pettit is charged with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Law enforcement said they were called by a driver heading south on I-380 near mile marker 4, saying a heavy-set, bald man driving a Chevy Silverado had flashed a handgun at them after brake-checking in front of them.

The caller told police the driver of the truck was driving “extremely fast,” well over the posted speed limit and weaving in and out of traffic. Police said they later found the truck with the same license plate number and description near the 87-mile marker on Highway 218.

According to the complaint, Pettit admitted to having a handgun in the vehicle and admitted to having the confrontation with the victim while driving fast and weaving in and out of traffic on I-380 through Johnson County.

FREYLER, KLOTZ RECEIVE NICK BASSETT PERSEVERANCE AWARD

Sports

May 2nd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell announced Thursday that seniors Beau Freyler and Stevo Klotz are this season’s recipients of the Nick Bassett Perseverance Award.

Nick Bassett was a supporter, fan and friend not only to the Cyclone Football program, but to the entire Iowa State community. He had various health struggles from age two until he passed away in January of 2022 at 29 years old. 

Nick served as an inspiration to everyone he met. His continued positive spirit, attitude toward adversity of all kinds, ability to persevere through challenges he faced and continued support and love for those he cared about provided an illustration all people can learn from – both in the Iowa State community and around the world. Nick’s life and legacy continues to impact Iowa State’s players, staff, fans and the entire program in tremendous ways.

The award recognizes two football players annually at the conclusion of spring football practice each season. The players that earn the honor are selected based on exemplifying the characteristics of that we remember Nick by: positive spirit, perseverance and selflessness.

Freyler is a senior from Colorado Springs, Colorado, while Klotz is a redshirt senior from Chaska, Minnesota. The pair will wear a Nick Bassett Perseverance Award decal on the back of their helmets next season.

Nick Bassett Perseverance Award Recipients

2022 – Zach Ross, Tayvonn Kyle

2023 – Jake Remsburg, Gerry Vaughn

2024 – Beau Freyler, Stevo Klotz

ISU professor says it’s often unsafe for farmers to pull over to let motorists pass

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – State records show about 30 percent of farm-related crashes on Iowa roads occur during April, May and June. Steven Freeman, a professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, says farmers need to make sure all lights on their equipment are working and the “slow moving vehicle” signs and reflective markers are in the right position. “That maintenance is something that will help the motorists see them,” Freeman says. Freeman says in rural areas, drivers need to exercise patience and keep their distance from farm equipment.

“Even if they have to follow farm equipment for a couple of miles, that’s just a couple of minutes out of their day,” Freeman says. “They should not try to pass because sometimes that’s not going to be safe and they should not be impatient and honking and expecting the farmer to pull over and let them by because sometimes that’s not safe.”

Freeman says the side of the road, especially a gravel road, may not support the weight of the farm equipment and pulling over to let a vehicle pass endangers the safety of the farmer. From 2017 to 2022, there were 114 vehicle accidents in Iowa involving farm equipment that caused serious injury or death. Widespread rain has likely paused planting in much of the state. The U-S-D-A estimates 39 percent of Iowa’s corn crop and about a quarter of Iowa’s soybean fields were planted by last Sunday.

Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARC) to offer on-site assistance to the victims of the recent tornado in Minden

News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency have announced A Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) will offer on-site assistance this weekend, to survivors of the April 26th tornado that devastated the City of Minden. The town is where most of the damage in Pott. County occurred, and MARC is designed to operate as a one-stop shop assistance center for disaster survivor information, and service delivery. Approximately 15 organizations available will be in Minden to offer assistance this Saturday and Sunday.

MARC will operate at the Minden United Church of Christ on Saturday, May 4th, from 9-a.m. until Noon, and on Sunday, May 5th, from 1-until-4-p.m.

Available assistance at the MARC will include health and mental services, temporary housing, legal services, and more. Efforts to establish future MARCs are being coordinated, with possible locations in Crescent, Treynor, and Council Bluffs. Regardless of the location, the MARCs will be open to all Pottawattamie County residents impacted by the tornado outbreak.

Officials say assessments on structural damage throughout the county are ongoing and will take time to accurately complete. Officials currently estimate approximately 300 homes and businesses in the county experienced some level of damage. In Minden, officials currently assess 48 homes as destroyed, displacing resident occupancy. Access to the city has been limited to city residents, public safety personnel, and utility crews, as safety hazards remain an obstacle. Officials are hopeful outside volunteer assistance will be allowed entry in the coming days.
Power has been restored to all homes and businesses capable of receiving in Minden. The State of Iowa has partnered with the City of Minden to obtain contract services for a temporary water treatment plant and a debris removal contract that will expedite recovery.

There has been no communicated need for food, water, or emergency shelter anywhere in Pottawattamie County. Currently, all communities in the county have received sufficient donations of household items. Disaster survivors can access these resources from multiple locations.
• Crescent City Hall, 102 W Florence Street, Crescent, Iowa
• Neola Area Community Center, 110 4th Street, Neola, Iowa
• Treynor City Hall, 11 West Main Street, Treynor Iowa

Monetary donations can be made to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund to support areas impacted throughout the region (GiveWesternIowa.org). A separate fund is being established for donations designated specifically to the community of Minden, and information on how to make that donation will be announced in the coming days.
As local and state officials explore opportunities for federal funding, it is vital property owners report storm-related damage on the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency website, pcema-ia.org.

MAY BIRTHDAYS 2024

Birthday Club

May 2nd, 2024 by Lori Murphy

May 1:

  • Bill Paulsen of Exira (winner)
  • Knox Paulsen of Anita

May 2:

  • Don “Mr. Frog” Ozbun of Atlantic (winner)
  • Jason Ploen of Minden

May 3:

  • Gavin Leighton of Atlantic (winner)

May 4:

  • Isabell Wheatley of Avoca (winner)

May 5:

  • Donna Phillips of Anita (winner)

May 6:

  • No birthdays submitted

May 7:

  • Nora Ann Knudsen of Atlantic (Winner)
  • Jim Phillips of Anita
  • Violet Knight of Atlantic

May 8:

  • Penny LaFoy of Audubon (Winner)
  • Kurt Haupert of Atlantic
  • Kim at the Chuckwagon in Adair
  • Tristan Mathisen of Lewis

May 9:

  • Donna Karwal of Atlantic (winner)
  • Viola Phippen of Stuart
  • Kirk Bradley of Atlantic
  • Joe Nelsen of Anita
  • Christie Wallcae of Griswold

May 10:

  • Ashley Williams of Atlantic (winner)

May 11:

  • Angela Hillhouse of Atlantic (winner)
  • Amy Roland of Atlantic

May 12:

  • Jackie Knight of Atlantic (winner)

May 13:

  • Leiah Thomas 0f Atlantic (winner)
  • Dane Andersen of Waukee

May 14:

  • Marilyn Vernon of Atlantic (winner)
  • Pete Tallman of Atlantic

May 15:

  • No Birthdays

May 16:

  • No Birthdays

May 17:

  • Kelly Templeman of Atlantic (winner)

May 18:

  • Eric Gundersen of Atlantic (winner)
  • Walker Embree of Massena

May 19:

  • Dick Hensley of Atlantic (winner)
  • Gage Lauritsen of Exira
  • Steve Andersen of Atlantic
  • Darrin Feltner of Omaha, Nebraska

May 20:

  • Mary Greving of Exira (Winner)
  • Brenton Lambert of Atlantic
  • Susan Gray of Atlantic
  • Jacque Wickey of Atlantic

May 21:

  • Maddi Zellmer of Atlantic (Winner)
  • Ellie Jane Schultes of Exira
  • Margaret Haley of Exira

May 22:

  • Michelle Finnell of Atlantic (Winner)

May 23:

  • Joann Anderson of Atlantic (Winner)

May 24:

  • Jenn Nelson of Audubon (Winner)
  • Rae Ome Conn of Atlantic
  • Paul Schmidt of Harlan

May 25:

  • Mary Copp of Elk Horn (Winner)
  • Fred Sievers of Audubon
  • Charla Schmid of Red Oak

May 26:

  • Floyd Hackwell of Exira (Winner)
  • Ben Nelson of Audubon

May 27:

  • Bailie Duncan of Anita (winner)
  • Steve Farrier of Atlantic
  • Angel Honeck of Atlantic
  • Mandy Parks of Atlantic
  • Nancy Hepler of Atlantic

May 28:

  • Bev Olsen of Exira (winner)
  • Emily Kennedy of Atlantic
  • Robin “Papa” Jones of Atlantic

May 29:

  • Lucy Newton of Atlantic (winner)
  • Bill Edie of Atlantic
  • Doug Pankonan of Adair
  • Mike Hill of Cumberland
  • Stephanie Williams Landsown of Atlantic

May 30:

  • Alan Peterson of Atlantic (winner)
  • Vicki Templeman of Atlantic

May 31:

  • Marge Klindt of Atlantic (winner)
  • Ralph Cleveland of Exira

 

Pella Tulip Festival underway

News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The annual Pella Tulip Festival gets underway today (Thursday) as the community celebrates its Dutch heritage. Pella Historical Museum executive director, Jessi Galligan  says they’ve survived the recent warmer and wetter. “It’s been wonderful weather mixed with some not so wonderful weather but the weather can’t stop the fun,” she says. Some of the tulips did mature and bloom earlier than normal, but there’s still plenty of color for the event. “We plant early mid and late blooming varieties to extend that,” she says. “of course Mother Nature has the last word on how things actually end up. So we had tulips blooming already in February, but we still have tulips blooming today, so it was an extraordinarily long blooming season,” Galligan says. You’ll see a lot of different tulips around the town.

“Our early bloomers are for sure done. Our mid bloomers are looking a little rough, they’re on their way out, but our late bloomers are still just perfect,” she says. The recent storms and rains haven’t dampened the enthusiasm of organizers. “Yeah, tulips are a hearty flower so the rain obviously is good for them and their growth period. If the rain is too heavy and the tulips are on their way out then perhaps that will hasten their to their their petals falling,” she says. “But you know, we’ve gotten a decent mount of rain, nowhere near what some other communities in Iowa have gotten. But it really hasn’t hurt him too bad the ones that are still looking good or are still looking good.” The Tulip Festival will also have the old favorite foods, parades and other events, along with some new things.

“We are excited to have a brand new mural set up between the Vermeer Windmill and the entrance to the gift shop. Welcome to Tulip Time, so make sure you get your picture there. And I know a couple other new murals have popped up around the community sponsored by other organizations in town so make sure you check out all the murals in town. And I believe with this new one there will be for around the community to check out,” Galligan says.

The events run through Saturday. You can find the complete schedule at pellahistorical.org.

Ernst Leads 34 Senators Demanding Biden Stop Plan to Welcome Gazan Refugees

News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

WASHINGTON – Following reports that the Biden administration is planning to welcome Gazan refugees into the United States, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led 34 of her colleagues in demanding the president stop his plan, citing concerns of potential terrorist ties, and instead focus his efforts on returning Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

“Your administration’s reported plan to accept Gazan refugees poses a national security risk to the United States. With more than a third of Gazans supporting the Hamas militants, we are not confident that your administration can adequately vet this high-risk population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States…We are also frustrated that your administration is pushing ahead with a plan to evacuate Gazans from the Strip when there are still American citizens held hostage by Hamas. We demand that your administration cease planning for accepting Gazan refugees until you adequately answer our concerns and focus your attention instead on securing the release of U.S. hostages held by Hamas,” the senators wrote.

Ernst’s office says a recent poll found that over 70% of Gazans viewed Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel as the “correct” decision.

 They pointed out that, “We must ensure Gazans with terrorist ties or sympathies are denied admission into the United States—no easy feat, given the fact that the Gazans were the ones who voted Hamas into power in 2006. Without thorough vetting, your administration may inadvertently accept terrorists posing as refugees into the interior. This is especially the case as Hamas terrorists have a long track record of co-mingling with civilian populations in Gaza.”

The lawmakers added,  “Unfortunately, the risk of terrorists entering our homeland is no hypothetical matter. Border officials have arrested 169 people on the FBI terror watch lists in Fiscal Year 2023, a record-setting number that exceeds the total of the last six fiscal years combined. Apprehended terrorists include a Hezbollah fighter who intended “to make a bomb” and was headed for New York. Given your administration’s abject failure at countering the flow of potential terrorists at our border, how can Congress trust your administration to adequately vet the refugees crossing the Egypt-Gaza border, located nearly 6,000 miles away from Washington, D.C.?”

To prevent bringing a national security threat into our homeland at the taxpayer’s expense, the senators requested President Biden answer how many refugees his administration is planning to accept, what screening will be in place to prevent terrorist sympathizers from reaching our homeland, the cost to the taxpayer, whether the administration has consulted with partners in the region, and the locations for refugee housing.

Read the full letter here.

Iowa National Guard to Host Region IV Best Warrior Competition & Community Party This Weekend

News

May 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Johnston, IA – The National Guard’s Region IV Best Warrior Competition is a rigorous event where soldiers from various states demonstrate their skills in fitness, marksmanship, and combat readiness, competing to earn the prestigious title of “Best Warrior”. Soldiers from seven states have won their respective state’s competition and will gather to compete for the right to move on to the national competition. This is the first time is seven years that the regional competition has been hosted in Iowa.

The competition is scheduled to take place from May 3rd to May 5th, 2024, at Camp Dodge, and for the first time ever, other locations within the Johnston community. The competition will culminate with a community-focused town party and awards presentation at the Johnston Town Center.

The town party, set for Sunday, May 5th, between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., is free and open to the public. The event will feature live music by the 34th Army Band’s Rock Group 42R, food trucks, and activities perfect for all ages. An awards ceremony will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. to recognize the achievements of the soldiers participating in the competition.

Prior to the town party, members of the public are welcome to view select portions of the competition, which include physical fitness tests, obstacle courses, and water survival tasks. The public can observe the final leg of the ruck march at Crown Point and Terra Park from 8:00 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., and cheer on soldiers as they complete the competition at Johnston City Hall from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Iowa National Guard soldiers, Sergeant Lucas Peterson, a 68W Combat Medic from Boone, and Private First Class Shawn Halverson, an 11B Infantryman from Ames, will be representing Iowa in the competition.

For more information on the Best Warrior Competition and the town party, attendees are encouraged to visit the Iowa National Guard’s Facebook event page.

Atlantic Trojans Girls Softball preview with Coach Terry Hinzman

Sports

May 2nd, 2024 by admin

The Atlantic Trojans girls’ softball season is getting ready for their 2024 season. The Trojans are coming off a 3-2 loss to Davis County in the Class 3A Region 4 championship game last year. Atlantic ended had 23-16 record overall and had a 16-4 record in the Hawkeye Ten Conference last season.

The Trojans are coached by Terry Hinzman, who is in his 16th year as the head coach.

 

The Trojans got better as the season went along last year.

Many of the Trojan softball players participated in leagues over the summer.

Coach Hinzman talked about what his team goals are for this season.

The first Trojans softball game will be Monday May 20th at the Atlantic Little League Complex.

Heartbeat Today 5-2-2024

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

May 2nd, 2024 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with 2024 Griswold High School seniors Grant Rogers, Karly Millikan and Dakota Reynolds.

Play