712 Digital Group - top

RONALD RAYMOND ELLSWORTH, 76, of Corley (Mass of Christian Burial 10/24/19)

Obituaries

October 21st, 2019 by Ric Hanson

RONALD RAYMOND ELLSWORTH, 76, of Corley, died Sunday, Oct. 20th, in Harlan. A Mass of Christian Burial for RONALD ELLSWORTH will be held 11-a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Harlan. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Wed., Oct. 23rd, from 2-until 8-p.m., with the family greeting friends from 5-until 7-p.m.

RONALD RAYMOND ELLSWORTH is survived by:

His wife – Peggy Ellsworth, of Corley.

His sons – Damon Ellsworth (& partner Tammy Nelson), of Harlan; Chad (Collen) Ellsworth, of Lubbock, TX; Dan (Missy) Ellsworth, of Erie, CO; Darrin (amy) Ellsworth, of Ely, IA; and Ben Ellsworth, of Colorado Springs, CO.

His daughter – Beth Ellsworth, of Harlan.

His brothers – Gary (Barb) Ellsworth, of Hillsboro, OR, and Mark (Marsha) Ellsworth, of Omaha.

His sisters – Judy (Henry) Scheffler, of Harlan, and Joyce Rabenberg, of Armour, SD.

8 grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Midwest Sports update: 10/21/19

Sports

October 21st, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — In case you missed it in Week 7 of the NFL season: It was a fitting form of protest, given the circus that NFL officiating has become, game after game, week after week: A trio of spectators wore clown makeup and black-and-white striped jerseys in the stands at the Detroit Lions’ home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Folks in the crowd booed during the pregame coin toss. And some more when the first yellow flag flew.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Denny Hamlin has won the chaotic NASCAR Cup Series elimination race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, holding off Chase Elliott on a second overtime restart to pick up some extra playoff points. Elliott managed to finish second and advanced to the round of eight on points when Brad Keselowski, whom he’d been dueling with all afternoon, got boxed in on the restart and lost too many spots.

MICHAEL “MIKE” JAMES HOPE, 63, of Avoca (Mass of Christian Burial 10/25/19)

Obituaries

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

MICHAEL “MIKE” JAMES HOPE, 63, of Avoca, died Friday, Oct. 18th, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan. A Mass of Christian Burial for MIKE HOPE will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, Oct. 25th, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Avoca, from 3-until 8-p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24th, with the family greeting friends from 5-until 8-p.m., and a Rosary taking place at 7-p.m.

Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery in Avoca.

MICHAEL “MIKE” JAMES HOPE is survived by:

His Mother – Mary Jean (Minar) Hope, of Omaha.

His wife – Rhonda Hope, of Avoca.

His daughters – Chantelle Hope & fiance’ Justin Harre), and Chondra Hope, all of Council Bluffs.

His son – Nicholas Hope, of Avoca.

His sister – Tamasine (Radley) Clemens, of Omaha.

His brothers – Thomas Hope, and Steve (Katy) Hope, all of Omaha, and Richard Hope, of Blair, NE.

(Update) 1 injured in an UTV accident near Lewis

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Emergency responders from Griswold and Lewis were called to the scene of a 4-wheel UTV accident northeast of Griswold this (Sunday) afternoon. Initial reports indicated an adult male was trapped under the machine in Turkey Creek, just east of 58488 Midway Road. The man was conscious and breathing, with a possible broken leg. The accident was reported at around 2:20-p.m.

In addition to the Griswold Fire and Rescue and Lewis 1st Responders, Medivac, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were sent to the scene soon after the call went out. Atlantic Fire & Rescue was asked to respond with their ATV, as the terrain where the accident took place was difficult to navigate.

According to reports, rescue crews walked nearly a mile along uneven terrain to the scene. When they arrived, they learned the victim had been ejected from the machine and was able to crawl out of the water onto the creek bank. A coordinated effort between the Griswold and Atlantic Fire and Rescue Departments took place in order to bring the man to an ambulance. Medivac transported the victim to the hospital. His name was not immediately released.

DALE LYNN MILLER, 71, of Republic, MO. (Svcs. 10/26/19)

Obituaries

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DALE LYNN MILLER, 71, of Republic, MO., died Friday, Oct. 18th. Funeral services for DALE MILLER will be held 2-p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26th, at the Pauley-Jones Funeral Home, in Harlan.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Saturday, from 11-a.m. until the time of service.

Burial is in the Valley View Cemetery in Persia (IA).

DALE MILLER is survived by:

His daughter – Meliszma (Nick) Phillips, of Billings, MT.

His brothers – Allan Miller, of Persia, and Russell Miller, of Loveland, CO.

His sister – Cindy Hulbert, of Council Bluffs.

DNR Conservation Officer helps rescue duck hunters

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

MONONA COUNTY, Iowa — The Iowa DNR reports that on Sunday October 20, at approximately 10:57 AM, Monona County dispatch received a call that Decatur Fire and Rescue was en-route to Tieville Bend Wildlife Management Area for a call of two hunters whose boat was sinking.  A father and teenage son were duck hunting on an oxbow lake within the Tieville Bend Wildlife Management Area and were motoring back to the boat ramp when their 14 foot johnboat began taking on water.

DNR Conservation Officer Gary Sisco and an Iowa State Patrol Trooper accompanied Decatur Fire and Rescue and pulled the hunters from their stranded vessel and transported them to shore.  Both individuals refused medical treatment.

Burt County, NE Fire and Rescue, Decatur, NE Fire and Rescue, Iowa State Patrol, and the Monona County Sheriff”s Office, along with DNR Conservation Officers Gary Sisco and Aaron Johnson were assisted with the rescue.

Body of missing kayaker, hunter recovered

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

HARRISON COUNTY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Sunday, that at around 9:13-a.m. Saturday, divers with the Midwest Regional Dive Team recovered the body of a Nebraska kayaker and hunter that was missing since Friday evening. The body has been identified as 33-year old Cody Bengford, of Bellevue, Nebraska.  The body has since been transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny for an autopsy.

Investigators believe Bengford left the boat ramp at the Nobles Lake Wildlife Management Area on Friday afternoon to head out for a bow hunt in the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge.  Bengford was reported missing that evening after he didn’t return. Two DNR Conservation Officers responded and began search and rescue efforts. Bengford’s overturned kayak was recovered a short time later along the north shoreline of the lake, however his body was not found. Search and rescue operations were suspended at 1:46am and resumed around 7:00am Saturday morning.

DNR Conservation Officers were assisted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Council Bluffs Fire Department, Harrison and Shelby County sheriff’s offices, Harrison and Shelby County Emergency Management, Missouri Valley Fire and Rescue, Modale Fire Department, Midwest Regional Dive Team, and the Iowa State Patrol.

Death of woman shot while driving in April remains a mystery

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Iowa investigators are working to determine who fatally shot a woman while she was driving in April. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports no arrests have been made yet in the April 28 death of Micalla Rettinger. She was a former softball player at the University of Northern Iowa who was driving home from work at a bar with two passengers when the shooting happened.

Rettinger died and one passenger was hurt in the shooting that happened in a remote area between Waterloo and Cedar Falls on Highway 218. Police Maj. Joe Leibold says the bullet and other evidence was recently sent to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms lab for additional testing.

Rettinger was from Lenexa, Kansas. She had been living in Waterloo since graduating in 2016 from college.

4-wheel off road accident NE of Lewis

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Emergency responders from Griswold and Lewis were called to the scene of a 4-wheel ATV accident northeast of Griswold this (Sunday) afternoon. An adult male was trapped under the machine in Turkey Creek, just east of 58488 Midway Road. The man was conscious and breathing, with a possible broken leg. The accident was reported at around 2:25-p.m.

Griswold Fire and Rescue, Lewis 1st Responders, Medivac, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were enroute to the scene soon after the call went out. Atlantic Fire & Rescue was asked to respond with their ATV, as the terrain where the accident took place was difficult to navigate.

No other details are currently available.

Exira-EHK School Board set to meet Monday evening

News

October 20th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Members of the Exira-EHK School Board are set to meet 6-p.m. Monday, in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. On their agenda is a Spartan Media Presentation, followed later on by discussion and/or action with regard to:

  • The Certified Enrollment numbers.
  • Approval of: the Certified Annual Report (CAR Report); Special Education Report; and the Transportation Report.
  • Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Audubon County Sheriff and Exira-EHK.
  • Approval of an Early Retirement Plan for the 2019-2020 School Year.
  • Approval the second reading of Board Policies.
  • and discussion/action with regard to Personnel Hires, Transfers, Resignations, etc.