Mom who left kids alone to visit Germany takes plea deal

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa mother accused of leaving her four children home alone to travel to Europe has taken a plea deal. Johnston resident Erin Macke entered Alford pleas Monday in Polk County District Court to four counts of child endangerment. In exchange prosecutors will drop a charge of making a firearm available to a person under age 21. In an Alford plea, a person doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a likely conviction. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 19.

Police were called to her home in September by the children’s father, who said the kids — two age 12, one 7, one 6 — had been left alone. Police say Macke failed to make child care arrangements before leaving Sept. 20 for a 10-day Germany vacation.

Posted in News |

Audubon Police Report (2/26)

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports three arrests. On Feb. 18th, 32-year old Skielynn Laverne Stephens, of Audubon, was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication, Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possessing a Controlled Substance in a Detention Facility. Stephens was transported to the Audubon County Jail and released the following day after appearing before a magistrate.

On Feb. 20th, 20-year old Jay Robert Edwin Pedrin, of Audubon, was arrested on an active Cass County Warrant, and was released to Cass County authorities. And, on Feb. 23rd, 23-year old Collin Jacob Wernimont, of Carroll, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. Wernimont was transported to the Audubon County Jail where he later posted bond and was released.

(12:40-p.m. News)

Posted in News |

AP Men’s Basketball Top 25 02/26/2018

February 26th, 2018 by admin

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ men’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 25, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

	Record	Pts	Prv
1. Virginia (48)	26-2	1608	1
2. Michigan St. (17)	28-3	1571	2
3. Xavier	25-4	1422	4
4. Villanova	25-4	1416	3
5. Duke	24-5	1362	5
6. Kansas	23-6	1272	8
7. Gonzaga	27-4	1231	6
8. Purdue	26-5	1178	9
9. North Carolina	22-7	1140	10
10. Cincinnati	25-4	1013	11
11. Wichita St.	23-5	945	13
12. Texas Tech	22-7	887	6
13. Ohio St.	24-7	791	16
14. Auburn	24-5	781	12
15. Michigan	24-7	753	17
16. Tennessee	21-7	564	19
17. Rhode Island	23-4	558	18
18. Clemson	21-7	499	15
19. Arizona	22-7	450	14
20. West Virginia	21-8	429	21
21. Nevada	25-5	386	20
22. Saint Mary’s (Cal)	27-4	318	22
23. Kentucky	20-9	174	–
24. Middle Tennessee	23-5	144	24
25. Houston	22-6	45	23

Others receiving votes: TCU 41, Butler 34, St. Bonaventure 29, NC State 28, Creighton 26, Loyola of Chicago 8, Southern Cal 7, Florida St. 4, Seton Hall 3, Arkansas 3, Virginia Tech 2, Oklahoma 1, Florida 1, Boise St. 1.

Posted in Sports |

Agents search Iowa AAU coach’s cabin in nude videos case

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DELHI, Iowa (AP) — Investigators have seized a trove of electronic devices from a northeastern Iowa cabin owned by a prominent youth basketball coach under investigation for allegedly making videos of naked boys. Greg Stephen, co-director of the Iowa Barnstormers, left the traveling youth organization Thursday after agents searched his Monticello home.

Newly available documents show agents also searched a cabin in a recreation area near Lake Delhi. Investigators say Stephen occasionally spent weekends there and used it for summertime group gatherings with players. Agents seized smartphones, tablets, flip phones, hard drives, thumb drives, memory cards and digital video cassettes.

Stephen hasn’t been charged and his father says he’s done nothing wrong. The searches came after a source gave police a device from Stephen’s home that contained video clips of underage males disrobing in a hotel bathroom.

Several Barnstormers players have gone on to play Division I college basketball.

Posted in News, Sports |

DEE ROBERT KRUEGER, 97, of Panora (Svcs. 3/3/18)

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DEE ROBERT KRUEGER, 97, of Panora, died Saturday, Feb. 24th, at the New Homestead in Guthrie Center. Funeral services for DEE ROBERT KRUEGER will be held 11-a.m. Saturday, March 3rd, at the Panora Church of the Brethren. Twigg Funeral Home in Panora has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Friday, March 2nd, from 4-until 6-p.m.

Burial will be in the Richland Township Cemetery in rural Guthrie Center.

DEE ROBERT KRUEGER is survived by:

His son – Alex, of Bagley.

His daughter – Harriet (John) Gushue, of Hudson, WI.

2 granddaughters, other relatives, and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

Atlantic Rising is Seeking Award Nominations

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Rising, a civic-minded social group for networking and social events, will host their 5th Annual Awards Luncheon and Dessert Gala on April 27th, 2018 and are seeking community-wide nominations for the awards. The awards are designed to recognize the achievements of young professionals who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and innovation in their profession and within the community. The awards are open to any Young Professional that meets the following criteria: the professional is between the age of 21-45 years old as of January 1, 2018, and the professional either works or resides within Cass County.

Young Professionals will be nominated for their excellence in four different categories: YP Newcomer, YP Entrepreneur, YP Business Leader and YP Public Servant. There will also be one YP Choice Workplace Award given. The YP Choice Workplace Award recognizes a company who effectively attracts, retains and develops young professionals. Individuals can either nominate their company or another company. Companies must be Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce members. You can check the membership directory at www.atlanticiowa.com for eligibility. Nominees for Newcomer, Entrepreneur, Business Leader, and Public Servant do not need to be members of Atlantic Rising to be eligible for nomination.

The winners for the Young Professional Awards in 2017 included: David Wiederstein – Public Servant of the Year, Brian Ruge – Newcomer of the Year, Nate Robinson – Entrepreneur of the Year, Brad Henningsen – Business Leader of the Year, and Rolling Hills Bank – Choice Workplace of the Year. To submit a nomination, go to www.atlanticiowa.com for a nomination form or pick one up at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Office (102 Chestnut, Atlantic, IA 50022). All nomination forms must be submitted by Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 by 5 PM. The 2018 Atlantic Rising Dessert Gala & Awards is sponsored by Megan Roberts, State Farm.

The Atlantic Rising nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee including: an AR Representative, an Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Board Representative, a member of CADCO, an Atlantic City Official and an out of town guest. The mission of Atlantic Rising is to connect, engage and attract young leaders into the community while promoting the greater Atlantic area. Members are young professionals between the ages of 21-45. Any interested individuals can contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 for more information on joining.

Posted in News |

Fremont County man arrested on warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports that at around 3-p.m. February 23rd, 24-year old Dominic Douglas Aistrope, of Randolph, was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. Aistrope turned himself in at the Page County Sheriff’s Office in Clarinda. Aistrope bonded out of jail once he was seen by a Magistrate.

Aistrope

Posted in News |

Girl Scouts to sell part of Dubuque-area campground

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

EPWORTH, Iowa (AP) — Girl Scouts officials plan to sell part of an eastern Iowa campground in the latest move to reduce property holdings and adjust to changes in demand from the youth it serves.
Stacy Conforti serves as director of property and outdoor program for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Conforti tells the Telegraph Herald that the group intends to divest between 50 and 90 acres of its 154-acre Camp Little Cloud property in the Dubuque area.

She says the property is sloping timberland and not integral to the Girl Scouts’ programming. The group spent about $139,000 to keep the property open but the camp recouped only $34,000 in revenue.
Officials are contacting camp neighbors to gauge interest in purchasing the property. The parcel’s location and price haven’t been finalized yet.

Posted in News |

Adair County Sheriff’s report (2/26)

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports five recent arrests. 42-year old Nicole Lee Glendinning, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police at around 11:25-p.m. Feb. 22nd. She was taken into custody on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear in court Feb. 19th, on an original OWI/1st Offense, charge. Her cash or surety bond was set at $1,000, and she must complete a substance abuse evaluation before being released.

At around 11:15-a.m. Feb. 22nd, Adair County Deputies arrested 22-year old Ashley Nicole Kelly, of Des Moines, on an Adair County felony warrant for Violation of Probation. Kelly was being held without bond, until seen by a judge. On Feb. 19th at around 12:07-p.m., 54-year old Toni Lynn Reese, of Bridgewater, was arrested on an Adair County warrant to serve a sentence. She was transported to the Iowa Women’s Correctional Facility in Mitchellville, per court order. That same day, 19-year old Brennen Meyer Weiland, of Greenfield, was arrested on an Adair warrant for: Possession of Meth/1st offense, and carrying a knife with a blade 5 inches long, or longer, violating the terms of his pre-trial release. Weiland was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 cash only bond.

32-year old Sherrece Patricia Kilgore, of Bridgewater, was arrested Feb. 18th, at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Serve Court Ordered Jail time. She was being held in the jail without bond, pending completion of her sentence. And, a juvenile was arrested by Adair County Deputies, but additional information was not released, due to their age.

Posted in News |

Dead fish appear as eastern Iowa marina thaws

Ag/Outdoor, News

February 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — The late-winter thawing of an eastern Iowa marina has left anglers and birds with a smelly surprise: thousands of tiny dead shad. Fish in Burlington’s Bluff Harbor Marina slowly ran out of oxygen during two months of freezing temperatures and ice build-up. Harbormaster Jon Billups tells the Hawk Eye that using bubblers to churn air and oxygen into the marina and keep ice down didn’t help this winter.

The ice thawing exposes the silvery fish, not much bigger than minnows, frozen where they were swimming. Billups says fishermen are invited to collect the shad to use as bait. Pelicans, gulls and eagles have already begun to make meals out of the dead fish.

The shad will likely flow into the Mississippi River as currents return to the marina.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

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