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Judge: Key evidence can be used in Mollie Tibbetts’ slaying

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — In a victory for prosecutors, a judge has ruled that they can use key evidence against the man charged with killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Judge Joel Yates agreed with prosecutors that some statements made by Cristhian Bahena Rivera must be suppressed because they came during an interrogation after he was not read his full legal rights.

But Yates ruled that prosecutors can use information provided by Rivera that led them to the body of Tibbetts, who disappeared in July 2018 while out running in Brooklyn, Iowa. He also ruled that they can use key blood evidence.

Posted in News |

CCHS to hold Red Cross Blood Drive Dec. 26th

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

On Thursday, December 26, CCHS will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm in Conference Room 2.  Those interested in donating can either walk in or make an appointment by contacting Britney Weirich at 712-243-7477 or weibc@casshealth.org OR by going to https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time and entering the sponsor code: CASSCO.

Posted in News |

Harlan Police report (12/23/19)

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Harlan Police Department reports the arrest on December 17th, of 22-year old Brett Donald Keane, of Harlan. Keane was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying weapons, theft in the 2nd Degree, possession of burglar’s tools and driving while suspended.

On Dec. 20th, Harlan Police arrested 19-year old Kyle David Confere, of Harlan. He was charged with domestic abuse assault. The following day, 43-year old Jennifer Marie Rowedder, of Harlan, was arrested on for allegedly making false reports.

Posted in News |

Hawkeyes to remove Tigerhawk logo from helmets for Holiday Bowl to honor Fry

Sports

December 23rd, 2019 by admin

SAN DIEGO — The University of Iowa announced Monday that it will remove the Tigerhawk from its helmet in honor of Hayden Fry when the Hawkeyes play USC on Friday at the Holiday Bowl.

It is the third time both Tigerhawks have been removed from the helmet for a football game. The first was Nov. 2, 1991, the day after six lives were lost in a shooting on the UI campus. The second was the 1996 Alamo Bowl, when Diane Mitchell, the mother of Iowa linebacker Mark Mitchell, was killed in a car crash on the way to San Antonio, Texas.

Fry was Iowa’s head football coach from 1979-98. He won three Big Ten Conference championships, took the Hawkeyes to 14 bowl games, and introduced the Tigerhawk logo to the athletics department, a logo that has become one of the most recognizable symbols in sports.

Fry passed away Dec. 17, 2019 at the age of 90.

The Hawkeye helmet will be without the Tigerhawk, but it will include a decal honoring former UI Athletics Director Bump Elliott. Elliott was Iowa’s director of athletics from 1970-91. He passed away Dec. 7, 2019 at the age of 94.

Elliott and Fry are both members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Fry is a member of the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame.

Comment from head coach Kirk Ferentz:

“We have had two big losses in the past month, so we are going to recognize Coach Elliott with a sticker on the back of our helmet that will say “Bump” on it. That was in the works a couple weeks ago. Then with Coach Fry passing last week, (we) talked to the family and I think we’re all in agreement that it will be a really nice thing to take the Tigerhawks off of the helmets on both sides. A precedent was set. He did that twice during his time and (the idea) was well received by his children. That is our plan right now. Next year we’ll do a commemorative patch. I think it’s really appropriate the governor requested the flags fly at half-staff this last week. It is a big loss for everybody in the state of Iowa and we’ll do all we can to respect that.”

No. 16 Iowa (9-3, 6-3) faces No. 22 Southern California (8-4, 7-2) at the 2019 Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Friday at 7:05 p.m. (CT). The game is televised on FS1. For ticket and bowl game information, visit hawkeyesports.com/ bowlcentral.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa Boys Basketball Prep Poll

Sports

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Top Ten teams in the Associated Press Iowa high school basketball poll with first-place votes in parentheses and won-loss record, total points and position last week at right:
Class 4A
Record Pts Prv
1. Waukee (5) 5-0 98 1
2. Ankeny Centennial (2) 6-0 91 2
3. Dubuque, Hempstead (2) 6-0 79 4
4. Sioux City, East (1) 7-0 61 5
5. Waterloo, West 5-1 51 6
6. Prairie, Cedar Rapids 6-0 43 9
7. Cedar Falls (1) 5-1 42 8
8. Iowa City, West 4-1 37 3
9. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines 5-1 35 7
10. Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 7-0 20 10
Others receiving votes: North Scott, Eldridge 18. Ankeny 11. Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 7. Dubuque, Senior 6. Linn-Mar, Marion 5. Iowa City Liberty 1.

Class 3A
Record Pts Prv
1. Assumption, Davenport (10) 6-0 108 2
2. Carroll (1) 5-0 89 5
3. Dallas Center-Grimes 6-0 77 6
4. Mount Vernon 6-0 65 7
5. Winterset 5-1 52 1
6. Harlan 6-0 51 8
7. Algona 6-0 47 9
8. Norwalk 4-2 32 4
9. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 3-2 20 3
10. Pella 4-2 14 NR
Others receiving votes: Glenwood 11. Central Clinton, De Witt 11. Clear Lake 9. MOC-Floyd Valley 9. Marion 8. Gilbert 1. Webster City 1.

Class 2A
Record Pts Prv
1. Beckman Catholic, Dyersville (5) 7-0 101 1
2. Treynor (2) 7-0 85 2
3. North Linn, Troy Mills 6-0 75 3
4. West Sioux, Hawarden (1) 8-0 71 5
(tie) Camanche (3) 5-0 71 4
6. Regina, Iowa City 5-1 39 8
7. Osage 7-0 36 9
8. Boyden-Hull 5-1 23 NR
9. Dike-New Hartford 6-0 22 NR
10. Van Meter 5-0 17 NR
Others receiving votes: Aplington-Parkersburg 15. Unity Christian, Orange City 13. Des Moines Christian 9. Monticello 8. West Burlington 5. Woodward-Granger 5. East Sac County 4. Pella Christian 4. Rock Valley 1. Tri-Center, Neola 1.

Class 1A
Record Pts Prv
1. St. Mary’s, Remsen (6) 6-0 103 1
2. Montezuma (1) 6-0 88 3
3. Bishop Garrigan, Algona (1) 7-1 78 2
4. Easton Valley 7-0 70 5
5. West Fork, Sheffield (1) 7-0 62 4
6. WACO, Wayland (1) 8-0 54 6
7. AHSTW (1) 8-0 41 7
8. Janesville 6-0 26 9
9. Lake Mills 5-1 24 8
10. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 6-0 15 NR
Others receiving votes: CAM, Anita 8. Martensdale-St. Marys 6. Madrid 6. Don Bosco, Gilbertville 5. South O’Brien, Paullina 5. East Mills 4. Notre Dame, Burlington 3. Edgewood-Colesburg 2. Mount Ayr 2. Keota 1. Grand View Christian 1. Siouxland Community Christian 1.

Posted in Sports |

Multiple vehicle accident in Shelby County Monday afternoon

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Medivac, Harlan Fire and Rescue, Harlan Police, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and Iowa State Patrol were on the scene of a multiple-vehicle accident this (Monday) afternoon. The crash involving two semi’s and two cars happened on the north side of the bridge near the intersection of Highway 59 and River Avenue (or about 2-miles south of the Harlan Airport). The crash occurred in a construction zone at around 2:44-p.m.

LifeNet and Medivac await the transport of crash victim(s).

Accident scene (all photos submitted to KJAN)

One of the victims was in need extrication. LifeNet helicopter was called and landed in a nearby field.  One person was flown from the scene to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Traffic was being rerouted at County Road F-58 and Highway 59. Additional details are currently not available.

Posted in News |

Forget the white Christmas, it’ll be a warm Christmas

News, Weather

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — If you are dreaming of a WARM Christmas — your dream is going to come true. National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says temperatures in the 50s will be the norm the next couple of days. “We got a little taste of it here this weekend with some 50s and that will continue at least through midweek here — Wednesday at least until Thursday — and then things will start to cool off again,” Hagenhoff says.

The forecast is calling for a high in the mid 50s on Christmas day. “It’s pretty unusual. Normal highs for this time of year are generally in the low 30s. The record high — at least for Christmas Day in Des Moines was 38 — and that was in 1936,” according the Hagenhoff. She says a small area in the far northern portion of the state is the only place that might not see the 50’s.

“While we’re not quite going to get to those record highs — we are certainly much warmer than normal. It’s pretty rare to be this warm around the holiday season.” Hagenhoff talks about the weather pattern that’s causing the warmth. “We’ve got a pretty big ridge of what we call high pressure, and that’s allowed for a lot of southerly flow up out of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. So, a lot of the central U-S, across a lot of the central U-S and even into some of the northern plains, which as allowed for temperatures to really soar through a lot of this week,” Hagenhoff says.

Temperatures toward the end of the week will fall a bit and there is a chance for some snow. She says the system will hit late this week into the weekend and drop temperatures closer to normal, which could include a little bit of snow or rain. Hagenhoff says the precipitation mix could hit right around the time people are heading back from Christmas visits.

“Anyone that has travel plans here for the weekend is going to want to keep an eye on this. We don’t have quite the details we want yet, just because it is several days out. So, it will be something to keep an eye on as we fine tune the forecast for the weekend,” she says. One thing she is sure of — those who procrastinated in their Christmas shopping won’t have to worry about going out in wintry weather.

“Any last minute shopping runs that people need to make should have excellent weather for that,” Hagenhoff says, “Nice and warm and dry.” But those who like a White Christmas will have to wait until next year.

Posted in News, Weather |

State auditor, treasurer reject payments in Branstad case

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of top state officials has approved payments of nearly $400,000 to continue a lawsuit defending former Gov. Terry Branstad. A jury found in July he discriminated against former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey because he is gay and awarded him $1.5 million. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald and Auditor Rob Sand refused to approve the payment. They say taxpayers shouldn’t continue paying. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of State Paul Pate and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig approved the bills, bringing total court costs to more than $8 million, which will climb since Reynolds is appealing the case.

Posted in News |

More than 20,000 could get Cedar Rapids speed ticket refunds

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – More than 20,000 people could soon be eligible for reimbursement of fines and late fees collected by the city of Cedar Rapids on traffic camera citations issued between 2010 and 2018. A proposed class-action settlement shows the city has agreed to pay nearly $3 million in refunds and attorneys’ fees to end a lawsuit that challenged its two-year-old collection program. Those who paid late fees or who had their state tax refunds seized by the city will be eligible to seek up to $599. Pending court approval, notices will be sent to class members detailing the process for filing claims.

Posted in News |

Fort Madison officer cleared in fatal warehouse shooting

News

December 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors have cleared an officer who fatally shot an armed man at a warehouse in Fort Madison earlier this month. A special assistant attorney general said Friday that Officer Cory Brown’s shooting of Robert Elfgen was “legally justified.” Officers sent Dec. 10 to the warehouse encountered Elfgen. The West Point resident was armed with a handgun, and several warehouse workers were nearby. Authorities say Elfgen refused to follow Brown’s orders and was shot when he turned to flee. Elfgen had been searching the warehouse for a former girlfriend who worked there. He’d gone there after shooting a man elsewhere in Fort Madison.

Posted in News |