The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.6MB)
Subscribe: RSS
(Radio Iowa) — Authorities say a body found in a farm field near Marshalltown could be that of a Mason City woman. Thirty-two-year-old Michelle Grommet was reported missing on March 22nd to the Marshalltown Police Department. Police say a body was found at about 9 o’clock Monday morning in a farm field just east of the Walmart store. Authorities say the identity of the body could not be immediately confirmed but preliminary indications are it could be the missing woman. Marshalltown police say there’s no evidence of foul play but the investigation into the death continues.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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DAWSON, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted an Oskaloosa man of stabbing to death a college basketball player. Mahaska County District Court records say 24-year-old Luke VanHemert was found guilty Monday of second-degree murder. His sentencing is scheduled for June 27. VanHemert’s lawyers had argued that he was defending himself when he killed 22-year-old William Penn player Marquis Todd during a fight after a car crash in March 2018. They said VanHemert should have been exempt from prosecution because of Iowa’s “stand your ground” law.
The law enacted in 2017 says a person doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force if he or she reasonably thinks his or her life is being threatened. But the judge said that law didn’t apply in VanHemert’s case and ordered him to go on trial.
Last night (Monday night) was the last ride for Cass County K9 “Mufasa,” who has retired from service. Mufasa had several large narcotic seizures and criminal apprehensions. His handler/partner, Deputy Tyler Shiels says Mufasa was an “Amazing young dog when we got him. Full of energy and still is.” Shiels said also “This dog is tough as nails yet social as could be.” Deputy Shiels and his family have kept him as part of their family and will continue. His job now is to relax, run the farm, and keep watch over the ones he loves.
The City of Stanton will hold its annual Spring Clean Up on Saturday, April 27th, from 8:00am-4:00pm. Containers will be located at the City Maintenance Building. You may drop off junk, old furniture, wood, appliances, metal and other such items. They will also accept batteries. You’re asked to please separate metal from other junk as metal will go in a separate trailer.
Seniors and disabled citizens who are unable to transport their items can call 829-2613 to arrange for pickup on Friday the 26th from 8:00am-3:00pm. The City will NOT accept brush, limbs, trees, or leaves at the Maintenance Building. Those items are accepted at the City Dump. Please note: No hazardous waste, explosives, tires, TVs, computers, liquids, paint, railroad ties or raw garbage is allowed.
The Stanton Greenbelt Trail Cleanup will also be on April 27th starting at 8:30am at Anderson Park. Items needed include loppers, chain saws, ATV’s and trailers. Cleanup will be from Anderson Park to the Old Gas Station Bridge.
Kids in the area have the opportunity to meet an inspiring author this Thursday, April 18th, at Washington Elementary School, in Atlantic. Eric Ode is a national award-winning children’s singer/songwriter, a widely published author and poet, and a thoroughly engaging entertainer. His upbeat, high-participation programs are bubbling over with fun, interactive music and include stories, skits, poetry, props and puppets. He will present at 9 am to junior kindergarten through first grade and at 10:15 am to second and third grade. There will be books available for purchase at each performance and an opportunity for the author to autograph each book.
Ohde says “Whenever I’m working with students, I want them to understand that they are creative individuals with their own unique and wonderful ideas. I want them to be excited about putting that creativity to work, expressing themselves creatively, persevering, and bringing something new into the world.” A former elementary teacher of 12 years with a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, Eric has been invited to share his music and poetry programs with schools, community festivals, libraries, and churches throughout the United States, in Germany, Japan, and in Guam.
To learn more about the author, visit www.ericode.com.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines union official has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and embezzlement from his union. Prosecutors said in a news release that 54-year-old Theodore Watson entered the pleas Monday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23. He was employed as business manager for Local 74 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers.
Prosecutors say Watson defrauded United Way of Central Iowa by sending fraudulent requests for grant funds to train adults. In one instance, he received a $19,000 check from United Way that he used for himself. Prosecutors also say Watson took cash advances and made unauthorized purchases on a union credit card and then submitted altered credit card statements and false monthly reports to the union.
JACK LARSON, 70, of Guthrie Center, died Friday, April 12th in Guthrie Center. Funeral services for JACK LARSON will be held 10-a.m. Thursday, April 18th, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Guthrie Center. Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center has the arrangements.
Friends may call Wednesday, from 5-until 7-p.m. (with the family present), at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Guthrie Center.; Online condolences may be left at www.twiggfuneralhome.com.
Burial will be in the Dalmanutha Cemetery at Casey.
JACK LARSON is survived by:
His wife – Beverly Larson.
His daughters – Carrie (Darin) Sloss, of Guthrie Center, Erin (Peter) Smith, of Lakeland, MN., and Julie (Jacob) Meyer, of Grinnell.
DES MOINES – Officials with Google, Monday, launched the Google.org Impact Challenge Iowa, the tech company’s first Iowa challenge inviting nonprofits throughout the state to submit proposals for bold ideas to grow economic opportunity in their local communities. The Impact Challenge was announced at the “Grow with Google” digital skills training event, hosted by the Des Moines Public Library. Dan Harbeke, Head of Public Policy and External Affairs at Google in Council Bluffs, said “Our hope with the Google.org Impact Challenge Iowa is to help Iowa nonprofits bring their great ideas to life. Iowa is an incredibly diverse state, with a wide variety of issues that impact different communities and a huge amount of local talent seeking to solve unique challenges.”
Qualifying Iowa nonprofits are invited to submit their proposals for their most innovative ideas to grow economic opportunity in their community. Together with a panel of local judges, Google will review the applications and choose five winners who will receive $175,000 in grant funding and training from Google. After the five winners are announced, Iowans will be invited to vote on which project they believe will have the greatest economic impact. The winner of that public vote will receive an additional $125,000 in funding. In total, Google.org will grant $1 million to local nonprofit organizations.
The Iowa Impact Challenge local advisor panel includes:
Dr. Dan Kinney, President, Iowa Western Community College
Georgia Van Gundy, Executive Director and Board Secretary, Iowa Business Council
Monica Chavez-Silva, Board Chair of Iowa Council of Foundations & Assistant Vice President for Community Enhancement, Grinnell College
Sherry Ristau, President, Quad Cities Community Foundation
Tej Dhawan, Chief Data Officer, Principal Financial Group
While the $1 million Impact Challenge is the second statewide to date after Illinois, Google.org has offered economic-opportunity focused Impact Challenge grants in Cleveland, Columbia, Oklahoma City and Pittsburgh. The Impact Challenge was announced Monday morning in Des Moines at the first stop of a three-city Grow with Google tour that includes Council Bluffs and Davenport. Through Grow with Google, the company’s aim is to help everyone across America – those who make up the workforce of today, the students who will drive the workforce of tomorrow and the small businesses that keep our economy strong – access the best of Google’s training and tools to grow their skills, careers, and businesses. In Iowa, the Grow with Google team will provide hands-on training to hundreds of Iowans through 12 different workshops and nearly a hundred one on one coaching sessions.
With its tour, Grow with Google aims to help address the skills gap by preparing Americans for middle-skill jobs, positions that require some skills but not four year degrees. According to the National Middle Skills Initiative, middle skills jobs account to 56% of Iowa’s labor force. Google has a data center in Iowa and has invested more than $2.5 billion and established a long-term commitment to the region and state. Iowa nonprofit organizations can find more information on the Google.org Impact Challenge and submit their applications by visiting g.co/iowachallenge. The deadline for submissions is May 17th at 11:59 PM Central. The five winners are expected to be named in the fall of 2019.