The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.1MB)
Subscribe: RSS
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.1MB)
Subscribe: RSS
(UPDATED 11:59-a.m.) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and fatally wounded him. Police say the carjacking victim called 911 around 3:50 a.m. Monday to report that he’d been shot in a leg when two people stole his sport utility vehicle. Police say the SUV was occupied by two men and a woman when it was spotted around 10 minutes later. It went up a dead-end street and parked in driveway. The three got out and walked away, and the woman and one of the men were soon detained.
(Radio Iowa) — A filmmaking couple from the Quad Cities is planning for the Davenport debut of their newest movie later this month. Kelly Rundle says he and his wife, Tammy, of Fourth Wall Films, are ready to premiere “Sons & Daughters of Thunder,” on what will be the 185th anniversary of what’s known as the Lane Seminary Debates, a turning point in American history. “In 1834 at a seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first public debates about the abolition of slavery took place,” Rundle says. “That’s significant in and of itself but it’s also significant because one of the witnesses of that event was someone who later became quite famous, a woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe.”
Years later, Stowes’ novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is said to have been described by President Abraham Lincoln as the book that started the Civil War. The Rundles’ film is based on a play written by Curtis Heeter and Earlene Hawley of Waverly, Iowa. The film features actors from Los Angeles, Chicago and the Quad Cities. Most of the filming was done in and around the Quad Cities in historic homes, churches and other buildings. Some scenes were also shot in Cincinnati in the Harriet Beecher Stowe House — the last remaining structure on what was the Lane Seminary grounds. “We’re known more for the historical documentary films that we do but this tempted us,” Rundle says. “Although it is a narrative film, it’s a fictional telling of a true story, we felt safe in doing it because it was history.”
The film is scheduled to premiere at the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater at the Putnam Museum in Davenport on March 16th. “Like our other films, we’ll have another number of ways to see the film later,” Rundle says. “There will be other showings. We hope for broadcast. We always release our films on DVD.”
Another screening of the film is planned for March 23rd at the Garfield Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the true story took place.
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A suspect has been arrested in an eastern Iowa fire that injured two people. Firetrucks were sent to the home in Independence around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The names of the two injured and other details about the fire haven’t been released. Authorities say Shane Heins, of Oelwein, was taken into custody Sunday and charged with arson.
An out-of-control SUV struck an Iowa State Patrol vehicle Saturday afternoon in Pottawattamie County, but no injuries were reported. The Patrol says 18-year old Kelsey Martin, of Minden, was driving a 2008 Ford Explorer eastbound on Interstate 480 at around 2:30-p.m., when she tried to merge into the other lane in order to make room for a ISP cruiser parked on the shoulder of the road with its emergency lights on.
As she merged, her SUV went out of control and hit the side of the bridge at mile marker 1, before sliding into the rear passenger side of the 2013 Dodge Charger patrol vehicle. The Trooper was conducting traffic control for a previous accident, when his car was struck.
(Radio Iowa) — Managers of the state’s airports are dealing with increased passenger traffic, more cargo and bigger planes — and they’re seeking a significant increase in state taxpayer support over the next decade. Marty Lenss, director of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids says “We’re doing what we can with the funds we have, but we’ve got a long way to go.”Lenss says a recent survey of businesses showed air service was one of the three key factors for business expansion and location decisions. “You don’t have to look very far to see that play out,” Lenss says. “Caterpillar pulled out of Peoria, Illinois. It cited as air service connectivity as part of the reason why they pulled their headquarters out after 100 years of being in that community.”
The eight Iowa airports with commercial passenger service – including Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City and Waterloo -are asking for 13-and-a-half MILLION dollars in state support in each of the next 10 years. Lenss says the money’s needed because Iowa’s airports need to be updated. In Cedar Rapids, they had record passenger traffic and a 22 percent increase in cargo traffic just last year. “Because of the growth in both segments, we’re having what I’d call some elbow room issues on the apron because the airplanes have gotten bigger, so we we need more wingtip clearance,” Lenss says, “so we’re working to separate the air cargo to a new location on the airfield.”
Some of that work has started in Cedar Rapids. The state’s largest airport in Des Moines is facing the same issues. A.J. Graff — director of operations at the Des Moines Airport Authority — says passengers are seeing it. “Our hold rooms were designed to accommodate DC9 aircraft back in the ’60s when those were built. The aircraft we have at those gates now are significantly larger,” Graff says. “Especially in the early morning, that peak period, it’s standing-room-only for passengers as they wait to get on their aircraft.” Graff says the Des Moines Airport has to be creative to accommodate flights at the times the airlines want to fly them. “Aircraft that come in the evening, they sit at the airport overnight and then they leave first thing in the morning to fee those hubs, that’s really where we’re feeling the strain,” Graff says. “…I’m not saying we’re there, but we’re getting close to maximizing the facility.” Chris Wood, general manager of the Waterloo airport, says his airport needs new hangar space for clients flying in on modern aircraft with wider wings and taller tails. “Corporate clients that we have frequenting Waterloo such as John Deere, Target — because they have a significant warehouse and distribution center in Cedar Falls and others,” he says. “Menards is another one.”
The Iowa Public Airports Association is also asking legislators to set aside three million dollars in each of the next 10 years for the 110 GENERAL aviation airports around the state. The total request for all Iowa airports is 16-and-a-half million for next year alone. In the current year, Iowa’s 118 airports are splitting two-point-two MILLION dollars in state funding.
Today: **Wind Chill Advisory until Noon** Sunny and cold, with a high near 10. Wind chill values as low as -25. NW/West wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around -4. Wind chill values as low as -15. NW/West southwest wind 9 to 13 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -15. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 22.
Wednesday Night: Snow likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: Snow likely before 2pm, then a chance of snow and freezing drizzle. Cloudy, with a high near 28. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 8. Our Low this morning was -6. Last year on this date our High was 61 and the Low was 43. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 78 in 1921. The Record Low was -17 in 1978.
A woman was injured during a single-vehicle, rollover accident Sunday afternoon, in Harrison County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 20-year old Carlee Ewoldt, of Manilla, was traveling northbound on Highway 191 at around 2:05-p.m., when her 2014 Chevy Malibu lost traction on the road.
The vehicle crossed the center line and went off the road to the left before it rolled over and came to rest on its wheels. Ewoldt was transported by LifeNet to the UNMC in Omaha, for treatment of serious, but what are believed to be non-life threatening, injuries.
Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Megan Gustafson had 34 points and 12 rebounds for her 82nd career double-double in her final regular-season home game and No. 12 Iowa beat Northwestern 74-50. She moved into sixth in Big Ten scoring in front of 12,051 fans, and set a single-season conference record for the most field-goals made.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Sara Rhine scored 19 points, Sammie Bachrodt 17 and Becca Hittner 15 with 12 rebounds to lead No. 23 Drake to a 70-61 win over Missouri State and give the Bulldogs sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The teams came in tied for the league lead with the Bears (18-9, 14-2) holding an 85-79 win over Drake on Feb. 1.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Martin Krampelj scored 19 points and Ty-Shon Alexander added 14 to pace Creighton to a 66-60 victory over No. 10 Marquette. Creighton outscored Marquette 16-3 down the stretch until a 3-pointer in the closing seconds by Markus Howard, who finished with 33 points. The Golden Eagles committed 22 turnovers, which Creighton turned into 18 points.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — For a few hours at spring training, Dabo Swinney became the Kyler Murray of coaching. Swinney slipped away from Clemson’s spring football practice to speak to the St. Louis Cardinals and take a little batting practice.
UNDATED (AP) — College recruiting focuses on big men who can dribble, shoot and move well defensively to fit today’s game. Big men who play primarily with their backs to the baskets are quickly becoming a dying breed.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — As unhittable as Jordan Hicks’ 105 mph heater can be, a pitch clocked a little bit closer to the speed limit might ultimately be what makes him the Cardinals’ closer. Developing the slider, a pitch Hicks began to get a feel for late last season, into a reliable second option has been Hicks’ focus this spring.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Angels’ Albert Pujols wants to make a difference on and off the field. On Friday, he was at the United Nations in New York to receive an award for his humanitarian efforts. On Saturday, he played in a “B” game and on Sunday, he went 3 fo -3, including his first spring home run.