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Mississippi man who damaged a display in Des Moines charged w/a hate crime

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI]— A Mississippi man who police say admitted last month to damaging the Satanic Temple’s display at the Iowa Capitol has now been charged with a hate crime. Michael Cassidy, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was initially charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief on Dec. 15, a day after the damage was reported. He was released after his arrest. Court documents say the cost to replace or repair the property is between $750 and $1,500. They also show that the act was committed “in violation of individual rights” under Iowa’s hate crime statute. Both pieces of evidence bring the charge to 3rd degree-criminal mischief, a class D felony.

Cassidy is set to be arraigned on Feb. 15. The display sat on the east side of the Capitol beside a column and an ornate staircase, about 100 feet from a Christmas tree displayed in the rotunda. It was permitted by rules that govern religious installations inside the Capitol. Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, said at the time that the display was a symbol of their right to religious freedom.

The display drew criticism from many conservatives, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Founded in 2013, the Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple doesn’t believe in Satan but describes itself as a “non-theistic religious organization” that advocates for secularism. It is separate from the Church of Satan, which was founded in the 1960s.

Posted in News |

ISU ‘herbarium’ is home to thousands of plant specimens

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An extensive botanical reference library that’s a growing resource for research has been on the Iowa State University campus for more than one-and-a-half centuries. The Ada Hayden Herbarium is home to nearly three-quarters of a million plant samples, according to curator Deb Lewis. She calls the herbarium a one-stop shop for studying Iowa’s native plants, as well as plants from all over the globe. Most of the herbarium’s holdings are plants that have been dried, pressed, labeled, attached to archival paper and stored for reference. Mounted and kept correctly, Lewis says they can last for centuries. The herbarium is housed in a complex of four adjacent interior rooms on the third floor of Bessey Hall. The samples are stored in about 250 large metal cabinets that are spread across the facility’s 43-hundred square feet.

Posted in News |

Tuesday Boy’s High School Wrestling Results

Sports

January 31st, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Nodaway Valley 42, MFL MarMac 36
Don Bosco 57, Nodaway Valley 15

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Woodbine 42, East Sac County 18
Woodbine 37, MVAOCOU 24
MVAOCOU 33, East Sac County 30
Manson Northwest Webster 54, Woodbine 30
Manson Northwest Webster 60, East Sac County 17
Manson Northwest Webster 45, MVAOCOU 22

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Shenandoah 48, Logan-Magnolia 31
Hinton 51, Shenandoah 25

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Wapsie Valley 59, Riverside 15
Wapsie Valley 43, West Hancock 33

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Alburnett 60, Earlham 14
Earlham 42, Pleasantville 25

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East Union 30, Southwest Valley 29
Panorama 54, East Union 21
Panorama 54, Southwest Valley 20

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Creston 45, Carroll 21
Carroll 37, Winterset 28

Posted in Sports |

Tuesday Boy’s High School Basketball Scores

Sports

January 31st, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten Conference:
Red Oak 64 Atlantic, 56
Denison-Schleswig 62, Spencer 55 (NC)
Glenwood 64, Clarinda 53
#10 Lewis Central 63, Blair 31

Western Iowa Conference:
#8 Treynor 67, Riverside 49
Logan-Magnolia 56, Audubon 50

Rolling Valley Conference:
Woodbine 51, Coon Rapids-Bayard 39
CAM 61, Glidden-Ralston 48

Corner Conference: 
Sidney 76, Essex 56

West Central Conference:
Pleasantville 75, Woodward Academy 48
#2 Madrid 62, Ogden 38
Panorama 72, Woodward-Granger 60
Earlham 59, Interstate-35  54
Des Moines Christian 60, Van Meter 46
ACGC 62, West Central Valley 46

Posted in Sports |

Tuesday High School Girl’s Basketball Scores

Sports

January 31st, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten Conference:
Atlantic 60 Red Oak, 27
St. Albert 41, AHSTW 31 (NC)
Glenwood 47, Clarinda 37
#9 Lewis Central 53, Blair 27 (NC)

Western Iowa Conference:
#15 Treynor 54, Riverside 28

Rolling Valley Conference:
#9 CAM 70, Glidden-Ralston 26
Exira-EHK 63, Paton Churdan 17
#13 Coon Rapids-Bayard 41, #8 Woodbine 39

Corner Conference: 
#14 Fremont Mills 52, Stanton 39
East Mills 47, Griswold 27
Sidney 44, Essex 41

West Central Conference:
Madrid 47, Ogden 32
#2 Panorama 70, Woodward-Granger 48
Interstate-35  50, Earlham 47
#2 Des Moines Christian 45, Van Meter 43
ACGC 56, West Central Valley 16

Posted in Sports |

House destroyed by fire in northern Shelby County

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Defiance, Iowa) – Firefighters from six area departments responded to a residential structure fire in Defiance, Tuesday morning. Our sister station KNOD reports the blaze broke out at around 8:30-a.m.  Crews with the Defiance and Irwin Fire Departments were provided mutual aid from the Earling, Harlan, Panama and the Westphalia Fire Departments.

Reports indicate that the furnace in the house did not work and they were using a portable LP heater to heat the house.  When a person tried to light it a fire erupted.

Photos contributed to KNOD by Jason Anastasi and Chris Thurman.

The occupants were able to get out of the house but lost everything in the fire.  Efforts were being made to find them clothing and housing.

Posted in News |

Fatal fire in Farragut Wed. morning (1/31/24)

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports one person died during a structure fire early this (Wednesday) morning. Authorities say at around 12:15-a.m., the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an occupied structure fire at a detached garage in the 100 block of Clay Street, in Farragut. Witnesses advised an individual had entered the structure and had not been observed exiting.

After extinguishing the fire, responders conducted a search of the structure and human remains were located. The victim’s identity was being withheld pending notification of family.

Farragut Fire, Shenandoah Fire and Rescue, Essex Fire, Riverton Fire, Sidney Fire, Hamburg Fire, Randolph Fire, Tabor Fire, and Thurman Fire all responded to the call with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The Iowa Department of Public Safety Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating the incident.

Posted in News |

16-year-old from Stanton faces Harassment charges in Montgomery County

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report deputies arrested a 16-year-old male from Stanton, at around 3:45-p.m., Tuesday. The teen was taken into custody in the 100 block of Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak, following an investigation. He was charged with four counts of Harassment in the 1st Degree.

The juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs. Additional information was not released.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., Jan. 31st, 2024

Weather

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Tomorrow: Widespread dense fog, mainly between 9am and 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. South wind around 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny & breezy, with a high near 48.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy & windy w/a 40% chance of rain. High near 53.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy & breezy, with a high near 48.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 43. The Low this morning was 19. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 25 and the Low was 6. The Record High for Jan. 31st in Atlantic, was 59 in 2012. The Record Low was -28, in 1996. Sunrise today: 7:33. Sunset: 5:34.

Posted in Weather |

Iowa Senate Democrats to campaign on proposed abortion rights amendment

News

January 31st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Democrats in the Iowa Senate have released a package of bills to expand birth control access and ensure Medicaid patients who are new moms get regular check-ups covered for a year to try to reduce Iowa’s abnormally high maternal mortality rate. The group is also proposing a constitutional amendment to Iowa’s Constitution that would guarantee the right to an abortion. Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque says the 16 Democrats currently serving in the state senate and the Democrats who’ll be running for senate seats this fall are united.

“A vast majority of Iowans support safe, legal abortion in this state,” Jochum says. “and we believe we need to stand firm and let people know where we stand as Democrats and what we’re going to fight for in this coming election cycle.” Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion access in Iowa is similar to amendments in Michigan and Ohio that easily won approval this year.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum (D-Dubuque) speaks at a statehouse news conference on Jan. 30, 2024. (RI photo)

“A constitutional amendment ensures reproductive freedom cannot be infringed upon by extremist politicians hellbent on taking away the ability of Iowans to control their own bodies and lives,” Petersen says. Republicans hold significant majorities in the Iowa Senate and House and passed a law in July to ban most abortions in Iowa after the sixth week of a pregnancy. The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to rule by June on whether the law may take effect.

Posted in News |