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Truck pulled from river near Sergeant Bluff

News

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) — A truck spotted in the Missouri River southwest of Sergeant Bluff has been removed from the water. The Sioux City Journal reports the truck was pulled out Tuesday after an Iowa Natural Resources Department crew saw the truck roof Monday afternoon. Lt. Tony Wingert with the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says the truck was submerged near a boat ramp at Weedland Access Area off 235th Street. A dive team was called in to help a towing company hook up to the truck for removal.

Officials still don’t know when the truck went into the water. Its registration plates had been removed, but officials located the vehicle identification number and are trying to track down the owner. There were no signs of foul play inside.

Workshops to assist Iowa veterans who want to farm

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Veterans interested in farming will have more opportunities to learn about the trade in 2014. The newly formed Farmer Veteran Coalition of Iowa will hold four workshops aimed at helping individuals interested in starting a farm business or finding employment in agriculture. The one-day workshops will focus on networking opportunities and education. They follow a statewide conference held Dec. 14 in Des Moines.

The first workshop will be held Feb. 20 in Ottumwa. The others will be held Feb. 22 in Waterloo, March 13 in Red Oak and March 15 in Storm Lake. Coalition chair Ed Cox says veterans are a distinct group of farmers with diverse interests, but they all have a history of service and a desire to provide food to their communities.

 

 

Iowa News Headlines: Wed. Jan. 1st 2014

News

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Veterans interested in farming will have more opportunities to learn about the trade in 2014. The newly formed Farmer Veteran Coalition of Iowa will hold four workshops aimed at helping individuals interested in starting a farm business or finding employment in agriculture. The one-day workshops will focus on networking opportunities and education.

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) — A truck spotted in the Missouri River southwest of Sergeant Bluff has been removed from the water. The Sioux City Journal reports that the truck was pulled out Tuesday after an Iowa Natural Resources Department crew saw the truck roof Monday afternoon. Its registration plates had been removed, but officials located the vehicle identification number and are trying to track down the owner. There were no signs of foul play inside.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have made a friendly wager over who wins the Outback Bowl. The governors announced Tuesday that food from their respective state may be sent to food banks in both Iowa and Louisiana. The game Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., will help determine if it’s pork or seafood.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A personal injury lawsuit in California against a University of Iowa pharmaceutical lab has cost the school thousands of dollars in legal fees and rising. Iowa is paying a Los Angeles law firm up to $500 hourly to contest the lawsuit filed by pharmacist Cynthia Wong, who claims she was injured by exposure to a trial drug made at UI Pharmaceuticals. Legal fees have cost $27,000 and will increase after a California judge last week rejected Iowa’s request to dismiss the claim.

King: “we’ll have to fight it out” over Farm Bill

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Republican Congressman Steve King says a Farm Bill deal won’t necessarily be easy to strike in early 2014. King is one of the Farm Bill conference committee members who’ve been trying to strike a deal for the past few months. “There are a number of unresolved issues that we’re not able to get an agreement between the conferees and the principle negotiators,” King says. “That means we’re likely to have to sit down — the 41 of us — and let’s just say we’ll have to fight it out.” The House passed another extension of current farm law in December, but the Senate did not, hoping that would put more pressure on negotiators to come up with a compromise in early January.

“That’s going to be the item that’s going to be on the front of our plate from the moment we touch down there,” King says. “It is right now, as a matter of fact. We’re working this thing behind the scenes pretty hard.” Negotiators have yet to resolve the thorniest issue: how deeply to cut food stamp benefits. House Republicans have voted for a reduction that’s 10 times deeper than Senate Democrats endorsed when the Farm Bill cleared the senate this summer.

(Radio Iowa)

No. 13 Iowa State beats Northern Illinois 99-63

Sports

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State capped one of the saddest days in program history with a reminder of why its future looks so bright. DeAndre Kane had 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds and No. 13 Iowa State blew past Northern Illinois 99-63 on Tuesday night for its 12th straight win. Melvin Ejim and Naz Long both had a team-high 17 points for the Cyclones (12-0), who rolled past the Huskies just hours after learning of the death of longtime former coach Johnny Orr. Orr, who was 86, spent 29 years as a Division I coach, with current Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg among his many star players. Orr won a school-record 218 games at Iowa State from 1980-94.

“This has been as hard a day as I’ve had in coaching. I talked to our guys just about what Johnny meant to the entire community, to the state, to college basketball in general,” Hoiberg said. “I told (the team), ‘Guys, I’m going to need you. This is going to be a rough one for me to get through.’ And they did that for us, and they did that for him.”

Dontel Highsmith had 19 points for Northern Illinois, (5-6), which had its two-game winning streak snapped. Tuesday night’s matchup against the lowly Huskies was supposed to be a coronation of the best non-conference run in recent memory for Iowa State. It instead became a side note to a celebration of Orr’s career.

The Cyclones shined a single spotlight on the banner honoring Orr in the rafters. Their players entered the arena in T-shirts emblazoned with “JO” on their shoulders, and fans left flowers at the foot of a statue of Orr inside the Hilton Coliseum concourse. A capacity crowd — which was nearly unheard of in Ames before Orr breathed life into a once-dormant program in the early 1980s — stood for a video tribute and a moment of silence before tipoff. Orr is also the winningest coach in Michigan history, winning 209 games in Ann Arbor before leaving for Ames. Orr’s last trip to Hilton Coliseum came last month, when he was introduced to a standing ovation before Iowa State’s game against Michigan.

No. 22 Iowa beats Nebraska 67-57

Sports

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa looked shaky at times but Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery will take the win. Devyn Marble had 15 points and eight rebounds and No. 22 Iowa opened its Big Ten season with a win for the first time since 2006 with a 67-57 victory over Nebraska on Tuesday night. Aaron White scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half for the Hawkeyes (12-2, 1-0), who led by as many as 20 points in the second half. For McCaffery, the late struggle doesn’t matter. Iowa preserved the win and he knows the Big Ten gauntlet continues on Sunday with No. 4 Wisconsin.

Terran Petteway had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Nebraska (8-5, 0-1), which shot a season-low 29.9 percent from the field as it lost its 14th straight game to a ranked opponent.

Freshman QB leads LSU into Outback against Iowa

Sports

December 31st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — No. 14 LSU has no qualms about Anthony Jennings making his first college start against Iowa in the Outback Bowl. The true freshman quarterback came off the bench to lead a 99-yard drive in the closing minutes of the Tigers’ regular season finale to beat Arkansas, so LSU coach Les Miles feels his offense will be in good hands against the Hawkeyes on Wednesday.

Miles says poise is one of Jennings’ strongest assets, which is one of the reasons LSU didn’t blink when senior Zach Mettenberger, who’s thrown for nearly 5,800 yards in his career, injured his knee with his team trailing 27-24 and seemingly running out of time against Arkansas.

MARIE BRUS, 100, of Manilla (Svcs. 1/4/14)

Obituaries

December 31st, 2013 by Jim Field

MARIE BRUS, 100, of Manilla died Tuesday, December 31st at the Manning Plaza.  Funeral services for MARIE BRUS will be held 2-p.m. Sat., Jan. 4th, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manilla. Ohde Funeral Home in Manilla is in charge of the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-to 7-pm Friday (1/3), and at the church from 1-until 2-pm on Saturday, prior to the service.

Burial will be in the Manning Cemetery.

MARIE BRUS is survived by:

Her daughters – Beverly Graves, of Perry, and Bonnie Lorenzen, of Manilla.

Her brother – Paul Jahn, of Denison.

6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, 2 step great-grandchildren & 2 great-great grandchildren.

 

4 arrested in connection with Crawford Co. home invasion

News

December 31st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Authorities in Crawford County report four people were arrested in connection with a home invasion robbery in Vail early Monday morning. Sheriff’s officials say the call about the incident at 101 Atlantic Street came in around 3:18-am. Officials say two suspects allegedly entered the home armed with a weapon appearing to be a handgun and stole cash and other personal items. The suspects fled the scene following the robbery.

A joint investigation by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Denison Police Department was conducted and information led authorities to 909 Broadway Street in Denison. A search warrant was executed around 1pm where numerous items of evidence including property belonging to the victims of the robbery in Vail as well as a black b-b gun.

Arrested in connection with the incident was 18 year old Richard Allen Martinez, 19 year old Brandon Joel Mauricio, 19 year old Christian Pena and 24 year old Karen Yamilet Melara, all of Denison. Martinez and Mauricio were charged with robbery, 2nd degree, burglary, 3rd degree, theft, 2nd degree and assault while participating in a felony. Pena was charged with 3rd degree burglary. Melara was charged with accessory after the fact.

Upon further investigation, authorities also obtained evidence that led to believe Martinez was the participant in the two armed robberies that took place at the Denison Kum and Go store on Tuesday, December 3rd and Wednesday December 11th. Martinez was charged with two counts of 2nd degree robbery, 4th degree theft and one count of 5th degree theft.

Also arrested in connection to the Kum and Go robberies was 18 year old Alan Gualberto Ruvalcaba of Denison. He was charged with robbery, 2nd degree and theft, 4th degree. All suspects were transported to the Crawford County Jail and are waiting to appear before the magistrate. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Denison Police Department were assisted by the Iowa State Patrol and the Harlan Police Department’s K-9 unit.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Former Monona County auditor gets 2 days in jail

News

December 31st, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A former Monona County auditor arrested on drug charges in July has been sentenced to two days in jail.  Brooke Kuhlmann, of Onawa, pleaded guilty Monday in Monona County District Court to a serious misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed.

The Sioux City Journal reports Kuhlmann’s sentence includes $450 in fines and fees, plus a revocation of her driver’s license for six months. She will report to the county jail on Jan. 10th.  Investigators say the 28-year-old Kuhlmann bought methamphetamine from an undercover Iowa State Patrol officer in late July. She was later arrested during a traffic stop.

Kuhlmann, a Democrat elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, resigned in December.