Defense alleges misconduct at trials in girl’s 1990 slaying

March 4th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defense lawyers for a man jailed in the 1990 death of a 9-year-old girl are accusing Iowa prosecutors of letting a key witness give false testimony at three trials in the case.

An attorney for Stanley Liggins says he has discovered new records showing that prosecution witness Antonio Holmes was given a favorable plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against Liggins.

Liggins has twice been convicted of killing Lewis, who was kidnapped, raped, strangled and left dead behind an elementary school in Davenport, Iowa. Those convictions have been overturned. A jury deadlocked on whether he was guilty last year at a third trial. A fourth trial is scheduled next week.

Holmes had said he didn’t receive any benefit from prosecutors for his testimony.

Posted in News |

2018-19 Hawkeye Ten Boys Basketball All-Conference Teams

March 4th, 2019 by admin

FIRST TEAM

*Goanar Biliew, JR, Denison-Schleswig
Zach Carr, JR, Glenwood
Cole Jensen, SR, Lewis Central
Chase Mullenix, SR, Atlantic
Brett Sears, SR, Harlan
*Kylan Smallwood, SR, Creston
*Christian Stanislav, SR, Glenwood|
*Charlie Wiebers, JR, Denison-Schleswig
*Unanimous Selection

SECOND TEAM

Brance Baker, SO, Creston
Blake Baumhover, SR, Kuemper Catholic
Ryan Blum, SO, Glenwood
Dawson Dorhout, SR, Denison-Schleswig
Jared Gast, SR, St. Albert
Nathan Lindsay, JR, Clarinda
Tyler Moen, JR, Atlantic
Josh Simmons, SR, Lewis Central

HONORABLE MENTION

Isaac Birt, SR, Red Oak
Ben Brincks, SR, Kuemper Catholic
Connor Brown, JR, Clarinda
Kyle Cerven, JR, Shenandoah
Skyler Handlos, SO, Atlantic
Cael Kralik, SO, Creston
Damien Magnuson, JR, Denison-Schleswig
Nolan McKenzie, SR, Lewis Central
Jonathon Monson, JR, Harlan
Sam Rallis, SO, St. ALbert
Logan Reilly, SR, Atlantic
Seth Wineland, SR, Lewis Central

Posted in Sports |

CCHS Announces Darci Young named to 100 Great Iowa Nurses for 2019

March 4th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTIC – Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) have announced that Darci Young, BSN, RN, was among the honorees named in the 100 Great Iowa Nurses for the 2019 award class. Patients, colleagues, and nursing leaders nominated more than 500 nurses from across the state for this prestigious award. Honorees are recognized for their outstanding courage, competence, and commitment to patients and the nursing profession.

Young has been the Manager of the Cass County Health System Emergency Department since August of 2010 and also serves as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and a County Medical Examiner for Cass County. Before beginning with Cass County Health System, she was an Emergency Department nurse at Jennie Edmondson hospital for five years and Creighton University Hospital for seven. She received her RN from Iowa Western Community College in 1998 and completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2016 from Aspen University.

Amanda Birline, Chief Nursing Officer for CCHS said “Darci is a wonderful asset to CCHS and Cass County. She demonstrates excellent clinical care, compassion and leadership every day. We are thrilled to see her receive such a great honor.”

Each year, the 100 Great Iowa Nurses are honored at a ceremony. This year’s 100 Great Iowa Nurses will be honored on May 5, 2019 – the beginning of Nurses Week – at the 15th annual celebration in Des Moines.

Posted in News |

(Update 4-p.m.) Des Moines police: Officers killed suspect who shot at them

March 4th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and killed 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 a driveway. The three got out and walked away, and the woman and one of the men were soon detained. Police say three officers then found the last suspect hiding near a garage. Police say the officers told him to show his hands, and he responded by firing several shots at them. They returned his fire and killed him. He’s been identified as 36-year-old Luke Anthony Swann, of Des Moines.

The other man in the car, 21-year-old William Lee Weaver, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also had a warrant from Warren County for a probation violation. He’s being held in the Polk County Jail. The three officers were identified as Brian Buck, Brian Minnehan and Ryan Steinkamp.

Posted in News |

Initial bargaining proposals presented for Atlantic SD Non-Certified Staff

March 4th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

A brief meeting was held Monday afternoon in the Atlantic Middle School for the purpose of initial proposals for 2019-2020 Bargaining between the District’s Non-Certified Staff and the Administration.

Speaking on behalf of the District’s 131 Non-Certified Staff, Andrea Halterman proposed a four-percent increase in the base (starting) wage, beginning with the first “step” in wages, or a total package of $114,031.

Superintendent Steve Barber, on behalf of the Administration, proposed that each eligible employee move a step on the salary schedule, and that each eligible employee’s hourly wage increase by 31-cents in every category, or 1.98-percent. In addition, the contract would be for one-year.

The next round of discussion will be held Tuesday between Halterman and Barber, to get additional information on costs.

Posted in News |

Boys State Basketball Tournament Schedule/Scoreboard – Monday – 03/04/2019

March 4th, 2019 by admin

Monday, March 4

CLASS 1A QUARTERFINALS

#1 Grand View Christian 58, #8 St. Albert, Council Bluffs 51

#4 Montezuma 78, #5 Bishop Garrigan, Algona 65

#6 St. Mary’s, Remsen 58, #3 Prince of Peace, Clinton 55

#7 Alburnett 55, #2 Sioux Central, Sioux Rapids 54

CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALS

4:30—#3 Boyden-Hull vs. #6 Regina, Iowa City

6:30—#2 South Hamilton, Jewell vs. #7 Rock Valley

8:15—#4 Van Meter vs. #5 Dike-New Hartford

Posted in Sports |

AP Women’s Basketball Top 25 03/04/2019

March 4th, 2019 by Jim Field

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Mar. 3, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

	Record	Pts	Prv
1. Baylor (28)	27-1	700	1
2. UConn	27-2	663	2
3. Louisville	27-2	638	3
4. Notre Dame	27-3	625	4
5. Mississippi St.	27-2	580	5
6. Oregon	27-3	567	6
7. Stanford	25-4	518	7
8. Maryland	26-3	508	8
9. NC State	25-4	442	10
10. Iowa	23-6	431	12
11. Oregon St.	24-6	428	9
12. South Carolina	21-8	348	14
13. Kentucky	24-6	326	11
14. Gonzaga	27-3	320	16
15. Texas A&M	23-6	307	19
16. Miami	24-7	289	15
17. Marquette	24-6	268	13
18. Syracuse	22-7	239	17
19. Iowa St.	22-7	235	20
20. Arizona St.	19-9	151	21
21. Texas	21-8	119	18
22. Florida St.	22-7	82	22
22. Drake	23-5	82	23
24. Rice	24-3	75	24
25. UCLA	19-11	62	25

Others receiving votes: South Dakota St. 23, South Dakota 23, DePaul 19, BYU 7, Rutgers 7, Kansas St 7, Florida Gulf Coast 5, UCF 4, Missouri 2.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa’s Gustafson named Big Ten player of the year

March 4th, 2019 by Jim Field

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa senior Megan Gustafson was named the Big Ten player of the year Monday, becoming the first Hawkeye to win the award twice.

Gustafson was tabbed for the honor in a vote by the league’s coaches and media members.

Gustafson averaged 28.4 points, 13.8 rebounds, and shot 68.7 percent from the field in Big Ten games this season. She scored at least 20 points in 17 of Iowa’s 18 games and had at least 10 rebounds 17 times as well.

Gustafson, one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy awarded to the nation’s top player, leads the country in field goal percentage (70.8) and points per game (27.7). Gustafson’s 27 double-doubles are the second-most in America.

Iowa, the second seed in the Big Ten tournament, plays on Friday against either seventh-seeded Minnesota or 10th-seeded Indiana.

Posted in Sports |

St. Albert comes up shy against Grand View Christian

March 4th, 2019 by Jim Field

(IHSAA) DES MOINES, Iowa – For the second year in a row, St. Albert gave the defending Class 1A champions a genuine threat in their state tournament opener. And just like in 2018, Grand View Christian came through with a hard-fought win against the Hawkeye Ten contender to advance.

The Thunder (24-1) withstood rallies in the second and fourth quarters thanks to double-digit scoring efforts from seniors Bryce Crabb (17 points), Harouna Sissoko (14), and Arturo Montes (12). Crabb went 10-of-11 from the free throw line to help seal the win down the stretch.

St. Albert struggled against Grand View’s length on the glass and in the paint, but got as close as 53-51 with 1:10 remaining in a gritty performance. Senior Reed Miller led the Falcons with 13 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore guard Sam Rallis added 12 points.

Grand View Christian has now won seven straight state tournament contests. St. Albert, led by recently promoted coach Larry Peterson, was playing in its third tournament in the last four years.

Posted in Sports |

Cass County Sheriff’s report (3/4/19) – 7 arrests

March 4th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s office has released a report on numerous arrests. Today (Monday), 27-year old Kayla Marie Strong, of Walnut, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Strong was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $1,000 bond.

Last Friday, 57-year old Kelly Joe Simonton, of Atlantic, was arrested on two felony charges of Sex Abuse 2nd Degree. Simonton was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $50,000 bond. And, 64-year old Daryl Lynn Hansen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Hansen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

On February 28th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 39-year old Michael Matthew Noe, of Atlantic, on charges of OWI 2nd Offense; Carrying Weapons; and Carrying Weapons While Intoxicated. Noe was taken to the Cass County Jail was released the following day on $5,000 bond.

On February 26th, 43-year old Russell William Craig Lower, of Atlantic, was arrested by Deputies on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment 2nd Degree. Lower was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $1,000 bond. On February 22nd, 52-year old Donald Whiting Filkins, of Elliott, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Filkins was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.

And, on February 21st, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year old Brandon Michael Barringer, of Brayton, on a felony charge of OWI 3rd Offense. Barringer was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $5,000 bond.

Posted in News |

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