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Arnold, Clark Named November Student-Athletes of the Month

Sports

December 4th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa student-athletes Gabe Arnold (men’s wrestling) and Caitlin Clark (women’s basketball) were named November’s Student-Athletes of the Month, the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced.

Arnold, a freshman 174-pounder, made his dual and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut on Nov. 19 and picked up his first career win, defeating All-American and 11th-ranked Travis Wittlake of Oregon State, 4-2. Arnold’s debut marked the fifth straight season that a true freshman competed in a dual lineup for the Hawkeyes. Arnold was named NCAA Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 21.

The following week, the Albany, Georgia, native bumped up to 184 pounds and knocked off All-American and sixth-ranked Will Feldkamp of Iowa State to help the Hawkeyes defeat the Cyclones for the 19th straight season. Arnold is 7-0 on the season and has four bonus point victories, including three technical falls and a major decision.

Clark, a senior guard from West Des Moines, Iowa, led Iowa to a 7-1 record, the Hawkeyes’ best start since 2020-21. The Hawkeyes picked up two top 20 victories, knocking off Virginia Tech and Kansas State. Clark scored 20 or more points in all eight games in November. She broke the program’s all-time record for most points in a career and set the record for most 30+ point performances in a career over the last 25 seasons.

Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice and a member of the National Starting Five of the Week twice in November. The West Des Moines native leads the nation in scoring and leads her team in scoring and assists.

Broomfield, Pauley selected to AFCA’s Under 35 Leadership Institute

Sports

December 4th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State assistant coaches Deon Broomfield and Noah Pauley have been selected to participate in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2024 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, held Jan. 8 during the AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. They were chosen from a field of over 175 applicants.

Broomfield, a former Cyclone football player, is in his third season on the coaching staff, currently serving as passing game coordinator and safeties coach. Broomfield’s group of players has combined for 11 interceptions this season. Jeremiah Cooper was a First Team All-Big 12 pick, while fellow starters Beau Freyler and Malik Verdon earned honorable mention accolades.

Pauley is in his first season on head coach Matt Campbell’s staff. He coaches a Cyclone wide receiver room that has 140 receptions and 13 touchdowns. Junior Jaylin Noel has 60 receptions and a career-high six touchdowns and earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Jayden Higgins, a junior, has 44 catches at a 17.5 yard per catch clip. Higgins has five touchdown receptions.

The AFCA Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute is a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier future leaders in the football coaching profession. Selected participants are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance.

To be eligible, applicants were required to submit a resume, five references, and a 1,600-word article or 10-minute live instructional video on an offensive, defensive, special teams, or position-specific topic of the applicant’s choosing.

Nunn bill would deny federal pensions to expelled US House, Senate members

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn is co-sponsoring a bill that would make members of the U-S House and Senate who are expelled ineligible for a congressional pension. “No one should be serving in congress, be excommunicated and removed from congress and still be able to draw on a pension,” Nunn says. Former New York Congressman George Santos, who was expelled last week, will not be getting a pension because he hadn’t served long enough to be eligible for one, but Nunn says two House members who were expelled in 1980 and 2002 were able to get pension checks from the government.

“Going forward I think it’s very important that we have a clear roadmap for individuals who violate the public trust and are removed for congress, that they can’t access any of those benefits,” Nunn says. Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, is co-sponsoring the legislation with a Democrats from Minnesota and New Hampshire and a Republican congressman from New York. Nunn says members of the military are ineligible for benefits if they’re dishonorably discharged. “We absolutely should be holding our members of congress to the same standard,” Nunn says, “that they don’t get to walk away with money in their pocket from the taxpayer after they’ve been fired from their job.”

Nunn and the other three Republicans from Iowa who serve in the U-S House voted late last week to remove Santos from office. Some House Republicans opposed the move, saying it sets a dangerous precedent because Santos has been charged, but not yet convicted of a crime. Nunn says a House Ethics Committee report on Santos was damning evidence that Santos should be expelled. “He stole from the voters,” Nunn says. “He embezzled from the voters and it was repeatedly improved in the ethics committee that he was well aware of it and admitted to doing as much.”

Santos is accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses, like Botox treatments, and racking up charges on credit cards that were used to make donations to his campaign.

Former Hawkeye Assistant To Be Honored

Sports

December 4th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa assistant football coach Reese Morgan will be a recipient of the 2024 Tom Osborne Legacy Award. Morgan will be honored at the 78th Outland Trophy banquet on Jan. 10, 2024, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Osborne Legacy Award goes to honorees involved in promoting interior line play on the field and showed leadership and integrity off the field. The award, which was established in 2015, is named after the Cornhuskers’ legendary head coach from 1973-97.

Morgan was an assistant coach at the University of Iowa for 19 years before retiring in 2019. He coached tight ends for three years, offensive line for nine years and defensive line for seven years.  During his coaching career, Morgan coached three Outland winners (Chad Hennings at Benton Community High School, who won the award at Air Force in 1987; and Iowa’s Robert Gallery in 2003 and Brandon Scherff in 2014). Morgan had seven players named first- or second-team All-America and five players were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He also coached John Mackey Award honoree Dallas Clark.

While Morgan was on Iowa’s coaching staff, the Hawkeyes appeared in 16 bowl games, including 11 January contests, and the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa earned a share of the Big Ten title in 2002 and 2004.

Prior to coaching the Hawkeyes, Morgan won large-class state titles in 1995, 1998 and 1999 during an eight-year tenure as head coach at Iowa City West High School.

Two past recipients of the award include coaches with Hawkeye ties — Barry Alvarez (2023) and Bill Snyder (2021). Other honorees include: Milt Tenopir, Jim Ridlon, Barry Switzer, Bobby Bowden, Frank Solich, Fisher DeBerry and Will Shields.

Atlantic & Marne Fire requested for mutual aid w/Walnut FD for a house fire

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Update 12:03-p.m.: Atlantic and Marne Fire told to disregard their previous page requests)

(Walnut, Iowa) – Firefighters from Atlantic and Marne were requested at around 11:51-a.m. today (Monday), to assistant Walnut Fire with a residential structure fire. The call went out for mutual aid to the scene at 50596 Highway 83. Additional information is currently not available.

Lawsuit alleges Des Moines-based Bankers Trust charges unwarranted, “crippling” overdraft fees to accounts

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa/via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – An Iowa bank is facing a potential class-action lawsuit claiming it has charged “crippling” overdraft fees to its customers’ accounts. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, challenges Bankers Trust’s alleged practice of charging overdraft fees on debit-card transactions that have been authorized by the bank itself due to the availability of sufficient funds in the customers’ accounts. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the lawsuit centers on the controversial use of fees applied to so-called “Authorize Positive, Settle Negative” transactions, or APSN transactions.

The alleged practice works like this: The moment a purchase is made from a merchant using a debit card, the bank immediately reduces the customer’s checking account balance by the amount of that purchase. The bank also sets aside the full dollar amount of the purchase, holding that money in reserve for the merchant. However, the bank will then impose a $33 overdraft fee on the transaction if, days later when the bank forwards the reserved funds to the merchant, the customer’s funds are depleted and the account shows a negative balance. Essentially, the overdraft fee isn’t simply applied to transactions for which there are no funds; it’s imposed on transactions for which the bank is actually holding a customer’s cash in reserve to ensure payment.

The lawsuit alleges these “crippling” overdraft fees are unwarranted because a customer’s balance is always adjusted, in real-time, to account for every debit-card transaction at the precise instant the transaction is made. “Indeed,” the lawsuit alleges, “the entire purpose of the immediate debit and hold of positive funds is to ensure that there are enough funds in the account to pay the transaction.” The lawsuit alleges that while many banks and credit unions “that employ this abusive practice require their accountholders to expressly agree to it” when they open an account, Bankers Trust never did. Bankers Trust, the lawsuit claims, was fully aware that its customers believed they couldn’t be assessed overdraft fees for debit-card purchases given that the funds needed to cover those purchases were instantly set aside by the bank and held in reserve to ensure payment. “Besides being deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable, these practices breach contract promises” made to customers, the lawsuit claims. “In breach of these promises, (Banks Trust) assesses $33 overdraft fees when there is enough money in the account to cover the transaction.”

While some banks, including Bank of America, Capital One, Wells Fargo and others – have taken steps to eliminate such fees – some have not. The lawsuit claims Bankers Trust continues to assess overdraft fees on APSN transactions and that the bank “has made substantial revenue — to the tune of tens of millions of dollars — seeking to turn its customers’ financial struggles into revenue.” The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has called APSN fees “unfair” and “deceptive,” noting that consumers typically have no reason to anticipate such fees since they aren’t always disclosed to consumers. In October 2022, the bureau warned that even if a consumer closely monitors their account balance and carefully calibrates their spending, they can easily incur an overdraft fee. When a customer checks their account balance online or at an ATM, the amount displayed may be sufficient to cover their planned purchases — but the balance in the account may not be sufficient to cover the purchases days later when the bank chooses to process the transactions.

In some cases, depending on the order in which a bank structures debit-card purchases, a customer can be charged multiple overdraft fees in quick succession, driving their account balance even further into the red. The lawsuit notes that banks can protect themselves from true overdrafts by simply rejecting transactions once an account shows insufficient funds. Instead, the lawsuit claims, banks process the transactions, hold the money for the purchases in reserve, and then impose the APSN overdraft fees as a way to generate millions in revenue at the expense of customers who can least afford such fees. The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent not only Jones but all other Bankers Trust customers who have been subjected to APSN overdraft fees. It seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract and violations of the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act.

Bankers Trust is headquartered in Des Moines and is the state’s largest privately held community bank. In addition to 12 branches serving central Iowa, Bankers Trust has branches in Cedar Rapids and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as an office in Omaha, Nebraska.

Indianola woman recovering after being choked, run-over and knifed, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa/WHO-TV) – An Indianola man was arrested Sunday and charged in connection with the violent kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend from Des Moines. WHO-TV reports 40-year-old Jordan Mangum is being held in the Polk County Jail on charges of first-degree kidnapping, willful injury, and violation of a no-contact order, according to a news release from the Des Moines Police Department. The 32-year-old woman ended up at the Clark County Hospital with serious injuries. Police say she was choked, run over by a vehicle, and had her throat cut. Her injuries were so severe she was transferred to a Des Moines hospital where she underwent surgery. She was still hospitalized as of the latest report, and recovering from her injuries.

Des Moines Police began investigating the incident Saturday night, after being notified by the Osceola Police Department that a woman at the Clark County Hospital reported she was kidnapped from her Des Moines home around 2:30 that morning. Investigators were able to interview the victim after surgery and learned she had been bound with duct tape and taken from her home by Mangum, her ex-boyfriend, around 2:30 Saturday morning. She was then taken to a residence in Indianola where she was held against her will, before being taken to an unknown location outside of Indianola. Police said she was forced out of the vehicle and that’s when the violent assault happened.

The victim said she pleaded with Mangum to stop. She was put back into a vehicle and driven to the Clark County Hospital, where police said she was dropped off in the street. Police arrested Mangum Sunday after executing a search warrant at an Indianola residence.

Norwalk woman’s infant murder trial may be held in Pottawattamie County

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Indianola, Iowa/WHO-TV) — The trial of a Norwalk woman accused of murdering her newborn son back in February is being moved out of Warren County.  26-year-old Megan Staude is charged with first-degree murder in the baby’s death. On November 27th, a judge ruled in favor of a motion for her trial to be moved because of pretrial publicity. WHO-TV reports the judge said after seeing the responses to a juror questionnaire, it appeared that a significant portion of potential jurors had heard of the case and a significant portion of those jurors did not think they could be fair and impartial based on their previous knowledge of the case. A new trial venue has not been solidified yet but the court is eyeing Black Hawk County or Pottawattamie County as possible locations.

The defense and the State have tentatively agreed for the case to be heard in mid-June 2024. The trial is expected to take 10 days to two weeks to complete. The judge also ruled in favor of Megan Staude’s motion to sever her case from the case of her father, Rodney Staude. He is also charged with first-degree murder. Rodney Staude’s case is on hold while a competency evaluation is completed. Court documents revealed in September that he planned to use diminished responsibility as a defense during his trial.

Investigators say Megan Staude gave birth on February 24 at the family’s Norwalk home. According to court documents, she put the baby boy in a box and didn’t provide any care for him while he cried on and off for two days. After that Megan said and her father Rodney put the baby, who was still alive, into a plastic bag. Rodney allegedly discarded the baby’s body in a ditch in the 5300 block of Delaware Avenue.

The newborn’s body was discovered on March 9, one day after Megan’s co-workers expressed concern about the health and safety of the baby to the Norwalk Police Department.

IKM-Manning Announces Resignation of Superintendent Trevor Miller

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Manning, Iowa) –  At its regular meeting held Monday, November 27, 2023, the IKM-Manning School Board approved the resignation of Superintendent Trevor Miller, effective June 30, 2024.  Miller started at IKM-Manning in 2017 as a shared superintendent with Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton.   Starting July 1, 2024, he will serve as the superintendent of Exira-EHK and move into a shared agreement with the Audubon Community School District.  In his letter of resignation, Miller stated that he feels the district is in need of a fresh start.  He will continue planning for the new gymnasium and classroom addition and look at other facility needs.  He will work on the district’s budget and will assist the new superintendent in order to secure a smooth transition for the district.

When asked what Superintendent Miller is most proud of during his time at IKM-Manning, he shared that three accomplishments rose to the top.   He is incredibly proud of the hard working and flexible staff that IKM-Manning has.  He was especially proud of the staff during the pandemic and how they addressed the learning gaps from the months lost in 2020.  He feels that the work the district has done with social and emotional learning, including hiring more staff to meet student needs, has been important in making positive connections with students.   Finally, Miller is proud of the additional educational opportunities that have been created for students including the creation of the DMACC Templeton Center as well as continued partnerships with local businesses.

Trevor Miller

“I want to thank the staff, school board, and communities that have supported the school over the past seven years.  Passing the voter approved PPEL and also moving forward with the MS/HS addition with the sales tax money is a great move in the right direction for our district.  This was all accomplished with no additional tax impact to our tax payers. Being in a rural district, you have to be creative with your finances to best meet the needs of our students.  ” Miller stated.

Figuring out if IKM-Manning continues to share a superintendent will be the first decision the school board will need to make.  “We appreciate the fact that Miller has resigned early enough to allow us time to find a high quality replacement,” says Board President, Luke Potthoff.  “As a board we will be discussing what the future looks like for this position.”   The school board will meet again soon to start that conversation.

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office Issues Warning About Traveling Fake Jewelry Scam

News

December 4th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Sidney, Iowa) -The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents and visitors about a recent increase in fraudulent activities involving traveling individuals claiming to sell authentic jewelry. These individuals have been reported engaging in a fake jewelry scam that preys on unsuspecting victims. Authorities say on Sunday, Dec. 3rd (2023), deputies made contact with a white 2015 Infiniti QX80, with Alabama plates on Highway 2, near Farragut. Page County authorities had taken a report of a man in a suit attempting to flag down cars, attempting to sell items from the roadway.

An Infiniti QX80 (not the actual vehicle in question)

Deputies made contact and identified the occupants. They were released without charges in Fremont County. The Sheriff’s Office says if you see vehicle described, do not stop, please call your local law enforcement and make a report.

In recent weeks, local agencies have received multiple complaints about individuals approaching citizens in public spaces, such as parking lots, shopping centers, and gas stations, claiming to sell high-quality jewelry at deeply discounted prices. These scammers often present themselves as friendly and persuasive, using various tactics to create a sense of urgency and convince victims that they are getting a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
The fake jewelry being peddled by these scammers is often of poor quality, with little to no actual value. Victims have reported purchasing items they believed to be authentic, only to later discover they were deceived and had fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme.
To avoid falling prey to this scam, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office recommends the following precautions:
1. **Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Approaches:** Exercise caution when approached by individuals claiming to sell high-end jewelry, especially in public places.
2. **Verify Authenticity:** If approached by a seller, ask for detailed information about the jewelry, including certification and origin. Genuine sellers will provide this information willingly.
3. **Do Your Research:** Research the reputation of the seller and check for reviews or complaints online before making any purchases.
4. **Trust Your Instincts:** If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instincts and walk away if you have any doubts.
5. **Report Suspicious Activity:** If you encounter individuals engaging in suspicious behavior or believe you have been a victim of this scam, contact the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating these incidents and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the community. They urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.