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Iowa early News Headlines: Thursday, June 6, 2019

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June 6th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The trial over allegations that former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad pressured an official to quit because he was gay has begun in state court and will center on whether the jury believes the Republican governor was influenced by anti-gay attitudes. Branstad’s attorney Frank Harty says he simply wanted Chris Godfrey out as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner so he could hire his own team. Godfrey claims Branstad violated his rights and he deserves to be compensated for the unlawful treatment.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Montana man dubbed the AK-47 bandit has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison. Richard Gathercole, of Roundup, Montana, received the maximum sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty in March to bank robbery. The 41-year-old Gathercole admitted during that plea hearing to using an AK-47 while robbing a Nebraska City bank in 2014. He was accused of carrying the weapon during multiple bank robberies in California, Idaho, Iowa and Washington state from 2012 to 2017.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state auditor says the pending sale of the University of Iowa’s AIB Campus for less than half its $20 million assessed value is fair. State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday. It says Iowa’s acceptance in May of a $7.5 million bid on the property was fair, because the $20 million assessed value was too high.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a Sioux City food pantry that serves more than 5,000 people a month is being evicted because the building has been sold. The Midtown Family Community Center houses the food pantry and a 4-H program and it provides a free Saturday meal for neighborhood residents. Boys and Girls Home Inc. owns the building and had allowed the community center to use the building rent-free. But the building was sold last month. Officials hope to move the center to another neighborhood space.

Iowa trial begins over alleged discrimination by ex-governor

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The trial over allegations that former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad pressured an official to quit because he was gay has begun in state court and will center on whether the jury believes the Republican governor was influenced by his party’s anti-gay attitudes.

Branstad’s attorney Frank Harty told jurors Wednesday that after winning election the former governor wanted to replace Chris Godfrey as Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner to surround himself with people with shared political goals.

Harty told jurors, “elections have consequences” and that Godfrey was part of a Democratic team that didn’t want to accept defeat.

Godfrey’s attorney Roxanne Conlin will attempt to convince eight jurors that Branstad was the leader of an anti-gay Republican Party and unlawfully cut Godfrey’s pay by $39,000, then ostracized and sidelined him.

Branstad, now U.S. Ambassador in China, will testify June 14.

‘AK-47 Bandit’ sentenced in Nebraska to 35 years in prison

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Montana man dubbed the AK-47 bandit and accused of holding up banks in several states over a five-year period has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison.

FILE – This undated file booking photo provided by the FBI shows Richard Gathercole of Roundup, Mont. Gathercole, dubbed the AK-47 bandit and accused of holding up banks in several states over a five-year period has been sentenced in a Nebraska federal court to 35 years in prison.(FBI via AP, File)

Richard Gathercole, 41, of Roundup, Montana, received the maximum sentence Wednesday in a federal courthouse in Lincoln, Nebraska, after pleading guilty in March to bank robbery. Gathercole admitted during that plea hearing to using an AK-47 to rob a Nebraska City bank of more than $90,000 in 2014.

Gathercole also pleaded guilty to the June 2017 carjacking of a farmer in Kansas that led to his arrest the same day in Lexington, Nebraska. Gathercole was one of the most wanted bank robbers in the nation at the time of his arrest, accused of a string of bank robberies in California, Idaho, Iowa and Washington state from 2012 to 2017.

Before his arrest, the FBI had been looking for years for the man they called the “AK-47 Bandit,” who typically wore a balaclava and carried an assault rifle with a drum magazine during the robberies. Investigators believe Gathercole robbed a string of California banks early in his string of crimes, the first being the robbery on Feb. 29, 2012, of a bank in Chino, California. During the robbery, investigators say Gathercole shot a Chino police officer. The bullet struck the officer’s femoral artery and shattered his femur, ending his law enforcement career.

Prosecutors say that aside from the assault weapon he carried during the robberies, Gathercole showed a pattern of threatening violence during the robberies. He usually threatened to kill bank employees and sometimes would place what appeared to be a bomb near bank employees, warning that it could go off inside the bank. Authorities say Gathercole would sometimes wear a bullet proof vest that was marked “Sheriff” or “Police” during the robberies.

After his arrest, federal agents found homemade bombs, guns and ammunition, sheriff’s badges and patches and a sheriff’s vest in Gathercole’s home. As part of his plea deal, Gathercole won’t be prosecuted by other jurisdictions for other violent crimes, including shooting at a Kansas state trooper in 2017. Some of the crimes had passed the five-year federal statute of limitations.

McCurdy appointed to Atlantic City Council; Fireworks day changes; Elks Lodge approved to buy SR. Center

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, as expected, approved the appointment of Pat McCurdy to the vacant Third Ward City Council seat. After Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones administered the Oath of Office, McCurdy took his seat on Council that formally belonged to Ashley Hayes until her resignation last month.

Pat McCurdy sworn-in as Atlantic 3rd Ward Councilman.

The public may file a petition to hold a Special Election to fill the seat, within 14 days of the Council’s decision. If there are no objections, McCurdy would hold the seat until at least the November General Election.

The Council also approved an updated City Attorney Retainer Agreement with David Wiederstein, and Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings as the Assistant City Attorney.  Jennings will serve in an individual attorney capacity, not as the Audubon County Attorney, in any civil matters that involves the City. The move would add about $6,000 per year to the city’s legal budget.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, by a vote of 6-to 1, approved a bid of $55,445 from the Atlantic Elks Lodge for the purchase of the Atlantic Senior Center. The bid was nearly $10,200 more than a bid received from Valley Mutual Insurance. Both bids met the $40,000 minimum threshold the Council sought. Councilman Gerald Brink was opposed to the sale because he was of the opinion the City should have footed the bill for the repair of the building roof instead of selling the building. The arrangement allows Senior Citizens to use the Center for their purposes, and the Elks to hold their business and events there as well, by mutual agreement.

And, the Council passed the first reading of an Amended Ordinance with regard to the individual use of fireworks, with some changes to the original proposal from the Community Protection Committee. They had originally proposed fireworks only be discharged on July 3rd and 4th, from Noon until 11-p.m., both days. The current ordinance allows fireworks to be discharged July 2nd and 3rd from Noon until 10-p.m., and from Noon until 11-p.m. July 4th.

The Council heard from Cass Supervisor Mark O’Brien, who also runs a fireworks stand. He asked the Council not to reduce the days, and instead allow fireworks within the City Limits July 3rd, 4th and 5th. The permitted hours would be from Noon until 11-p.m. those days. Any violations would be subject to a fine. After lengthy discussion, the Council decided to pass the first reading of the amended ordinance as mentioned, and the remaining second and third readings during their June 19th regular meeting.

The City of Atlantic’s official fireworks display will be held near the AMU well fields/Little League Ball Park on JULY 5th, because of work being done at the Atlantic Municipal Airport this year.

Casey’s announces new President/CEO

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Casey’s General Stores, Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Darren Rebelez, IHOP® President, as Casey’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 24, 2019.

Rebelez will also join Casey’s Board of Directors. He will succeed Casey’s President and CEO Terry Handley, who will retire from the Company and Board, after a 38-year career with Casey’s.

State auditor finds bid for UI’s AIB Campus is fair price

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state auditor says the pending sale of the University of Iowa’s AIB Campus for less than half its $20 million assessed value is fair.

State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday. It says Iowa’s acceptance in May of a $7.5 million bid on the property was fair, because the $20 million assessed value was too high. The report says the proper bidding process was followed, the highest bidder was selected, and the bidders don’t appear to have any relationship with UI board members or staff that would pose a conflict of interest.

The university revealed last year that it had lost nearly $1.2 million from its operation of the business campus in Des Moines. Officials opted to close the campus due to cuts in state funding.

Missouri River will remain high because of water from dams

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The amount of water being released into the lower Missouri River will remain at a high level because of all the rain that fell in the area over the last month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the amount of water being released from Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border will remain at 75,000 cubic feet per second because of all the recent rain.

The Corps’ John Remus says the amount of water being released into the river is more than twice the average for this time of year. That may worsen flooding downstream because many levees were damaged by flooding in March.

NE woman sentenced in Pott. County on meth offense

News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

A woman from Nebraska was sentenced to prison Tuesday in Council Bluffs,  for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. 26-year old Jessica L. Snavely, of LaVista, NE., received a sentence in U-S District Court, of  ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

In late 2017, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force investigated a large drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of methamphetamine to and around western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. During the investigation, law enforcement received information that a large amount of methamphetamine was distributed out of a motel in Council Bluffs.

On April 26, 2019, law enforcement searched a room at the Red Roof Inn in Council Bluffs and recovered over a pound and a half of methamphetamine, along with a stolen handgun and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. It was determined Jessica Snavely received and distributed methamphetamine from the Red Roof Inn motel room.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, Omaha Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Lake Manawa boaters under no wake restriction due to high water

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 5th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Boaters on Lake Manawa, in Pottawattamie County, will be restricted to operating their boat at no wake speed, which equates to roughly 5 mph, while the lake level is above flood stage.

The Lake Manawa no wake restriction, effective immediately, will remain in place until the water level in Indian Creek and the Missouri River fall below flood stage and allow the lake level to return to normal.

The water level on Lake Manawa is 12 inches above crest and the potential exists for shoreline erosion and damage to docks as well as boater safety issues associated with flood related debris floating just under the water surface. The no-wake declaration will be in effect until further notice.

Brian Smith, supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, said his lake patrol officers will advise boaters of the no-wake declaration.

“Lake Manawa remains open for recreation, the only change is placing the restriction on boaters operating at no wake speed,” Smith said.

Lake Manawa was last under a no wake restriction in 2011.

Stolen semi trailer found in Mongtomery County

News

June 5th, 2019 by admin

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office recovered a semi trailer that was reported stolen out of Sarpy County, NE on Tuesday. Nebraska Officials contacted Montgomery County Officials on Tuesday in regards to a stolen semi trailer that was owned by Smart Freight Funding LLC of Omaha that may be in the area.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officials located the trailer in the 1900 block of G Avenue, West of Red Oak at approximately 8:45pm. After recovering the trailer Deputies arrested 50-year-old Douglas E. Klimek of Red Oak for Possession of Stolen Property/Theft 1st Degree. Klimek was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $10,000 cash bond.