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Corning man arrested Friday evening on assault & other charges

News

July 29th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A call to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office from the Corning Hospital Emergency Room, Friday evening, resulted a man being arrested for Domestic Assault and Violation of a No Contact Order. The Sheriff’s Office says 36-year old Richard Alexander, of Corning, was taken into custody for allegedly assaulting a woman at her home, causing injuries. Alexander was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, July 29th 2017

News

July 29th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa trooper who was granted early retirement for mental stress after shooting a suspect during a high-speed chase continues to collect disability benefits while working as a school security guard. Tim Sieleman has received a $42,000-annual pension since the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s retirement system found him “totally and permanently incapacitated for duty” in 2014. But he also gets paid to work for as an unarmed guard for Des Moines Public Schools.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say one person has been shot to death and two others arrested in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register reports that the shooting happened Friday afternoon in the city’s River Bend neighborhood. Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek says a gunman inside a vehicle fired several shots, hitting a person in the chest who was standing on Oakland Avenue.

TYNDALL, S.D. (AP) — A jury has convicted an Iowa man of assaulting a South Dakota police officer with his vehicle. Thirty-seven-year-old Travis McPeek, of Sioux City, Iowa, was accused of striking Tyndall Officer Kelly Young with his vehicle during a traffic stop on Aug. 6, 2016, dragging him across a parking lot and driving away. Young suffered broken ribs, cuts, bruises and an injured foot. He was out of work for a month.

HULL, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials say improper disposal of a pesticide and other chemicals led to a fish kill in northwestern Iowa. Officials say in a written release that DNR investigators looking into a fish kill in a small creek in Hull traced the problem upstream to Hull Coop Association. There, officials say, an employee rinsed out chemicals Wednesday morning after spraying corn, eventually sending contaminated water into the stream.

3 vehicle accident south of Earling Saturday morning

News

July 29th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Rescue crews from several area departments were called to the scene of a three-vehicle accident with entrapment early this (Saturday) morning, in Shelby County. According to dispatch reports, the crash happened at around 2:45-a.m. on Highway 59, just south of 1800th Street, south of Earling. One of the vehicles was said to have been upside down, in a ditch.

Medivac Ambulance, Westphalia and Harlan Fire and Rescue crews were all called to the scene. LifeNet helicopter was put on stand-by, and a Trauma Alert was issued at Myrtue Memorial Hospital. Initial reports indicated at least three people were hurt.

Highway 59 was closed for a while, as the accident was under investigation. No other details were immediately available.

Senate GOP meets to discuss $2.2 million verdict for fired staffer who alleged she was harassed

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Senate Republicans met privately today (Friday) to discuss allegations of Senate G-O-P staff misconduct that were aired during a recent trial. A jury awarded former Senate Republican Caucus Staff director Kirsten Anderson more than two-million dollars after hearing testimony about sexual harassment in the workplace. Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix says no one on the staff has been fired or placed on paid leave.

“There were issues learned in tbe trial as the result of testimony that I was not aware of and, as a result, there is an investigation taking place to learn about those allegations,” Dix says. “If we learn that they are truthful, we will move swiftly to address them in the appropriate manner.” Dix has put the secretary of the senate in charge of the investigation. Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale served on the Republican leadership team in the senate when some of the alleged harassment occurred.

“I think what happened was disgusting,” Zaun says. “I was disappointed in our staff that no one brought any of this type of information to me or we would have done something about it.” Zaun says he supports “the changes” Dix is making. And Dix easily survived Senator Rick Bertrand’s call for Dix to resign as leader.

“At the end of the day, I made my peace. I distanced myself from this thing,” Bertrand told reporters after the meeting. “…If this was any other organization in the United States, you would act quickly and decisively to make changes.” Dix says Senate Republicans are “very unified” as they work through this and other challenges. Dix says he and his Republican colleagues had “candid conversations” in their private meeting that also included the possibility of a special legislative session this fall to address a state budget shortfall.

“I’m going to focus on doing the job that we were sent here to do in the best, effective manner that we can,” Dix says. “And that means working hard, listening to our constituents and continuing to focus on policies that grow our state.” Dix says the attorney general is still reviewing the jury’s two-point-two-million dollar verdict and hasn’t decided whether there will be an appeal. If the verdict stands, Dix says Republican legislators will opt to have it be paid with taxpayer funds. Dix says that’s standard practice for all trials and verdicts involving state employees and the staffers who work for Senate Republicans are on the state payroll.

(Radio Iowa)

2 women wanted in Union County are taken into custody

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place today (Friday). At around 11-a.m., 32-year old Elizabeth Rene Clayton, of Afton, was arrested in Adams County on a Union County warrant for domestic abuse assault.  Clayton was being held without bond for Union County, in the Ringgold County Jail, until seen by a judge.

And, 24-year old Rebecca Adeline Holbrook, of Lenox, was arrested at around Noon today (Friday) in Lenox, on a Union County warrant for forgery.  Holbrook was also being held for Union County in the Ringgold County Jail. Her bond was set at $5,000.

AP Exclusive: Disabled Iowa trooper works as security guard

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A state trooper who was granted an early retirement after an on-duty shooting in 2013 continues to collect disability benefits while working as a security guard for Des Moines Public Schools. Tim Sieleman has received a $42,000-annual pension since the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s retirement system in 2014 found him “totally and permanently incapacitated for duty” due to mental stress. In February, he started work for the school district.

Attorney Bill McGinn, who represented the suspect shot by Sieleman in 2013, says Sieleman’s dual compensation is “kind of outrageous.” Iowa law declares that benefits received by disabled officers will end if they return to a “public safety occupation.” But Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan says Sieleman’s dual compensation is allowed because school security work isn’t considered such a job.

Cass County Supervisors receive update on Lyman Road paving project

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Friday) received Quarterly reports from Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, Conservation Director Micah Lee, along with County Mental Health & General Assistance Director Deb Schuler.

They also heard from County Engineer Charles Bechtold, who said the Secondary Roads Department has five pipe projects left that he hopes to have done before school starts. Bechtold also presented the board with the documents to allow for paving of the Lyman Road, (Old Highway 71) in the unincorporated town of Lyman.

Bechtold explained, “It’s not a Farm-to-Market route, it’s a local route.” The plan is to mill-off about two inches of road surface from where the north and south sides of the curves are, and use that for the shouldering material. Then they will apply two-inches of new asphalt across the entire surface. Requests for bids will be made August 14th. The project should be completed by next June.

And, the Supervisors passed a Resolution for the abatement of taxes on a 1974 mobile home in the County, where the County Treasurer declared it is impractical to collect the tax.

Iowa to demolish 34 homes while working on interstate

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Iowa transportation officials have announced preliminary plans to demolish more than 30 homes as part of work on freeways in the southwestern part of the state. Wes Mayberry is a transportation engineer specialist with the state Department of Transportation. He tells The Daily Nonpareil that the fourth segment of the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program is still in its concept phase so the number of homes affected may change.

Mayberry says the department hopes to start buying and demolishing the mix of single- and multi-family houses later this year or early next year. The department must first complete an environmental evaluation for the project. The project will also take off parts of a golf course. The department will host a public meeting Aug. 15 to present the final plans.

Oakland man turns himself-in to authorities for OWI charge

News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says a man wanted on a warrant for OWI/1st offense, turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office, Thursday afternoon. After the warrant was confirmed, 21-year old Eric David Rock, of Oakland, was placed under arrest and transported to the Pott. County Jail.

And, a man being held in the Pott. County Jail was served with a Felony warrant Thursday. The warrant for 20-year old Tyler James Moss, of Council Bluffs, was for Interference with a Corrections Official by inflicting serious injury, and Assault with the intent of injury a person of certain occupations. Moss was read the warrant and returned to the custody of jail staff.

Iowans are asked to show the EPA their support for ethanol

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 28th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Leaders of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association are asking supporters to turn out in force and comment on the E-P-A’s renewable fuel standard volume obligations for 2018. Association spokeswoman Cassidy Riley says it’s a simple process for people to submit their opinions and the deadline is next month. “We’ve launched a webpage where people can just go on and click to support corn ethanol or support biodiesel or support both and sign our petition to tell EPA to hold strong with the 15-billion gallon statutory level for conventional corn ethanol,” Riley says. “Really, we’re hoping to see that biodiesel number increased.”

The effort needs as many backers as possible as Riley suspects the deep-pocketed petroleum industry will be calling for reductions. “The 15-billion-gallon level for conventional corn ethanol, we’re pretty happy with that but we’re expecting that big oil is going to be fighting to have that number lowered,” Riley says. “On the biodiesel number, 2.1-billion gallons, flat-lining it there is really not acceptable.”

Riley says the current E-P-A proposal for bio-mass biodiesel at 2.1-billion gallons is too low, given the fact 2.9-billion gallons were produced last year. To submit comments, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website is iowaRFA.org. “There’s a link right on that homepage you can click on or you can go directly to IowaRFA.org/rfs,” Riley says. “You’ll be able to find all of the information about how you can comment and Iowa-produced, homegrown ethanol and biodiesel.”

The comment period ends August 31st. Iowa is the nation’s number-one ethanol producer with 43 plants churning out more than four-billion gallons a year, or almost one-third of the nation’s ethanol.

(Radio Iowa)