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Midwest Sports Headlines: 5/27/18

Sports

May 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo became the top major league home run hitter born in Asia, connecting for a leadoff drive in the 10th inning that lifted the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 4-3. Choo’s 176th career homer moved him past Hideki Matsui for the most by an Asian player.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jack Flaherty allowed four hits over six innings, Matt Carpenter hit his fifth home run of the season and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. Flaherty (2-1) followed up a dominant performance against Philadelphia by keeping the Pirates in check. Flaherty gave up Starling Marte’s long home run in the first but settled down quickly. Jose Martinez added three hits for the Cardinals, who beat the Pirates for the first time in five tries this season.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have placed struggling reliever Greg Holland on the disabled list with a right hip impingement. The Cardinals made the move after Holland’s ERA ballooned to 9.45 following a bumpy inning of work in an 8-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Holland, a three-time All-Star, has allowed two runs in each of his last four appearances. The Cardinals also activated pitcher Tyler Lyons and catcher Carson Kelly off the DL.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nick Dalesandro had a pair of hits and scored three runs and Purdue rallied from three runs down to roll past Illinois 11-5 and advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game. Harry Shipley also had two hits and three runs for the Boilermakers. They will face top-seeded Minnesota for the title.

Iowa early News Headlines: Sunday, 5/27/18

News

May 27th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:15 a.m. CDT

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — A group that keeps an eye on the eagle population in Iowa says two eaglets at a nest in Decorah have died. Television station KCRG reports that a pathogen carried by blackflies, coupled with recent high heat and humidity, led to the baby birds’ deaths. The Raptor Resource project says the birds were hatched on May 18 and May 20, considered late for eagles.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set later this summer for a Texas man shot by a Council Bluffs officer after allegedly leading police on a chase and ramming police vehicles. The Daily Nonpareil reports that a preliminary hearing was held Friday for 28-year-old Clifton Wade, of Zavalla, Texas. Wade is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, assault on an officer and other counts for the May 1 incident. Wade’s arraignment has been set for June 25, and his trial is set for July 31.

FAIRBANK, Iowa (AP) — After losing an extended legal battle, a company is refusing to remove three wind turbines in northeast Iowa and is asking a court to reconsider a 2016 order and allow the structures to remain. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Mason Wind, Dante Wind 6, Venus Wind 4 and Galileo Wind have also filed a new zoning application seeking a variance from Fayette County’s board of adjustment which would legalize the existing project.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With summer heat already ratcheting up in Iowa, organizations in the state are preparing to help keep low-income families cool. In Des Moines, IMPACT Community Action Partnership and the Des Moines Fire Department are collecting new fans to distribute to low-income families within the city who do not have working fans or air conditioning in their homes. In Cedar Rapids, the Salvation Army will begin taking phone calls on Tuesday to schedule an appointment to receive a box fan.

2 eaglets in Decorah bald eagle nest die

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — A group that keeps an eye on the eagle population in Iowa says two eaglets at a nest in Decorah have died. Television station KCRG reports that a pathogen carried by blackflies, coupled with recent high heat and humidity, led to the baby birds’ deaths. The Raptor Resource project — a nonprofit organization that runs the popular webcam trained on the nest — says the birds were hatched on May 18 and May 20, considered late for eagles.

RODNEY DEAN WATKINS, 61, of Atlantic (Svcs. at a later date)

Obituaries

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

RODNEY DEAN WATKINS, 61, of Atlantic, died Saturday, May 26th, at home. Per his wishes cremation has taken place and graveside services for RODNEY WATKINS are planned for a later date at the Iowa Veteran’s Cemetery near Van Meter. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

RODNEY DEAN WATKINS is survived by:

Son: Jordan Watkins of Altoona.

Sister: Catherine Hankemeier of Atlantic.

MARIE F. GRAEVE, 95, of Earling (Mass of Christian Burial 5/29/18)

Obituaries

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

MARIE F. GRAEVE, 95, of Earling, died Friday, May 25th, at the Little Flower Haven Nursing Home. A Mass of Christian Burial for MARIE GRAEVE will be held 11-a.m. Tue., May 29th, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, in Earling. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling, is on Monday, May 28th, from 4-until 8-p.m., with a Wake service at 7-p.m.

Burial will be in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery at Earling.

MARIE F. GRAEVE is survived by:

Her sons – Donald (Lorrain) Graeve, of Earling; Allan Graeve, of Omaha; Randy Graeve, of Denison; Glen Graeve, of Harlan, and Marvin (Diane) Graeve, of Denison.

Her daughters – Judy (Gail) Klein, and Jane (Chuck) Skoumal, all of Omaha, and Donna (Dale) Erlbacher, of  Springfield, MO.

Her sister – Delores Jacoby, of Waterloo.

Her brother – Bob Langenfeld, of Red Oak.

21 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren.

Deadly weekend in IA starting off the Memorial Day Holiday

News

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Memorial Day Holiday weekend has started off being deadly on Iowa roads, with two fatal accidents Saturday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports in south central Iowa’s Marion County, a 22-year old woman died in a head-on crash between her van and a semi tractor-trailer on Highway 5/92, near Knoxville. The accident happened at around 7-a.m.

Authorities say Malloree Beth Murphy, of Pleasantville, was driving the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country van eastbound in the westbound lane of the highway near mile marker 615, at the same time a 2009 Polaris semi driven by 71-year old Ernest John Smith, of Knoxville, was traveling westbound. The accident remains under investigation.

About an hour later, a 42-year old woman died and an eight-year old male child was injured, during a crash in southeast Iowa’s Jefferson County. The Patrol says Wendy Le Ann Courtney, of Ottumwa, was southbound on County Road H-43 at around 8-a.m., when her 2006 Chrysler Town & Country van entered the east ditch, hit an embankment and vaulted into the air before rolling over and coming to rest on its top in the east ditch. Courtney died at the scene. The eight-year old boy was transported to University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics by air ambulance. The accident remains under investigation.

Iowa wind farm owners fight against removal order

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

FAIRBANK, Iowa (AP) — After losing an extended legal battle, a company is refusing to remove three wind turbines in northeast Iowa and is asking a court to reconsider a 2016 order and allow the structures to remain. The Mason Wind, Dante Wind 6, Venus Wind 4 and Galileo Wind have also filed a new zoning application seeking a variance from Fayette County’s board of adjustment which would legalize the existing project, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported .

Opponents of the turbines are asking the Fayette County District Court to find the companies and county zoning officials in contempt of court for failing to remove them already. Fairbank and group private owners sued in 2015 after zoning officials declared the turbines didn’t require special permit approval. Mason Wind and the other firms unsuccessfully appealed the 2016 decision, which was reaffirmed earlier this month when the Iowa Supreme Court let the original ruling stand.

Company attorneys have requested to reconsider the district court decision, contending the order is too harsh given the circumstances and noting the companies have an avenue to legalize them through a zoning process. “Because the turbines’ owners relied in good faith on certificates of zoning compliance issued by the Fayette County zoning administrator and engaged in no wrongdoing, it would be fundamentally unfair to require the turbines be removed,” the companies said in a May 17 court filing.

But attorneys for the city argued the companies continued building the turbines despite the pending lawsuit and failed to post a $450,000 bond to remove the structures as required by the court. They said the companies should be held in contempt for disregarding the court’s authority.

A hearing is scheduled for June 11 on the contempt issue and the application for a county zoning variance is expected to go to the board of adjustment soon.

Trial set for Texas man accused of ramming Iowa police cars

News

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set later this summer for a Texas man shot by western Iowa officer after allegedly leading police on a chase and ramming police vehicles. The Daily Nonpareil reports that a preliminary hearing was held Friday for 28-year-old Clifton Wade, of Zavalla, Texas. Wade is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, assault on an officer and other counts for the May 1 incident. Wade’s arraignment has been set for June 25, and his trial is set for July 31.

Council Bluffs police say Wade sped off when officers tried to stop his pickup at a closed construction site and later intentionally rammed two police cruisers. One officer then shot him. Wade was taken to a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment and later released and booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail, where he remains on $500,000 bond.

Groups in Iowa work to keep residents cool during summer

News

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With summer heat already ratcheting up in Iowa, organizations in the state are preparing to help keep low-income families cool. In Des Moines, IMPACT Community Action Partnership and the Des Moines Fire Department are collecting new fans to distribute to low-income families within the city who do not have working fans or air conditioning in their homes. Donations of new fans or new window air conditioners are accepted at city fire stations during normal business hours.

In Cedar Rapids, the Salvation Army will begin taking phone calls on Tuesday to schedule an appointment to receive a box fan. Those seeking a fan must not have received one from The Salvation Army in the past and must show an Iowa-issued ID. There is a limit of one fan per household.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 5/26/2018

News, Podcasts

May 26th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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