The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), along with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office have filed additional charges in the Hot Lotto Ticket Investigation. 46-year old Robert Clark Rhodes II, of Sugar Land, Texas, has been charged with two, Class-D Felony counts of Fraud.

Iowa authorities received assistance from Texas Lottery Enforcement officials in the arrest of Rhodes in Texas last night, March 20, 2015. He is currently being held in the Fort Bend County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond and is awaiting extradition proceedings to bring him back to Iowa.

This investigation is on-going by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office with cooperation from the Iowa Lottery.

Today’s (Saturday) the first full day of spring and many Iowans are getting the itch to launch into their yard work, sprucing up their lawns and starting to plant flowers, trees and other vegetation. Even though Iowa has already had a lot of unseasonably warm days in recent weeks, horticulturist and arborist John Fech says to hold off on doing any fertilizing of your grass.  “Some of the lawn services have started with that but they tend to have different products than the average homeowner uses,” Fech says, “so, probably wait another three weeks or so.”

Fech says now would be a good time to rake up last season’s dead leaves, aerate the lawn and inspect trees and shrubs.  “Pruning your fruit trees,” he says. “Take out all the crossing limbs and limbs that have broken through the winter.” Look over the shrubs, too, and use sharp shears. “The shrubs that don’t bloom much at all and the ones that bloom in the summer, those are the ones that need a good thinning out, not a haircut, but a thinning out where you take the oldest stems out and let light to the center of the shrub,” he says.

Since much of the region had very dry weather heading into winter, dormant plants could likely use a drink. Fech suggests prioritizing and picking out the plants that are most important to you, roses or shrubs, and use a soaker hose to get them primed for the spring ahead.

(Radio Iowa)

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A traffic stop this (Saturday) morning in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man from northwest Iowa. Red Oak Police say 32-year old Chad Curtis McGonagle, of Ruthven, was pulled over at around 2:45-a.m. at the intersection of West Walnut and North Broadway Streets. During an investigation, McGonagle was found to allegedly be under the influence of a controlled substance.

He’s been charged with OWI-Drugged/1st offense, and was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $1,000 cash bond. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by officers with the Shenandoah Police Department.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A fundraiser is being held for an Atlantic man diagnosed with lung cancer. 65-year old Ron Shipley, of Atlantic, was diagnosed with lung cancer in Oct. 2014.

Ron Shipley

A former Marine who served during the Vietnam War teaching machine gunners at a base located in the U-S. He’s been a resident of Atlantic since 1990. Shipley is currently at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, where he has undergone resection of the lower lobe of his left lung.

In light of a recent local, cancer-related scam, and the public’s skittishness at contributing to persons they may be unfamiliar with,  family friend Sherry Toelle  said she has a written statement from the physician caring for Shipley, confirming the diagnosis and prognosis.

Ron Shipley and his wife Betty are both retired and are drawing Social Security benefits. He worked at Abild’s from 1992-1993, then at Service Master from 1994 to 2000 where he was an area supervisor. In 1995, he went to work at Mahle’s as a plant cleaning supervisor for five years before being employed in the maintenance department at WalMart from 2004-2006. He has suffered from knee problems which have limited his ability to work.

1966 photo of Shipley

While eligible for Medicare, Shipley’s finances do not extend to being able to pay for a Medicare Supplement so he is, therefore, responsible for at least 20% of his cancer treatment costs. Toelle says for anyone who has personally dealt with cancer or has friends/relatives who have had cancer, they know what a financial burden even 2-percent can be.

Learning about his cancer diagnosis, friends decided to try to raise funds for Ron. A special bank account—the Ron Shipley Medical Fund—has been set up at the Great Western Bank at 1407 E. 7th Street in Atlantic. Donors can send checks or take cash to that location for deposit in the benefit account which will be used solely to defray Ron’s medical and incidental expenses. Donation canisters have also been placed throughout Atlantic—at HyVee, Fareway, all three Casey’s, Cappels, Deter Motors, and the Atlantic Animal Health Clinic, to name a few.

The fundraising effort is being sponsored by Friends of Ron Shipley. For more information, contact Sherry at 243-4861 or Kathy Kerns at 243-1109.

A traffic stop Friday in Fremont County led to the arrest of two people on drug charges. Sheriff’s officials say 38-year old Michael Beltran and 31-year old Lacey Smalley were taken into custody. Beltran and Smalley both face charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Child Endangerment. Beltran was also charged with Driving While Suspended.

Beltran was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $7,600 bond, while Smalley was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $4,300 bond.

The trial of former Council Bluffs teacher Jeffrey Daugherty won’t begin as previously scheduled on Tuesday. According to the The Daily NonPareil, a judge will hear a motion Monday to consolidate the cases based on two students’ allegations. A new trial date has not yet been set. The 29-year old Daugherty is accused of two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, five counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee and one count each of sexual exploitation of a minor and lascivious conduct with a minor.

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in a case that defines the definition of rain when it comes to insurance claims. The Amish Connection Store in Crossroads Mall in Waterloo was flooded after a corroded drain pipe carrying rainwater through the building burst during a heavy rainfall in 2010. State Farm insurance refused to cover the losses, citing a provision in its policy that loses for rain are only covered if there is first damage from a storm that allows the rainwater to get into the structure.

The Amish Connection argued once the rain left the roof and entered the drain pipe it was no longer rain, and the damage was caused by the failure of the drain pipe. The district court dismissed the case based on the rain provision in the insurance policy, but the Court of Appeals overturned the district court ruling. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the water in the drain pipe is still rain and not covered under the insurance policy.

The court says the insurer expects the property owner to keep the rain out and writes the policy to avoid paying for damage from rain resulting from deferred maintenance. Justices Hecht, Wiggins, and Appel had a dissenting opinion. They say the case should have gone to trial as it is reasonable that it could be found the loss Amish Connection suffered was not from the rain alone, but only because the pipe failed while the rainwater was passing through it.

(Radio Iowa)