United Group Insurance

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., Nov. 11 2020

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Republican candidate seeking to flip a Democratic-held congressional seat in Iowa has pulled ahead by 40 votes after a county discovered that that it had failed to report a small town’s votes. The dramatic turn was the latest in the seesawing race between Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Rita Hart. And it may not be the last. The 24 counties in the southeastern Iowa district were certifying their votes Tuesday after completing their official canvasses. It’s possible additional provisional ballots or absentee ballots that arrived by Monday at noon could be added to some county totals. The race is considered among the closest in the nation and could remain unsettled for weeks.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will require that people wear masks if they join indoor gatherings of 25 or more people as the state sees a continued surge of coronavirus infections that is threatening to overwhelm hospitals. Reynolds said Tuesday she signed a proclamation taking effect Wednesday that would require masks for the indoor and outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people. The Republican governor didn’t require new mask requirements for bars and restaurants. The new rules don’t apply to school districts. Asked why she didn’t impose a mask requirement for smaller gatherings, Reynolds said: “It’s a place to start.” Iowa health officials reported 4,441 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours and 27 additional deaths.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 24-year-old woman charged with fatally shooting a woman inside a busy Chuck E. Cheese in Davenport lost a bid to have her bond altered so she could be released from jail to await trial. Treshonda Pollion, of Davenport, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Eloise Chairs in late October. During a telephone conference on Tuesday, Pollion and her attorney asked to have her $1 million cash-only bond altered, noting she has no prior criminal history or failure to appear in court on her record. The judge rejected the request, citing the serious nature of the shooting.

FORT DODGE, Iowa. (AP) — Five men are charged with second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two people in Fort Dodge this summer. Police said in a news release Tuesday that four people from Fort Dodge and one from Eagle Grove were charged in the deaths of 25-year-old Jamal Cox and 47-year-old Tyrone Cunningham. Two women also were injured in the shooting on June 16. Police said at the time that the victims were innocent bystanders after shots were fired during a social gathering. Those charged Tuesday were: Michael Shivers, of Eagle Grove; James Davis; Michael Wells; Darrell Jones; and Jeremiha Hatten, all of Fort Dodge.

Ex-Iowa players’ attorney pulls $20M demand, says he’ll sue

Sports

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes withdrew his clients’ demand for a $20 million settlement. Damario Solomon-Simmons says he will still move forward with a lawsuit.

The players’ initial demands also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta.

The university in June hired an outside law firm to review the culture of the football program after dozens of former players, most of them Black, spoke out on social media to allege racial disparities and mistreatment.

5 people charged in 2 deaths in Fort Dodge this summer

News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

FORT DODGE, Iowa. (AP) — Five men are charged with second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two people in Fort Dodge this summer. Police said in a news release Tuesday that four people from Fort Dodge and one from Eagle Grove were charged in the deaths of 25-year-old Jamal Cox and 47-year-old Tyrone Cunningham. Two women also were injured in the shooting on June 16.

Police said at the time that the victims were innocent bystanders after shots were fired during a social gathering. Those charged Tuesday were: Michael Shivers, of Eagle Grove; James Davis; Michael Wells; Darrell Jones; and Jeremiha Hatten, all of Fort Dodge.

Suspect in Iowa Chuck E. Cheese fatal denied bond changes

News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 24-year-old woman charged with fatally shooting a woman inside a busy Chuck E. Cheese in Davenport lost a bid to have her bond altered so she could be released from jail to await trial. Treshonda Pollion, of Davenport, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Eloise Chairs in late October.

During a telephone conference on Tuesday, Pollion and her attorney asked to have her $1 million cash-only bond altered, noting she has no prior criminal history or failure to appear in court on her record. The judge rejected the request, citing the serious nature of the shooting.

 

Iowa’s governor limits number of spectators at HS, youth sporting events

Sports

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a public health emergency proclamation that will limit the number of spectators at high school and youth sporting events. Starting at midnight, no more than two people per athlete will be allowed to attend basketball games, wrestling matches and other sporting events.

The two-ticket-per-athlete rule will NOT apply to this weekend’s Iowa high school football championships inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. A spokesman for the governor says masks are already required for the crowd at the venue.

Rare weather issue leads to duck being hit and killed in Woodbury county

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R says a unique weather phenomenon led to the death of several migrating birds in northwest Iowa. State waterfowl biologist, Orrin Jones, says the birds ran into trouble after flying into a weather system in Iowa. He says the birds would have left the Dakotas at sunset Monday and then entered into a frontal system in Iowa. He says once the birds hit the weather system they decided to land and then mistook wet pavement for a body of water.

“Be it a wetland or lake and landed there. And then in those very dark conditions, it would be very disorienting to have vehicles coming by with their headlights on– so a lot these birds mistakenly landed on the pavement and then were struck by moving vehicles,” Jones says. Jones says it was just a bad combination of weather and the area where they landed.

“It would have been very dark with rain or freezing rain…so it would be very easy for them to be disorientated under those conditions,” according to Jones. “Some of them probably figured it out and were able to get back in the air and find a more suitable location. Others were probably still trying to figure that out as vehicles approached.”

State Conservation Officer Steve Griebel, of Woodbury County, says he started getting phone calls and text messages about ducks on the road around 9:30 p-m. Monday. He found more than 200 ducks dead along Highway 20 toward Highway 71. Jones says this is the time of year when all of the conditions can come together and create this issue.

“October and November are when Iowa has its highest waterfowl migration — so while this is a kind of rare tragedy to have this happen — it does happen every so often,” Jones says. He says it didn’t seem to be widespread. “It seems to be relatively localized to the Cherokee, Woodbury County are. So, it just happened to affect the birds who were migrating through or over those counties,” Jones says.

The D-N-R says this the most famous occurrence of this type of weather phenomenon that happened on Armistice Day in 1940. Temperatures that day started in the mid-50s and ended with more than a foot of snow, and 150 people and thousands of livestock dead.

GOP candidate inches ahead in close US House race in Iowa

News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Republican candidate seeking to flip a Democratic-held congressional seat in Iowa has pulled ahead by 50 votes after a county discovered that that it had failed to report a small town’s votes. The dramatic turn was the latest in the seesawing race between Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Rita Hart. And it may not be the last.

The 24 counties in the southeastern Iowa district were certifying their votes Tuesday after completing their official canvasses. It’s possible additional provisional ballots or absentee ballots that arrived by Monday at noon could be added to some county totals. The race is considered among the closest in the nation and could remain unsettled for weeks.

 

Shelby County Gen. Election results canvassed

News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Shelby County Auditor/Elections Commissioner Mark Maxwell, Tuesday, released the official results of the Nov. 3rd General Election, following a canvass of the votes by the Board of Supervisors. The results are as follows:

Clarinda Academy Student Steals Truck, Causes Significant Structural Damage to Local Business

News

November 10th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Tuesday, said shortly after 1:30-a.m., Tuesday, the Clarinda Academy reported that a student had left campus without authorization. A short time later, officers responded to Casey’s General Store, 318 E. Washington when it was reported that a 2017 Dodge Ram Pick up had run into the front of the building, causing major structural damage to the building and the Dodge Pick-Up..

Officers learned that the pick-up had been stolen from a residential driveway at 216 W. Walnut Street. The truck is owned by 40-year-old Scott Phillips, of Clarinda. An investigation revealed that the student who had left the Clarinda Academy, a 15-year-old white male from Michigan had stolen the pick-up, and intentionally rammed the front of the Casey’s building.

The student was located by Clarinda Academy Staff during the investigation of this incident and returned to the facility.

All reports will be forwarded to Page County Juvenile Court Services and the Page County Attorney’s Office for review concerning the filing of petitions alleging juvenile delinquency.

RUTH ROSE KOCH, 90, of Dunlap (Formerly of Earling) (Svcs. 11/13/2020)

Obituaries

November 10th, 2020 by admin

RUTH ROSE KOCH, 90, of Dunlap (Formerly of Earling) died Sunday, November 8th at Dunlap Specialty Care. Private Family Mass of Christian Burial for RUTH ROSE KOCH will be held on Friday, November 13th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 12th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. A Catholic Daughters Rosary will be held that evening at 5:00 p.m.

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

RUTH ROSE KOCH is survived by:

Daughters: Linda (Clay) Brandenburg of Omaha, NE. Paula (Michael) Riester of Dunlap. Laura Koch (Peg (Harriott) of Council Bluffs. Myrna (Cliff) Hopkins of Gretna, NE. Gayla Martin (Andy Van Deun) of Lincoln, NE.

Sister: Jean (Tom) Croghan of Omaha, NE.

Sister-in-law: Rita Langenfeld of Carroll.

7 Grandchildren

3 Great-Grandchildren