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Tabor man arrested on Mills County weapon, drug & harassment charges

News

August 3rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that at around 2:30-a.m. today (Friday), the Fremont County K9 unit made an arrest in the 500 block of main st of Tabor. 46-year old Brian Vanderpool, of Tabor, was arrested for valid arrest warrants out of Mills County.

Brian Vanderpool (Fremont Co. S/O photo)

Vanderpool was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and later transferred to the Mills County Jail with charges of Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, Unlawful possession of Prescription Medication, and Harassment 1st Degree. His cash-only bond was set at $8,600. Fremont County Deputies were assisted by Tabor Police.

Midwest Sports Headlines: 8/3/18

Sports

August 3rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

CHICAGO (AP) — Jose Abreu hit a tying home run off Jason Adam in the eighth and pinch-hitter Daniel Palka had a three-run homer off Jason Hammel later in the inning, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 6-4. In a matchup of teams on track to both lose 100 or more games, the White Sox avoided getting swept in the three-game series. Palka tied the White Sox record of three pinch homers in one season, set by Oscar Gamble in 1977.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jose Martinez sliced an opposite-field single to the right-center field gap off Wade Davis with one out in the ninth inning, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs and lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over the Colorado Rockies 3-2. The Cardinals have nine walk-off wins this season. Davis has a career-high five blown saves in 36 chances. Colorado lost three of four at the Cardinals, its first series loss since June.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Justin Houston was poised to reach transcendent status just a few years ago when he nearly set an NFL record with 22 sacks. The Kansas City Chiefs rewarded him with a $101 million, six-year contract that made him one of the league’s highest-paid players. But a series of injuries slowed his career. Now Houston is trying to establish himself again as the league’s best pass rusher.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska opens its first preseason practice under coach Scott Frost on Friday. Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne is like others in this football-mad state in that he senses a resurgence coming for the program. Frost says he plans to use the Osborne formula for rebuilding the Cornhuskers. That means emphasizing player development, bringing back the renowned strength and conditioning program, and pursuing walk-ons to build the roster.

Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, 8/3/18

News

August 3rd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The mother of a missing Iowa college student is pleading with anyone who may have abducted her to let her daughter go and claim a fast-growing pot of reward money. Laura Calderwood said Thursday that she believes her daughter, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, is still alive but potentially kidnapped. She says it’s the family’s greatest hope that whoever may have Tibbetts lets her go and claims the “money we have raised for her freedom.”

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — More than 200 people filled an amphitheater in Waterloo to draw attention to missing persons cases and demand justice for the slain. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Wednesday’s vigil was organized by the Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk County. It aimed to bring awareness to missing and unsolved crimes involving young people.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials in northern Iowa are looking for a work release prisoner who walked away from a residential facility without permission. Prison officials say 29-year-old Matthew Ernest Andersen left the Beje Clark Residential Facility in Mason City on Wednesday night and did not return.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man has been accused of producing child pornography and threatening to distribute the depictions. Federal court records say 34-year-old John Hunt has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one of extortion and four counts of child pornography possession.

Car crashes in hospital parking lot – no injuries

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A woman who says her leg fell asleep while she was driving to the Greater Regional Community Hospital in Creston, crashed her car into two other vehicles in the parking lot late this (Thursday) morning. 75-year old Paula Jean Bowman, of Lenox, was driving a 2006 Lincoln Towncar eastbound through the hospital parking lot at around 10:30-a.m., when the car went out of control and drove over the median before rear-ending a parked 2002 Ford registered to a man from Afton. The impact forced the Ford into a parked 2014 Chevy Impala registered to a woman from Slayton, MN. A witness told police Bowman’s car ramped the median and went very fast across the parking lot before hitting the Ford. It then backed up over the curb and into the bushes before pulling away to park. No injuries were reported. Damage from the accident amounted to $2,500.

Missing Iowa student’s mother pleads with potential abductor

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The mother of a missing Iowa college student pleaded Thursday with anyone who may have abducted her daughter to let her go and instead claim a pot of reward money that has ballooned to $172,000. Laura Calderwood said during a news conference that she believes her daughter, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, is alive but has potentially been kidnapped. She announced the new reward amount, which spiked from $2,000 offered earlier this week after donations poured in from across the nation. Tibbetts’ disappearance has baffled investigators since she went missing more than two weeks ago. Calderwood said the money would be paid to anyone who provides information that leads to her daughter’s safe return.

“If someone has abducted her, we are pleading with you to please release her,” Calderwood said. “It is our greatest hope that if someone has her, that they would just release her and claim that money we have raised for her freedom.” Tibbetts was last seen on the evening of July 18, when she went for a routine jog in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, a town of about 1,400 people in central Iowa. She was dog-sitting that evening for her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s brother, who were out of town, at a home where she was living this summer after completing her second year at the University of Iowa.
Tibbetts was reported missing the next morning when she didn’t show up for work at a daycare in a nearby town.

The FBI and dozens of investigators from state and local agencies are working on the case but have so far hit dead ends . The latest came Thursday, when police confirmed that a possible sighting of Tibbetts at a Missouri truck stop turned out not to be her. Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa spokesman Greg Willey promised to protect the anonymity of tipsters who call in or submit tips online, saying the group uses software that scrubs identifying information. He said the group exists for people who cannot come forward to police, including those who are guilty or involved in a crime.
Mollie’s father, Rob Tibbetts, praised the investigation, saying it has been large, sophisticated, aggressive and sensitive to the family.

But he said he believes the case will be solved by someone who comes forward with new information. “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Come forward, bring information to the authorities, and let’s bring Mollie home,” he said.

Mile-a-Minute weed identified in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Mile-a-minute weed, an invasive weed from eastern Asia has been found for the first time in Iowa. Prior to this, mile-a-minute weed was known to be in the mid-Atlantic states, but only as far west as Indiana and Kentucky, and an outlier in Oregon. A concerned landowner in Marion County requested identification assistance with a vine that was growing on the edge of a wooded area surrounding his well-kept garden. Representatives from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach visited the site. ISU weed scientist, Bob Hartzler, and a field agronomist identified the plant as mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata).

It is unknown how widespread this invasive vine may be across the state. Iowans who think they have an infestation are encouraged to contact Bob Hartlzer at ISU at hartzler@iastate.edu or 515-294-1164, or Lane Kozel, deputy weed commissioner for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, at Lane.Kozel@IowaAgriculture.gov or 515-725-1468 for assistance with identification. Mile-a-minute weed is an invasive species in the Polygonaceae (smartweed) family. It is a herbaceous annual vine that can grow up to 20 feet long; has light green, triangular leaves; many sharp, downward curving spines on the stem, petiole and main leaf veins; a saucer-shaped sheath (ochrea) that encircles the stem at the nodes; and round, iridescent blue fruit about 0.25 inches in diameter borne mid-July until frost.

“Although this was my first encounter with mile-a-minute weed, it was easy to see why the plant is considered a threat,” according to Bob Hartzler. “This infestation was less than a quarter acre in size, but it was crowding out existing vegetation. The weight of the plant was pulling down a stand of miscanthus, a species known for establishing monocultures.” Mile-a-minute weed grows best in moist, sunny locations with an abundance of plant material such as leaves, duff, or brush on the soil.

Seed can be spread birds, rodents, and humans. Seeds can also move with water, especially from infestations along a stream. Human-assisted movement can deliver seeds to new sites with alarming speed. Movement of soil containing seeds via potted plants or equipment with soil attached is common in infested states. There is no easy method for eradicating invasive species, and mile-a-minute weed is no different. It appears this infestation had been present for at least five years, thus there will be a large seedbank present.  Studies have shown seed can survive for at least eight years, and management will take a long-term commitment.

Herbicides can be effective, but multiple applications will likely be necessary during the growing season. Nonselective herbicides will damage other plants in the area, opening the site up for invasion of other weeds or new flushes of mile-a-minute weed. The plant has a small root system, so hand pulling is a relatively easy (gloves are recommended due to the spines) and effective way to remove plants. The Forest Service has worked on the biocontrol of mile-a-minute weed since 1996. Iowa officials are now investigating the potential for using a weevil that is host-specific to the invasive vine.  The weevil has been released in other states since 2004, with success tied to weather conditions. “We are looking into the details associated with possible weevil releases to help control mile-a-minute weed,” said Kozel.

Mother says missing Iowa student may be abducted

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The mother of a missing Iowa college student is pleading for anyone who may have abducted her daughter to let her go and claim a fast-growing pot of reward money. Laura Calderwood said Thursday that she believes her daughter, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, is alive and may have been kidnapped. She said that it’s the family’s greatest hope that whoever may have Tibbetts lets her go and claims the “money we have raised for her freedom.” Tibbetts hasn’t been seen since July 18, when she went for a run in her small hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Investigators have reached no conclusions about why she has disappeared.

Calderwood announced at a news conference that $172,000 and counting had been raised for a new “Bring Mollie Tibbetts Home Safe” reward fund. She said the money would be paid to anyone who provides information to Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa that leads to Tibbetts’ safety. Crime Stoppers is promising to protect the anonymity of tipsters.

Man accused of sexually exploiting child, porn, extortion

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man has been accused of producing child pornography and threatening to distribute the depictions. Federal court records say 34-year-old John Hunt has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one of extortion and four counts of child pornography possession. He’s scheduled to begin trial Oct. 1.

The federal indictment says that, between 2015 and 2017, Hunt produced sexual depictions of a child, possessed the porn on four different devices and sent communications containing threats to distribute the sexually explicit depictions. He remains in custody.

3 arrests in Page County

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports a man was arrested on a warrant for a drug offense, Tuesday. 41-year old Jasen Lee Bebout, of Bedford, was served with a warrant for Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility, while he was being held in the Page County Jail. The cash-only bond on the warrant is $10,000. Bebout is also being held on a previous charge of Controlled Substance Violations – Methamphetamine. Bond on the latter charge is $50,000.

On July 27th, Page County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 33-year old Kyle William Chase, of Red Oak, on a Page County Warrant for Probation Violation. Chase was being held in the Buchanan County Jail in St. Joseph, MO on other charges at the time. He was transported to the Page County Jail where he is currently being held on $10,000 bond. That same day, 31-year old Roy Cordell Smith, of Westboro, MO., was arrested for Interference with Official Acts during a vehicle stop for a minor traffic violation, east of Coin. Smith was transported to the Page County Jail and later release on a $300 bond, pending further court proceedings.

Waterloo vigil aims to raise awareness of unsolved cases

News

August 2nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — More than 200 people filled an amphitheater in Waterloo to draw attention to missing persons cases and demand justice for the slain. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Wednesday’s vigil was organized by the Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk County. It aimed to bring awareness to missing and unsolved crimes involving young people.

Heather Collins is the mother of 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins, who disappeared with her cousin Lyric Cook Morrissey in July 2012. The girls were later found dead. Collins says she’s alarmed by the number of youths reported missing.

To assist with the growing number, Democratic Sen. Jeff Danielson spoke about pursuing a state Amber Alert-type system that could provide immediate notification through social media and other channels. He says the system wouldn’t have the same rigid criteria required for an Amber Alert.