The Red Oak Police Department report the arrest Tuesday afternoon of 28-year-old Mark Robert Griger, of Red Oak. Griger was taken into custody at around 4-p.m., on a valid Douglas County, Nebraska warrant, for being a Fugitive from Justice. Griger was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.
The Exira-EHK Spartans girls basketball team is preparing for their 4th straight appearance at the Girls State Basketball Tournament. After falling in overtime in the Semifinals last year the Spartans are prepared to make some noise again on the big stage.
This year they face a first round challenge from the AGWSR Cougars out of Ackley, Iowa. The Cougars (21-2) are lead by one of the top shooting guards in the state in Mandy Willems who is averaging 19 points per game. She has connected on 79 three-pointers this season and is shooting 49% from the outside. Her backcourt mate, Aubrie Fisher, has connected on 52% of her three-point attempts on the year forming a very potent outside shooting combo. Cougar Head Coach Laurie Gann talked about her leaders.
The Cougars are also a deep team that has gotten strong contributions from some young post players. They are averaging 65 points per game on the year. Their only two losses on the season came to West Marshall and Grundy Center, teams they also beat during their other meeting of the regular season. Exira-EHK Head Coach Tom Petersen said the Spartans will need to limit opportunities for the Cougars on the offensive end.
The Spartans come in with a 23-1 record, avenging their only loss of the season to Boyer Valley later on in the campaign. Coach Petersen talked about the team’s growth since that loss to the Bulldogs on January 2nd.
Sophia Peppers leads the Spartans with 19 points per game and fellow senior Kealey Nelson has added 16 per outing. The Spartans as a team have averaged 66 points per game. Coach Gann said she sees similarities between the two teams.
Tip-off between the Spartans and Cougars is set for 3:15pm. We’ll have coverage of the game on KJAN with pregame starting at 1:45pm. Chris Parks and Mike Smith will have the call from Des Moines. Tune in on-air, online, or on the KJAN mobile app.
(UPDATE) Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department said late Tuesday night, that the teen accused of making a threat against the Lewis Central High School, Monday, and who disappeared from school Tuesday, was found later that evening. 16‐year‐old Giovanni D. Raymundo, of Council Bluffs was arrested on a Felony, Threats of Terrorism charge. He was being held at the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention Center, in Council Bluffs. Juvenile Court Services will set a date for his initial hearing.
The teen had been reported as a “Missing Person” by his family. Raymundo left school property Tuesday, against the wishes of Lewis Central staff, after making the threats, but prior to the arrival of police personnel or family members. Police officers were at Raymundo’s home Tuesday night. Detectives did not locate any evidence that would lead them to believe that he had the means to carry out his threats, but the case remains under investigation.
The Council Bluffs Police Department does not normally release the names of juvenile offenders, but the “Safety Exception” of Iowa Code 915.25(2) allows for this information to be provided when the whereabouts of the juvenile are unknown and if doing so will protect the public in general.
It’s official: Atlantic Athletic Director and Assistant High School Principal Matt Alexander will become the new Superintendent of the Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek/Ida Grove School District, effective July 1st. The OA-BCIG School Board offered him the job last Saturday with a verbal commitment, pending their meeting today (Tuesday), during which the offer was affirmed.
Matt Alexander
Alexander sat down with the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss the offer, which he said he “Was pleased to receive.” He said also that “It’s an opportunity for me to advance my career, something I’ve studied for and hoped for, for a while. It always comes with mixed emotions…leaving somewhere I’ve been for a long time. I’ve been in [Atlantic] for 23-years, and the school District for 17. I’ve met a lot of great people and had some wonderful opportunities….I think it’s a great professional move, and it’s the right time for my family to make that move.”
He said as for his replacement, and where Atlantic Athletics go from this point forward, that will be up to the Administrative team, who will work with the School Board, to determine how they will fill the position (including looking at other options, such as split duties).
He said the opportunities to serve in a variety of roles in the Atlantic School District has prepared him for the leap to Superintendent. Learning about Iowa School Finances has also helped to prepare him for “the next step.” He said also, he’s looking forward to the challenge. As for what he leaves behind, Alexander said the District’s Athletic facilities and school security need to be priorities, especially in light of the recent shootings in Florida, and other threats around the Midwest that have people on edge.
OA-BCIG he says, also are working on improving their athletic facilities. Alexander is originally from Ida Grove. He’s a 1991 graduate of the former Ida Grove High School. He said “It was a little bit odd walking back into the building that I attended as a student, but a lot of things were the same, but there also a lot of things that had changed. I can that over the years, the District has been very proud of their facilities and I want to keep moving that forward.”
He said when he began the search for a superintendents position, his goal was to look in northwest Iowa to be closer to his family. The Atlantic School Board is expected to act on approving Alexander’s resignation during their meeting Wednesday afternoon.
(From the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union)
A second-quarter flurry did the trick for Le Mars in an upset victory.
The ninth-ranked Bulldogs hit four 3-pointers in a 17-0 run that put them in control and they held off a late charge by No. 2 Lewis Central to hand the Titans their first loss, 52-43 in the final game of the Class 4A quarterfinals.
The big run put Le Mars up 25-13 at halftime and the Bulldogs closed it out with free throws after Lewis Central threatened in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Jaelynn Dreckman led Le Mars with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Her cousin Madison, a junior, added 13 points and Jenn Schneider scored 10.
Maegan Holt led Lewis Central with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Natalie Rigatuso added eight points for the Titans and Dani Petersen scored seven.
Le Mars had Lewis Central out of sorts early and by the time the Titans finally found their footing, it was too late. The Bulldogs held the Titans to 28.3 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Even with 13 steals and a 37-21 rebounding advantage, Lewis Central could not completely overcome its slow start, though the Titans did make a game of it near the end.
An 11-0 run cut the lead to 35-30 and Sidney Baumgartner’s only basket of the game, a 3 from the deep right corner, drew the Titans to 43-40 with 2:16 left.
But Jaelynn Dreckman answered with a fastbreak layup and, after Lewis Central missed two shots that could have cut into the lead, the Bulldogs sank seven of eight free throws in the final minute to secure their upset.
Le Mars, in its first trip to state since 2002, will take an 18-6 record against Grinnell in a semifinal at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. Lewis Central set a school record for victories and finishes a fine season at 22-1. It was the first unbeaten regular season in school history.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says talks will continue on a dispute over the future of the renewable fuel standard, which has pitted lawmakers from corn-producing states against those representing refineries.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says President Donald Trump had a productive meeting Tuesday with four Republican senators: Ted Cruz of Texas, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa.
The White House says Trump has made clear his commitment to the RFS and support for farmers and energy workers. The standard requires biofuels from corn and soybeans to be blended into gasoline and diesel. Midwest states have sought to maintain the standards while oil companies have pushed to ease the mandates.
Grassley says in a conference call with reporters that no deal was reached Tuesday.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved a bill that would ban automated traffic enforcement cameras in the state, though the measure’s future is unclear. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 32-18 Tuesday for the legislation, which would prohibit devices tracking vehicles that speed or run a red light.
The measure heads to the GOP-majority House, where leadership hasn’t commented on its chances. A separate bill in the Legislature would instead add regulations for such cameras.
The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency says eight cities operate about 80 related devices. A ban would reduce revenue for local governments by about $12 million annually.
The Legislature has considered a ban for years. The state’s transportation department faced legal challenges recently for ordering cities to remove some cameras. The Iowa Supreme Court sided with the state last year.
The Harlan Police Department reports numerous arrests dating back to Valentine’s Day. Today (Tuesday), 53-year old Curt Thomas Anstey, of Harlan, was arrested following an investigation of a suspicious vehicle. He also had an active warrant out of Cass County. Anstey was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Monday, 23-year old Brandon Lee Anderson, of Harlan, was arrested on an active warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail. 45-year old Stephanie Ann Good, of Harlan, was arrested Monday as well, following a call for a possible domestic situation. She was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Feb. 16th, 45-year old Richard Eugene Green, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail. And, on Valentine’s Day, 35-year old Justin Charles Henricksen, of Harlan, was arrested on an active warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail.
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo woman has taken a plea deal in the death of a toddler at her in-home day care. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 43-year-old Amy Hangartner entered Alford pleas Monday to neglect of a dependent person and to child endangerment. A second count of child endangerment was dropped in exchange for her pleas. Under an Alford plea, a person doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction.
Prosecutors say 18-month-old Brody Harrelson was found unresponsive and later died in June 2015 after Hangartner put him in an infant car seat and left him unattended in a closet to nap. Brody apparently slid down in the seat and a strap became stretched over his neck. An autopsy determined he died of mechanical or positional asphyxia.
Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports three arrests occurred over the past few days. Today (Tuesday), 32-year old Christopher Seymour, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI. And, on Friday, 25-year old Adnan Abdic, of Waterloo, was arrested on a Black Hawk County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. 26-year old Nurija Huebner, also of Waterloo, was arrested Friday for Theft in the 2nd Degree (possession of stolen property) and Theft in the 4th Degree (Shoplifting). All three subjects were booked into the Cass County Jail.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS