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ELAINE M. LAURITSEN, 82, of Audubon (Svcs. 12.18/17)

Obituaries

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

ELAINE M. LAURITSEN, 82, of Audubon, died Wed., Dec. 13th, at the Exira Care Center. Funeral services for ELAINE LAURITSEN will be held 11-a.m. Monday, Dec. 18th, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home. The family visitation will be held at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church on Monday, from 9:30-a.m. until the time of service.

Burial will be in the Arlington Heights Cemetery in Audubon.

ELAINE LAURITSEN is survived by:

Her daughter – Kay (Steve) Wilt, of Gurnee, IL.

Her sons – Brian (Nicci) Lauritsen, of Lamar, CO., & Bruce (Barb Gigar) Lauritsen, of Guthrie Center.

Her step-children, Lisa and James Mauer, of Caney, KS; and Laura and James Hallinan, of Lansing, KS.

Her sister – Rose (Maynard) Madsen, of Audubon.

Her brother – George (Joan) Sorensen, of Audubon.

8 grandchildren, 9 step-grandchildren, and 2 step-great grandchildren, her in-laws, other relatives and friends.

MARY JOAN CHRISTENSEN, 70, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 12/19/17)

Obituaries

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

MARY JOAN CHRISTENSEN, 70, of Harlan, died Wed., Dec. 13th. A Mass of Christian Burial for MARY CHRISTENSEN will be held 11-a.m. Tue., Dec. 19th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Monday, Dec. 18th, from 3-until 7-p.m., with the family greeting friends from 5-until 7-p.m., and a Wake service at 6-p.m.

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

MARY JOAN CHRISTENSEN is survived by:

Her husband – Grant Christensen, of Harlan.

Her daughter – Kerry (Michael) Jonas, of Blair, NE.

Her sister – Nancy (Bruce) Orr, of Portland, OR.

Her brother – Mark (Nancy) Vandenbroucke, of Omaha.

and 2 grandchildren.

Incident at the Adams County Courthouse results in an arrest

News

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

A report of an individual acting strangely in the Adams County Courthouse, Thursday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of Rodolfo Morales, Jr., for Public Intoxication. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says once Morales was in the Jail, he was found to be in possession of prescription drugs that were concealed on him. He was subsequently charged with three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug and Possession of Contraband. His cash only bond was set at $8,300.

16-year old arrested for felony Threat of Terrorism in Red Oak

News

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy reports a 16-year old male juvenile was arrested Thursday afternoon on a felony charge of Threat of Terrorism, following an incident at the Red Oak Community High School. At around 3:15-p.m. Officers with the Red Oak P-D were dispatched to the High School for a report of threats being made. Upon arrival and investigation, it was learned that the 16-year old male juvenile student had made several threats to classmates of allegedly “Shooting up the school.”

The teen was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center before being transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.

Area boys/girls basketball scores from 12/14/17

Sports

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

BOYS BASKETBALL

Ar-We-Va, Westside 60, Westwood, Sloan 52
Earlham 74, AC/GC 40
Murray 59, Lenox 51

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 55, St. Albert, Council Bluffs 48
Earlham 62, AC/GC 28
East Union, Afton 33, Moravia 31
Murray 41, Lenox 20
Westwood, Sloan 80, Ar-We-Va, Westside 59

Midwest Sports Headlines: 12/15/17

Sports

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty has been traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Oakland Athletics for two infield prospects, allowing the outfielder to be near his family following his mother’s diagnosis with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gretchen Piscotty was diagnosed in May with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that attacks nerve cells. Her son left the Cardinals for five days after the diagnosis and returned May 31. St. Louis receives Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock in the deal.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Miami completed its trade that sent left fielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, the third All-Star jettisoned by the Marlins this month in an unrelenting payroll purge under new CEO Derek Jeter. St. Louis dealt four prospects to the Marlins: right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen, outfielder Magneuris Sierra and left-hander Daniel Castano. Miami traded second baseman Dee Gordon to Seattle and right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning NL MVP, to the New York Yankees.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Reliever Luke Gregerson and the St. Louis Cardinals have finalized an $11 million, two-year contract. A 33-year-old right-hander, Gregerson was 2-3 with a career-high 4.57 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 61 innings this year for the World Series champion Houston Astros. He gave up a career-worst 13 home runs. Gregerson did not allow a run in five postseason games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chargers visit the Chiefs on Saturday night knowing the winner has the inside track on the AFC West title and a playoff berth. Nothing will be decided for certain, but both teams are approaching their showdown at Arrowhead Stadium as a must-win game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mikaela Foecke had 19 kills, Annika Albrecht and Briana Holman had 13 apiece and Nebraska fought off match point in the fourth set to beat Penn State in a five-set thriller in the NCAA volleyball semifinals. The Huskers are seeking their fifth national title.

DALLAS (AP) — Scott Frost has won the Eddie Robinson Award as national coach of the year. Frost led Central Florida to a perfect regular season before taking the coaching job at Nebraska. The winner was announced by the Football Writers Association of American and the Sugar Bowl.

Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, 12/15/17

News

December 15th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted an Iowa woman of murder in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter. Jurors reached their decision Thursday, finding 43-year-old Nicole Finn guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the October 2016 death of Natalie Finn. The West Des Moines teen weighed only 85 pounds when she died. The prosecution said Nicole Finn sought to kill and torment three of her children, including Natalie. The defense says Nicole Finn was detached from reality.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of Muscatine residents who settled lawsuits against a local polluter will be given the chance to void the deals and rejoin a class-action lawsuit. District Judge Tom Reidel says he has “significant doubt” that residents who opted out of the class had a full understanding of deals they signed with Grain Processing Corp.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The trial has begun for a former boarding school director who is accused of sexually and physically abusing several children who attended the now-defunct school in southeast Iowa. The Hawk Eye reports that testimonies began Wednesday at South Lee County District Court in the trial of Benjamin Trane, who owned and operated Midwest Academy in Keokuk. Trane has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child endangerment charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers in Alabama and Nebraska have joined a Nebraska-based fair trade group to sue over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of rules that would have made it easier for farmers to demand better treatment when contracting with meatpacking companies. A lawsuit filed Thursday in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeks to reverse the USDA’s October decision. The rules would have made it easier for farmers to sue over contracts deemed unfair, discriminatory or deceptive.

Thousands of hogs killed in Emmet County fire

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 14th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Six fire departments helped battle a fire that destroyed three hog barns early this (Thursday) morning in Emmet County. Gruver Assistant Fire Chief Wes Baddeley says the fire was reported around 1:30 a-m southeast of Dolliver. Baddeley says when firefighters arrived on scene the center building was completely engulfed in flames, fire was coming from the east building and smoke from the west building. Firefighters were on scene for about six-and-a-half hours.

Baddeley says the damage was so extensive that a cause of the fire could not be determined. The three hog buildings were a total loss. About 25-hundred sows and four-thousand piglets inside the buildings were killed. Baddeley says the total dollar loss is estimated at about ten million dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

Jury convicts woman of murder in teen’s starvation death

News

December 14th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted an Iowa woman of murder in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter. Jurors reached their decision Thursday afternoon, finding 43-year-old Nicole Finn guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the October 2016 death of Natalie Finn. The West Des Moines teen weighed only 85 pounds when she died.

Jurors began deliberating Wednesday. In final arguments, the prosecution said Nicole Finn sought to kill and torment three of her children, including Natalie. The defense claimed Nicole Finn was detached from reality. She will be sentenced Jan. 26.

Nicole Finn’s ex-husband, Joe Finn, has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, neglect or abandonment and child endangerment. He wasn’t living with the rest of the family when Natalie died. His trial begins Jan. 8.

Gun, jewelry and radiator among the items stolen in Union County

News

December 14th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says three residents reported incidents of theft and/or vandalism to their property, recently. On Wednesday, a Creston woman reported that sometime during the night someone damaged her front door, broke out a window on a Buick Regal and took a radiator from a 1977 Ford truck.  The loss, including estimated damage, amounted to about $550.

On Tuesday, a man from Cromwell reported to the Sheriff’s Office, that sometime over the past few days, someone took his Sig Sauer ,45-caliber pistol from his residence or vehicle.  The weapon was valued at $1,200.

And, on Monday, a Creston man reported that sometime that morning someone entered his residence and took some jewelry and household items.  The loss was estimated at $450.