Two women killed, then gunman shot himself to death outside Ames church

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Rick Watts

Law enforcement officials say two young women were shot to death and the gunman killed himself last night in the parking lot of a church in Ames.

The Cornerstone Church was hosting a regular Thursday night event when the shootings happened shortly before 7 p.m. A youth minister said the congregation is grieving deeply for the women, who were church members, and the church is praying for all involved.

A prayer service is will be held at the church at 10 a.m. and a news conference is scheduled at the Sheriff’s Office in Nevada at 10:30 this morning to provide updates on the shooting. Cornerstone is considered the largest protestant church in Ames. It’s located near the junction of Interstate 35 and Highway 30.

Pella & Newton continue in 2A boys’ soccer semifinals

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Rick Watts

Pella and Newton continue their quests for the Boys State 2A soccer championship Friday afternoon (6/3). Pella will take on Gilbert at 2:30 in one 2A semifinal, while Newton meets Lewis Central at 2:40 in the other semifinal. Both games will be played at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. Friday’s winners will meet Saturday afternoon (6/4) for the State 2A championship.

Two dead after wrong way crash in Jasper County

Posted on June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 by Rick Watts

Two women are dead after a wrong way accident Thursday night (6/2) on Highway 163. The Iowa State Patrol says just before 8pm, an SUV driven by 79-year-old Dorothy Findlow of Monroe was going the wrong way on the eastbound lane of Highway 163 in Jasper County. At mile marker 22, Findlow’s vehicle hit an SUV driven by 46-year-old Delia Vance of Pella head on. Findlow was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital, where she died from her injuries. Vance was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ottumwa Man Killed in Construction Accident

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office Press Release:

On Wednesday, June 1st, 2022, at 5 pm, members of the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office and the Mahaska Health Ambulance Service were dispatched to the 3300 block of Highway 92 on a medical call. This location is where Highway 92 crosses the North Skunk River and the bridge is currently under construction. While First Responders were enroute to this call, it was learned that a construction worker had been pinned by a piece of construction equipment. Prior to Law Enforcement’s arrival, other workers had been able to free the victim from this piece of equipment.

The victim of this construction accident was identified as 46-year-old Pablo Jesus Gomez Garcia of Ottumwa, Iowa. Gomez-Garcia was cared for on the scene by members of the Mahaska Health Ambulance Service and the Keokuk County Ambulance Service. A medical helicopter was called to the scene. Mr. Gomez-Garcia succumbed to his injuries prior to being evacuated from the scene.

The victim was later transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy will be conducted. The investigation into this matter is continuing. The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by members of the Iowa State Patrol, the Ottumwa Police Department, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit, the Mahaska County Dispatch Center and the What Cheer Fire and Rescue.

Griffiths Wins Thriller at SIS

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

By: Jerry Mackey

Oskaloosa, Iowa: Wednesday’s night racing action at the Southern Iowa Speedway went on as scheduled following a 30 minute delay due to a brief light rain shower that passed through between 6:30 and 7 pm. The light rain made for a fast tacky racing surface that saw all the cars race at a lightening fast pace.

The headliner of the night was the Parker Tree Service Hobby Stock main event. The father son duo of Brad Stephens (Dad) and Peyton (Son) led the 19 car starting field to the green flag. The main was stopped following a grinding crash that saw the cars of Tyler Haring and Cody Winn being hauled to the infield with extensive damage, both drivers were uninjured in the incident. The feature restarted with Brad Stephens setting the pace early before Tyler Overton was able to secure the point position. Overton would then be challenged by 7^th starting Dustin Griffiths. The 10G of Griffiths and the 42T of Overton raced several laps with neither able to gain a clear advantage. With the crowd on their feet the two raced off of turn four headed to the checkers with the win still up for grabs. Griffiths chose the outside line and scored the win by a couple of feet ahead of Overton. Keaton Gordon ran third in a borrowed car ahead of Brad Stephens.

The Oskaloosa Quality Rentals Sportmod main event belonged to 17 year old Maguire Dejong on Wednesday night. Dejong took command starting from the outside front row starting position. Dejong went on to score the win ahead of sixth starting Curtis VanDerwal. VanDerwal closed on Dejong late in the race taking second by less than a car length.

MidStates Machine Stock Cars ran their 16 lap feature caution free on Wednesday night and the drivers provided another very close finish. Steve Byers scored his first ever feature win at the Mahaska County Monster and it was anything but easy as Byers held off Osky perennial front runner Nathan Wood for the win. Wood ran down Byers late in the race but settled for second by less than ½ a car length.

Terry Bickford added some points to his point lead in the Dirt N Asphalt Sport Compacts on Wednesday night. Bickford was able to assume the race lead following the departure of race leader Brandon Pickney. Bickford scored his third win in four nights of racing at Osky. Matt Moore finished a close second ahead of James Haring.

Jonathan Hughes hounded race leader Kelley Graham for 8 laps in the Clow Valve Company Non Wing Sprint Car feature before making the winning move in turn one. Hughes led the final two circuits for the win over Graham and Tyler Graves.

Wednesday, June 8^th will be School Staff Appreciation night at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Teachers as well as all School employees will be admitted free with ID. Hot laps will get underway at 7:15 with racing to follow.

Wednesday, June 1 Southern Iowa Speedway Feature Results (top5)

Parker Tree Service Hobby Stocks

10G Dustin Griffiths-Hedrick
42T Tyler Overton-Carlisle
77 Keaton Gordon-Ottumwa
55 Brad Stephens-Bussey
73 Aaron Martin-Delta

Oskaloosa Quality Rentals Sportmods

30M Maguie Dejong-Montezuma
1V Curtis VanDerwal-Oskaloosa
55R Steven Berry-Ottumwa
29 Colton Livezey-New Sharon
27L Casey Lancaster-Glenwood, MO

MidStates Machine Stock Cars

B17 Steve Byers-Indianola
52 Nathan Wood-Sigourney
14 Derrick Agee-Moberly, MO
85 Jason McDaniel-Eldon
10G Dustin Griffiths-Hedrick

Dirt N Asphalt Sport Compacts

63b Terry Bickford-Shannon City
2M Matt Moore-Ottumwa
2H James Haring-Oskaloosa
16 Seth Meinders-Ottumwa
29 Matt Miller-Waterloo

Clow Valve Company Non-Wing Sprints

67 Jonathan Hughes-Knoxville
25 Kelly Graham-Hedrick
T4 Tyler Graves- Chariton
12 Doug Sylvester-Ottumwa
17 Steve Pumphrey-Fairfield

House panel taking up gun bill in wake of mass shootings

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is beginning to put its stamp on gun legislation in response to mass shootings in Texas and New York by 18-year-old assailants who used semi-automatic rifles to kill 31 people, including 19 children.

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Thursday to advance legislation that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic centerfire rifle from 18 to 21. The bill would make it a federal offense to import, manufacture or possess large-capacity magazines and would create a grant program to buy back such magazines. It also builds on the executive branch’s ban on bump-stock devices and so-called ghost guns that are privately made without serial numbers.

The Democratic legislation, called the Protecting Our Kids Act, was quickly added to the legislative docket after last week’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. A vote by the full House could come as early as next week.

With Republicans nearly in lockstep in their opposition, the House action will mostly be symbolic, serving to put lawmakers on record about gun control ahead of this year’s elections. The Senate is taking a different course, with a bipartisan group striving toward a compromise on gun safety legislation that can win enough GOP support to become law.

But Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defends the proposals as being popular with Americans. He says it’s time for Congress to act.

“You say that it is too soon to take action? That we are ‘politicizing’ these tragedies to enact new policies?” Nadler said in prepared remarks for Thursday’s hearing obtained by The Associated Press. “It has been 23 years since Columbine. Fifteen years since Virginia Tech. Ten years since Sandy Hook. Seven years since Charleston. Four years since Parkland and Santa Fe and Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.”

He added: “Too soon? My friends, what the hell are you waiting for?”

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the committee, told Fox News he’ll press his GOP colleagues to oppose the bill.

“I’m going to do everything I can to encourage my colleagues to oppose this … hodgepodge of bills that I don’t think would have made one difference in tragedies that we’ve seen recently,” Jordan said.

Any legislative response to the Uvalde and Buffalo, New York, shootings will have to get through the evenly divided Senate, where support from at least 10 Republicans would be needed to advance the measure to a final vote. A group of senators has been working behind the scenes this week in hopes of finding a consensus.

Ideas under discussion include expanded background checks for gun purchases and incentivizing red-flag laws that allow family members, school officials and others to go into court and secure an order requiring the police to seize guns from people considered a threat to themselves or others.

The broader bipartisan group of almost 10 senators met again Wednesday — “a very productive call,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in an interview.

“There’s a tenor and tone, as well as real substantive discussion that seems different,” he said.

Blumenthal has been working with a Republican member of the group, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, on a proposal to send resources to the states for red-flag laws. He said he was “excited and encouraged” by the response from the group.

“It really is time for our Republican colleagues to put up or shut up,” Blumenthal said. “We’ve been down this road before.”

President Joe Biden was asked Wednesday if he was confident Congress would take action on gun legislation.

“I served in Congress for 36 years. I’m never confident, totally,” Biden said. “It depends, and I don’t know. I’ve not been in on the negotiations as they’re going on right now.”

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

Sweet 16 run earns Cyclones’ Otzelberger raise, extension

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger received a contract extension and a $500,000 raise Wednesday after leading the Cyclones to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the third-best turnaround in major college basketball history.

“I’m grateful that we are able to reward that success with this extension,” athletic director Jamie Pollard said. “I believe T.J. is building a championship culture within our program that fosters academic excellence, on-court success and accountability, and I believe that the momentum our program enjoys will lead to future success under his direction.”

Otzelberger’s contract was extended one year, through June 2027, and his compensation package increases from $1.5 million to $2 million annually.

The Des Moines Register reported the contract breakdown includes $300,000 per year in base pay, $1.2 million per year in additional compensation, $300,000 per year in retirement benefits and $200,000 per year for premiums for supplemental death benefit. Raises of $100,000 per year begin in July 2023.

The Cyclones went 22-13 in Otzelberger’s first season following a two-win season in 2020-21 under Steve Prohm.

Iowa State had been a unanimous pick to finish last in the Big 12. The Cyclones finished seventh and were ranked as high as No. 8 in The Associated Press Top 25.

Otzelberger became the third coach in NCAA Tournament history to lead his program to the Sweet 16 in the first season after taking over a team with a losing record.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Northern Iowa father, son get prison time for Capitol riot

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

By DAVID PITT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a northern Iowa father and son to prison for their participation in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Daryl Johnson, 51, and his son Daniel Johnson, 30, both of St. Ansgar, admitted to entering the building through a broken window and pushing through a police line once inside.

Daryl Johnson will serve 30 days in jail, the time recommended by federal prosecutors, and Daniel Johnson with serve four months, less than the six months prosecutors sought. Defense attorneys for both men sought probation and no jail time.

Federal Judge Dabney Friedrich handed down the sentences in Washington.

Daryl Johnson’s attorney, Christopher Davis, wrote in a sentencing memo that Johnson is a politically conservative, passionate man who got caught up in the moment and now admits he was wrong to enter the Capitol.

“I have no explanation nor any excuse. I was wrong to enter the capital and behave like I did. I simply am heartbroken; I know there is no way I can make amends. The only option I have is own my failure, ask for forgiveness, and pay the price required,” Johnson said in court documents.

In social media comments after the attack, Johnson posted that Jan. 6 marked the beginning of a revolution that could lead to “hangings on the front lawn of the capitol.” On Feb. 7 he posted, “Bring it on Biden! I have no problem dying in a pool of empty shell casings.”

Davis argued Johnson, now a convicted felon, can no longer carry a gun for protection or vote and his businesses, which include laundromats, a tanning salon and a car wash, could suffer as a result of the felony conviction.

Documents filed by Daniel Johnson’s attorney, Allen Orenberg, said Johnson works for a roofing company and lives with his parents in St. Ansgar, a town of 1,100 people near the Minnesota boarder, 130 miles northeast of Des Moines. He previously listed an address in Austin, Minnesota.

In court documents, Orenberg said Johnson believed what he read on the internet and heard from President Donald Trump about the election being stolen but didn’t plan to enter the Capitol “until Mr. Trump invited everyone to march to the U.S. Capitol.”

Both men pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of civil disorder. The government agreed to drop other charges, including disorderly conduct, entering a restricted building and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

It’s not hot today, but be prepared for the sweltering summer ahead

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Rick Watts

BY RADIO IOWA CONTRIBUTOR

RADIO IOWA – This week’s temperatures in Iowa are fairly on target for the season, but soon enough, we’ll be getting into the hot, humid days of summer.

Today is Heat Awareness Day in Iowa and meteorologist Donna Dubberke, at the National Weather Service, explains the goals.

“Heat awareness is really important because it’s an underrated hazard,” Dubberke says. “We know it’s going to be hot in the summer and sometimes we don’t take it seriously and you can have serious injury and even fatalities in extreme cases if you don’t do the right things.”

She notes that spending too much time outside can mean more than just a bad case of sunburn.

“When we get hot and humid in the summer, it becomes really difficult for your body to make the necessary adjustments and stay cool enough,” Dubberke says. “If your body gets overheated, you can have heat illnesses, heat exhaustion, heat stroke. That’s why we’re encouraging people to learn what you need to do and to be ready for when it does get hot, even though it’s not going to be that hot this week.”

Iowa motorists need to take special care with their passengers when the weather starts to warm up.

“Never leave a pet or a child and in a hot car,” she says. “It can heat up so quickly, so much hotter and so much faster than you think it normally would.”

Find more tips about heat awareness at www.weather.gov/dmx

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

QUIROGA CHOSEN FOR NFCA NAIA ALL-REGION RECOGNITION

Posted on June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 by Rick Watts

Oskaloosa–Valeria Quiroga (Jr., Brownsville, Texas, Sociology) has garnered high accolades as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its NAIA all-region teams last Friday.

Quiroga was selected as a first-team Region VI honoree. The award is the first for the junior infielder and is the first for the program since 2017. A total of 147 individuals were honored as either first-team or second-team selections over six regions.

Quiroga paced WPU in most offensive categories this spring. Over the span of 47 games, she hit .430 (52-for-121) with 11 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. She managed 45 RBIs and 23 runs scored, while breaking her own school record with 42 walks. Her on-base percentage was an outstanding .581, while she also recorded an .810 slugging mark. The junior committed just four fielding errors in 141 chances for a .972 clip.

Quiroga had a season-best nine-game hitting streak with 15 multiple-hit efforts; her best outing was a four-hit showing against McPherson on February 28. As aforementioned, opposing pitchers were cautious of her with the infielder managing 11 multiple-walk outings (high of four vs. Mount Mercy on May 2). Incredibly, there were only three games where she did not reach base via either a hit or a walk.

Quiroga will now move on for consideration to the NFCA NAIA All-America teams.

To view the complete NFCA NAIA all-region teams, click HERE

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