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Christa Pike is awake after failed execution as her attorneys seek more information

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Death row inmate Christa Pike has regained consciousness after Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection last week, and her attorneys are set to head to court Wednesday to seek more information about what went wrong.

Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital as executioners attempted to put her to death Sept. 30 for the 1995 beating and stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer. Pike is believed to be the only person to survive after lethal injection drugs were administered.

Pike’s attorneys are set to appear in court Wednesday as they are seeking more information from the Tennessee Department of Correction. Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles has scheduled a Wednesday morning status conference in Nashville in the case.

“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care,” attorneys for Pike said in a statement. Pike’s prognosis remains unclear and, at a minimum, she faces a lengthy recovery, the attorneys said. They said Pike’s arms were burned and blistered after the attempted lethal injection and that she is handcuffed to the hospital bed.

Pike’s attorneys are seeking a court order to require the prison system to preserve information from the attempted execution including drug lot numbers, needles, execution logs and other information.

Attorneys with the Tennessee attorney general’s office wrote in a Tuesday court filing that the court order is unnecessary because the prison system is “obliged to maintain this evidence in other cases and must assure it is preserved.” They said state officials have taken “the necessary steps to obtain medical care for Pike and ascertain what occurred.”

Republican Gov. Bill Lee called what happened “deeply disturbing” and ordered a “comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred.” The governor postponed the state’s only other execution scheduled for this year.

Medical and lethal injection experts have focused on the possibility that a problem with the IV line caused the drug to pool in her tissue rather than entering her bloodstream. Pike’s attorneys wrote in their court filing that “apparently at no point did any member of the execution team realize that the IV lines were not correctly placed or that the veins had blown.”

The attempted execution got underway around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 when Pike was given a chance to make a final statement. About five minutes later, Pike raised her head and said her arm was hurting. At some point she appeared to lose consciousness, but she could be heard audibly breathing until media were escorted from the witness room at 8:53 p.m. An ambulance arrived at the prison at 9:14 p.m. to take Pike to a hospital.

First debate between candidates vying to be Iowa’s next governor

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The two candidates for governor debated for the first time last (Tuesday) night and while they were asked about property taxes, economic issues, and Iowa’s high cancer rates, they spent much of the time sparring over campaign ads.

Republican Zach Lahn said it is “dispicable” for Democrat Rob Sand to run ads that focus on Lahn’s travel to Kansas. Sand responded that Lahn had voted in Kansas as recently as 2022. “You registered to vote in Iowa less than two years ago…There are 3.1 million people who live here and they need to have a full-time Iowan who is going to be their governor,” Sand said.

Lahn said: “It is just not true.”

Sand replied: “It is true.”

Lahn interjected: “You have no evidence of that and you cite things that are false.” Sand continued: “Your own words, you said: ‘I will be in Iowa as much as humanly possible.’”

Lahn said: “That was directly about my children. Any family that has a blended family knows what I’m talking about.”

Lahn flies to Kansas to see and pick up children from his previous marriage. “Rob has chose to make this issue the primary focus of his campaign…because if voters understand where Rob Sand stands, they’d understand he’s a radical liberal,” Lahn said.

Sand returned to the topic in his closing statement. “I think it’s time for change in Des Moines and I think what you’re seeing here in front of you here is a change candididate versus a change-of-address candidate,” Sand said. “This is a real issue.”

A question about schools prompted a debate about a different campaign ad, one from Lahn’s campaign. “I don’t think you’re going to be the biggest advocate for public school students over a guy who sends his kids there when you were running advertisements saying that marxists have hijacked the curriculum here in Iowa. Zach, I’m pretty sure that’s just more evidence that you don’t spend enough time here,” Sand said.

Lahn responded: “I’m happy to address that. You know, here’s the thing: this is about the next generation…I do believe and I have parents talk to me all the time that there are instances where political agendas are pushed in classrooms. It’s just true. You can go online and see it.” Lahn added that “most teachers are great people,” but he said there are educators who’ve talked about getting around curriculum restrictions that Iowa policymakers have adopted.

The first question of the evening was about the proposed steel mill in Lee County. Lahn called it a “transformational” project that will bring thousands of jobs to “an economically depressed area.” Sand said “if things fall into place,” the plant would be “great news for the state.”

When asked to share something they’d do on their first day as governor to lower costs, Lahn said he’d already done something by making a suggestion to Vice President Vance that wound up in President Trump’s executive order to allow tax-exempt off-road diesel to be used in vehicles on public highways. “And now, going into harvest we’ll see that gas prices are coming down — diesel prices are for farmers to the tune of 57 cents a gallon,” Lahn said. “This’ll save $100 per fill up when you’re talking about hauling grain.”

Sand said one of his day one priorities would be examining the fees utilitity companies are charging. “I think it’s important that we make sure that those fees are capped,” Sand said. “We don’t want to see folks tightening their own belt by using less electricity, but then have the utility companies come out and just say: ‘Well, we’re just going to increase your fees instead.’”

The candidates have agreed to three more debates this month. Last (Tuesday) night’s debate was hosted by KWQC TV in the Quad Cities.

Applications for the Lighted Christmas Parade are Now Open

OSKALOOSA — The holiday season is quickly approaching and Oskaloosa is getting ready to shine! Oskaloosa Main Street is excited to announce that applications are now available for the annual Lighted Christmas Parade, taking place on Saturday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

This year’s parade theme, “Winter Wonderland: Let It Glow – Making Memories That Shine Bright,” will transform downtown Oskaloosa into a festive winter wonderland filled with lights, holiday spirit, and community memories.

Businesses, organizations, groups, families, and community members are invited to join the celebration and help make this year’s parade one to remember. Whether you’re decorating a float, putting together a creative display, or simply bringing some holiday cheer, everyone is encouraged to be part of the festivities.

Parade applications are available on the Mahaska Chamber website or by emailing events@mahaskachamber.org to request an application.

Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, November 10.

For the latest parade updates, announcements, and information about all the ways Oskaloosa will transform into a Winter Wonderland, be sure to follow the official Facebook event by Oskaloosa Main Street “Lighted Christmas Parade”.

For more information, contact the Mahaska Chamber at 641-672-2591.

Former ‘American Idol’ singer Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “ American Idol ” was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, after a jury convicted him last week of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

The judge said Caleb Flynn, 40, used his Christian faith to manipulate others and showed no remorse for actions marked by “layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty.”

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Flynn apologized to his family just before being sentenced, starting with his two young daughters, who were home when he shot his wife in her sleep. He called their births the “greatest joy in this life.”

Although he said he accepted responsibility for his words and decisions, Flynn remained adamant that he was innocent.

“As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife,” he said.

Prosecutors said Flynn staged a home invasion in February and claimed a burglar killed his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. In his 2013 appearance on “American Idol,” Flynn credited his wife with encouraging him to chase his dreams on the singing contest. He did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

During the trial, Flynn didn’t testify on his own behalf, nor did anybody else.

Family members, including Ashley’s parents, spoke in favor of the harsh sentence Monday, while saying they had forgiven Flynn because they didn’t want her legacy to be hatred.

Her sister, Kayla Keyt, said Flynn’s actions have scarred their entire church community, prompting children to run into their parents’ bedrooms to make sure their fathers haven’t killed their mothers.

As a family member read a statement written by his daughter Ava, Flynn sobbed uncontrollably as a pile of tissues grew on the defense table in front of him. At one point, it appeared he might fall over.

“Mommy was the perfect person,” her statement said. “The absolute perfect person. What did she ever do to you to make you hate her so much?” In her statement, his daughter Alyssa said she wouldn’t visit him in prison.

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife at their house in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton. He sent a text message to his lover the night before the shooting, saying, “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow,” prosecutors said.

During the trial, Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more than a year. She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene, and his attorney told jurors that investigators found no evidence that Caleb Flynn fired a gun that day. Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house, even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

The jury found him guilty of multiple counts, including murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Iowa’s candidates for governor meet tonight for first debate

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The first of four televised debates featuring the two candidates for governor is tonight.

The debate, hosted by KWQC TV in the Quad Cities, kicks off the final month of campaigning before the November 3 General Election. The candidates have been making their cases to voters at town hall-style events.

Democrat Rob Sand has held a town hall in each Iowa county. He spoke to 1800 people at his 100th town hall of the year last Wednesday in West Des Moines.

“Our system for solving problems ain’t solving problems. It’s getting politicians re-elected. It’s serving insiders. It’s serving special interest groups. It’s not serving Iowans,” Sand said.

Sand said Iowans are worried about what’s happened to the state and bipartisan solutions are what’s needed. “If we stay in our little tents and our little camps, spread apart from each other it’s going to be hard to do this,” Sand said, “and so we have to work together.”

Republican Zach Lahn’s campaign website shows he has 15 counties left in his own 99 county tour. He spoke to a crowd of about 300 in Grimes last Wednesday. “They are trying everything they can do to convince all of your in this room that your lives as Iowans are terrible. It’s just not true,” Lahn said. “…Let me tell you, change is not a campaign platform. It was in 2008 and I would just ask: ‘How did that turn out for our country.’ Not very well.”

Lahn said Iowa is ranked as the most affordable state and one of the best places to retire, but he said there are things to improve upon. “For far too long in every single level of government special interests, corporate giants and lobbyists have had far too much control. Our campaign is a repudiation of that idea completely. This is about putting Iowa first,’” Lahn said..

Election Day is 28 days away.

Oskaloosa City Council Approves Water Resource Recovery Facility Project Plans and Specifications

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa city council held a regular meeting last night and approved a resolution on the plans and specifications for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Project. The project includes the construction of a new facility adjacent to the existing Southwest Wastewater Treatment Facility, with improvements including thirteen new structures, a new standby power generator, and miscellaneous site improvements and ancillary structures. It also includes minor improvements to the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Facility. The project is expected to cost approximately $69.8 million and has a planned bid opening date of December 3, 2026.

The council also approved a resolution receiving and approving a certificate of substantial completion for the contract for the construction of the Oskaloosa Recreation Center Natatorium Project, and they were officially introduced to new Mahaska County YMCA CEO Rima Zabian, who began her role on September 8.

The next regular meeting for the Oskaloosa city council is scheduled for October 19.

Search suspended for 6 people on missing medical flight from Bermuda to Boston

BOSTON (AP) — Authorities on Sunday suspended the search off the Massachusetts coast for six people on an air ambulance that disappeared during a flight from Bermuda to Boston.

The U.S. Coast Guard said authorities searched more than 4,400 miles (7,081 kilometers) over a span of 66 hours for the four Canadians and two people from Bermuda who were on board.

“Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s northeast district, said in a statement. “We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy and our gratitude for our partner agencies who helped support search efforts.”

The Federal Aviation Administration contacted the Coast Guard at 2 a.m. Saturday that it had lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 carrying six people over the Atlantic Ocean. Searchers later Saturday found a “debris field” off the coast of Nantucket, Lake had said at a news conference on Sunday.

Coast Guard crews along with the New York National Guard’s Air Rescue Wing and Massachusetts authorities searched a vast area using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters.

The depth of the water around the debris field was 80 to 90 feet (about 24 to 27 meters).

The Canadian-registered air ambulance jet had four crew members and two passengers aboard when it departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport for the nighttime flight to Massachusetts, according to a statement from the Bermuda airport’s operator, Skyport.

Air traffic audio indicates that the plane may have been “coming in blind” when a storm loomed ahead shortly before it vanished.

The pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast, according to air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net. “Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” a controller can be heard asking the pilot.

That makes Mary Schiavo, who is a former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, think the plane may have lost its navigational instruments just as a storm moved across its path on radar. The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.

“Something bad happened with this big drop, and they flew into this big storm. It’s a terrible place to have a loss of your instruments and be flying blind,” said Schiavo, who is an aviation attorney. “It’s very easy to get disoriented and not know if you’re turning, climbing, descending, etc.”

What’s next for southeast Iowa steel complex?

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The state’s top economic development official says her agency will negotiate a contract with the India-based company that announced it plans to build a steel plant in southeast Iowa.

The legislature approved a nearly $1.4 billion incentive package for the proposed plant on Friday and Governor Reynolds signed it into law on Friday night. Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham told legislators the company must meet benchmarks before any incentives would be provided. “They have to build the capital of what they contract for. They have hire the jobs at the wage scale, plus full benefits and all of that,” Durham said during a House subcommittee hearing. “Before they get one tax credit issued to them, it has to be an operational plant.”

A Mesabi Metallics executive told lawmakers the company is still working out the financing for the project. The company has not obtained construction permits or the two-thousand acres in Lee County that’s envisioned for the steel mill complex. Durham said the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Board of Directors must approve any contract for the pay-out to the company. “The magnitude of this deal is bigger than anything we have dealt with, so that we did bring in outside legal counsel as well that has a tax department,” Durham said, “that will help us to make sure that all the claw back provisions are there.” In other words, the document will say the company must repay the state if it fails to meet the terms of the deal.

A week ago President Trump announced Mesabi Metallics, which is owned by the India-based Essar Group, would operate a steel mill in southeast Iowa. State officials say Iowa was competing with other states for the plant and Governor Reynolds signed a Memorandum of Understanding that gave Iowa an exclusive 60-day period to negotiate with the company. “This transformational opportunity will change the economic trajectory of our state for decades to come,” Reynolds said Friday night during a bill signing ceremony in her statehouse office.

Over 100 of the 149 members of the legislature voted for the incentive package. Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs was among six Republicans in the Senate who opposed the deal. He called it the largest corporate give-away in state history. “Is it fair that this overseas company gets $1.2 billion in income tax credits…while the other Iowa companies that have been here for decades with vastly more employees pay a 7.1% tax rate?” Dawson asked.

The incentives approved by the legislature include sales tax breaks on materials and tax credits for each employee hired, plus over a billion dollars in income tax credits that would equal to 10% of what the company spends to build the steel mill complex. Mesabi executives have pegged the cost at $15 billion.

William Penn University Begins New Partnership with Mahaska

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Two enduring pillars of the Oskaloosa community, Mahaska and William Penn University are joining forces in a bold new partnership rooted in shared values, local pride, and commitment to creating opportunity. Through this five-year agreement, Mahaska will become William Penn’s official beverage provider while also funding numerous scholarships for students from southeast Iowa. Together, the two organizations are building a partnership that reaches far beyond the products served on campus: it invests in students, strengthens regional connections, and helps open the door to a William Penn education for future generations.

“It has been an honor to be part of William Penn University’s rich history,” said Paul Fenton, chief of operations for Mahaska. “We are proud to deepen our relationship with an institution that educates future leaders, enriches Oskaloosa, and makes a lasting difference across southeast Iowa and beyond. This partnership reflects not only where we have been together, but also the brighter future we can help create.”

As a premier partner of the Statesmen, Mahaska will have a visible and meaningful presence throughout the William Penn experience. More importantly, the company’s scholarship support will give students from southeast Iowa greater access to education, relationships, and opportunities that can shape a lifetime. Each scholarship represents more than financial assistance, it is an investment in potential, a vote of confidence in a student’s future, and a powerful example of what can happen when local organizations come together with a common purpose.

“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Mahaska and to celebrate what this collaboration will mean for our students and our community,” said Ken Oliver, executive vice president for Advancement. “Mahaska has long stood beside William Penn University, and this expanded investment carries that commitment to an inspiring new level. By supporting scholarships, Mahaska is helping students pursue their ambitions, discover their potential, and prepare to make a difference in the communities they will one day serve. We are deeply grateful for the company’s belief in our mission, its dedication to education in Oskaloosa, and its continued investment in the place we are all proud to call home.”

The partnership will also come to life through a distinctive new branded bottled water product created by Mahaska and William Penn University. Available for purchase throughout the local community, the product will offer another visible symbol of hometown pride and the strong connection between two organizations dedicated to serving Oskaloosa. 

Mahaska will also step into the spotlight as the official game sponsor for the upcoming men’s basketball showdown against Central College. The storied rivalry returns to Penn Gymnasium on Wednesday, October 28, at 7 p.m., bringing together students, alumni, friends, and fans for an evening filled with Statesmen spirit. The game will be a memorable stop on President Ottosson’s Farewell Tour, culminating in a special halftime ceremony— “A Celebration of John’s Last Shot”—honoring his leadership, legacy, and lasting impact on William Penn University.

How Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike unfolded, minute-by-minute

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Christa Pike was scheduled to be executed. But after two injections, she kept breathing. She made snoring sounds, she talked, she said her arm was hurting.

Pike, sentenced to die for torturing and killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, said as her scheduled lethal injection began that she was at peace.

Strapped to a gurney around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Pike, who was allowed to give a final statement, said she was leaving the world with love.

“I’m ready to be free,” she said. “This is a happy day.”

Leaving prison in an ambulance, not a hearse

Pike, now 50, was 18 when she committed the murder and would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

But instead she survived two doses of the pentobarbital meant to kill her. She left the prison in an ambulance instead of a hearse.

The Associated Press was among those who witnessed her failed execution. She was already strapped to the gurney, with IV inserted in her arm, when prison officials raised the curtain to the execution room at 7:27 p.m.

Her spiritual adviser was standing beside the gurney near her head. He spoke to her. They sang a song. The lyrics were not audible, but included repeating the phrase — “I love you.” The spiritual adviser stroked her forehead.

Minutes ticked by. She raised her head and looked around; she smiled. Then she said her arm was hurting and asked a prison official in the room if it was supposed to feel that way.

Ten minutes in, at 7:37 p.m., she sighed, the IV in her arm fed from a control room adjacent to the death chamber, separated by a ledge. At 7:41 p.m., a rock or paper weight about the size of a golf ball was placed on the ledge. Prison officials have not confirmed what it means, but its placement appeared to coincide with a direction in the protocol that says after the drugs are administered, a five-minute countdown begins until the curtain is closed.

At 7:46 p.m., officials closed the curtain, blocking the witnesses’ view of the death chamber. Pike’s spiritual adviser left the chamber and sat briefly with her attorney in the media witness room.

The curtain rose again three minutes later. The Tennessee lethal injection protocol calls for a second round of pentobarbital if the inmate is not deceased after the first round.

An hour-plus of what sounded like snoring

Her spiritual adviser returned to the chamber and stood beside Pike with his hands folded. Pike appeared to begin to lose consciousness at some point and started making a sound like snoring. She continued to do so for the next hour, a sign that she was alive long after she was expected to be dead.

Her head raised slightly off the gurney and turned to the side at about 7:56 p.m. She kept breathing.

Officials closed the curtain again at 8:06 p.m.

For the next 40 minutes, Pike could be heard from behind the curtain. She sounded like she was snoring, a rhythmic, regular breathing pattern.

Inside the prison, Pike’s attorney, Randy Spivey, later told the media that at about 8:22 p.m. he demanded access to a telephone to contact other lawyers on the team. He said he demanded the execution be halted and that life-saving medical care be given to Pike. He said he received confirmation at about 8:50 p.m. that an ambulance was on the way.

At 8:53 p.m., an announcement came: “Will witnesses please exit the area.” The media was escorted out, and a prison spokesperson said she had no information to provide about what had happened.

Fire trucks and ambulances arrived in front of the prison at around 9:14 p.m. Pike’s attorneys later issued a statement that she had been taken to a hospital and was being treated, though they did not know the specifics of her condition. On Thursday afternoon, they said she was in critical condition receiving medical care.

Governor orders a review

The Tennessee Department of Correction issued a statement saying the department followed protocol.

“The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening,” the agency wrote. “Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility.”

The agency has not said what went wrong. It was the second time this year that Tennessee has been unable to complete an execution, though in the other case, officials couldn’t find a suitable vein for an IV line so the drugs weren’t administered.

Gov. Bill Lee ordered a review and postponed another execution scheduled for later this year, calling what happened in the death chamber “deeply disturbing.”

Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, had traveled to Nashville to see the sentence carried out.

“I didn’t get justice for my daughter,” Martinez told the AP by telephone.

“I watched the whole thing. She was awake,” Martinez said. “She was moving her head, moving her feet. She was trying to sit up. Didn’t work the first time they gave her a shot. It didn’t work the second time so she’s in the hospital and alive.”

“This isn’t justice for Colleen.”

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