A southwest Iowa man was shot and wounded late last night by Clarinda police making a drug arrest. The Page County attorney’s office says agents of the state Division of Criminal Investigation and Clarinda police officers were trying to arrest the suspect when he tried to flee and drove his car into several other vehicles, including police cars. After the shooting, the suspect was taken to a Clarinda hospital, then to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. He suffered gunshot wounds to the stomach, hand and leg, but doctors say his injuries aren’t life-threatening. Investigators say only one officer fired at the man, who isn’t being identified yet.
Company plans to offer movie tickets via the Internet
January 31, 2003 By
Late in 2004, central Iowans will no longer have to stand in long box office lines to get tickets for the latest films. A theatre complex being planned west of Des Moines will utilize an on-line ticketing service so patrons can pay for and print their tickets on their home computers and printers. Nancy Klasky of California-based Century Theatres explains you go on the website of “www.fandango.com”, chose what movie you want to see and when, pay for it via credit card, hit print, and you get a page out of your printer with a unique bar code. At the theatre, you can walk past the box office and right to the ticket taker and present the print-at-home ticket. Klasky says movie goers will have to pay a little more for the service, between 75-cents and a dollar, but she thinks Iowans will do it. She says it’s been proven people are looking for a guaranteed night out that includes reservations to the hottest movie.Klasky says ground will be broken on the theatre complex in March of this year, but it won’t open until August of 2004. The Jordan Creek Town Center mall theatre will feature 20 screens, all digital stereo sound, all stadium seating and rocking love seats.
State Fair hopes you’ll check them off
January 31, 2003 By
Iowans who are laboring over their state income tax forms in the next few weeks are being encouraged to remember the Corndog Tax Checkoff. Estee Walter, sponsorship director for the Blue Ribbon Foundation, says this is the tenth year for the checkoff, which benefits the Iowa State Fair.Walter says taxpayers can contribute as little as one-dollar to the checkoff. Whatever you donate will either be added to the amount you owe or it’ll be taken off of your refund.Money collected goes toward various improvement projects at the Iowa State Fair, like the new roof on the livestock pavilion, the campground safety shelter, the Legacy Terrace in the grandstand center plaza and other improvements to the restrooms, campgrounds and parking areas.
Iowa City men charged with kidnapping
January 31, 2003 By
Two Iowa City men have been charged with kidnapping a Cedar Falls couple in October. 34-year-old David Willock and 24-year-old Luther Hammett Junior were arrested on warrants for first-degree robbery, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary. The two allegedly abducted 29-year-old Anthony Kohl of Waterloo and 29-year-old Cassie Jenkins of Cedar Falls after using duct tape to bind their hands. Kohl managed to escape after and altercation and Jenkins was left in the trunk of an abandoned car, from which she eventually escaped.
Independence takes two days off for the flu
January 31, 2003 By
Students in one eastern Iowa high school will have a four-day weekend thanks to the flu. The Independence High School is closed today and Monday due to the flu outbreak. Superintendent Robert Stuermann says there have been more than 100 students absent each day this week with the flu and other respiratory ailments. The elementary and middle schools are still open as they haven’t had as much illness.
Iowa Congressman knows Defense Secretary well
January 31, 2003 By
Congressman Jim Leach of Iowa City once worked for the man who’s at the center of planning for a possible war against Iraq. Leach worked as a graduate student intern for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld when Rumsefeld was a Congressman, and then Leach was a special assistant to Rumsfeld when he was named to Nixon’s cabinet.Leach says Rumsfeld has undergone some transitions with age, as Rumsfeld was a bit more cheerful when he was a Congressman. Leach says Rumsfeld is now a remarkable “institutional leader.” Leach says he’s as good an orchestrator of decisions as anyone, and is a big picture person who doesn’t take his eye off the ball. Leach says ironically, Rumsfeld was considered one of the weakest cabinet-level officers in the early months of Bush’s Administration because he was challenging old concepts. Leach says Rumsfeld has risen to the challenges presented in the post-9/11 era as the things Rumsfeld stood for were vindicated.Leach says Rumsfeld, with his “frisky manner,” has captured the time and done exceptionally well. Rumsfeld has earned a reputation as one of Bush’s closest advisors, and his media briefings have been a hit on cable t-v because of his sharp wit. Leach in his younger days worked in the same Rumsfeld office as Dick Cheney, who’s now Vice President.
Powerball jackpot hits 100 million mark
January 31, 2003 By
The jackpot in tomorrow (Saturday) night’s Powerball game is estimated at an even 100-million dollars, which Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer predicts will bring ticket buyers out in droves. She says people have different levels at which they start to play.Neubauer says for some reason, Powerball players get very excited when the jackpot hits that magic nine-digit number. Neubauer says this 100-million dollar drawing is the new face of Powerball after changes that were made last summer. She says those changes were made with the expectation that there would be more big jackpots.It was just a month ago that Powerball ticket-buying peaked when the game’s largest-ever jackpot hit 314-point-nine million dollars, a prize that was claimed by a West Virginia man.
