The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation is honoring Iowa Senator Charles Grassley with its First Amendment Leadership Award. MissouriNet news director Bob Priddy is president of the group.Priddy says the Radio and Television News Directors Association is the only organization which speaks exclusively for broadcast journalists, and places a high value on freedom of expression. Priddy says journalists could not do what they do without the protection of First Amendment rights. Grassley has long fought for public access to government records and protection for so-called “whistleblowers” who go public with their concerns about government agencies, programs or contracts. Grassley has also sought — without success — to open the federal courts to microphones and cameras. Priddy says openness in the courts is something R-T-N-D-A has fought for over the years. Grassley, whose daughter once worked for the Radio and Television News Directors Association, will share the First Amendment award with a democrat senator from Vermont. Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, 60 Minutes producer Don Hewitt, A-B-C News president Roone Arledge and C-N-N founder Ted Turner are past recipients of the award Grassley will receive at a banquet in Washington on March 11th.
Bradley set to endorse Dean, Kerry says it doesn’t matter
Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley ran for president in 2000 and today he’s headed back to Iowa to formally endorse former Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s bid for the White House. This is Dean’s second big endorsement; former Vice President Al Gore came to Iowa last month to announce he’s backing Dean. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry — one of Dean’s competitors for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination — says endorsements don’t mean much here. Kerry says Iowans are “so independent minded, and so strong and clear, that they listen to their own hearts and their own guts.” Kerry says the last time he checked, Bill Bradley doesn’t vote in Iowa. Kerry says he’s gained the support of 26 Iowa Legislators. He says that’s more than any other candidate, and those folks will provide key community-level support on Caucus Night.
Spencer man on trial after botched murder-suicide
A northwest Iowa man is going to trial after apparently botching a murder-suicide. Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the first-degree murder trial of Harold Duncan of Spencer. Duncan is charged with fatally shooting his wife Karen Kay Duncan in their mobile home on January 13th, 2003. He’s accused of shooting Kay twice with a shotgun and then turning the gun on himself. Duncan was formally charged while recovering from a facial wound in an Omaha, Nebraska hospital. He pleaded NOT guilty to 1st degree murder at his arraignment. The trial was postponed indefinitely after the judge ordered a competency evaluation. He was found to be competent to stand trial. The Clay County Attorney’s office expects opening statements and state’s evidence to be presented tomorrow.
Iowa Guardmember wants his job back as sheriff’s deputy
An Iowa National Guard member who spent a year on active duty is fighting to get his job back as a sheriff’s deputy in Pocahontas County. Brian Runneberg of Laurens says he was told he lost his job two days after Christmas. A federal labor official is meeting with the Pocahontas Board of Supervisors to discuss the employee’s termination. Sheriff Bob Lampe says the only reason Runneberg lost his job is because budget constraints forced the department to eliminate a deputy’s position. But Runneberg claims a deputy hired to fill his slot was kept on the staff. Lampe says that is not true. He says a temporary reserve officer was hired to cover some part time hours, but will lose that position when the contract ends on June 30th. Lampe says the elimination of a deputy position has nothing to do with Runneberg’s service in the military. Thirty four year old Runneberg served in the first Gulf War. He was among the soldiers assigned to guard an Army site in Indiana with the 1st Battalion 194th Field Artillery. Lampe says Runneberg had been on the job six months after being deactivated. His unit returned to northwest Iowa on July 26th, 2003.
Fire hits Stuart building
Fire raged through a block of downtown Stuart in southwest Iowa early this morning. The two-story building housed Slam’s Pizza restaurant, law offices, other businesses and several upstairs apartments. The fire began early today, before daylight. The building’s expected to be a total loss. France says from what he’s gathered, no one was hurt in the blaze.The biggest problem for firefighters was the cold as wind chill factors hovered between 20 and 30-degrees below zero. Fire departments from six surrounding communities turned out to help. Stuart schools delayed opening for two hours this morning due to the commotion nearby.
Iowans have interest in Mars rover
The NASA scientists maneuvering that remote-control rover around Mars got some of their training from a University of Iowa robotics expert. Geb Thomas, a U-of-I professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, has worked with NASA more than seven years and says the current mission is the most exciting yet. Thomas and five U-of-I engineering students spent several weeks during 2003 in the Arizona desert on a half-million dollar simulated Mars exploration project. Cameras were set up and NASA geologists looked at various rocks and other land features, then were taken out to the mock landing site to get a close-up look at the real things.He says they were surprised that some rocks had different shapes and colors than were shown on the images and the sense of scale was different too. Thomas says his team helped the scientists learn to better interpret the pictures from the mock-Martian surface.The video images were slightly distorted, making some rocks look smoother and rounder — a look more indicative of water-caused weathering.Thomas says he’s hopeful the current rover on Mars, called Spirit, will find signs of water, but he says NASA likely won’t be able to scientifically conclude there are signs of life as this mission is geared toward searching for water, not life.
Des Moines cop wins Hot Lotto jackpot
A Des Moines cop won’t quit the force, but says he’ll no longer moonlight after cashing in with a winning Hot Lotto ticket. Iowa Lottery Director Ed Stanek unrolled a large ceremonial check at lottery headquarters Monday for Danny Good, a 27-year veteran of the Des Moines police department. Good won the drawing December 20th, and will take home a real check for just under one million dollars after taxes. Good says he’s played the Hot Lotto since its inception, as well as the Powerball. He says that led to a lot of confusion among his friends who thought he won the multimillion dollar Powerball. He says he did square it all away and gave his friends a few consolation gifts after he won. Good waited to turn in his ticket until the New Year for tax reasons, although word had leaked out in the department that an officer had won. He had some fun with it when a delivery man showed up to his mom’s house and Good was still in uniform. He says the deliveryman asked him if he knew the cop that won the jackpot, and Good said he did. The man then said, “I bet you wish you had half of that ticket.” That comment drew laughs, and Good said he never did tell the guy he was the actual winner. Good says he won’t leave the police force. He says it’s really not enough money to quit, but he won’t have to work 14 hour days after giving up his extra jobs, including serving as a security guard at a Des Moines hospital. He says he’s looking forward to getting more sleep. Good says the money will help him catch up on his bills. Good says the money will put him about where he should’ve been all along had he watched his money properly and put away and saved the money from his extra jobs. He says it will allow him to buy a house and retire in five years on a good financial footing. Good also plans to give his mom some money and spend more time with her. Good bought five tickets and also won four dollars on two of the tickets and 50 dollars on one of the other tickets.
