A southern Iowa woman has placed in the top four of a national beauty pageant.A Centerville-area woman was named third runner-up in the Mrs. America Pageant last night in Palm Springs, California. Jamie Patterson of Mystic is the reigning Mrs. Iowa-America and was also named “best in swimsuit” – receiving a seven-thousand-dollar cash prize. The former Jamie Solinger of Altoona had won the national Miss Teen USA crown in 1992. Last night’s big winner was Mrs. Alabama Julie Love-Templeton who was crowned Mrs. America at the 28th annual pageant for married women. She’ll represent the U.S. in the Mrs. World pageant in January in India.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter visits Iowa
September 8, 2004 By
While the current candidates for the White House are targeting Iowa after last week’s Republican National Convention, a former First Lady stopped in Mason City last night. Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter, says it’s one of her first trips back to the state since her husband ran for the Oval Office. Mrs. Carter says she visited 105 Iowa communities when campaigning for her husband and recalls staying in people’s houses as they had “no money” for hotels. Carter says hitting the campaign trail is a grueling but rewarding process, and knows what the Kerrys and Bushes are going through right now. She says the thought that goes through her mind is “Thank goodness it’s not me.” While she says it’s rough, during the campaign she says you get caught up in it and don’t want to stop.Mrs. Carter is hoping that more people go out and vote in the 2004 election since the percentage of Americans voting is lousy when compared to some of the countries that have their elections monitored by the Carter Center. She says sometimes 80-percent of the people vote. She says they stand in the rain and believe their vote makes a difference. Mrs. Carter wrote a chapter in her book about preparing for the campaign trail and has a bit of advice for politicians when they are asked questions. She says candidates have to be honest and answer questions, without going “all around the bush because they don’t want to answer it,” adding, don’t try to be something you’re not. Mrs. Carter says candidates need to be strong on the issues and not let the critics get to them. She says she learned when Jimmy was governor and president that you get all kinds of criticism — no matter what stance you take on an issue. Carter says you learn as long as what you’re doing is right for the country, you have to ignore the criticism.Mrs. Carter spoke to a crowd at North Iowa Area Community College last night as part of its Leadership Series.
Ruling on Cass County attorney and sheriff delayed
September 8, 2004 By
The judge who’s deciding whether a western Iowa county attorney and sheriff should be removed from office has delayed that ruling. Judge Robert Hutchinson says he will issue separate rulings in the trial of Cass County Attorney James Barry and Sheriff Larry Jones, only after the Jones trial has concluded. Last week, Hutchinson indicated he might have a written ruling in the Barry case as early as 1:30-p.m. yesterday, the same time the Jones trial was to get underway. But that never happened. During the first day of testimony in the Jones case, the court heard from Cass County Civil Processor Stephanie Witzmann, who said Jones has kept a low profile since the investigation into his office. State Auditors Annette Campbell and Ernest Ruben testified their office identified over 11-thousand dollars in improperly distributed funds from the Sheriff’s office, and a 250-dollar check endorsed by the Sheriff that was supposed to be donated to the Sheriff’s department as part of a plea bargain. The money has not been accounted for.
Vilsack touts economic deal, mends fences with Democrats
September 8, 2004 By
Governor Tom Vilsack’s traveling the state today, touting the economic development deal passed in yesterday’s “special” legislative session. But Vilsack beyond the battlecry for business expansion in Iowa, must mend some fences within his own political party. Democrats in the legislature were upset with their democratic governor for at least two reasons. One: democrats in the legislature opposed the changes in workers comp rules for twice-injured workers that were part of the package approved yesterday. “I understand the disappointment, but in our situation we’ve got to weigh the pluses and minuses,” Vilsack said last night during a statehouse news conference. “On balance, it was action I think that was in the best interest, that is not to say that there may be a few Iowans (who) may not see it that way, and I respect that,” Vilsack said. Another reason democrats were upset by yesterday’s special session: republicans can now argue, and did yesterday, that divided government with a democrat governor and republican-led legislature does work in Iowa. Vilsack, though, is trying to make the case for a democratic legislature to finish the job of making the “Iowa Values Fund” a long-term, permanent fixture of state government, something republicans refused to do yesterday. Vilsack said he needs a “new pit crew” in the legislature to “come back at this.”And Vilsack himself is lobbying criticism at the republican-crafted policy bill. He said it covered so many subjects — from economic development programs to banking regulations to tax changes — it is just like the bill the Iowa Supreme Court knocked down in June. Vilsack said the republicans “sent out a gold-letter invitation” to some individual or group to challenge the constitutionality of the policy bill that was passed yesterday. But House Speaker Christopher Rants, a republican from Sioux City, rejects the idea the bill is flawed because it’s so wide-ranging. “Trial lawyers aren’t very happy with this. They want to stop it any way possible,” Rants said. “We’ve seen Supreme Court decisions that give the Legislature wide latitude in how we put bills together and I believe that what we’re doing will be constitutional and will stand the test of time.”
Oldest gold medalist, former Iowa prep standout, dies
September 8, 2004 By
The oldest living Olympic gold medalist and brother of a legendary Mason City puppeteer has died. George Baird graduated from Mason City High School in 1925 after captaining the track team and winning the state title in the quarter mile. He then went on to run track at the University of Iowa and helped set a world record in the 16-hundred meter men’s relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. After college, George then worked for several years with his brother, the world famous puppeteer Bil Baird. George Baird later earned a Master’s degree in 1964 and went on to become an assistant professor of education at New York University, where he worked until his retirement. Baird died Saturday at his home in Rhinebeck New York at the age of 97.
Spencer teen charged with illegally using air rifle
September 8, 2004 By
Authorities have charged a Spencer teenager for intentionally shooting someone with an air rifle.Dickinson County Sheriff Greg Baloun says 18-year-old Kevin Carillo was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon. The shooting took place at an underage drinking party near Everly and deputies say the victim, an unidentified youth, was shot three times. Authorities say they got a tip about the shooting incident Monday. The victim was taken to the Spencer hospital, then transferred to Sioux Falls. No information on the victim’s condition is available. More arrests are expected.
Iowa teen dies in Nebraska fair accident
September 8, 2004 By
The Nebraska state fair was marred this week by the tragic death of a southwest Iowa teen in a fluke accident. Deb Collins is spokesperson for the Nebraska State Patrol. She says 13-year-old Eric Epperson of Griswold, Iowa, was killed when he was thrown from a golf cart driven by a 14-year-old boy from Des Moines. Investigators say the golf cart turned into the campgrounds on the north side of the state fair park, and when a pickup truck pulling a camper came along the teen who was driving tells investigators he turned sharply and Epperson fell out. The Griswold boy hit his head on pavement and was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Collins said the boys were friends, through their families. She says both the parents of both boys were vendors who traveled the “fair circuit,” and investigators have been told the boys would hook up when their folks were at the same fair — they got together and became buddies. The Nebraska state fair park is big, about 250 acres, and Collins says golf carts aren’t rare. Collins says the boys weren’t breaking any rules by driving one on the fair’s perimeter. She says vendors use them to transport their goods back and forth, and she says there are “a lot of small little vehicles running about the state fair.” Fair officials say there are no age restrictions or helmet requirements for such carts on the fairgrounds. The investigation’s continuing but she’s talked with the investigator compiling reports. Though the details will be turned over to the Lancaster County Attorney, they don’t expect any charges to be filed in the case.
