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Shawn Johnson wins silver medal in team competition

August 13, 2008 By

Shawn Johnson (file photo) West Des Moines native Shawn Johnson’s first medal at the summer Olympics is a silver. The gymnast and her U.S. teammates finished second to host China in the women’s team competition.

Johnson was solid throughout but two falls by Alicia Sacramone on the balance beam and floor exercise sealed the American’s fate. Sacramone fell off the balance beam at the start of her routine then fell during her floor program.

Johnson still has three more chances to earn gold at these Olympics. Next up it is the all-around finals in which she is the reigning world champion. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Sioux County teen shot

August 13, 2008 By

A Sioux County teen was shot last night in an incident at a rural home in northwest Iowa just east of Hudson, South Dakota. The Sioux County sheriff’s office is investigating the incident that occurred about 10:39 P.M. Tuesday.

Seventeen-year-old Marcus Joel Koenen who lives at the residence with his parents was shot in the hip with a nine-millimeter handgun. He was taken to the Hegg Memorial Health Center in Rock Valley and was later airlifted to Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls.

According to the sheriff’s department, a friend of Koenen, 18-year-old Derik Van Ginkel of rural Inwood, had been handling the gun in a basement room of the Koenen house when the gun went off and struck Koenen. The sheriff’s office believes the shooting was an accident. The incident remains under investigation.  

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Education Department rules out some school fees

August 13, 2008 By

A recent ruling by the Iowa Department of Education says school districts cannot charge fees to students for some activities and supplies. Department lawyer Carol Gretta says the ruling was prompted by the Ames School District, which requested clarification on some 20 fees.

Gretta says she’s had the most questions on fees for buses used for sports and other activities. "The ruling says that districts may not charge for extracurricular transportation, nor may they charge for fees associated with field trips, admission costs or transportation, when those are during the instructional day," Gretta says.

Some districts have been charging students who participate in sports a fee to help pay for the buses to and from the contests — but Gretta says this is the first time that type of fee has been questioned. Gretta says it’s an area where there’s really been a split of opinion among attorneys who practice education law, and the Department has never had an opportunity before to give a definitive ruling on the issue.

The ruling could mean the loss of thousands of dollars in fees for districts. Gretta says booster clubs will likely be asked to make up some of the money. She says the department is merely interpreting the law passed by the legislature, and it’s likely school districts might go together and try to get the law changed to allow them to charge some of the fees.

Urbandale is one school that charged an activity fee, and the activities director says the district had anticipated collecting fees of $75,000 this year for transportation. If you’ve paid the fee four your student in the past, don’t expect a refund.

Gretta says the order does not entitle anyone to a refund, as she says up until the order was issued August 4th, it was the first time the schools had clarity on some of these items. The ruling did list seven areas where districts can charge fees, including charges for textbooks and school supplies.

Gretta says, " I think it’s important to note that Iowa is in a minority of states in which districts are allowed to charge any type of rentals for textbooks or school supplies." The ruling says districts can charge for eye and ear protection for use in certain classes, for summer classes, driver education classes, and transportation for students who do not live beyond set district boundary limits. 

See the Education Department ruling in the link below.

 

Education Department ruling on school fees. PDF

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: ,

Audit finds thousands of dollars missing from Grinnell Police safe

August 13, 2008 By

A state audit has found thousands of dollars missing from the Grinnell Police Department’s safe, plus evidence seized in a number of criminal cases is missing, too. The investigation started shortly after April 18th, when Grinnell’s police chief discovered over $5,500 dollars in cash missing from a safe near the department’s evidence room.

The state audit reviewed department records dating back to January 1st of 2006 and discovered over $8,000 in cash was unaccounted for and a couple of weapons were missing. In addition, there were other items unaccounted for, evidence seized by Grinnell police, things like baseball bats, clothes and drug paraphernalia.

The state auditor says there may be more missing money and evidence, but he and his staff can’t track it because the case files are missing. The person who was in charge of the evidence room for the Grinnell police department resigned three months ago.

The audit has been forwarded to the Poweshiek County Attorney, who may file charges. You can read the audit on the State Auditors website .

AUDIO: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson report on Grinell audit. :48 MP3

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Health Department offers guidebook to prepare for disasters

August 13, 2008 By

This is "Protect Iowa Health Day" at the Iowa State Fair, as state health officials expect to hand out 5,000 first aid kits and 7,000 guidebooks on emergency preparedness. Alex Carfrae, a risk communications officer at the Iowa Department of Public Health, says the guidebook offers people a host of common-sense tips for how to handle disasters — man-made and natural.

Carfrae says, "The guidebook tells Iowans to basically be prepared, remain calm in any emergency, have patience and to have an emergency plan." He says Iowans need to have a practiced plan for how they’d find each other, or at least get in touch, if separated during an emergency. Carfrae says Iowans should prepare themselves for any disaster by keeping a well-stocked emergency kit in their homes.

Carfrae says, "People should have bottled water, a small first aid kit, personal hygiene items, non-perishable food items, plates, cups, utensils and prescription medications." He also suggests stocking the kit with other items, including: a radio and batteries, a flashlight, a whistle, a can opener, bedding and extra clothes.

The state got more than 2,500 requests for the "Protect Iowa Health" guidebooks during the recent floods and they’re available in English and Spanish. If you won’t be at the fair today, Carfrae  says you can go to the Department of Public Health’s  website to order a free guidebook or to download a P.D.F. file of the entire thing from the site.

You can also call 866-339-7906 to order one for free. Carfrae notes, Iowa suffered 18 major disasters between 1989 and 2005, from tornadoes to chemical plant explosions. Every one of Iowa’s 99 counties has had at least one disaster in the past decade. 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Health & Medicine, Politics & Government

Morningside and Northwestern expected to contend for playoffs

August 13, 2008 By

Great Plains Conference rivals Morningside and Northwestern are both expected to contend for playoff spots. Morningside is ranked seventh in the N-A-I-A pre-season poll. Coach Steve Ryan has 16 starters back from last year’s team that finished 9-3 and made it to the quarterfinal round of the national playoffs.

Among the returnees is quarterback Ian Gilworth who passed for more than 36 hundred yards and 36 touchdowns in 2007. Ryan says Gilworth finished the season strong as he continued to learn the system and they’re excited to have him back.

The defense gave up only 13 points per game a year ago and much of that unit returns. He says the defense did a fantastic job of creating turnovers last year, and they have most of that defense back. A key stat in football is turnover ration. The Mustangs were a plus 22 last season.

Ryan says they had a lot of interceptions and their runningbacks lost only one fumble all season, so that made a big difference in the games. Ryan says while hopes are high the schedule is difficult, again.

Northwestern is ranked 13th in the pre season poll and the Red Raiders have a number of players returning from last year’s team that finished 8-2. Northwestern coach Orv Otten says those returning players will really help them get off to a good start, and they think they have another great opportunity. Otten says while the offense is experienced they must find a replacement for quarterback Craig Hector.

Otten says whoever ends up with the job will have the benefit of directing a veteran offense and won’t have to be the person who creates a lot on his own, as they are deep in the backfield and at receiver.

Despite finishing 8-2 the Red Raiders did not make the playoffs in 2007. Otten says another challenging conference race awaits.

Northwestern opens September sixth at Dordt College. Morningside opens at home on the sixth against Dakota Wesleyan.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Man dies in crane accident on I-80

August 13, 2008 By

An accident in a construction zone along Interstate 80 in western Iowa’s Cass County has claimed the life of a Cherokee man. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at around 3:37 PM Tuesday on I-80 westbound near the East Nishnabotna River bridge replacement construction site, just east of the Atlantic exit.

Officials say 25-year old Micheal Joseph Williams, of Cherokee, was directing a crane when he was struck by the machine’s counter-weight as the crane was in operation. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. He was working for Godbersen-Smith Construction of Ida Grove.

Company officials were not available for comment late Tuesday evening. The incident has been turned over to OSHA for further investigation. The accident marks the second crane-related fatality to have occurred in western Iowa on I-80 in less than three-months.

In late May, 27-year old Dustin James Flinn, of Atlantic, was killed when the crane he was operating toppled over near Adair. Flinn was removing a girder from a railroad overpass bridge when the accident occurred.  

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters
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