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Hearing on request from Becker defense attorney postponed

July 27, 2009 By

A hearing related to the case of the 24-year-old Parkersburg man accused of shooting his former football coach to death has been postponed.

The state prosecutor involved in the case is "tied up in a separate trial elsewhere" according to a spokesman for Iowa’s attorney general and cannot make the hearing scheduled for Tuesday. The hearing will "possibly" be held later this week.

Mark Becker of Parkersburg is accused of first degree murder for the June 24, 2009 shooting death of Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas.

Becker’s attorney has asked a judge to unseal any records about mental evaluations or substance abuse treatment that Becker has received. It’s the hearing on that request which has been delayed. Becker’s trial on the first degree murder charge is scheduled to start September 15. His attorney intends to use an insanity or dimininshed responsibility defense.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest Tagged With:

Shortage of medical isotopes grows

July 27, 2009 By

The director of nuclear medicine at the University of Iowa says a global shortage of medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in patients may get worse in the coming weeks.

Doctor Michael Graham says most of the reactors that produce the isotopes are shut down because of technical problems or maintenance. Graham says there are small number of nuclear reactors that are capable of making the isotope and all are in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and South Africa.

Graham says the U.S. didn’t produce the needed isotopes because Canada had planned to build two new reactors — but those were never brought up to speed because of technical problems. Graham says the federal government is looking into one option to produce the isotopes in the U.S.

Graham says a bill is being introduced into congress to convert a Missouri University research reactor to supply the isotopes, and that will costs about 150-million dollars to upgrade that facility. Graham says the isotopes are used in a number of diagnostic tests for things like heart disease, cancer and thyroid problems. 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Missouri man died on last day of RAGBRAI

July 27, 2009 By

A Missouri man died after a bicycle crash on the final day of RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state organized by the Des Moines Register. The victim of Saturday’s crash is identified as 69-year-old Donald Myers, who was a professor of engineering management at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz says the crash happened at about 11 a.m. at the bottom of a big hill near Geode State Park in southeast Iowa. "The entire route through southern Iowa was very hilly," Juskiewicz said. "That was the only accident on that particular hill, so I don’t want to speculate what could’ve contributed to this accident."

No other cyclists were involved in the crash and Myers did not collide with any object, according to officers. Myers was wearing a helmet. Another unidentified cyclist was injured on Friday after running into a county road grader near Germanville.

"For the most part, injuries were down overall from what I understand from our medical coordinator," Juskiewicz said. "Safety is our number one concern out there when we start planning for RAGBRAI. It’s a tragedy to end the ride this way. Our thoughts are with the family and the extended family of the professor."

Next year’s RAGBRAI is scheduled for July 25th through the 31st. The route for the 38th annual RAGBRAI will be announced in January.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Recreation & Entertainment

Two 36-year-olds charged in "Slip ‘N Slide" caper

July 27, 2009 By

A fire hydrant, a "Slip ‘N Slide" and 1,500 gallons of water have landed a couple of 36-year-old men in hot water. The two men have been charged with public intoxication, interference with official acts and fifth degree theft for allegedly stealing water from a fire hydrant in Underwood for the outdoor water slide.

"It’s amazing," Sergeant Dwayne Ritchie of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department says of the case.

Ritchie says the caper happened this past Saturday. Michael Wheeler of Omaha and Shane Benedict of Neola were taken into custody outside of Underwood after the trailer they were pulling behind their pick-up blew a tire, sending the pick-up and the trailer into a ditch. The two men were hauling a 1,500 gallon tank filled with water on that trailer.

A witness took a picture of the two men and their stop to get water from the fire hydrant in Underwood, but Sergeant Ritchie says the two suspects told a different story.

"They actually said they had taken the tank and filled it…in Council Bluffs, which was not true," Ritchie says.

Both men were held over the weekend in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Ritchie says the men told authorities they had hoped to use the water for a "Slip ‘N Slide."

"Just looking for some good, clean fun, I guess," the deputy says.

An unidentified teenager was also involved in the incident, but no charges were filed against the teen.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest

Quick Trip chain ordered to pay $750,000 in overtime case

July 27, 2009 By

A convenience store chain with more than 30 locations in Iowa and along the border is accused of not paying its workers their due. Oklahoma-based QuikTrip is agreeing to pay nearly $750,000 in overtime and other bonuses to thousands of employees in Iowa, Nebraska and seven other states.

Elizabeth Todd, spokeswoman for the U.S. Labor Department, says the investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found Tulsa-based QuikTrip violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay its employees the overtime compensation they were entitled to receive. She says QuikTrip also failed to pay the additional overtime premiums on performance-related bonuses.

Todd says, "There are about 3,819 employees involved in the investigation." Todd couldn’t say how many employees in Iowa or Nebraska are getting the back-pay. She says, "QuikTrip cooperated with the investigation and they have agreed to future compliance."

Todd says, "We’re very pleased that the case resulted in collecting all of these back wages for these employees." Q-T has 22 stores in central Iowa and 11 stores in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, along with dozens more in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.  

Filed Under: Business, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Another Des Moines bus hits pedestrian

July 27, 2009 By

Another pedestrian was hit by a bus this morning in Des Moines. It’s the seventh time in two years that a Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) bus has struck a pedestrian. The latest incident happened just after 6:30 this morning at the corner of 9th and High Streets in downtown Des Moines.

Police Sergeant Lori Lavorato says the driver of the bus, 56-year-old Leonidas Flores, told officers he did not see the pedestrian as he was turning left onto 9th Street. Two witnesses also told police that the pedestrian had the right-of-way.

Flores has been charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The woman that was injured is identified as 61-year-old Melissa Dunagan. She was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where officials said she would be treated and released.

DART officials have put in place a variety of safety measures to curb such accidents. Lavorato says pedestrians also need to be cautious and look both ways before crossing streets.

"Just understand that a lot of people who are driving may not see you," Lavorato said. "You may have the right-of-way, but I would use extra caution…as a pedestrian, it’s always in your best interest to assume that the car is not stopping for you." 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

Men accused of stealing water for water slide

July 27, 2009 By

Trailer with tank containing allegedly stolen water.

Two men face theft and public intoxication charges after allegedly stealing water from a fire hydrant for an outdoor water slide.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Dwayne Ritchie says 36-year-old’s Michael Wheeler, of Omaha, and Shane Benedict, of Neola, were taken into custody at around 4:15 P.M. Saturday, after a trailer pulled behind the pickup they were driving blew a tire, sending the pickup and trailer into a ditch.

The trailer was hauling a 1,500 gallon tank filled with water allegedly stolen from a fire hydrant at 1st Avenue and North Street, in Underwood. Sergeant Ritchie says a witness saw the men with a large hose attached to the hydrant, filling the tank. Realizing the men were taking the water, one of the witnesses took a photo of the crime in progress before reporting it to the sheriff’s office.

An unidentified teenager was also involved in the incident, but no charges were filed against that person. Wheeler and Benedict each face charges of Theft in the 5th Degree, Interference with Officials Acts and Public Intoxication. Both men were being held over the weekend in the Pottawattamie County jail.

Ritchie says the men told authorities they had hoped to use the water for a "Slip-N-Slide."

(photo courtesy Kristan Gray, KMA)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Recreation & Entertainment
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