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The senior quarterback rushed for two touchdowns and tossed three scoring passes in a victory over Riverside (Oakland). Enke carried the ball 18 times for 162 yards and through the air was 12-of-17 for 248 yards. Enke is the kicker for the Vikings and converted five-of-six PATs.
The senior quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in a victory over CAL (Latimer). Rigdon rushed for 68 yards and three touchdowns, including one from 49 yards out. He was 11-of-19 through the air for 240 yards and had scoring strikes of 49 and 57 yards. He also registered five tackles on defense.
The Iowa Court of Appeals has overturned the conviction of a man charged in connection with the brutal murder of northwest Iowa teenager.
Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez is the former owner of a restaurant in Estherville who admits he was the leader of a drug-dealing gang. He was convicted of second degree murder and second degree kidnapping in connection with the death of Gregory "Sky" Erickson.
Erickson, who also lived in Estherville, was 15 when he was killed in June of 1997. Prosecutors say he was beaten and shot in the head, execution style, because he owned money to the drug dealer. The teen’s body was found in an abandoned farmhouse in Minnesota, just north of the Iowa border.
Federal charges were filed against Castillo in 1997, but dismissed in 1998 because he fled to Mexico and Mexican authorities would not send him back to the U.S. for a trial that could result in the death penalty. In 2004, state charges were filed and in 2005 Castillo was sent back to the U.S. to stand trial.
The Iowa Court of Appeals has noted Castillo showed "skill at evading arrest," but it ruled prosecutors had not shown "good cause" for failing to give Castillo a speedy trial in state court. The court accused prosecutors of "inaction" and "miscalculations" — and pointed to a rule which requires the state to bring a defendant to trial within 90 days after he or she has been indicted.
Ten people — all members of a gang that prosecutors say was led by Castillo — have been charged with varying roles in the teenager’s brutal death. Two judges on the appeals court filed a formal dissent today, blaming Castillo’s "flight" to Mexico for the delay in his trial.
The prevalence of methamphetamine in Iowa isn’t as abundant as it was five years ago, but there’s still a large enough presence of the drug that an $8 million anti-meth project focusing on 16 states will include Iowa. The advertising campaign is being sponsored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Dale Woolery, with the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy, says Iowa did experience a big reduction in meth labs earlier this decade, but the state is still at the center of the meth epidemic. "We’re in the second year of what appears to be a small resurgence (of meth in Iowa)," Woolery said.
"Last year, the number of meth labs increased for the first time in a fews years and this year we’re tracking at a rate where we’ll probably see another increase." Woolery says the key to beating the meth epidemic not only involves catching the traffickers, but also keeping people from trying the drug.
"I think with methamphetamine you see a super addictive quality that doesn’t reach out and grab people necessarily, but once someone’s started using, they are susceptible to addiction," Woolery said. "It can happen rather quickly and it can be a strong hold." According to the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, meth lab seizures in Iowa peaked in 2004, when law officers were dismantling an average of 125 labs per month.
Now, authorities are discovering fewer than 20 labs per month. In 2005, the Iowa Legislature passed a law limiting sales of non-prescription pseudoephedrine – a key ingredient in meth.
The Character Counts organization has announced its annual awards which will be presented in October. Character Counts focuses on the six pillars of character — trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, citizenship, and fairness. Character Counts in Iowa spokesperson, Amy Smit says this year marks the first year of a new award.
The new award is called the "Aaron Eilerts Service Award" and honors people in Iowa who give back to their community. Eilerts was a Boy Scout from Eagle Grove and will be honored posthumously this year and then each year someone will be honored with the award for giving back to their community. Eilerts was one of four Boy Scouts killed when a tornado struck the Little Sioux Scout Camp in June, 2008.
Smit says this year’s "Organization of Character" award will go to Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge. She says they have done a great job of internalizing the six pillars of character and all of the staff have taken the time to learn about the pillars and making it part of the way they do business. Smit says a long-time figure on the Iowa sports scene will receive the "Robert Ray Pillar of Character" award that’s named for the state’s former governor.
Smit says they typically give out one or two of these awards each year and they go to people who have "put their life’s passion into promoting good character and being a good citizen. This year’s winner is Jim Hallihan the director of the Iowa Games.
Hallihan was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Iowa State University before taking over leadership of the Iowa Games.
Other awards for this year are: Community of Character: Cedar Valley; Educator of Character: Marilyn Clauss (Clive); School of Character: Beaver Creek Elementary (Johnston); Pursuing Victory With Honor: Iowa Hall of Pride; Citizens of Character: Meghan Hammen (Iowa City), Elizabeth Swanson (Cedar Falls) & Eddie Diemer (Cedar Falls); Character Champion: Beth Stephas (Eagle Grove); Partner of the Year: KDSM Fox 17 (Des Moines). Award winners will be recognized at the 2009 Awards Banquet on Saturday, October 17, 2009 in West Des Moines.
The death of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy will cause some movement among committee chairmen in the senate. Kennedy headed up the Health and Education committee, which is a focus of the health care reform debate. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat and current chair of the agriculture committee could also be in the mix for a change, but he says its all just speculation right now. Harkin says it’s too early to speculate about that as Senator (Chris) Dodd is the next ranking member of the committee ahead of Harkin. Harkin says Dodd is chairman of the banking committee and could move to chairman of the health committee. Harkin says he won’t make any decisions until Dodd decides what he is going to do. Harkin made his comments in Sioux City at an Ag committee subcommittee hearing.
A former state legislator is heading up a “Draft Branstad” effort to encourage former Republican Governor Terry Branstad to run again in 2010. Terry Branstad served 16 years as governor and left office in January of 1999.
Former southeast Iowa Representative Sandy Greiner of Keota is leading what she calls “our effort” to get Branstad to leave his job as president of Des Moines University and hit the campaign trail again.
“I want to know how much support there is for him out there and this seemed to be a way to do it,” she says.
There’s now a “Draft Branstad” Twitter account , a Facebook page and a website. The website features a minute-long video showing only four pictures of the modern-day Branstad, but there are 14 snapshots taken of Branstad during his time as governor.
“He’s just what I think we need,” Greiner says. “He’s been through the fire several times and come out on the other side successful.”
Greiner was elected to the legislature in 1992, representing a district that included Eddyville which she says Branstad helped recover from the Floods of 1993.
“He just did an incredibly remarkable job dealing with that crisis and Iowa is in a crisis right now,” Greiner says. “It’s a different kind of a crisis, not discounting the problems we have with not getting our flood related issues resolved, but we’re dealing with a financial crisis. (Branstad) has been through that, too.”
Greiner insists she has not met with Branstad, but she also suggests Branstad knows about the “draft” effort was being launched today.
“I have not sat down and talked with the governor about this at all. He knew,” Greiner says. “I had no discussions with him, just decided it was time to find out what kind of support (Branstad) has. I think it’s huge.”
Greiner also says she has “had no discussions” with former Branstad aide Doug Gross, the 2002 Republican nominee for governor who has been encouraging Branstad to run in 2010. Greiner says she’s not talked with former Branstad law partner Richard Schwarm either. Schwarm, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, is part of a group called the “Iowa First Foundation” which has financed polls that show Branstad favored in a match-up with Democratic Governor Chet Culver.
O.KayHenderson.com