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UNI looks to extend streak against Wichita State

January 19, 2010 By

The U.N.I. Panthers put the nations second longest winning streak and a number 20 national ranking on the line this evening with a visit to Wichita State. The Panthers are 7-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference and at 16-1 overall have won a school record 15 straight games.

U.N.I. coach Ben Jacobsen says it’s great for the program and something to be excited about, but he says it doesn’t help in the preparation or the way they play the game tonight. Jacobsen says the Panthers are keeping everything in perspective.

He says they practice hard and he says that’s the most important thing, is to work hard and play as well as they can. Wichita State is also having an outstanding season.

The Shockers are 5-2 in the Valley and 16-3 overall.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Council Bluffs investigators looking for cause of fatal RV fire

January 19, 2010 By

Investigators are still looking for the cause of a fire last night that killed an eight-year-old girl in a parked R-V in Council Bluffs. Fire Chief Alan Byers says the first unit that arrived on the scene tried to reach the child. “There was family members and several other individuals there that were saying they thought the eight-year-old female was inside,” says Chief Byers.

“The first crew in there, within five minutes, were inside and shortly there after, discovered the victim.” She’s identified as Makala Prudhome. Family members say the girl would read or watch TV in the R-V while her stepfather worked at his repair and storage company nearby.

Chief Byers says they haven’t yet determined what sparked the fire. He says they’ll try to load the gutted R-V onto a trailer and pull it to a shop and get it indoors so they can look at it more closely. The girl’s mother reportedly found smoke pouring from the R-V when she arrived to pick up the girl last night.

By Karla James

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Five orphans from Haiti headed to Iowa to meet parents

January 19, 2010 By

Five children from an orphanage in Haiti are being flown to Iowa where they’ll be united with their adoptive parents this evening. Matt and Mandy Poulter of Pella caught a flight into Haiti on Monday aboard an ABC-TV helicopter. The Poulters, with help from ABC and the office of Senator Tom Harkin, were able to locate their new daughter and four other children who are being adopted by two other families in Pella.

Mandy’s father, Don Buttry, says his daughter, son-in-law and the five kids are scheduled to arrive back in Pella just after 8 o’clock tonight. “It’s just been a wild time,” Buttry told Radio Iowa. “I mean, when we heard about the earthquake, it was devastating. The orphanage was in Port-au-Prince and we didn’t know where (the kids) were at, so it was just a frantic thing to find out what was going on.”

The orphanage sustained some damage, but was not destroyed. The Poulters were in Florida today buying warm clothes for the Haitian children to wear when they arrive in Iowa. Matt Poulter works for Pella Corporation, which chartered a jet to Florida to bring the couple bring back their new daughter, four-year-old Maya Esther.

“It’s hard to believe in less than a week we could find her, they could get down there and then get her back,” Buttry said. “It’s just unbelievable how everything came together.” Aid groups say tens of thousands of children have been orphaned by the earthquake. Buttry says Matt and Mandy, who now have four adopted and two biological children, are hoping to return to Haiti to rescue other orphans being adopted by U.S. families.

“That’s Matt and Mandy’s goal…to get as many children out and adopted as possible,” Buttry said. “We know there are a lot of road blocks, but they would definitely like to see all of the orphans brought out.” Matt Poulter serves on the board of directors for the Central Texas Orphan Mission Alliance.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Human Interest

Beware of Haiti fundraising scams

January 19, 2010 By

Generous Iowans who want to help Haiti are being warned to make sure where their money is going before they hit “Donate Now” on any website billing itself as charitable. Jim Hegarty, with the Better Business Bureau, says con artists set up websites within hours of last week’s earthquake to try and take advantage of well-meaning donors.

“Scammers who are purporting to be from the Red Cross hoping that people will make a contribution,” Hegarty says. “It’s not going to go to the Red Cross. It’s actually going to go to the scammers.” He says the con artists are also sending out mass e-mails, claiming they’re with a relief agency and seeking donations. Hegarty says there are two government websites that are reliable.

“If you go to WhiteHouse-dot-gov or you go to state-dot-gov, there’s all kinds of guidance there on how you can make contributions that will immediately get to the victims where 100% of what you’re donating is going to be used to aid in this unbelievable tragedy.” Hegarty notes, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army have policies not to solicit donations through e-mail.

By Karla James

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Group seeks ban on burning trash in Iowa cities, towns

January 19, 2010 By

The Iowa Environmental Council is pushing for a ban that would forbid burning trash within the city limits of any Iowa town or city.  The group lobbied state legislators to enact the ban last year, but it failed to pass.

“We’re hoping to get similar legislation introduced this year with maybe some better definitions of what constitutes trash and figure out how we can phase that in over a period of time, based on the size of the municipality,” says Iowa Environmental Council executive director Marian Riggs Gelb. 

According to Gelb, more than a third of Iowa cities and towns still allow residents to burn trash within the city limits.  Gelb says air quality has become a concern in some areas, with state officials issuing warnings to Iowans who have health problems to avoid outdoor activities because “fine particulate matter” in the air has exceeded federal standards. The Iowa Environmental Council argues a ban on trash burning in Iowa cities could improve air quality.

“It’s one way to try to address what is becoming a bigger and bigger issue in Iowa,” Gelb says.  “So we’re looking at trying to do what we can within the constraints available to us.” 

Today is the Iowa Environmental Council’s “lobby day” at the statehouse.  The group and its affiliates have set up tables in the rotunda of the capitol and council members are meeting individually with legislators to discuss the group’s priorities.  The Iowa Environmental Council is made up of 54 different organizations, ranging from church groups to the Iowa chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Class 4A: Adam Woodbury, Sioux City East

January 19, 2010 By

The sophomore center averaged nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds in three victories last week. Woodbury scored 22 points and hauled down 22 rebounds in a victory over Sioux City North. He made nine-of-13 shots from the field and for the week connected on 75 percent of his shots.

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Sports

Class 3A: Chad Malloy, Williamsburg

January 19, 2010 By

The senior guard averaged 30 points and five assists in two wins. Malloy poured in 31 points, including six-of-12 from three point range, and also dished out six assists in a victory over Clear Creek-Amana. He is connecting on nearly 40 percent of his shots from three point range.

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Sports
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