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No charges filed in deadly Washington bar fight

April 16, 2010 By
Washington County Attorney Barb Edmondson, and Washington Police Chief Greg Goodman answer questions about the Blankenship investigation.

Washington County Attorney Barb Edmondson, and Washington Police Chief Greg Goodman answer questions about the Blankenship investigation.

No charges will be filed in connection with the death of a man who died outside of a bar in the southeast Iowa town of Washington. Fourty-five-year-old Robert Thomas Blankenship was found unconscious after a brawl outside the 4th Avenue Bar and Grill in late November.

He later died at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Washington County Attorney Barb Edmondson says an investigation showed that Blankenship died after being struck by Brandon Eichler of Michigan.

“The evidence from witnesses was that Mr. Blankenship was the aggressor and he initiated the contact with Brandon Eichler and assaulted him first,” Edmondson said.

Investigators say Eichler responded with a “single blow” and did not use a weapon. Edmondson says Eichler was in town on business and had never met Blankenship prior to the incident.

According to the state medical examiner’s report, Blankenship died of a tear in a vertebral artery near the brain stem, which caused brain bleeding.

By Nick Wilkens, KCII, Washington

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

ISU’s Arnaud called most improved in spring

April 16, 2010 By

The Iowa State football team closes out spring drills on Saturday afternoon with an intrasquad game. Paul Rhoads is wrapping up his second spring as head coach after leading the Cyclones to a 7-6 record, including a win over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl, in his first season on the job.

Rhoads says it will be just like a game, but he hasn’t decided how he will split up the teams. Rhoads says one of the most improved players on the squad is senior quarterback Austen Arnaud. He says Arnaud spent a lot of time in the offseason working on schematics and that has given him a more relaxed feel.

Rhoads says Arnaud has really worked to get his footwork down. Rhoads says there have not been many changes to the offense. He says they need to do many of the same things better, and then tweaking things that need improvement.

I.S.U. opens next season at home against Northern Illinois on September second.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Iowa prepares to put wrap on spring practice

April 16, 2010 By

The Iowa Hawkeyes close out spring drills on Saturday with an open practice in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the spring is all about skill development. He says the great thing is there is no game planning or pressure to get prepared for kickoff, so it is pure teaching and evaluation.

While the Hawkeyes have a number of experienced players back from last year’s team that won the Orange Bowl Ferentz knows the two-deep can change between now and the season opener. He says last year was a good illustration of that with the injuries they had at running back.

Iowa football teams have traditionally featured strong defenses and this next season should be no different. The Hawks gave up just over 15 points per game last season and defensive coordinator Norm Parker says it will be up to the veterans to lead the way. Parker says if they are going to be any good, the older players have to have their best year and play the best they have every played. He believes they have a chance to do that.

Parker says Adrian Clayborn is the leader on defense. He is coming off a stellar junior season in which he totaled 20 tackles for a loss and 11 and a half sacks. He says Clayborn is “a good hard working guy” who pushes himself and pushes the other guys. Parker says Clayborn is a good leader and will have to be that in the next season. He says Clayborn should be a better player as he is a year older, a year stronger and more experienced than last year.

The Hawkeyes close out spring drills with a practice on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes open next season at home against Eastern Illinois on September fourth.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

BV baseball team on top of Iowa Conference

April 16, 2010 By

The Buena Vista baseball team sits at the top of the Iowa Conference standings heading into this weekend’s series at Simpson. The Beavers are 8-1 in the league race and had an eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with an extra inning loss to Wartburg.

Buena Vista coach Steve Eddie says they returned a good foundation from last year and knew they could play good defense, but they have been playing good offense too. He says while the Beavers are off to a great start things can change with one bad weekend as there are a lot of teams that are even in talent.

Simpson has a share of second in the league race with a record of 6-3. He says they look like they are together with a deep pitching staff.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Drake wraps up spring football with scrimmage

April 16, 2010 By

The Drake football team will finish the spring with an intrasquad game on Saturday afternoon. Bulldog coach Chris Creighton says the game will match the offense against the defense.

Creighton says he likes to have a competitive game to end spring practice. He says they have 15 practices and they are only in full pads for 2 practices including the spring game. He says it will be a half a game.

He says the players need to be tested by game-like situations, as there are some things you can’t find out in practice.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Over 2,000 state workers retire early, twice as many as expected

April 16, 2010 By

Just over 2,000 workers in the executive branch of state government have opted to retire early. 

Those state workers are taking advantage of an incentive program which provides them five-years-worth of health care coverage. Plus, they get paid for all the sick days and vacation they haven’t used and they are eligible for a big bonus of up to $25,000. 

The bonus is $1,000 for every year the person has worked in state government. A person must be at least 55 years old to be eligible for the program. 

Officials had hoped at least a thousand state workers would opt to retire early, but twice as many took the “early out” incentives.  April 15 was the deadline to submit the paperwork for early retirement.  Those workers have until June 24 to change their mind. 

Here is more information about the number of workers in the executive branch of state government who’ve opted to retire early.  State early retirement PDF
(The data was provided by the governor’s office.)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” author talks about controversy

April 16, 2010 By

While big crowds of book lovers flocked to see Iowa native Peter Hedges at book signings in the state this week, his breakthrough novel was actually banned by one Iowa school district. “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” was removed from the school library and curriculum in Carroll in November of 2008 after school leaders heard from upset parents about its sexual content.

Hedges earned wide fame from the book and the 1993 movie starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo Dicaprio, but says he understands when parents feel they have to draw a line. “Look, I have a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old and I’ve just written a book, ‘The Heights,’ which is even dirtier than ‘Gilbert Grape.’ I don’t allow my kids to read ‘The Heights.’” The story of Grape is set in the fictional Iowa town of Endora and follows the young man, played by Depp, who’s caring for his mentally-challenged younger brother and his obese mother.

The film was nominated for an Oscar. Hedges, a West Des Moines native, says the book contains a few scenes that aren’t appropriate for all readers. “I understand parents who were upset that their kids are being exposed to material that may seem premature,” Hedges says. “At the same time I felt that the school had taken all the proper precautions, giving people an opportunity to not read the book, so I thought it was a lot about nothing.” He says the parents who were upset about the content on a couple of pages likely didn’t read the entire story.

“It’s very hard to protect your kids from all that goes on in the world and ultimately, the novel ‘Gilbert Grape’ isn’t about a few sexual encounters that you can point out,” Hedges says. “It’s really a story about a guy making his way through the world.” After much debate in Carroll, the book was put back on the reading list in January of 2009 after the school board voted to overturn the superintendent’s ban.

Hedges says, “After that was all over, I sent a bunch of copies of the book to the school because the students prevailed and I was proud of them for fighting for their right to read, and in this case, read ‘Gilbert Grape.’” Hedges, who now lives in New York, made appearances this week in Ames, Des Moines and Iowa City to promote his newest book.

Listen to Matt Kelley’s complete interview with Hedges here: Hedges 12:00 MP3

Filed Under: Human Interest
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