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Police identify suspects in theft of cancer funds

May 28, 2010 By
Will Krueger

Will Krueger

Tips from the public have helped authorities in central Iowa identify two men who are accused of taking a donation canister for cancer research from a gas station.

Officers are now looking for 49-year-old Leroy Willis III and 38-year-old Timothy Senger. (see pictures below)

The two suspects were caught on surveillance video taking the canister from a gas station in the Des Moines suburb of Grimes.

The donation box features the picture and story of six-year-old Will Krueger who has battled leukemia for two-and-a-half years. His parents, Peggy and Brad Krueger, own five convenience stores in the Des Moines metro.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Health & Medicine Tagged With:

U.S. Senate race intensifies among three Democrats

May 28, 2010 By

One of the three candidates campaigning for the Democratic Party’s U.S. Senate nomination is questioning the legal work that rival Roxanne Conlin has done. 

Candidate Tom Fiegen, who is a lawyer himself, is accusing Conlin of foreclosing on farms when she was a federal prosecutor. ”As the U.S. Attorney, her and her staff put many small farmers out of business,” Fiegen said this afternoon. 

Conlin disputes that. “That’s not correct,” Conlin said a few moments alter. “That’s simply untrue.”

Fiegen, who lives in Clarence, also is attacking Conlin for being a “trial lawyer.”  Conlin, who lives in Des Moines, was the first women to elected head of the national association for trial lawyers.

“I’m arguing that I represent poor people,” Fiegen told reporters. “My hourly rate is $180 an hour.  Her hourly rate is $1,000 an hour. How many farmers do you think can afford $1,000 an hour? She claims to represent the oppressed. Her caseload is about fees.  My caseload is about saving family farmers and social work. I’m not arguing I’m the better lawyer.  I’m arguing I’m really the working class lawyer that represents small farmers and working class Iowans.” 

Conlin laughed at Fiegen’s comments. ”I represent police officers and teachers and workers and people who’ve been hurt and people who’ve been the victims of discrimination or constitutional issues arise,” Conlin said when talking this afternoon with reporters.  “I think that that’s just really a ridiculous thing for him to say, but I recognize that the primary’s upon us and he may be feeling a bit desperate.” 

Recent disclosure reports show Conlin has over $870,000 in her campaign treasury.  Fiegen’s reports are not yet filed online, but in March Fiegen had roughly $600 in his campaign account.  The third candidate in the race — Bob Krause — has raised less Fiegen, but he’s urging Fiegen to stop the personal attacks on Conlin and keep the focus on defeating Republican Senator Chuck Grassley in the fall.

“When we take it to a different level, which we are doing, we damage everybody’s chances,” Krause said this afternoon.  “I feel that it’s important to keep this thing on issues because that’s what the public wants to hear about.  They don’t want to hear inside politics.” 

Krause, who lives in Des Moines, is not a lawyer, by the way. ”We’ve all had mistakes.  You’ll never find mine,” Krause said, laughing. “But we’ve all made mistakes and I think it’s fair to just stay out of that and talk issues.”

The three candidates made their comments early this afternoon after taping of an Iowa Public Television program featuring the trio.  That hour-long edition of “Iowa Press” will air this evening at 7:30.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Carter Lake reopens to swimming and boating

May 28, 2010 By

Just in time for the holiday weekend, the southwest Iowa town of Carter Lake has been given the okay to reopen its namesake lake to swimmers and boaters. Brad Richardson, the lake’s project manager, says a chemical that helps to control algae was poured into the body of water two weeks ago.

They used aluminum-sulfate which binds up the phosphorus in the lake, the chemical that fuels algae growth. Algae clouds the water and chokes out the sunlight, preventing most other plants and creatures from surviving. Richardson says the chemical application has made a very noticeable difference in the lake.

He says the water clarity was five-and-a-half feet, where usually, the algae is already starting to grow at a rapid rate. Richardson says it’s rewarding for residents and visitors to be able to look down into Carter Lake and see the bottom.

“You can see a lot of fish swimming around in the lake,” he says. “It’s more appealing and I think we’ll be able to see parts of the lake and things in the lake that we probably haven’t seen before.” Other restoration efforts will take place this summer and fall, including plans to restock the lake with large mouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish. The horseshoe-shaped Carter Lake surrounds the community of Carter Lake. The town itself is actually on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Recreation & Entertainment

Freedom Rock will honor fallen Iowa soldier Daniel Whitten

May 28, 2010 By
Daniel Whitten

Daniel Whitten

The southwest Iowa artist who paints a patriotic tribute on what’s become known as “The Freedom Rock” is honoring an Iowa soldier who died this year in Afghanistan.

 Each year, for nearly a dozen years, Ray Sorensen of Greenfield has painted an image on a huge boulder located just off Highway 25 and south of Interstate 80. This year he’s paid tribute to Army Captain Daniel Whitten of Grimes who died in Afghanistan in February.

“There’s an image, and I think it ran in The Des Moines Register, of one of his Army buddies leaning down on (the memorial) they built — they took his rifle and his helmet and the dog tags are hanging off the rifle and his boots and, you know, a picture of Daniel and the medals he’d won and everything,” Sorensen says. “And that just kind of inspired me to represent something like that.”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Interest, Military

Exira man killed in accident

May 28, 2010 By

A southwest Iowa man died Thursday afternoon when his motorcycle and a car collided in Audubon County. The Iowa State Patrol says 32-year old Ryan Adkins, of Exira, died following in the 1 P.M. crash near Hamlin. Adkins was a 1996 graduate of Exira High School and he recently served in Iraq. Exira Schools superintendent Rod Montang says Adkins was a hero to those who knew him.

Montang says Adkins “remained connected with the school system” and came to the elementary school and spoke with the children about his experiences in Iraq. Montang says Adkins “touched lots of hearts in this town.” Montang described the mood in the hallways around the school district, after he passed along the news of Adkins’ death.

He says, “I walked about the buildings, informing the staff of his death and, lots of crying.” The driver of the car that collided with Atkins’ motorcycle is identified as 17-year old Benjamin Christensen of Kimballton. Christensen was injured in the crash and taken to a hospital but there’s no word on his condition.

By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Winterset will honor John Wayne tonight

May 28, 2010 By

Winterset will honor its most famous native son tonight. Whether he was playing a World War Two soldier or sailor, an American boxer in Ireland or a tamer of the Wild West, John Wayne helped define the cinematic hero during his 50-year career in film.

The past Wednesday would’ve been his 103rd birthday. While Wayne died in 1979, his likeness will live on in Winterset. With his daughter among the expected attendees, the town will unveil a seven-and-a-half foot tall bronze statue of the late actor, set on a block of Iowa limestone. The Duke’s wearing a cowboy hat, holding a shotgun and gazing westward.

Filed Under: Human Interest

Three beaches show high bacteria levels in first tests

May 28, 2010 By

Swimming is discouraged this holiday weekend at three of Iowa’s 38 state park beaches. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources started its summer long monitoring of the state beaches this week and will post the results on the agency’s website every Thursday or Friday. Coordinator Jason McCurdy says bacteria levels can change rapidly.

“Each watershed has its own unique characteristics; some are more prone to heavy rainfall events than others which can often wash in a lot of that bacteria from surrounding watersheds,” McCurdy said. “We have some problem beaches that tend to run high throughout the season but that changes over time as well.” Beeds Lake in north-central Iowa, Emerson Bay on West Okoboji and Nine Eagles in south-central Iowa all exceeded state standards for bacteria in the first week of testing.

The state has posted signs that read “swimming is not recommended” at those beaches. McCurdy says even if there’s no sign posted – it’s a good idea to avoid ingesting the water and to shower after swimming. “It’s good to just kind of always exercise that caution,” McCurdy said. “Assume it is probably safe to swim, but always use those precautions just in case the bacteria levels have elevated since the last sample was collected.”

The D.N.R. also posts results for 30 to 40 city and county managed beaches, but McCurdy says not all local governments choose to participate in the voluntary monitoring program. He says if your favorite beach isn’t on the list – it likely hasn’t been tested. McCurdy says analyzing test results from the past ten seasons shows Iowa’s state park beaches are usually safe for swimming, only exceeding acceptable bacteria levels approximately 10% of the time.

See the beach monitoring website here: www.igsb.uiowa.edu/wqm/activities/beach/BeachMapState.htm

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:
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