February 23, 2012

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Des Moines officials identify fatal fire victim

February 22, 2012 By

A woman was found dead this morning in a burned-out apartment in Des Moines. Fire Department spokesman Brian O’Keefe says it’s Des Moines’ first fire death in over a year-and-a-half.

Firefighters were called around 8:30 a.m. to the one-room apartment on the city’s southeast side at 1204 Hartford Ave, to check on the health of a resident. O’Keefe said it was clear by looking at the apartment’s windows that there had been a fire inside.

“They looked through the window, noticed a body, they kicked the door in and it was immediately apparent that there had been a fire an there was a victim in the room,” he said. The victim is identified as 53-year-old Debra Dillard.

There’s no determination yet how the fire started. O’Keefe said it does, however, appear to be “accidental in nature.” He said Dillard was a smoker.

It’s unclear exactly when the fire occurred because no one reported the fire while it was burning. “There were smoke detectors in the apartment, but they were not active at the time, that’s another issue we’re concerned about,” O’Keefe said.

The building, because of its construction, is not required to have a sprinkler system. The fire was isolated to Dillard’s apartment.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News

Number of deer taken statewide is down 4.5%

February 22, 2012 By

Iowa hunters, during the recent 2011-12 deer hunting seasons, killed 121,407 deer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that’s down 4.5% from the previous year. D.N.R. wildlife biologist Willy Suchy says deer numbers in Iowa hit their high mark six years ago.

“It peaked in about 2006-07 and the best indication is we’re now about 30% below that,” Suchy said. Deer numbers in some areas of the state, especially in eastern Iowa, are considered near or below the D.N.R.’s objective. Some hunters are voicing concerns to deer reduction efforts have gone too far.

“I think hunters are, in some instances, frustrated. I think there’s concern out there and they’d like to see us cut back (on deer reduction efforts),” Suchy said. “We proposed to cut back last year, but we were not allowed to do that.”

Suchy said the governor’s staff rejected a D.N.R. plan last year to reduce the kill and stabilize deer where the numbers are at or below the goal. The D.N.R. will review the harvest and population surveys this spring and schedule a public hearing before making a recommendation on what direction to take with the deer population.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, News Tagged With: ,

Iowans explore trade opportunities in Central America

February 22, 2012 By

Iowa beef producers Dan Cook (center), New Providence, and Kent Pruismann (right), Rock Valley, learn about the "Tomahawk" (a bone-in rib steak) from Roberto Pretelt in Panama City.

Around a dozen Iowans have returned from a week-long agricultural trade mission to Central America. Bill Tentinger, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says there’s currently a 70% tariff on U.S. pork imports to Panama. But, that will change soon.

“I think by 2014, the tariff will start going away and there’s a possibility that we could be getting product in there tariff free. When you’re paying 70% tariff on a product, it really limits how much you’re going to sell,” Tentinger said. The LeMars resident was part of the Iowa delegation that traveled to Panama and Guatemala earlier this month.

Tentinger said there is a market for U.S. pork in the two countries, but it’ll take time to develop. “There is a small amount of pork being moved into those countries and because of that fact, I would say there is no place to go but up,” Tentinger said. Dan Cook, who raises Angus cattle near New Providence, said Panama holds great potential for increased imports of U.S. beef.

“The economy’s growing fast and tourism is going to be a big part of that,” Cook said of Panama. “So, therefore, with more disposable income – people want to eat better and high quality beef is right at the top of the list it looks like.” Cook notes that price is the biggest issue in Guatemala, as 70% of their population lives in poverty.

“They’re probably going to take some lower value cuts that we typically don’t enjoy in the U.S.,” Cook said. “That helps raise the whole value of the beef carcass, so that’s still a good thing.” The trade mission, which also included representatives of Iowa’s corn and soybean industries, was coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Filed Under: Agriculture, News Tagged With:

Man accused of running down officer at the State Fair is found guilty

February 21, 2012 By

Officer Tran

It took a jury less than three hours to deliver a guilty verdict today in the case of a man who was driving drunk and hit a Des Moines police officer outside the Iowa State Fair last year. Keith Terry, a North Carolina resident, now faces up to seven years in prison.

Terry was found guilty of serious injury by vehicle and driving while intoxicated. The August 19th incident left Officer Phoukham Tran with serious head and internal injuries.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone believes the evidence in the case weighed heavily in the prosecution’s favor. “I think the verdict the jury rendered was the correct verdict given the facts and circumstances,” Sarcone said. “Certainly, Phoukham Tran, he’s a wonderful person and to see what happened to him is very upsetting because he was doing his job that night, protecting people, and he ends up almost dying as a result of what happened.”

The 52-year-old Tran spent five months in hospitals and rehabilitation centers before returning home last month. Authorities said Tran was thrown 47 feet when Terry ran a red light and struck the officer – who was directing traffic outside the fairgrounds. Breath tests showed Terry had a blood alcohol level of .264, more than three times the legal limit.

Sarcone said he wasn’t surprised Terry sought a jury trial. “Mr. Terry has a right to a jury trial like anyone charged with a criminal offense. So, he exercised that right and that’s fine,” Sarcone said. “We’re willing to try those cases and the jury came back with the proper result.”

Terry’s defense lawyer argued during the trial that the collision was an accident.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, News Tagged With:

Hunger pains lead to million dollar lottery ticket

February 20, 2012 By

 

Steven Petty

A western Iowa man was desperately searching for a place to eat Saturday afternoon when he finally settled on pizza from a convenience store in Guthrie Center.

While there, Steve Petty bought a Powerball ticket and ended up winning a one-million dollar prize. He had previously stopped at three restaurants – which were all closed.

“If one of those restaurants had been open, I may not have bought a ticket,” Petty said. He claimed his prize today at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines.

The 58-year-old Petty, who lives in Adair, works as a tax preparer and is the organist for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on the east side of Des Moines. “You can imagine driving from where I live to the east side of Des Moines, you put miles on your car quickly,” Petty said.

“My 2004 Prius is at the 199,000 mile stage and I’m not sure how much longer it will go, so a new car will come in handy in the near future.” Petty also plans to set aside some money for retirement and fix up his home to help care for his 95-year-old mother. She landed in the hospital last Thursday after taking a bad fall.

Petty said his mother was “minimally responsive” Friday morning, but her condition has since improved. Petty was at the hospital Sunday when he informed his neighbors of his good fortune.

Lottery winner Steve Petty holds check presented by Iowa Lottery C.E.O. Terry Rich.“They came to the hospital and they said ‘have you validated your ticket?’ I said, ‘What does that mean?’ They had me sign my ticket and took me to the convenience store. They put the ticket in the machine…and it was indeed a one-million dollar winning ticket. I was overjoyed,” Petty said.

Petty is an infrequent customer of the Iowa Lottery. “I think this million dollar ticket came on a return of 22 to 28 dollars,” Petty said. After taxes, Petty is collecting $700,000.

Filed Under: News, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: ,

Iowa City looks at some apartment limitations

February 20, 2012 By

Iowa City leaders are considering a ban on some types of student-friendly housing near the University of Iowa campus. City planners say developments with larger apartments that have four to five bedrooms are often linked with an increase in neighborhood vandalism.

Planner Jeff Davidson says blocking those apartments from some downtown areas may be the best solution. “When you put a lot of these in a single building, they get to be sort of an unsupervised dormitory,” Davidson says. “We’ve had neighborhood people tell us that some of these large buildings are creating some issues with respect to vandalism and parties and noise and spillover parking, so that’s what the zoning ordinance changes are trying to address.”

The multi-bedroom apartments can offer cheaper housing to students at a time when tuition may be rising, yet Davidson says the problems have to be addressed. “A lot of these buildings that are becoming or that have been problems in these neighborhoods are basically unsupervised student dormitories,” he says.

“You know we do have empirical evidence that there is a relationship between the density of development and the number of police calls.” The city may also need to consider creating a zone for private dormitories. The city council will discuss those policies this week.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Education, News Tagged With:

Search is on for Iowa’s best burger

February 20, 2012 By

2011 Best Burger winner.

An annual competition is under way to find Iowa’s best burger. Nominations are being accepted in the contest sponsored by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

 Beef Council spokesperson Michelle Baumhover says although hamburgers are included on most restaurant menus, the top burgers usually feature a unique twist on the all-American classic.

“That is the great thing about a burger – it’s just a blank palette and people can put on the toppings and different condiments that appeal to a wide variety of tastes,” Baumhover said. “We’ve had burgers with peanut butter on them or eggs on them…all kinds of really creative and unique burgers.”

The winner of the 2011 Iowa’s Best Burger Contest was the Bacon Cheeseburger at the Rusty Duck in Dexter.  The winner of the inaugural contest in 2010 was the Mushroom Swiss Burger at the Sac County Cattle Company in Sac City.

There are only a few contest rules, including all entries must be burgers made from 100% beef.

“Any burger, as long as it’s a patty, can qualify…and it can have any type of condiment or bun. It has to be an Iowa restaurant and it needs to be open at the time of the contest,” Baumhover said. Nominations will be accepted through March 16 and can be submitted through the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s website or Facebook page.

Last year, 275 restaurants were named by roughly 3,500 nominations. Judges narrowed the list to a “top 10″ and later selected the Rusty Duck as the winner. This year’s winner will be announced the first week of May to kickoff “Beef Month.”

Filed Under: Agriculture, Human Interest, News Tagged With:
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