Local News | State News | National News | Global News

Local

All Iowa Horticulture Expo Returns to Ottumwa

 

The 2^nd All Iowa Horticulture Exposition returns to Bridge View Center in Ottumwa March 19^th and 20^th and promises to be bigger and better then ever. 

 

This year the Expo has received a major boost in the form of a 14-thousand dollar USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  The grant will support marketing and education efforts for the Expo including nationally keynote speakers Dan Heims, President of Terra Nova Nurseries in Portland, Oregon, and Stephanie Cohen award winning author and garden designer from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

 

Officials say this year’s All Iowa Horticulture Exposition will be expanded this year to include two keynote speakers, 12 lecture style presentations, live demonstration by Iowa horticulture experts, an expanded trade show, and an interactive insect zoo for kids. 

 

Kids 12 and under are admitted free, students may attend both days for only five dollars, and adult admission is ten dollar per day or 15-dollars for both days.

 

For more information on the All Iowa Horticulture Expo log onto www.iowahort.org.

American Gothic Center to Host Grant Wood Tour

 

Officials with the American Gothic Center in Eldon have announced they will host a one day trip via the Ottumwa Transit Authority to see Grant Wood Country.  Stops will include a tour of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Grant Wood’s Studio at 5 Turner Alley, the Anamosa Grant Wood Gallery, Antioch Country School, Anamosa Riverside Cemetery, St. Joseph’s Church, Stone City Quarry, and supper at the General Store and Pub in Stone City. 

 

The day long trip will be held Saturday April 24^th departing from the American Gothic House Center in Eldon at 9:00 a.m. and returning at 9:30 p.m.  The cost is 45-dollars per person.  For more information contact Jessica Strom by calling the center at 652-3352.   

 

Flood Warning Issued for Des Moines River in Eddyville Area

 

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Flood Warning for the Des Moines River in the Eddyville area.  The combination of snowmelt and moderate to heavy precipitation expected this week will lead to flooding.  Changes in the timing and amount of expected snowmelt and rainfall may affect the forecast. 

 

The warning specifically is for the Des Moines River near Eddyville or from Cedar Creek near Tracy to Middle Avery Creek near Chillicothe.  The will be in affect until further notice. 

 

At 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning the stage was 57.9 feet and rising.  Flood stage is 61 feet.  No flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. 

 

The forecast calls for the river to rise above flood stage late Tuesday evening and continue rising to 61.9 feet Wednesday evening.  Changes in the timing and amount of expected snowmelt and rainfall may affect the forecast.  Residents should watch for the latest forecast updates.

Missouri Crash Kills Ottumwa Teen

A 17 year old Ottumwa teen was killed Sunday afternoon following a one vehicle crash on U. S. highway 63 north Columbia, Missouri.

The Missouri State Patrol says a car driven by Esxther A. Corona of Ottumwa was northbound in the left lane when Corona attempted to change lanes when unsafe to do so.  The car nearly sideswiped another vehicle.  Corona over corrected and slid into the median overturned several times across the southbound lanes of traffic and came to rest on the southbound shoulder. 

Killed in the accident was 17 year old Elizabeth a. Carrillo.  Four other passengers were injured after they were ejected from the car.  They were not wearing seatbelts. 

 

 

Ottumwa Music Instructor to be Guest Conductor for Des Moines Event

 

An Ottumwa strings instructor and director of orchestra at Evans Middle School and Ottumwa High School…..Patty Babb has been invited to be a guest orchestra conductor for the Des Moines School District’s Middle School Honor Orchestra, Band and Chorus Festival on Thursday March 25^th. 

 

Rehearsals will be held throughout the day culminating with a concert in the evening.  Each honor group will perform four selections in addition to a grand finale, featuring a composition commissioned for the combined groups. 

The concert will be held in the Knapp center on the Drake University campus at 7:00 p.m. 

Ottumwa School Board Hears From Pickwick Parents

 

Members of the Ottumwa Board of Education were asked a lot of questions Monday evening as parents from Pickwick elementary school expressed a lot of concerns over plans to close the school. 

 

Since 2000, the school’s enrollment has declined by 71 students with the projected enrollment next year at 133 students.  Superintendent of School Jon Sheldahl says replacing the building’s roof is projected to cost 80 to 90-thousand dollars and replacing doors and windows projected to cost between 550 and 650 thousand dollars.  Sheldahl told the parents the building is not good, but the students and parents and staff are great.  He said he would prefer to close no schools, but doesn’t have an option. 

 

More than 15 parents and others had various questions for the board of education ranging from how the administration decided what buildings would be closed, are there ways to cut administrative positions, how open enrollments will affect the school district due to the closing, to what impact the closing of Pickwick school will have on property taxes in the area of the school.     

 

After hearing from parents for more than an hour, the board of education approved a recommendation to hold a public hearing Monday March 29^th at 6:00 p.m. at the administrative offices at 422 McCarroll Drive.   

Preparations Under way for 2nd Annual BBQ Showdown

 

The Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitor Bureau is gearing up for the 2^nd Annual O’Town BBQ Showdown set for June 11^th and 12^th at Bridge View Center. 

 

Events will begin Friday evening with family night with a packed schedule of events including kids jumpers & inflatibles, games and give aways, BBQ taste testing, live music featuring Richie Lee & the Fabulous 50’s, delicious festival food and other great entertainment.

 

The competition on Saturday June 12^th will feature up to 48 teams tying for $10,000 in prizes and will be overseen by the nationally acclaimed Kansas City Barbecue Society.  The O’Town BBQ Showdown is sanctioned by the KCBS and is a State Championship BBQ.  Last year’s competition brought in 37 teams from 5 states and this year’s competition is filling up fast. 

 

If you are interested in competing in the 2010 cook-off officials encourage teams to sign up as soon as possible due to limited availability of cooking sites.  Teams will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.  For more information call Bridge View Center at 641-684-7000.   

Southeast Iowa Deputy Sheriff Rescued from Frozen River

 

A sheriff deputy in southeast Iowa is grateful that a group of boys were nearby when he found himself in a life threatening situation. 

 

Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Hamilton was called last week to check out a busted open safe which was sitting on the icy English River.  Three boys were there watching Hamilton as he stepped onto the ice to take a few pictures.  They were shocked to see that happen next.  Cory Kanagy says Hamilton plunged into the freezing water and was struggling to get back on solid ice. 

 

Kanagy says it was scary at first not knowing if he was going to be able to get out of the hole or not.  Levi Powell who the boys believe was the lightest laid on the ice and helped pull Hamilton out of the water.  Levi’s brother Drew says the deputy wasn’t in the water very long, but the water was extremely cold. 

 

Drew says “we helped him get his clothes off because they were all wet so he didn’t have hypothermia, put a blanket around him and put him in Levy’s truck.”  Hamilton says the boys not only saved him from freezing, they also helped him find a key piece of evidence.    

Southeast Iowa Orchestra announces next Artist in Residence

 

The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra is proud to present oboist Dane Philipsen as its 2010 Artist in residence.  Philipsen will perform for more than 18 schools, community and service groups throughout southeast Iowa from March 9^th through the 21^st.  SEISO has sponsored residencies by outstanding performing artists since 1982 climaxing in solo concert performances with the Orchestra in the three major sponsoring communities of Ottumwa, Burlington, and Mt. Pleasant.

 

The performances will be Saturday March 20^th at 7:30 p.m. at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium; Sunday March 21^st at 3:00 p.m. at IHCC St. John’s Auditorium in Ottumwa and again at 7:30 p.m. in the IWC Chapel Auditorium in Mt. Pleasant.

 

The Southeast Iowa Symphony Artist-in-Residence Program has been nationally recognized by the League of American Orchestras and receives support from the Iowa Arts Council, Wapello County Foundation, and the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

 

Dane is the son of Michael and Marva Philipsen of Ottumwa. 

Southeast Iowa Teen facing Multiple Charges

 

An 18 year old southeast Iowa teen is being held in jail in Keokuk on a 100-thousand dollar bond on charges he allegedly sexually abused an 11 year old girl while she was sleeping.  

 

Cameron Joel Peterson is charged with second degree sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a child and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. 

 

Police say the girl was sleeping over at a friend’s house in February when she awoke to find her friend’s 18 year old brother, Peterson fondling her in her sleep. 

 

Two Area Legislators Opposed to House Bill on Texting

 

 

The Iowa House has dramatically scaled back a proposal which would have made it illegal for anyone to read or send text messages while driving on Iowa roads.  The House instead voted to make it illegal for just 16 and 17 year olds to send text messages or play computer games while they’re driving. 

 

State Representative Mary Gaskill a Democrat from Ottumwa says the ban should apply to adults as well as teenagers.  She says “I think this is totally wrong to do this when the people are asking us to pass legislation to ban texting while driving and they don’t say just teenagers”. 

 

And State Representative Curt Hanson  a Democrat from Fairfield who is a retired drivers’education instructor argued the texting ban should apply to both teens and adults. 

 

The less restrictive bill now goes back to the senate which earlier voted to ban any driver regardless of age from sending or reading text messages in a moving vehicle. 

Two Ottumwa Men face Robbery Charges

 

Two Ottumwa men are facing numerous charges following their arrest Monday by authorities. 

 

Lt. Tom McAndrew says on March first the Ottumwa Police Department received a report of a robbery at the Fairfield Inn located on North Court.  Investigators determined two subjects wearing masks had entered the hotel and demanded money from the hotel clerk.  The two subjects left the hotel with 90-dollars in cash. 

 

Monday the Ottumwa Police Department with assistance from the Southeast Iowa Inter-Agency Drug Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement executed a search warrant at 702 and a half Wabash and seized drug paraphernalia and a shotgun from the house.

 

As a result 23 year old Bryce Barry Bond and 23 year old Joshua James Summers both of 702 and a half Wabash were arrested.  Both were charged with Aiding and Abetting Joint Criminal Conduct and Robbery in the 2^nd degree. 

 

Both are being held in the Wapello County Jail on ten thousand dollar bonds.