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Pella Police Department Awarded National Law Enforcement Accreditation by CALEA

Posted on by Sam Parsons

PELLA — The Pella Police Department was awarded national accreditation in the law enforcement program by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) on July 27, 2024, following a multi-year self-assessment phase and a meticulous site based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment, and facilities by CALEA assessors. 

Chief Shane McSheehy and Captain Paul Haase attended the CALEA conference in Winston Salem, NC, last week. During the conference, the agency underwent a review in front of CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners. The commission reviewed all findings and determined the agency’s accreditation status. Following the commission’s assessment, the Pella Police Department was awarded accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety and commitment to the community. This is Pella’s first national accreditation award. The Pella PD now moves into CALEA’s four-year accreditation cycle to maintain continued accreditation. 

The Commission’s purpose is to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety and establish and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is how a public safety agency voluntarily demonstrates that it meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery. 

Ottumwa Man Charged with Murder after Stabbing

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA — An Ottumwa man is being charged with murder after a fatal stabbing in the overnight hours yesterday.

On July 30, 2024 at approximately 1:02 a.m., police were called to Foster Park in Ottumwa on a report that someone had been stabbed with a knife.  Police arrived and identified the victim as Jeffrey Wayne Johns, age 40, of Ottumwa.  Johns had sustained a stab wound to his torso.  Johns was transported to the Ottumwa Regional Health Center where he was pronounced dead.  

The Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation was contacted to assist the Ottumwa Police Department with the investigation.  

At approximately 9:12 a.m., members from the Ottumwa Police Department’s Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at 2209 E. Main Street.  The suspect in the homicide was found hiding in the attic area of this residence and taken into custody.  The suspect was identified as Joshua Michael, age 32, of 2209 E. Main.  

Michael was charged with Murder in the 1st Degree, a Class “A” Felony, for the death of Johns.

Prosecutor opposes ‘Rust’ armorer’s request for release as she seeks new trial for set shooting

Posted on by Sam Parsons

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A special prosecutor is opposing a request by a former movie armorer that she be released from prison while seeking a new trial and appeal of her involuntary manslaughter conviction in a 2021 shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”

Kari Morrissey wrote in a response brief filed Friday that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s motion for release “is premature given that the court has yet to receive completed briefing on the defendant’s motion for new trial, hear arguments on the defendant’s motion and rule on the motion in defendant’s favor.”

Lawyers for Gutierrez-Reed have argued her case should be reconsidered because prosecutors failed to share evidence that might have been exculpatory.

Gutierrez-Reed wants a judge to dismiss her conviction or convene a new trial in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Gutierrez-Reed already has an appeal pending in a higher court on the involuntary manslaughter conviction.

She was convicted by a jury in March in a trial overseen by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who later assigned the maximum 18-month penalty.

Baldwin’s trial ended July 12 when Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case based on misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense.

Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.

She was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation.

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Sweltering temperatures and scattered thunderstorms dotted much of Iowa over the weekend,” said Secretary Naig. “The mid-growing season heat and timely rain helped push crops along through the pivotal weeks of July. August looks to start warmer and drier and will shift toward more seasonal conditions through the beginning of the Iowa State Fair.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Scattered rainfall allowed Iowa farmers 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 28, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included harvesting oats for grain, cutting and baling hay, and applying fungicides.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 12 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 11 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.

Corn silking hit 85 percent this week, 2 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. Thirty-four percent of the corn crop has reached dough stage or beyond, 1 day ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of average. Two percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage. Corn condition was rated 77 percent good to excellent. Eighty-three percent of soybeans were blooming, 4 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of normal. Soybeans setting pods reached 43 percent, 2 days behind last year. Soybean condition was 76 percent good to excellent. Ninety-six percent of oats were turning color or beyond. The oat harvest for grain reached 67 percent complete, 6 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the five-year average.

The State’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 87 percent complete, 4 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 16 percent, 6 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. Hay condition rated 78 percent good to excellent.  Pasture condition rated 71 percent good to excellent. Heat stress in livestock was reported.

One Injured After Accident at Oskaloosa Sno Biz

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — An accident in Oskaloosa yesterday involving a pickup truck and the Oskaloosa Snow Biz resulted in injuries to the driver of the truck.

The Oskaloosa Police Department says that yesterday afternoon, the driver of a small pickup lost control of their vehicle and struck the Oskaloosa Sno Biz trailer. There was nobody standing in front of the trailer at the time and authorities say that all employees of the business were uninjured. The driver of the truck was transported to Mahaska Health for treatment of some injuries. 

The Oskaloosa Police Department says they will update the public with more information when possible.

Heat Advisory for Our Area Today

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — A heat advisory will be in effect for our area today. 

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a heat advisory for portions of central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Iowa, today from 1pm to 9pm. The NWS says that heat index values of up to 111 are expected.

Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses, so take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing, try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening, and take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ smashes R-rated record with $205 million debut, 8th biggest opening ever

Posted on by Sam Parsons

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marvel is back on top with “ Deadpool & Wolverine.” The comic-book movie made a staggering $205 million in its first weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first “Deadpool” ($132 million) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time.

Including international showings, where it’s racked up an addition $233.3 million from 52 markets, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is looking at a global opening of over $438.3 million.

Fittingly for both characters’ introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Deadpool & Wolverine” played less like earlier X-Men or Deadpool movies and more like an Avengers pic. In the top domestic opening weekends ever, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is seated in 8th place between “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Black Panther” ($202 million), bumping “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($191.3 million) out of the top 10.

It’s by far biggest opening of the year, unseating Disney’s “ Inside Out 2 ” ($154.2 million) and the most tickets a movie has sold in its debut weekend since “Barbie” ($162 million) stormed theaters last July. Playing in 4,210 locations, “Deadpool & Wolverine” also surpassed 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191.8 million) to become the biggest July opening ever, and is the 34th consecutive MCU movie to debut in first place. And these are numbers previously thought impossible for an R-rated film.

“It’s great news full stop,” said Tony Chambers, who leads theatrical distribution for Disney. “Not only is it great for Disney, not only is it great for Marvel, but it’s great for the industry as a whole. We’ve said it before but success begets success.”

That the numbers came alongside an R-rating, Chambers added, was “nothing short of phenomenal.”

The Walt Disney Studios release arrived at a pivotal time for an industry grappling with box office returns that continue to run at a double-digit deficit from last year. Disney has played a vital role in the summer season, releasing the top movies in May (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”), June (“Inside Out 2″) and now July.

The success is also an important moment for Marvel Studios, which has had several high-profile disappointments lately; Most notably in “ The Marvels ” which opened to an MCU low of $47 million last November.

Superheroes have been struggling even more elsewhere: Sony, which reached a high point with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.9 billion worldwide) had a new low with “Madame Web,” which barely crossed $100 million. Warner Bros. Discovery, after a string of disappointments with “The Flash” and “Blue Beetle,” is currently working on restarting their DC universe under the supervision of James Gunn.

Marvel’s savior came in the form of two characters who got their start outside of the MCU. Both Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner which for two decades had the rights to Marvel characters like the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four.” That changed when Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019 and plans started to take shape of how all these characters would fit into Kevin Feige’s MCU. In some cases, as with “Fantastic Four,” Marvel Studios is starting fresh. With “Deadpool & Wolverine,” directed by Shawn Levy, the stars were as crucial as their characters.

This weekend at the Comic-Con fan convention, Marvel also teased more to come, including Robert Downey Jr.’s return — not as Iron Man but as Doctor Doom.

Going into the weekend, $200 million domestic seemed like a pipe dream. Analysts were more conservative with predictions in the $160 million range. But from the start of the 3 p.m. Thursday preview screenings it was clear that “Deadpool & Wolverine” was more powerful. By the end of Friday, it had already made $96 million and recieved a coveted A CinemaScore from audiences. Critics, too, have been mostly positive. Premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats, accounted for 18% of the total box office.

“Historically, PG-13 is the rating that will get you the biggest bang for your buck,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

“The old rule that R-rated movies have a box office ceiling was literally shattered this weekend. The edgier content actually enhances their appeal to older teens and young 20-somethings.”

The top domestic opening of all time still firmly belongs to “Avengers: Endgame” with $357.1 million. It’s followed by “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($260.1 million), “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257.6 million), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247.9 million) and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” ($220 million).

Second place went to Universal’s “Twisters,” now in its second weekend with $35.3 million. The standalone sequel to “Twister” has now earned $154.9 million in North America. Universal also claimed third place with “Despicable Me 4,” which added $14.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to nearly $291 million.

“Inside Out 2” landed in fourth place with $8.3 million. The Disney and Pixar release this week became the biggest animated release ever with $613.4 million domestically (surpassing “Incredibles 2”) and $1.5 billion globally. It also passed “Top Gun: Maverick” to become the 12th highest-earning global release of all time.

It all adds up to one of the top 10 domestic grossing weekends of all time, with $277.5 million, according to Comscore. That puts it ahead of this weekend last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helped propel the box office to over $216.9 million in their second weekends.

“This is one for the history books,” Dergarabedian said. ”Hopefully this will carry over into August.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $205 million.

2. “Twisters,” $35.3 million.

3. “Despicable Me 4,” $14.2 million.

4. “Inside Out 2,” $8.3 million.

5. “Longlegs,” $6.8 million.

6. “A Quiet Place: Day One,” $3 million.

7. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $1.3 million.

8. “The Fabulous Four,” $1 million.

9. “Fly Me to the Moon,” $750,000.

10. “Raayan,” $378,571.

Pheasant numbers could be hurt by wet weather and flooding

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

The wet spring could lead to a drop in the number of pheasants in Iowa. Iowa DNR wildlife research biologist Todd Bogenschutz says the switch in the weather pattern can really impact pheasants.

“We went from major drought to major flooding in a pretty short time frame, and unfortunately it coincided with peak in nesting,” he says. Bogenschutz says several factors make wet springs tough on nesting pheasants. “We’re just not sure if the hens aren’t quite as attentive, maybe less of the eggs are fertile if they get chilled. You know and then we think in wet years you know, obviously predators, most to predation occurs by smell and when you have wetter conditions, scenting conditions are better, and so that could be part of it,” he says.

Bogenschutz says the wet spring can also make it tough on the food source for young birds. “Wetter cooler springs could impact the number of insects that are out there too, probably maybe suppresses it a little bit. So maybe the chicks don’t have as much forage base as they do and we tend to have our good years which tend to be warm and dry,” Bogenschutz says. He says hunters had their best harvest last year since 2007.

The relatively mild winter helped more pheasants survive, so it’s hard to tell what their fall pheasant survey will show. “It was a really good fall last year. So I think people were thinking, holy cow, we could be phenomenal if everything lined up,” he says. “but you know that didn’t quite come to fruition. The roadside counts will be interesting, I expect we will maybe show some small increases in some areas, but I think especially up in northwest and north central areas where we got that heavy rain, that our counts are probably going to be lower.” Bogenschutz says lower counts doesn’t mean hunters won’t find pheasants.

“We’re still gonna have birds out there. You know, we had reports of broods early and actually fairly large, a little bit earlier than I normally get them. We definitely did have some early hatch because of I think the mild winter and how quickly it went away this year,” he says. The annual roadside pheasant surveys are held in August and the results on pheasant numbers will be released in September.

Iowa and Mahaska County Election Office Celebrates Fourth National Poll Worker Recruitment Day on August 1st

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — As the 2024 General Election approaches, State of Iowa and Mahaska County  Election Office and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today announced that August  1, 2024 will be designated as the fourth annual National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. Launched in  2020, this initiative seeks to address the ongoing poll worker shortage, promote civic participation  and volunteerism, and ensure the integrity and security of the elections in 2024 and beyond. 

“Election workers are critical to ensuring accessible and accurate elections,” said Mahaska County  Election Deputy Michelle Kent. “We are excited to recognize and participate in National Poll Worker  Recruitment Day to help bring awareness to the nationwide poll worker shortage ahead of the  election in November and to help inspire civic engagement and volunteerism to encourage people  to sign up to serve their community.” 

Poll worker responsibilities typically include activities such as setting up polling places, greeting  voters, verifying voter registrations, and issuing ballots. Poll workers also assist voters in  understanding the voting process by demonstrating the use of voting equipment and explaining  voting procedures. Local election authorities oversee election staff and poll workers, including  providing training before Election Day. 

“Poll workers are essential to our voting process, playing a pivotal role in the success of our  elections. Volunteering as a poll worker is an impactful way for Americans to serve their country  and communities,” said EAC Chairman Ben Hovland. “The EAC aims to support state and local  election officials in their recruitment efforts, address poll worker shortages, and engage new  generations with National Poll Worker Recruitment Day.” 

Despite many states expanding vote-by-mail and absentee voting options, millions of Americans,  including voters with disabilities and those without reliable mail service, still depend on in-person  voting. Ensuring sufficient poll workers are available on Election Day and during early voting periods  is crucial for providing voters with the assistance they need and providing a smooth voting  experience for all. 

National Poll Worker Recruitment Day exemplifies civic engagement in elections, aiming to  encourage potential poll workers to help America vote. Poll workers uphold our democratic system  by enabling citizens to cast a free and confidential ballot to choose their representation. 

For more information about National Poll Worker Recruitment Day and how to become an election  worker please visit https://elections.mahaskacountyia.gov/ or HelpAmericaVote.gov.

George Daily Presents “The Hobbit” With Help of Central College

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The George Daily Auditorium in Oskaloosa, Iowa, will present “The Hobbit” Aug. 1-4 with key contributions from several Central College graduates, faculty and staff members. Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien and adapted by playwright Kim Selody, the production will be performed as part of the George Daily Youth Theatre’s 25-year anniversary celebration.

Central is proud to highlight the contributions of the following graduates, faculty and staff with “The Hobbit”:

  • Ryan Jones, a 2020 Central graduate: lighting designer.
  • Anne McCullough Kelly, mental health counselor at Central: performance, costume design and construction.
  • Mat Kelly, professor of art: set painting.
  • Allison McGuire, former Central voice instructor: director.
  • Andy McGuire, a 2010 Central graduate: director.
  • Ron Rybkowski, technical director of theatre and lecturer at Central: set designer, construction and technical consultant.
  • Kate Kanne Smith, assistant professor of theatre: costume design and construction.

The George Daily production of “The Hobbit” is family-friendly and will feature puppetry and combat choreography, highlighting some of the unique skills and talents offered by the theatre’s summer staff.

The George Daily Auditorium will present “The Hobbit” 7 p.m. Aug. 1-3 and 2 p.m. Aug. 4. Tickets are on sale at georgedaily.org/hobbit.

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