From the Associated Press (11:20 a.m.):
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Refugees arriving in Iowa from Afghanistan are getting a little help from others who know what they’re going through – people who came to Iowa from Bosnia. KCCI-TV reports that on Sunday, the Bosniak American Association of Iowa and Des Moines Refugee Support teamed up for a donation drive at a mosque in Des Moines. Hundreds of items ranging from pillows to pots and pans to toiletries were donated for Afghan refugees. One woman who came over from Bosnia in the 1990s says they “know exactly what these people are going through.”
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in Linn County continue to investigate a Christmas Day accident that killed a 76-year-old bicyclist. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the accident happened about 2:25 p.m. when a 2017 Ford Escape driven by a woman from Amana struck the bicyclist from behind. Terry Zabortsky of Walford was pronounced dead at the scene. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man who was convicted of stabbing a Cedar Rapids man to death in retaliation for a theft from a drug dealer has been sentenced to 57 years in prison. Drew Blahnik was sentenced earlier this month for killing Chris Bagley, 31, in December 2018 and then burying his body. Police found Bagley’s body in the backyard of a Cedar Rapids home in March 2019. Prosecutors said Blahnik stabbed Bagley in retaliation for his robbery of a large-scale marijuana trafficker. At trial, Blahnik’s lawyers acknowledged that he stabbed Bagley, but they argued that he was acting in self defense after Bagley waved a gun during a fight.
MARION, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man has been eating his Wheaties for breakfast every morning since he served in World War II. Now, his photo is on the box. KCRG-TV reports that Clarence Frett of Marion began his morning ritual in 1943 while serving in the Coast Guard. Wheaties is now 100 years old, and Frett isn’t far behind – he turns 100 in January. His daughter sent an email to General Mills to see if she could get her dad’s face on a Wheaties box – just like Michael Jordan and many other famous athletes who have graced the box. The company agreed and put the longtime barber on the box.
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A northern Iowa sixth-grader could have enjoyed a windfall after finding a $100 bill, but instead, he decided to use the money to buy Christmas gifts for needy kinds. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that Jacob Boller of Clear Lake was on his way home from school earlier this month when he spotted the $100 bill on the ground. When no one came forward for the money, Jacob knew right away he wanted to use it to help children who might not get Christmas presents. The family went to the store and purchased toys and games, then gave them to a local CPA firm that matched the donations. All told, 14 toys were donated.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A 54-year-old Iowa man has died in a Christmas Eve accident after his motorcycle crashed in Omaha. Police say Jamie Richardson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was exiting onto Interstate 80 around 3:20 p.m. Friday when the motorcycle left the on-ramp. Richardson was thrown from the motorcycle as it was traveling down an embankment. People who were passing by performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Richardson died later Friday while in surgery.
