From the Associated Press:
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.
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A hit-and-run crash in eastern Iowa on Friday briefly knocked out power for neary 500 people. Davenport police say a car hit a power line pole Friday morning, and the driver fled the vehicle. KWQC-TV in Davenport says the crash left 492 people without electricity, but power has since been restored. Police say the driver hasn’t been found.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines city officials will begin negotiating with a local infrastructure group for an unpaid $1.6 million in unpaid costs for the construction of an underpass connecting two parks. The Des Moines Register reports that the city council approved a request to begin negotiating with the Des Moines Water Works Foundation. At issue is an underpass known as the Ruan Connector, which provides a path under Fleur Drive that connects Gray’s Lake Park and Water Works Park. It was completed in September 2020 with money from a public-private partnership in which the city fronted $3.1 million.
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified the body of a woman found dead inside a wrecked car in northern Iowa. The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports that 42-year-old Tonya Collins had been missing since last week. The Wright County sheriff’s office says she was found inside her 2019 Nissan Rogue, which was wrecked in a creek bed on the western edge of Eagle Grove. Collins was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries she sustained in the crash.
