Year in Review 12-17-14 by SouthwestIowaNews.com

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Tuesday: Part 1 T TODAY: PART 2 T Thursday: Part 3 T Friday: Part 4

Spring 2014 brought stories of tragedy and triumph John Schreier

jschreier@nonpareilonline.com

April showers may have brought May flowers, but they also ushered in some darker news months in southwest Iowa in 2014. The most controversial story of April focused on a major tax increase passed by the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors in late March. The budget called for double-digit hikes in property taxes for county residents, as it aimed to recoup lost revenues from a number of areas.

“We have a spending problem in the county, and we need to get it under control,” Tom Hanafan said shortly after the budget’s approval. “There is no long-term process right now.” Although smaller in length, stories about personal tragedies were far greater in number than those covering local government. A longtime pediatrician pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. A spate of fatal car and motorcycle crashes plagued the region. Other arrests included those suspected in standoffs, sexual abuse and the shooting of a girl outside an apartment

Need someone to help you plan for the year ahead? Judd Knispel Ins Agcy Inc Judd Knispel, Agent 1860 Madison Ave, Suite 2 Bus: 712-325-0256 www.juddknispel.com

complex. Furthermore, controversy circled the denial of a Vietnam veterans group’s “tiger cage” jail float in the Celebrate C.B. parade, the ongoing saga of the liquor license of a tavern featured on “Bar Rescue” and allegations a Council Bluffs hospital used unsterilized surgical equipment on patients without telling them. But all clouds – even the spring’s darkest rainclouds – come with silver linings. Though April, May and June headlines may have focused on negative stories, the months also provided a number of uplifting

articles. A Council Bluffs man, for instance, shed 70 pounds for a simple goal: He wanted his daughter to be able to wrap her arms all the way around him for a hug. The Lewis Central soccer team was “Gulden strong” to welcome back their head coach, who had taken a lengthy leave of absence as his father battled an illness that nearly killed him. These stories of sadness and strength, tragedy and triumph – and many more – are included in this second edition of Year in Review.

I’m your agent for that. No one wants to pay for unnecessary extras and with my help, you won’t have to. I’ll help make sure you understand your options, and that you have the best coverage at the best price.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

CALL ME METODAY. TODAY

2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

2C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 10-12

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

10. Changes in city leadership 11. Key anniversaries 12. Extension vote fails

TODAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6

FRIDAY: Stories 1-3

CRAZY, CRAZY 8 WEATHER

News Stories

‘Significant’ rainfall kept drought condition away; made for a wet year

Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Work progressed on the Interstate 29 overpass in May.

TRAFFIC 7 TURMOIL

News Stories

Construction, ramps on area highways and interstates Mike Brownlee mbrownlee@nonpareilonline.com

Roads? Where we’re driving, there are new roads. Construction work caused delays and altered the landscape for highway and interstate drivers in the area this year. This summer, reconstruction of the Interstate 29 interchange with U.S. Highway 275/Iowa Highway 92 started in the continuing rebuilding process of the Council Bluffs interstate system. “It will take us two years to reconstruct that interchange,” said Troy Jerman, an engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation. The new design won’t look much different from the current shape, Jerman said. The entry/exit ramps will be longer and the U-shaped exit off southbound I-29 will have a wider turn for more safety, he said. There will be some night closures on I-29 during this period, while Highway 92 will have one lane closures in each direction. The new Interstate 80 ramp to I-29 northbound – just east of the Missouri River – opened to motorists on Oct. 24. Drivers travelling I-80 eastbound headed for I-29 northbound will now exit on the right side of the interstate and use the new bridge to access I-29 northbound, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Interstate signage will direct motorists to the new exit. “The new ramp will result in improved safety on I-80, reducing lane changes and modernizing design,” the department said. The project will take approximately three more years until work is far enough along that motorists can merge from the newly-opened ramp into the right northbound lane of I-29, as opposed to merging from the left, as exists currently, according to Wendy Thompson with the department. “The elevated approach and longer merge lanes will allow for a more comfortable merge than exists today,” she said. In early November traffic headed westbound on I-80 and northbound on I-29 shifted to new pavement lanes west of the South Expressway exit. “This is permanent pavement in preparation for the construction of the I-80 westbound express lanes,” the department said in a release. Construction is set to begin on the express lanes in the summer of 2015. The department is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29 and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate, the department said. Not all the work this year was planned. It took workers about 20 hours to fix a void – a drop in the ground – on the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 29/80 on May 12 and 13. During part of that time, eastbound motorists had to find alternative ways to continue their routes. It was around 3 p.m. on May 12 when workers found the void directly south of Bluffs Run, said Stephen Sykes, public information official for the Iowa Department of Transportation. That section is being expanded as part of a massive reconstruction project for the Council Bluffs interstate system. “One of the construction workers noticed a small area was dropping,” Sykes said. “It was right at where a storm sewer was installed underneath the interstate a few weeks ago.” The department decided to close the inside lane to investigate further, said Troy Jerman, an engineer. The entire eastbound lanes were closed after it was found that water was seeping through joints farther along the pipe. Workers then filled the pipe with larger-sized rocks to prevent the water from seeping. The interstate reopened at 10 a.m. on May 13.. Through traffic was detoured to northbound Interstate 29 and Interstate 680 to continue on, while many local motorists got off at the Nebraska Avenue exit. Then in late October a portion shoulder on I-80 between Madison Avenue and the southbound Interstate 29 ramp buckled. The right lane of westbound traffic was closed as crews filled a roughly 5-foot deep hole. Tony Arrick with the transportation department said the shoulder settlement likely came as a result of heavy rains. “With all the rain we had over the spring and summer, there was some erosion,” he said. “With this last bit of rain, it finally gave.” No drivers reported any problems related to the shoulder caving in.

Question marks about what sort of winter western Iowa should expect harken back to the now-distant memory of summer, which saw significant rainfall that kept the area away from the threat of drought this year. Soil moisture in most of the Missouri River basin is greater than average entering the winter because of heavy summer and fall precipitation, said Kevin Grode, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir regulator. “There are no drought conditions,” Grode said. “That’s a good sight to see.” This summer, the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan are had its fourthwettest August on record, with 9.59 inches of precipitation total. Des Moines had its third-wettest August with 11.36 inches. June saw 10.52 inches in Council Bluffs, with only 1.72 inches recorded in July. For the 12 month period from December 2013 through November 2014, the metropolitan area saw a total of 37.66 inches of precipitation, according to National Weather Service data. That’s about 7 inches more than the previous 12 months, including a much wetter June and August to help hydrate the area during the summer heat. Western Iowa saw its share of flooding, albeit nothing as dramatic as 2011. But the water did help bring an end to drought across the area. The Missouri River rose to its eighth highest historical crest on June 24, reaching 27.94 feet, putting it near the flood stage of 29 feet at the National Weather

News Stories

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Lee Ann Walker tries to make a hasty move from her car to the post office during heavy rains in August. Service gauge across from Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park. Flooding was on the horizon for Council Bluffs on June 20, when a levee break occurred near the northwest Iowa town of Akron. Forecasts had been for the Missouri River to reach as high as 31.6 feet, which could have caused flooding in southwest Iowa. The West Nishnabotna River flooded on Sept. 10, after a severe thunderstorm rolled through southwest Iowa in the afternoon and left several streets in downtown Council Bluffs and the west end of the city under water. Data from the National Weather Ser-

vice showed the West Nishnabotna River near Randolph passing flood stage, at 19 feet, on three consecutive months this year: 20.93 feet on July 5, 19.88 feet on Aug. 28 and 21.21 feet on Sept. 10. In Missouri Valley, a levee breach on the Boyer River left nearby farmland and a neighborhood under water during the Labor Day holiday. About 70 people were evacuated from their homes. Keg Creek in Glenwood also reached its highest-ever mark on June 1, hitting 30.84 feet, according to the National Weather Service, which put it into flood stage. Other area waterways also swelled at times with the record rainfall.

YEAR OF THE BIG NAME DOUGHNUT Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts set up shop in C.B. Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

Council Bluffs doughnut lovers got a hole lot of good news in 2014. Krispy Kreme opened a new store Jan. 20 at 2420 W. Broadway with a sweet deal. The doughnut shop offered the first person in line for the lobby free doughnuts for a year (one dozen of its Original Glazed doughnuts each week) and a commemorative T-shirt. The next 98 received a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts a month for a year. Drive-thru customers got the same treatment. “We are extremely excited to introduce a brand new Krispy Kreme shop with our delicious variety of one-of-a-kind sweet treats and beverages to the Council Bluffs area doughnut fans,” said Jim Hoskinson of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The new location offers more than a dozen varieties of doughnuts, including the signature Original Glazed, as well as a complete menu of Chillers, iced beverages and Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends. Krispy Kreme is an international retailer of premium quality sweet treats. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., the company was founded in 1937. Today, Krispy Kreme can be found in more than 810 locations in 23 countries around the world, as well as approximately 10,000 grocery, convenience and mass merchant stores in the U.S. Not to be outdone, nationally known Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first Council Bluffs location in October at 2200 W. Broadway – shortly after opening a store in Omaha. “It’s been great,” said Lynn Mohling, district manager. “A lot of people have been coming in. We love it.” Dunkin’ Donuts has a wide variety of doughnut, including glazed, chocolate frosted, Bavarian kreme, powdered, French cruller, butternut, and Long Johns in vanilla, chocolate and maple, to name just a few. Coffees include regular flavor, lattes, cappuccino, vanilla chai, hot or iced tea, plus many soda flavors. A full line of sandwiches are available, plus breads. Customers can order online, take the drive-thru or relax inside at seven tables. Both metro stores are owned and managed by the Berliner Group, which consists of former University of Nebraska and retired professional football players Kris Brown, CEO of Berliner Group; Zach Wiegert, CEO/president of Tetrad Property Group; and David Scott, CEO/president of Tetrad Corporation. The Bluffs store held a grand opening Nov. 6 that doubled as a benefit for the TeamMates Mentoring Program, which serves over 6,500 youth in Iowa and Nebraska. Former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, who founded the mentoring program, accepted a $2,500 check to TeamMates from

Professional IN-HOME veterinary care for your four-legged family members.

Call Mark E. Peters, D.V.M

at (402) 637-4151 with questions or to schedule a home visit.

OCBHousecallVet.com

Staff photo/John Schreier

Customers began camping outside the new Krispy Kreme, 2420 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs, on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, in hopes of getting free doughnuts – more than 13 hours before its grand opening at 6 a.m. Monday. Dunkin’ Donuts. The Thomas Jefferson High School Band performed. Dunkin’ Donuts has nearly 11,000 restaurant in 33 countries. Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is based in Canton, Mass.

Heating & Air Conditioning Providing Comfort Since 1982

• Family Owned & Operated • We Service All Makes & Models • Flexible Appointment Times • 24 Hour/7 Days A Week Emergency Services 712-323-5305

3406 2nd Avenue • Council Bluffs, IA www.councilbluffsheatingandair.com

2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle

GOOGLE

* MORE THURSDAY FRIDAY

continues to make a positive impact in area

Tim Rohwer

trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

oogle’s decision in 2007 to build a data center in Council Bluffs continued to have a significant impact in the community in 2014. Since that decision seven years ago, the technology company has made more than $1.5 billion in investments at its data center, bringing more than 500 direct and contracting jobs to the community, said Andrew Silvestri, Google’s public policy and government relations manager for its central region. The plant spans about 1.8 square miles, “which is a pretty significant amount of land,” Silvestri said during a visit here for the company’s Googlefest event this summer. Googlefest is a free conference for small business owners, educators and nonprofits to learn how to use Google products like Google+, AdWords, Places and Calendar. The event builds on Iowa’s Get Your Business Online, a seminar to help businesses launch websites and build a presence on social media. In this past year alone, Google has helped more than 2,000 businesses and others launch websites through the seminar, Silvestri said. While economic development and workforce programs are important to Google, education is the largest area where the company focuses its community efforts, he said. “It’s not just about the future of the city, but the future of Google and the students.” Many area school districts use Chromebooks as part of 1:1 initiatives to give every child – typically at certain grade levels – an Internet-ready device. Google has helped the Council Bluffs Community School District and others make devices available, Silvestri said, whether or not the schools ultimately choose a Google product. “We just think it is important for these students to have access.”

File photos

Leon Dickinson, left, and Megan Schrage take part in a class on Google+ during Googlefest at Holiday Inn at Ameristar on Oct. 21. At right, the sign outside the Google location on Bunge Avenue. Google products are used by educators across southwest Iowa, and the Green Hills Area Education Agency has sponsored training – similar in concept to the Googlefest, but tailored to educators – including the Google Summit in Glenwood this summer and a recent conference in Underwood. The company has recently launched Google Classroom, which offers teachers a systematic way to use Google Docs, Google Forms, YouTube and other Google products for classroom instruction. “The teacher can really customize her own classroom,” Silvestri said. “It is a cool way for teachers to interface with their students.” Grants are a major vehicle for Google to help the community. Since 2009, the com-

pany has awarded more than $825,000 to Iowa nonprofits and schools. Grant recipients include the Council Bluffs and Lewis Central school districts and foundations, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, the AIM Institute, the Boys & Girls Clubs, MICAH House and Iowa Western Community College. Recent grants include $70,000 for creating a computer science course for the Council Bluffs Community School District, as well as grants to bring new Project Lead the Way courses to the Treynor Community School District and the Boys & Girls Clubs for program supplies for mobile computer labs and mini-maker project kits. A student-run data center at Abraham Lincoln High School also had financial and technical

Wishing You

a Happy & Healthy With warm wishes to you and your family as we celebrate this special �me of the year.

Roger Carlon, Investment Representative

Thank You

29 S. Main, Suite 2 Council Bluffs, IA 51503

(402) 449-0942 www.rogercarlon.com

Member FINRA/SIPC

for pu�ng your trust in us.

1701 W. Broadway • Council Bluffs, IA 51501

712-256-5600 • www.westbroadwayclinic.com

support from Google, as well as Echo Group Inc., which gave equipment and helped design a logo. “That has been a really cool program that has had a lot of success,” Silvestri said. “It has been really cool to see.” Diane Ostrowski, the chief communications officer for the Council Bluffs Community School District, lauded Google for including education and community development in its mission.

“We have been fortunate to be in partnership with Google,” she said. “They have challenged us to think more broadly and to find ways to make opportunities available for students in the world in technology and access to information, which is what we want for our students in the Council Bluffs schools.” Additionally, Silvestri he said the company hopes to bring its The Good to Know Road Show to Council Bluffs to share lessons with students about being good citizens online, protecting their identity, the consequences of posting inappropriate content online, cyberbullying prevention and how to recognize predators on the Internet. Outside the schools, Google built a $200,000 Wi-Fi network in 2011. Free wireless Internet access is now available in downtown Council Bluffs, the 100 Block of West Broadway, City Hall, Mid-America Center and River’s Edge Park. Recently, both the Council Bluffs School District and City Hall agreed to a partnership to examine the feasibility of expanding free wi-fi to a much larger section of the city. Others in the community have built off Google’s presence as well. The Port, a center for entrepreneurs at Iowa Western Community College, launched its Startup Grind speaker

series, which is connected to a national effort backed by Google. Iowa Western also works with Google for the annual Anti-Gravity Games rocket competition for local highschool students and for hardware so Iowa Western students can participate in Iowa State University’s Community College Cyber Defense Competition. Google has continued to grow along with Council Bluffs. Based in Mountain View, Calif., Google launched its Android phone in November 2007, around the time that hiring got underway for the Bluffs data center. Its Chrome web browser came along in 2008, and it rolled out its Google Fiber high-speed broadband service in Kansas City in 2011. Now the Internet traffic for Kansas City fiber optic Internet users flows into the data center near Lake Manawa to connect with Google’s satellite system. That center also handles many Google servers that users of Gmail and other products would access. Google products have been behind $147 million in economic activity in the state and Google has donated $400 million in advertising to Iowa nonprofits. Overall, there are almost 900,000 businesses and nonprofits that use Google products in Iowa, Silvestri said.

Unique and Aﬀordable Personalized Giﬅs 10% Discount now until December 19th

Give a giﬅ that will always be t�easured Personalize with a t�easured photo, a name or date on many items

Personalize presentation boxes for a wine enthusiast giﬅ Personalize phone covers with favorite photos Christ�as or�aments to remember the special moments

Finding your Dream Home has never been easier... Download the NP Dodge FREE app and discover a variety of different search options and filters, making it easier than ever to search for homes on-the-go.

Download iPhone & iPad now!

Download Android now!

Great giﬅ items for the “hard to buy for” men in your life

Friendly, helpf�l ser�ice to make your shopping easy

1023 Woodbury Ave | Council Bluffs, IA

712-328-5008

npdodge.com

3022 2nd Ave, Council Bluffs, IA • 712-388-4489 www.customdesign.us.com

2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

4C Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP CRIME STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 10-12

TODAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Crime Stories

10. Fortner ges 20 years in Glenwood death 11. Underwood teacher pleads guilty in drug theft case 12. Driver in fatal crash gets 25 years

BAD CRAIGSLIST DEAL

Crime Stories

IWCC student hurt in shooting

Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

A 19 -year -old Iowa Western Community College student was shot in the upper left arm on the evening of April 26 in the parking lot of a dormitory in what he told authorities was a Craigslist deal gone wrong. In the wake of the shooting, the college planned to implement new security measures, a spokesman said. According to Council Bluffs Police, the shooting took place about 5:40 p.m. near Iowa Western’s Reiver Village dormitories. Dalton Crosser and his friend, Nicholas Butorvich, had arranged to meet someone to sell an item, and they drove to the meeting place in Butorvich’s vehicle. Two men arrived and got into the back seat of the car, where one of them drew a gun and pointed it at Crosser, demanding their wallets. Crosser believed the gun was fake and attempted to grab it, causing a struggle for the gun. Crosser was shot in the upper left arm and shoulder, and the two men fled and drove away, according to police. Butorvich drove Crosser to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, where he was treated and released later that evening. Students and staff were notified that day through social media and posters and the next day by email, according to Don Kohler, the college’s vice president for marketing and public

Staff photo/Scott Stewart

Bright-colored warning notices were posted across Iowa Western Community College’s campus following a nonfatal shooting in the parking lot of a dormitory. relations. No classes were canceled. The college provided police with surveillance footage from campus buildings and parking lots, Kohler said. As a result of the shooting, the college planned to install more cameras at the college and add lighting in the parking lot. A stronger security presence was to extend into the evenings. The suspects were never apprehended.

THREE-FOLD

Crime Stories

1 takes plea deal, 1 convicted, 1 awaits trial in abuse case

Tim Rohwer

trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

A Council Bluffs man, accused of abusing his specialneeds son, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in early December on charges he committed Social Security fraud. But that wasn’t the end of the man’s legal troubles. James Beyer, 43, pleaded guilty on Dec. 2 to Social Security theft, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to court documents. In April of 2011, Beyer became the payee for Social Security payments to his son. As part of the plea deal, Beyer admitted that he did not use all of the money for the benefit of his son, cheating the 21-yearold out of almost $17,000. Sentencing in the matter is scheduled on Jan. 26, 2015, in federal court. Beyer – along with his wife, Rebecca, and stepson Ryan Smith – were arrested in June of 2013 on suspicion of firstdegree kidnapping for alleged abuse against Beyer’s developmentally delayed son, then 20 years old. Rebecca Beyer was also charged with willful injury causing serious injury stemming from the abuse, including charges that she would heat forks and spoons on a stove and burn her stepson. Smith accepted a plea deal

Staff photo/Joe Shearer

Rebecca Beyer, front, enters a Pottawattamie County courtroom in May before closing arguments were made in her kidnapping trial. this past May for an aggravated misdemeanor charge. James and Rebecca Beyer were both accused of abusing the man, including keeping him chained inside a detached garage at her Avenue C home. James Beyer had been scheduled to face trial in December for the state charges, but the matter was continued until a later date. Rebecca Beyer, 47, was convicted of first-degree kidnapping and willful injury causing serious injury on May 2 in a bench trial presided over by Fourth District Court Jeffrey Larson. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

• 275+ years combined experience • 750+ hours of annual education

We are your local CPA firm with decades of experience, committed to guarding and growing your money in order to prosper your family and business. VISION

To proactively earn the right to be called your most trusted advisor.

MISSION

To add insight to complex financial information and to assist you in achieving great results in a highly regulatory world. 2007

2008

2009

2010

DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL 2011

2012

2013

2014

DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL DAILY NONPAREIL

712.328.2600

www.dickinson-clark.com

FRIDAY: Stories 1-3

COLD CASE CLOSED

Harris convicted for 2003 murder Mike Brownlee

mbrownlee@nonpareilonline.com

James Cain Harris was found guilty of firstdegree murder on July 1. The 36-year-old stood before the court for his role in the stabbing death of Nelson AlvarezHernandez on July 31, 2003, at 1613 S. 13th St. in Council Bluffs. As the decision was handed down, family and friends of Harris broke down, crying and hugging, in the front row of courtroom 4C at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse. Harris was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2003, Alvarez-Hernandez had given Harris a ride from an Omaha bar to Council Bluffs, where the victim eventually pulled his vehicle over at 1613 S. 13th St. The night ended with Alvarez-Hernandez stabbed to death just outside the door to the home. Harris said Alvarez-Hernandez stopped at the house, telling the defendant he wanted to meet a friend. The prosecution asserted Harris knew the area, so he had the driver pull over there and then robbed the victim. The victim fled to the home, with Harris in chase, and AlvarezHernandez was stabbed eight times. After months of investigation, the case went cold in the fall of 2003, then was briefly reopened in 2006 before going cold again. In September 2013, a DNA hit connected blood from a $5 bill found at the scene to Thomas J. Sanchez, 47, of La Vista, Neb. Sanchez’s arrest rekindled an investigation into the murder, which led detectives to zero in on Harris, who several people, including his brother, said was involved in the crime. The six-day trial ended with the jury taking

seven hours to decide Harris’ fate. The Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested Harris in March of this year. During a five-hour interview with detectives, the defendant’s story evolved from not knowing the victim to eventually saying he tried to help after another man attacked Alvarez-Hernandez. Harris admitted to being at the scene of the crime when it occurred. The defense argued vehemently that no physical evidence tied Harris to the murder and that witnesses from the South 13th Street called by the prosecution couldn’t point the finger at Harris. Sioux City attorneys Marchelle Denker and Matthew Pittenger defended Harris. Stephanie Strange, who dated Harris for six months in 2003, was a key witness, telling police and the court that Harris had blood on him when she picked him up that July 31 night. Strange also told the court that Harris had her wash blood off a butterfly knife at a motel the pair and another woman checked into after the crime. Wilber said Harris’ brother, Anthony Francis, was uncooperative in the investigation shortly after giving police Harris’ name. The state subpoenaed Francis to testify at the trial but did he not show up. The prosecution offered Harris a plea deal, first-degree robbery, which would’ve brought a 25-year prison term, which the defendant would’ve had to serve at least 17 1/2 years of. Sgt. David Dawson with the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division said the detectives he assigned to the Harris case, Brandon Danielson and Chris Anderson, “put a lot of work into this case,” as did thendetective (and now captain) Todd Weddum, who investigated in 2003. “It’s been a long process,” Dawson said at the courthouse. “I’m pleased with our guys’ work and the work of the county attorney’s office.”

2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle

Community support part of the business philosophy of

HY-VEE

‘We think the stronger the community is, the stronger we will be. We’re lucky enough to work for a company that allows us to support the community.’

Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

– Mitch Streit, Manager, Madison Avenue Hy-Vee

Get FREE Installation

with the purchase of any ACCESS® Tonneau Cover

VALUE

File photos

Clockwise from top left, the Hy-Vee at 2323 W. Broadway, Hy-Vee Drugstore at 757 W. Broadway and Hy-Vee at 1745 Madison Ave. near the Mall of the Bluffs. various schools and programs. Hy-Vee supports the St. Albert Catholic Schools Auction and has contributed to several projects at Lewis Central Community Schools, including new baseball fields and youth basketball. “I’m on the parents committee,” Streit said. “We serve on a lot of boards and a lot of committees. I’ve got two employees involved with the Iowa Western Community College Advisory Committee.” Streit is president-elect of the Council Bluffs Chamber of

Commerce. Hy-Vee has sup- the Healthiest State Initiaported local veterans, provid- tive), Children’s Miracle Neting free breakfasts to veterans work, Stuff A Truck and other on Veterans Day for the past causes. Hy-Vee is also on board 15 years and helping to sponsor Honor Flights for World with the current big project War II and Korean War vet- in the community – the fundraising campaign for the new erans. Hy-Vee sponsors its own YMCA, Streit said. “We think the stronger the triathlon every year in the Des Moines area and has also community is, the stronger we 712-322-4717 supported the Black Squir- will be,” he said. “We’re lucky 219 N. 16th Street rel Triathlon, Shrine Circus, enough to work for a company MICAH House Emergency that allows us to support the Council Bluffs, IA Family Shelter, Live Well community.” Council Bluffs, JDRF, Start Senior Care & Living Guide Cover Pages.qxp 10/4/2011 Somewhere Walk (part of

• Enhances the look of your truck • Rolls open and closed in seconds with no need to remove • Seals on all four sides

Offer good through Jan. 20, 2015

councilhitch.com 4:03 PM

Page 4

Home, Sweet Home!

Senior Living & Care Guide 2011

Multiple Policies. One agent. I can help you save time & money. Fe\ X^\ek ]fi Xcc pfli `ejliXeZ\ e\\[j jXm\j k`d\% 8e[ 8ccjkXk\Ëj dlck`$gfc`Zp [`jZflekj Xi\ Xe \Xjp nXp kf jXm\ dfe\p% =fi X]]fi[XYc\ gifk\Zk`fe ]fi pfli ZXi# _fd\# YfXk# dfkfiZpZc\ Xe[ dfi\# ZXcc d\ ]`ijk%

STEVE CATES 712-256-9633 2411 S 24TH ST #3 COUNCIL BLUFFS stevecates@allstate.com

Insurance and discounts subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co., Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Co. Northbrook, IL. © 2010 Allstate Insurance Co.

92937

y-Vee Food Stores is an outstanding contributor to the community. The company built two new grocery stores and remodeled its Hy-Vee Drugstore (formerly called Drug Town) in Council Bluffs in the space of just five years, investing more than $30 million. • 2004 – Purchased former Osco Drug and converted into a Drug Town store • 2005 – Finished construction of a new $14 million HyVee store at 1745 Madison Ave. • 2006 – Completed $1.5 million remodel at Drug Town, 757 W. Broadway, and changed name to Hy-Vee Drug Store • 2010 – Opened new $15 million Hy-Vee store at 2323 W. Broadway But it doesn’t end there. Hy-Vee has been a generous contributor to and consistent supporter of community projects and organizations. “We strongly believe in supporting the community that supports us,” said Mitch Streit, store director at the Madison Avenue Hy-Vee. “We all do better when we work together. That’s been Hy-Vee’s benchmark for years and years.” Streit has been at the Madison Avenue store since 2008 and with Hy-Vee for 38 years, he said. Hy-Vee has supported the Christian Home AssociationChildren’s Square U.S.A. since 1985 and has had someone on the board of directors during most of that period, Streit said. He now serves on the board and has been chosen president-elect. “Hy-Vee is a lot about children,” he said. “Children’s Square is a place that gives our kids a stronger chance of success.” The grocery store chain helps sponsor the organization’s annual Corks & Cobblestones fund-raiser and donates part of the proceeds from Hy-Vee’s Wine & Food Event to Children’s Square. Proceeds from last year’s Wine & Food Event totaled $19,000. Hy-Vee also provides food for Children’s Square’s annual Thanksgiving dinner, cookout, open house and golf tournament. This year, Hy-Vee is a premium sponsor for Children’s Square and awarded the organization a $10,000 donation in June. Hy-Vee has an annual scholarship program, and its Cash for Schools program provides money to schools in exchange for Hy-Vee receipts turned in. The West Broadway store, managed by store Director Chris Higginbotham, provides space for a children’s garden that has given handson experience to children from

* MORE THURSDAY FRIDAY

Share the Stories Preserve the Memories Celebrate the Life

At Risen Son Christian Village we go to great lengths to make you feel at home. We exist to honor God by providing excellent care for you. And we take that very seriously.We work hard to bring every advantage to our residents. So, if you’re looking for a place to call home, please give us a call. We’d love to show you around!

It’s provided • • • • • • • • • • •

1221 N. 16th Street | Council Bluffs, IA | 712-256-9988

www.HoyFuneral.com

Spacious Garden Homes Senior Apartments Skilled Nursing Care Reclaim®Rehab (Physical-Occupational-Speech Therapies) Haven Center® (Assisted Living Memory Support) Respite Care Hospice Care Housekeeping Services Worship Services On-site Chaplain Family-Style Dining

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Beauty and Barber Shop Planned Activities, Outings, Arts & Crafts 2 Pool Tables Scheduled Transportation Library Outdoor Gardening Areas Walking Trails 3 Beautiful Courtyards Large Fish Aquariums Personal Laundry Service 24 Hour Staff Close Community Atmosphere Pharmacy Services 2 Hospitals Within 5 Minutes Medicare/Medicaid/Managed Care Accepted

2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

6C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP ATHLETES OF 2014 TODAY: Brady Charbonneau u Eldon Warner u Colton Tracy WEDNESDAY: Kaitlin Floerchinger u Lauren Nahnsen u Aly Dawson Top Athletes

Top Athletes

CHARBONNEAU leads Lo-Ma to state football title

Cross-country runner WARNER sets new records

TRACY’S versatility lands him Athlete of the Year honor

When the games mattered most, Brady Charbonneau was at his best. The senior led Logan-Magnolia to its first state football title in 24 years with some spectacular individual performances. In a 40-0 second-round playoff win over West Sioux, Charbonneau had 10 carries for 149 yards and three touchdowns, and added three tackles for losses among his seven stops as a 5-foot-5, 162pound nose tackle. In a 27-14 quarterfinal win over Woodbury Central, he had 18 carries for 133 yards and another five Charbonneau tackles. In a 28-7 semifinal win over Mount Ayr, he rushed 21 times for 89 yards and a score to go with five tackles. He saved his best for last. In the state championship game, a 28-24 win over Gladbrook-Reinbeck, he carried 18 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 8-yard TD run on a fourthand-1 call with 59 seconds left. Charbonneau was named the overall state-finals MVP among the six classes for his effort. “It’s more than a dream. It’s unbelievable,’’ Charbonneau said. He finished the year with 168 carries for 1,601 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also led the Panthers with 13 solo tackles for losses.

Eldon Warner successfully chased his dream. It resulted in the first state cross-country berth for the Thomas Jefferson senior. Warner’s 18th-place finish and time of 16 minutes, 13 seconds last month in Fort Dodge set new T.J. records under the current state format. “I didn’t know where I was going to place or what my time was going to be,” said Warner after the race. “I just wanted to run. Getting 18th is a huge honor.” It was the first time since 2002 that the Yellow Jackets sent a boy to state. Warner won seven meets during the season. “This summer he worked for it,” Thomas Jefferson coach Doug Muehlig said. “Just to get to state is awfully hard. Then he got out and ran his race.” Warner was thankful for all his coach did for Warner him during his four years at T.J. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be nearly as good as I am now,” Warner said of Muehlig. “I wouldn’t push myself as I do. He tells me every day these quotes. One that he always tells me is, ‘God has given me the ability to run. I just have to believe. Believe. Believe. Believe.’ “Every single time when I’m running, I just have that running through my head. I’ve got to believe in what I can do, and run with what God has given me.” Muehlig knows a bright future awaits Warner, who is considering running at Morningside. “This kid will do something special; whatever he does, it’s special,” Muehlig said. “He’s had a unique season, and he runs to be one of the best, and he won’t change. That’s a good thing.”

Colton Tracy’s senior year at Abraham Lincoln was a display of his athletic versatility. It is why he was named The Daily Nonpareil’s City Male Athlete of the Year. Indeed, little about Colton Tracy is stereotypical. The 6-foot-4 Tracy possessed a passing ability and shooting touch uncommon at the prep basketball level. He finished among the best discus throwers in the state despite his relatively slender physique. “He’s what you’re looking for as a high school player,” A.L. basketball coach Jason Isaacson said. The fun began for Tracy on the gridiron, where he went from a blocking tight end to wideout while also playing some defensive end. He finished third on the team with 14 receptions for 173 yards while also converting four tackles as A.L. compiled a 5-5 record. Tracy, who competes in basketball and track at Morningside in Sioux City, then enjoyed his finest season on the hardwood and led a resurgent Lynx group to a 12-11 mark. The biggest uptick came in passing, where an improved supporting cast and better court vision allowed him to dish out an A.L.-best 64 assists from his highpost spot. The Lynx lost seven of their first eight games while Tracy and Co. struggled to find their shooting form. But the captain netted 19 points and

12 rebounds in the next outing a – 66-54 win over Sioux City East on Jan. 7 – to lead the march back toward a winning record. By the end of the winter, he sported per-game averages of 11.7 points and nine rebounds. In track, the senior focused solely on discus – and with standout results. He took fourth in the all-class Drake Relays with a throw of 166 feet, 1 inch. He wrapped up at the 4-A state meet, where he took secTracy ond with a 166-5. The outgoing thrower also leaves with the school record in the event at 175-3. He picked up a discus for the first time as a seventh grader, throwing a smaller version of the object “about 30 feet.” Tracy shot up six inches going into his sophomore season. He struggled through various hip injuries as a junior, missing the entire football season and playing at half-speed in basketball. His body wouldn’t allow him to compete at Drake that spring. The adversity made his senior experience – coming with almost no health problems – all the more satisfying. “It’s just a great story for a kid to go through so many different things and still be successful and work hard and not give up,” former Abraham Lincoln football coach Justin Kammrad said.

TOP SPORTS STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 10-12

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

10. RJ Hemmingsen wins state title in record time 11. Crowl hits state-record 13 3’s in substate game 12. Treynor boys third in state basketball Sports Stories

TODAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6

Kammrad leaves A.L. for Lewis Central

STREAKS END SA’s 53-game district win streak, 17-year playoff streak

Two remarkable streaks ended this fall for the St. Albert football program. With a 42-0 loss Sept. 12 at Logan-Magnolia, St. Albert’s stateleading 53-game district winning streak came to and end. The Falcons (5-4) finished the season sixth in District 1 of Class A with a 3-4 record, denying them a spot in the postseason and ending their 17-year run of consecutive postseason appearances. Lo-Ma went on to win the Class A state championship, and it relied on a strong running game to trump the Falcons that night. Panther senior Brady Charbonneau, who was in the fourth grade the previous time St. Albert File photo lost a district contest, St. Albert senior Jon Meyerring, carried 11 times for 181 left, breaks away from Thomas yards and two touchJefferson defenders for a touchdowns. The Panthers down run early in the first quar- ran for 303 of their 410 ter at Lewis Central High School yards in the first half in August. A playoff berth eluded the Falcons in a talented district, but they finished the season strong, winning two of their final three games with victories over Maple Valley Anthon-Oto and Westwood. The Westwood win was quite special. Down 22-3 at the half on Senior Night, the Falcons rallied for a 23-22 victory. “We had to do it for the seniors in their last home game ever,” said St. Albert junior Glen Bertelsen, during the postgame celebration.

Omaha

Free Estimates In Shop & Remote Service Insurance Billing

• Windshield Repair & Auto Glass Replacement • Chip Repair • Remote Starters • Window Tinting • Heated Seat Installation • Auto Security Systems

402.431.2936 6701 L Street, Omaha, NE 68117 www.omahaglasspro.com

SWITCHING SCHOOLS

Sports Stories

Wanting to spend more time with his family, Justin Kammrad shook up the Council Bluffs sports landscape when he stepped down as head football and track coach at Abraham Lincoln and took a job at Lewis Central in April. The 32-year-old, who was a physical education teacher at A.L., accepted a similar teaching position at Lewis Central, and also became the school’s strength and conditioning coach. At A.L., Kammrad compiled a 33-27 record in six years as the head football coach. The Thomas Jefferson and University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate made the playoffs in all six years with the Lynx, although they finished 0-6 in those appearances. “There’s never a right time,” Kammrad Submitted photo said. “I basically had Abraham Lincoln High School to look at the future football and track coach Justin for my family. That’s Kammrad took a teaching and the biggest reason. coaching position at Lewis Cen- That’s the only reatral in April. son. My kids are in the school district and I want to be around them more. I want to see them grow up and be able to experience things with them. This is the opportunity for me to do that.” Lewis Central – in its first season of Class 4-A football – coincidentally beat Abraham Lincoln 42-0 in the first round of the playoffs in October. The Titans went on to finish 9-2, while the Lynx ended their first season under coach John Wolfe at 4-6. 2014

DAILY NONPAREIL

Family Eyecare C

DR. BARRY J. JOSE • DR. RYAN P. LEMPP • DR. BRAD CARPENtER

OPTOMETRISTS 1601 Avenue D • Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-323-5213 www.familyeyecare.biz the Right Place to Go... to See

FRIDAY: Stories 1-3 Sports Stories

FAB FIVE IWCC volleyball ends fifth at nationals

The Iowa Western volleyball team entered the national tournament with championship hopes. They didn’t reach the ultimate prize, but they completed a fantastic season nonetheless. The Reivers tied for the fourth-best finish at the national tournament in program history, beating Arizona Western 25-20, 25-15, 26-28, 25-14 in the fifth-place match at the Casper Events Center. Top-seeded Iowa Western lost a five-set quarterfinal heartbreaker to Northwest Wyoming before rebounding with two wins to finish 45-2. The Reivers spent a good portion of the year rated first nationally and finished 13-1 against teams in the national tournament for the season. They beat 11 of the 15 other national qualifiers. “I’m glad that we ended on a win,’’ Iowa Western coach Alicia Williams said. “It almost makes up for that loss. It’s easier to forget, because we played so well after that. They should be proud of themselves.’’ It was a spectacular season. The only regular-season blip came on Sept. 24, when the Reivers lost in five sets at Central Community College in Columbus, Neb. “We had our one time of distress that we didn’t control,’’ Iowa Western coach Alicia Williams said. “And our faces were scared, and it was like last year’s season all over again. It was midpoint in the season. We were just kind of settling and winning easy. We didn’t have a lot of stress in our lives, and so when the stress came, we didn’t know how to deal with it.’’ The Reivers closed out their 13th national appearance after winning their ninth straight Region XI title. All-American outside hitter Aly Dawson, an Illinois State recruit, earned all-tournament recognition at nationals for the second straight year. Iowa Western will move on seven sophomores: Dawson, Kassidy Sullivan, Kathia (Nicole) Sanchez, Elly Targy, Casey Curran, Janae Haag and Winnie Cupertino. “It’s a good group of girls,’’ Williams said. “They all got along well. They played well together. That’s something that stinks about a two-year school. You lose half your teammates each year.’’

2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle

* MORE THURSDAY FRIDAY

KIRN MIDDLE SCHOOL Students go above and beyond to make a difference Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

hat started as a sock drive at Kirn Middle School blossomed into a collection requiring a moving truck to haul donations to the Phoenix House. Teacher Mandie Jones wanted the school to participate in Socktober, a national campaign to collect donations for the homeless spearheaded by YouTube personality Kid President, when she first heard about the program last year. For the school’s inaugural effort, she and other staff members hoped to collect an average of two pairs of socks for each student in the building. Items were assigned a point value: a half-point for toiletries, one point for clothing and two points for toys. “Our school goal was 1,980 points,” Jones said. “We exceeded our goal by more than 500 percent.” As items were counted, they were bagged and stuffed into display cases, which reached the point of nearly bursting. On another day, organizers ran out of storage room and had to start putting items in classrooms. Jones, a seventh-grade math teacher, had her students help count donations during advisement periods. One of the students helping to count items, Abigail Gray, almost made it through the doors of a classroom before the bag of clothes she was carrying ruptured and spilled onto the floor. An eighth-grader at Kirn Middle School, Abigail cleaned out her closet to gather several bags for the Socktober drive. She and her friend Kelsie Kermeen helped go through each other’s belongings for donations. “It’s just some old stuff I don’t need, and some people need that sort of stuff,” Abigail said. “It is just sad to think that people out there don’t have enough money for toys.” The moving company Reitz Way stepped in to help the school transport everything to the Phoenix House, Jones said. In total, they collected 10,271 points, and Jones said Socktober is just one of many drives held at the school this year. “I was overwhelmed with the response in the first week when we reached over half of our goal for the whole project,” Principal Melissa Byington said. “The feeling of amazement continued as week after week the donations poured in.” Students realized that something small, such as a pair of socks, can make a difference. Middle-schoolers are learning who they are and deciding who they want to be, so the lessons learned from the donation drive and the positive connections cannot be underestimated, she said. “They love the feeling that they are helping another family or individual,” Byington said. “The enthusiasm of a few was contagious, and it made a lasting impact.” Superintendent Martha Bruckner said she was proud of the effort, and she said the district’s students and staff have always shown their care and concern for the community. The Socktober drive, however, invited more involvement than usual. “Kirn kids care, and that is evident by their amazing contributions to this effort,” she said. “Competition added some thrill to the project, but I know that the real reason for the enthusiastic response was that our students want to help others who are less fortunate.” One Wednesday during the drive was hat day, where students could give $1 toward the

‘Kirn kids care, and that is evident by their amazing contributions to this effort. Competition added some thrill to the project, but I know that the real reason for the enthusiastic response was that our students want to help others who are less fortunate.’ – Martha Bruckner, Superintendent, Council Bluffs Community Schools

MASSAGE

2008-2014

DAILY NONPAREIL

Current Special: $27 for 30 min. massage Offer expires 12/31/14

Top 3 Benefits of Massage Therapy: • Pain Relief • Decrease Stress • Boost Your Immunity

Receive 2 FREE Yoga Classes Staff photos/Joe Shearer

Above, Kirn Middle School teacher Amanda Jones, right, and seventh-grader Ethan Shellito discuss storage options for the surplus of donated goods Kirn students brought in to recognize the Socktober, a national drive to provide clothes and other goods for those in need. Top right, Kirn eighth-graders Abigail Gray, right, and Kelsie Kermeen count donated items that their class contributed to the clothing drive. Socktober effort to wear a hat for the day. Eighth-grader Seth Beaman was walking the halls that afternoon wearing a baseball glove on his head. Seth said he brought three hats to school: an inappropriately large wig, an inappropriately themed hat and a comical

but appropriate baseball glove. But he said the strong showing of support for Socktober was “pretty sweet” and said he hopes Kirn continues to do similar activities. “I think it’s awesome,” he said. “There’s a lot of people we can help.”

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

• JAMIE L. COX • LEE R. RANKIN

• LONNY L. KOLLN II • BENJAMIN J. WISCHNOWSKI

• FRANK W. PECHACEK, JR. OMAHA, NE 712.322.6000

TREYNOR, IA 712.487.3444

OAKLAND, IA 712.482.6999

HARLAN, IA 712.755.1111

CARROLL, IA 712.792.0001

CLARINDA, IA 712.542.1070

421 W. BROADWAY, SUITE 200, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA 51503 712.322.6000 OR WWW.WILLSONPECHACEK.COM

We’ll Help You Find Your Comfort Zone Over 25 Years of Experience

Phil Brainard, Owner

• Residential Specialist • Sales • Service • Installation • Flat Rate Pricing • Free Estimates on Installs

712-256-9686 Council Bluffs, IA

www.philscomfortzone.com PROUD MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL BLUFFS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

with mention of this ad.

1-800-930-8803 www.flex-pt.com

928 Valley View Drive, Suite 7 Council Bluffs Most Insurances. Cash.

• 24 Hour Skilled Nursing Care. • Physical, Occupational, & Speech Therapy • Resident Outings to local attractions. (Casino, Zoo, etc.) • Assisted Living with Meals, Laundry & Housekeeping Glen Haven Home & Linnwood Estates Assisted Living focus on our residents’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. We are committed to providing compassionate support for both resident and family members. 302 Sixth Street • Glenwood, IA 51534 • glenhavenhome.com For Skilled Admission, please contact Denise Chambers, Social Services,

712-527-3101

For Assisted Living, please contact Linda Wiser, LPN,

712-527-1035

2014 Year in Review

8C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP BUSINESS STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 10-12

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

10. New cement plant 11. Broadway’s fast food changes 12. Gorilla Car Wash gorilla gets a name

Business Stories

TODAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6

BUSINESS PARK

Midstates Bank takes over Shoppes of Madison Avenue Scott Stewart

File photo

Business Stories

7 NEW LOOK Successful fundraising campaign for The Center’s renovations

CONVENIENCE Casey’s 9 STORE KING continues to grow

Business Stories

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

Approximately $528,000 was raised for three major renovation projects at The Center.

FRIDAY: Stories 1-3

Midstates Bank wants to help transform the Shoppes at Madison Avenue into a business park instead of just a strip mall. Mike Kenealy, the location president of the bank, said Midstates purchased half of the commercial space this summer when it came up for sale. “We decided that we were leasing the facility and it looked like a good opportunity for us to secure our location,” he said. “We were interested in being more invested in our facility to improve our looks and maintain them.” Midstates Bank’s main Council Bluffs branch is located at 1851 Madison Ave. The bank also has a branch at the Omni Centre, as well as in Avoca, Harlan, Missouri Valley and Mondamin. Kenealy said the bank owns 51 percent of the upper portion of the property, which includes hose bays running from the bank to the area underneath the “Shoppes at Madison Avenue” sign. Heartland Properties is leasing a bay on the other side of the complex. “When we took over, some businesses left,” Kenealy said. “We’re kind of restricting to more of a business park atmosphere. We’re looking for special businesses to go into the bays.” The area already has Puerto Vallarta anchoring the other side of the mall with a Mexican restaurant. “Like any mall that you put in there, you need to find the right chemistry,” Kenealy said. “You get too many restaurants or too many of the same sector, they just fight each other.” So that’s why Midstates is looking to shift toward professional office space. The bank has three open bays, two suitable for small businesses and one larger spot for a “fairly good-sized business,” he said. “We felt the business park concept would further complement the bank,” he said. “We like the location and we like the facility.”

Casey’s General Stores continued to grow in the area this year with replacement of its store at 19900 Virginia Hills Road and completion of a new store at 111 Mormon Bridge Road in Crescent. In the last four years, acquisitions of several other chains put Casey’s in Bellevue, Neb., and Omaha and doubled its presence in Council Bluffs to six stores. Casey’s, based in Ankeny, now has 13 locations in the Omaha metro area, with more to come. The convenience store chain, which originally focused on rural areas, is finding pay dirt in Omaha’s suburbs and other more densely populated areas. Expansion into cities has pushed Casey’s revenue up to $7.25 billion in fiscal year 2013 from $4.69 billion four years earlier. More than 16 percent of its stores are now in cities of more than 20,000 people, compared with 11 percent a decade ago. The convenience stores have their own kitchens, where workers make fresh bread for the store’s sandwich shop, doughnuts and pizza. “We’re trying to get more of a presence in the Omaha metro area,” Casey’s chief financial officer, Bill Walljasper, told the Omaha WorldHerald. “We’ve found that metro area to be a very good partnership.” He said the chain is looking at new locations in the metro area but would not say how many or where. Casey’s has replaced or remodeled most of its urban and suburban stores with bigger models as it competes with chains like Omaha- based Bucky’s and West Des Moines -based Kum & Go, which also are building more and larger stores in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. Casey’s new store design expands the highly profitable, fast-growing sales of prepared food and fountain drinks, a strategy the chain and its competitors are using as industry-wide sales

of cigarettes fall and growth of lower-margin fuel sales slows. Gasoline brings in 72 percent of Casey’s revenue but just 22 percent of gross profits, while prepared food and fountain drinks have the highest profit margin, according to BH Media News Service. Casey’s expansion is part of a growth trend across the convenience store industry – in terms of both store size and numbers. The National Association of Convenience Stores counts nearly 1,000 convenience stores in Nebraska, up 2.9 percent since 2009. Casey’s has 495 stores in Iowa, where the total number of stores is more than 1,800, up 3.8 percent during the same period. The numbers shrank in both states after the 2008 recession but have rebounded since 2012. New stores are also getting bigger nationwide, at an average of 3,590 square feet – 31 percent bigger than the average existing store. That’s to accommodate food service. In January, QSR magazine warned its quick -serve restaurant subscribers that convenience stores are “eating your lunch,” taking business away from restaurants as the stores increase the quality of their offerings. The magazine cited a Technomic report that found that 26 percent of convenience store customers would have purchased their meal or snack from a fast-food restaurant if they hadn’t bought it in a convenience store. Walljasper said a rural location is ideal for food service, with fewer competitors. But even in Omaha’s suburbs, he said, a convenience store can still compete with restaurants on quick service and an array of offerings. “It offers an opportunity for customers, especially in metropolitan areas that are a little more on the go than in rural areas, the opportunity to stop in and be the one-stop shop,” he said. – Material from BH Media News Service was used in this article.

Tim Rohwer

trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

In just a few weeks, the Council Bluffs Senior Center will start getting a new look, made possible by the generosity of many. “It was a good (fundraising) campaign,” Tom Jensen, the center’s director, said recently. “We’re really thrilled.” From donations large and small, from corporations and individuals, approximately $528,000 was raised for three major renovation projects at the facility on South Main Street, according to Jensen. The first one, beginning in early next month, involves expansion of the men’s and women’s locker facilities. The plan is to add more showers, new lockers and expand the dressing area making it easier for the physically challenged, Jensen said. “We’re accommodating more people with motion issues.” In a recent survey members expressed concerns about the condition of the lockers, he added. That phase will cost about $275,000, he said. The second project will install new lines of fitness equipment that are more interactive with the user than previous models. “They will also have more specific activities to help those with balance issues,” Jensen said. “We’ll be adding a lot of new equipment, though some current equipment will be retained.” Altogether, $120,000 from the fund drive will pay for this renovation phase, he said. The third and final project will involve general updating around the facility, including new floors, new walls and doors, new tables for the banquet rooms and other physical improvements, along with a new phone system. HGM Associates has been hired as the architects for the projects, with the ConStruct Co., the contractor selected, he said. It’s hoped that disruption from any construction will be kept to a minimum, Jensen said. June is the target date for completion of all three projects, he added. The center currently has 1,729 members, and thousands of others use it for various functions, he said.

At #22332

#22493

#4602P3F

2014 Ford

ESCAPE

FOCUS SE

Rear camera, remote keyless entry, 7 air bags, blind spot mirrors

Sync, power windows & locks, tilt, speed control, AM/FM, CD, ABS brakes

#22370

2015 Ford

2014 Ford

ESCAPE SE 4X4 AWD F-150 SUPER CAB Keyless entry, fog lights, 17” XLT 4X4 wheels, satellite radio, Sync, tilt,

FUSION S

$18,950 MSRP

$24,100 MSRP

#22483

2015 Ford

Power windows & locks, speed control, air

Premium Package, trailer tow, sync, chrome package brake controller, AM/FM CD

speed control

$27,840 MSRP

$23,225 MSRP

$42,735 MSRP

Dream Big Price Dream Big Price

Only 1 Available

Dream Big Price Dream Big Price

$14,790

$19,990

After Rebates

Including Ford Motor Credit & IA Farm Bureau Member Rebate

Lease For

Includes Ford Motor Credit & IA Farm Bureau Member Rebate

$18,890 $258/mo *

$24,0001 Dream Big Price * $31,250 $279/mo After Rebates

Including Ford Motor Credit & IA Farm Bureau Member Rebate

Lease For

+ tax, title & license

Includes Ford Motor Credit, IA Farm Bureau Member & Ford Trade-In Assistance Rebate

*All Ford & Factory Rebates Assigned to Dealer. + 36 month lease. Includes RCL Rebate assigned to dealer. Option to purchase at end of lease is $12,773.75. Security deposit waived. WAC. 10,500 mileage per year. 1st payment due at inception. Expires 1/5/15 1 36 month lease. Includes RCL Rebate assigned to dealer. Option to purchase at end of lease is $16,431.40. Security deposit waived. WAC. 10,500 mileage per year. 1st payment due at inception. Expires 1/5/15

#24795A

2006 Pontiac

V-6 automatic with panoramic roof

6,000

#22294C

2002 Ford

F-150 4x4

Extended cab, XLT package, local trade-in

7,500

#24790

2008 Honda

Accord

Local trade-in, EX package, power moonroof

9,800

#24800A

#22321A

2013 Ford

Over 40 Certified Pre-owned

Vehicles Starting At

12,500

F-150 XL

1 owner, local trade-in, 17,000 miles

17,000

#22407B

2004 Ford

F-350 Lariat 4x4

Diesel, studded heads, stainless steel exhaust and new intercooler

18,500

800-432-9837 • 712-366-0531 • www.McMullenFord.com 6 years 3401 South Expressway, Council Bluﬀs, IA Take the I-80 Lake Manawa Exit, Turn South

Store Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-9:00pm • Saturday 8:00am-6:00pm

200

DAILY N9O-2014

NPAREIL

excell ence

2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

TOP WEIRD STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 7-8

TODAY: Stories: 5-6 THURSDAY: Stories 3-4

7. Man traces roots back to 1500s 8. Tractor murals in Mills County

‘NO RISK’

Weird Stories

Taxidermist’s leftovers make unique store piece

MISSOURI VALLEY – The Frankenrat is monstrous but adorable. But customers who saw the creature that resembles a vampire squirrel with duck feet say it’s part of the allure at This N That, which was a furniture and thrift store in Missouri Valley. The store closed in August due to online revenue exceeding store sales. Frankenrat is the product of a taxidermist’s leftovers, said Dale Divis who owned the store with his wife, Bobbi. In fact, the creature was so popular that customers asked Divis to place him near the storefront. “They love it,” he said. “They just get freaked out.” In addition to oddities, the Missouri Valley couple specialized in used furniture, which they delivered to cities such as Woodbine, Council Bluffs, Omaha and Blair, Nebraska. Divis started selling used items in 1999. He previously owned a shop in Ida Grove but moved to Missouri Valley

Student volunteers to isolation after ‘scare’

TREYNOR – Treynor, Iowa is a long way from West Africa, but the recent Ebola outbreak there brought some unanticipated concerns to the small Pottawattamie County town. That’s because of a Treynor High School student’s travel to the central African country of Uganda. Treynor Superintendent Kevin Elwood released a statement that a concern about a student traveling to Uganda on a mission trip was brought to the attention of school officials. Elwood said the Treynor Community School District reached out to the student’s family as well as the Iowa Department of Public Health and the school’s attorney. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking travelers to avoid nonessential trips to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and to practice enhanced precautions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda is located in central Africa and borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It is located halfway across the continent from the west African nations where active Ebola cases are found. A factsheet from the Iowa Department of Health advises schools that students with “someone in their household or a close contact recently returned from Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia” should not be excluded from school because they pose “no risk to others at the school, and needs to continue his/her education.” The unnamed student had agreed to voluntary self-isolation for 21 days upon returning, Elwood said. “Our student is considered low risk for contracting the virus,” he said. “However, the family has taken into consideration concerns raised by others.”

A+ Rating

THE TALE OF FRANKENRAT

Weird Stories

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

FRIDAY: Stories 1-2

different than others because he doesn’t pick up items that require additional refurbishing. “It’s gotta be in good shape,” he said. “I don’t want junk. I want to be a different thrift store that’s a lot nicer.” Other wares included cookie jars from the 1950s, peculiar lamps and a trove of chests. “It’s stuff you can’t get at a normal store,” Divis said But as fewer customers visFile photo

Frankenrat was a unique piece of taxidermy at This N That in Missouri Valley. in 2013 after he realized his businesses required a larger location. Items varied from things pristine and pretty to unusual and ugly. However, the variety got customers in the door and talking about the business, Divis said. “If they come in one time, they’ll come back,” he said. Divis said his store was

ited the store, Divis’ 60-hour work weeks became less productive and profitable. The store generated most of its profit from online sales, Divis said. “I want to run it right, or I don’t want to be able to do it,” he said. Divis said closing the store would give him and his wife a break from furniture sales and thrifting. They plan to take a year off to travel the West Coast.

“ON SALE, LIMITED TIME ONLY” POWER MOBILITY BUNDLE INCLUDES:

LITERIDER POWER CHAIR, OUTSIDE VEHICLE LIFT, SWING AWAY ARM AND POWER CHAIR COVER

Pinched Nerve/Neck Pain/Headaches With the advanced, state of the art techniques we use at Advanced ChiroCare we have helped thousands of people who had all but given up on ever feeling normal again. Dr. Dan Kjeldgaard is the only doctor in Southwest Iowa who uses these techniques.

R.J. Nelson Co Affordable Comfort You Can Trust Heating and Air Conditioning

$3,500 Dr. Dan Kjeldgaard

(Price includes installation, appointment needed) On Sale through December 2014. Limited quantities.

Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

2437 Ave. M • Council Bluffs 712-322-7574 • www.rjnelsonco.com - Free Estimates - 0% Financing - Service All Brands

7 N. Sixth St. • 712.256.5440

Check us out: www.directory.southwestiowanews.com

Looking to buy or sell a house in 2015? Todd Cook Realtor

1032 Woodbury Ave. Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Cell: (402) 250-2169 Fax 712-325-1656

Gladys Danker

535 West Broadway Council Bluffs Iowa 51503 toddcook@heartlandproperties.com

Office: 712-328-5008 Cell: 402-689-3100 gdanker@npdodge.com • www.npdodge.com

MARK HANWRIGHT

Patti Wiggins, GRI

Realtor

BROKER / OWNER

2014

DAILY NONPARE

Cell: 402-516-6670 Office: 712-325-0445 www.hanwrighthomes.com mark@hanwrighthomes.com

829 Avenue A • Council Bluffs, IA 51501 Ofﬁce: 712-322-2204 • Cell: 402-707-8066 Fax: 712-328-7354 Email: pwiggins@exitrealtyresource.com Visit our website to ﬁnd out more about us:

www.exitrealtyresource.com

EXIT REALTY RESOURCE

JASON M. JAMES Realtor

2014

DAILY NONPARE

Cell: 402-690-2489

535 W. Broadway, Ste. 100, Council Bluffs

jason@jasonjames.com

Call one of these local real estate agents!

2701 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs 712-328-2288 • www.mobilismed.com

2014 Year in Review

10C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

PEOPLE & THINGS TO WATCH IN 2015 TODAY: Joni Ernst & David Young u Tom Hanafan & Justin Schultz u Mark Brandenburg TUESDAY: Presidential Candidates u Mark Eckman u New Superintendents

THE RECORDER

NEW KIDS ON THE HILL

Brandenburg trades state house for county courthouse

Ernst, Young head to Washington Mike bell

Mbell@nonpareilonline.com

Two Iowans will have the honor to represent the people on Capitol Hill next year. United States Senator-elect Joni Ernst and Rep. David Young were elected in November. Young defeated former state Sen. Staci Appel of Ackworth. Ernst will be the first female senator ever elected from Iowa after defeating Bruce Braley. Young is the former chief of staff for Sen. Charles Grassley. After being a candidate for U.S. Senate, he switched to the 3rd district race. He finished fifth in the primary but won the nomination among six candidates at a special convention in Urbandale in June. A sixth-generation Iowan, Young grew up in Van Meter. After high school, he attended Buena Vista University, then graduated from Drake University. He was Grassley’s chief of staff for seven years. “You don’t get to know Iowans any better,” Young said about working with Grassley. Young said he originally planned to seek the 3rd District seat, which covers the Des Moines metropolitan area and southwest Iowa to the Missouri and Nebraska borders. But Young had also assumed that retiring Rep. Tom Latham would run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring five-term Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. Instead, Latham, a 10-term veteran, declined to run in February and announced he planned to forgo a campaign for an 11th term. Ernst, of Red Oak, ran a disciplined campaign and projected the persona of a smalltown Iowan, military veteran and state legislator. Braley, 57, a four-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, focused more on presenting issue differences and billed himself as a consumer advocate. The Ernst-Braley race was among the closest in the nation, and the campaign for the seat will be the most expensive in Iowa history. Iowa was one of the keys for the Democratic Party to hold onto control of the Senate. The battle for the first open U.S. Senate seat in Iowa in 40 years was by far the most expensive campaign in state history. Both Braley and Ernst raised more than $10 million, and outside groups spent additional millions on television advertising. Beyond the barrage of political ads, celebrities were brought in by both camps to make pitches to voters. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul campaigned for Ernst, along with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Ernst also drew support from voters who said they followed this year’s political campaigns closely. Braley, on the other hand, appeared to do well among those who thought the country was on the right track and those who approved of same-sex marriage and legalized abortion. Ernst submitted her formal resignation from the Iowa State Senate on Nov. 28. The governor said Ernst has served her state and country as a soldier in the Iowa National Guard, local elected official and as a state senator. “Though I’m disappointed to lose Sen.-Elect Ernst’s leadership in the Iowa Legislature, I know she will be a strong voice of Iowa common sense in Washington, D.C.,” Branstad said.

SUPERVISORY ROLES

Hanafan, Schultz join Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors Tim Rohwer trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

Retirement from the local political scene didn’t last long for Tom Hanafan. Less than a year after he gave up the Council Bluffs mayor’s chair following 25 years of service, Hanafan won a seat on Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors. In the Nov. 4 mid-term election, he was the runaway winner among four candidates seeking three seats. Hanafan received 14,523 votes, with incumbent Scott Belt receiving 13,810. Newcomer Justin Schultz won the last seat by beating out incumbent Loren Knauss, 12,699 to 12,505. Going around the county to determine whether to run, the message was clear, the former mayor said. Hanafan, who criticized the recent 17 percent tax hike the board approved for next year’s budget, said, if elected, he would study county employee costs, the services the county provides and how to best use taxpayer

money in the future. Bonding for the county has climbed 128 percent in recent years, he added. “Taxes continue to go up. Concerning roads and bridges, what is the plan there?” Hanafan said on public concerns. “The county is looking for more leadership.” He would like to hold public hearings on budget matters on evenings when more people can attend, Hanafan added. Concerning his performance, Schultz said, “I put my heart and soul in the campaign, and the good effort paid off. The bottom line is we need new leadership – and the people spoke, and we have it.” When the current county board passed a double-digit tax increase this spring, Schultz said that was a “significant part” of his win. Schultz grew up in Lewis Township and attended Lewis Central High School. In November of 2000, he joined the Iowa Army National Guard just two months after turning the age of 17 and less

Your source for Youth sports! • Football • Indoor Soccer • Baseball/Softball • Basketball

It Starts in Parks! Council il Bl Bluffs ff P Parks k &R Recreation t 209 Pearl St. • 712-328-4650 www.cbparksandrec.org

than a year before 9/11. Schultz pointed to his 14 years in the Iowa National Guard, years that helped train him to be unafraid of making hard decisions. Schultz said he ran for office to make a positive impact on the county. Concerning his performance, Schultz said, “I put my heart and soul in the campaign, and the good effort paid off. The bottom line is we need new leadership – and the people spoke, and we have it.” When the current county board passed a double-digit tax increase this spring, Schultz said that was a “significant part” of his win. On taxes, Schultz believes there is room for lower taxes, adding that he would study all projects and their necessity. Other funds need to be studied, he added, mentioning the current fund drive for a new YMCA. “We need to look beyond taxes,” Schultz said.

Mark Brandenburg may have left the Iowa Legislature, but not public service. The Council Bluffs native defeated Democrat Flory Blount for the county recorder’s position in the Nov. 4 general election. “While I am sad that I will not be seeking re-election to the House, I am excited for a new opportunity to represent you as your county recorder,” the Republican said during his campaign announcement in August. “I look forward to utilizing my experiences, knowledge, educational background and things I have learned in the Legislature to serve the citizens of Pottawattamie County at this more local level.” A lifelong resident of the county, Brandenburg graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and later received an Associate of Arts Degree from Iowa Western Community College and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Bellevue University in Nebraska. He worked 34 years for the Omaha Public Power District. Before entering management at OPPD, he was a long-time member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1483. He was also an adjunct instructor for 10 years at IWCC. Brandenburg was elected in 2010 to the Legislature as the representative for House District 100. Due to redistricting, he successfully ran for District 15 which consisted of approximately 70 percent of his old district. Brandenburg replaces longtime recorder John Sciortino, who is retiring. In preparation for his new duty, Brandenburg spent weeks working in training with Sciortino, as well as training in Des Moines.

2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

11C

PEOPLE WHO MOVED ON IN 2014 TODAY: Eric Hansen u Chris Higginbotham u Art Hill u Loren Knauss TUESDAY: Joe Ankenbauer u Mike Barker u Keith Bartels u Lisa Fox

HILL HANSEN opts out of Mills County election bid to spend more time with family

GLENWOOD – Former Mills County Attorney Eric Hansen did not seek re-election this year so he could spend more time with his family and daughter, who was very ill last year. “I knew it was going to be a contested election coming up, and, quite frankly, my daughter was seriously ill and had to have a bone marrow transplant last May,” Hansen said. “As a result of that, I emotionally did not have anything left in the tank to do a contested election.” Hansen was admitted to the bar in Iowa in 1998, and Nebraska in 1999. He was admitted to the bar of the United States District Court Southern District of Iowa and Nebraska in 1999. He is a graduate of Creighton University School of Law, and a member of the Iowa Bar Association, Nebraska Bar Association and American Bar Association. Hansen is now an attorney with the Council Bluffs law firm of Gallner & Pattermann P.C. He was hired as an assistant Mills County attorney in February 2003, became full-time assistant in 2006 and became county attorney in 2011. Patricia McSorley succeeded him.

leaving city’s finance office more money in the bank, less debt than 6 years ago

Council Bluffs has more money in the bank now as well as less debt than six years ago, according to the man who oversaw the city’s finances during this period. “Over the last six years, we took in $616,593,081 and spent $610,696,071,” said Art Hill, the city’s finance director. “Over the last six years, for every $100 we spent, we took in $101 and didn’t raise our tax rate.” Hill, who came to City Hall in August of 2008, retired on Dec. 10. He left behind an impressive record of accomplishments. Today, for example, the city has cash reserves totaling $47,215,877, compared to $41,318,868 on July 1, 2008, the start of fiscal year 2009, all while reducing its debt by more than $10 million, Hill said. In July 2008, the city had $74,294,926 in debt obligations, mostly in

HIGGINBOTHAM KNAUSS to move east

There’s a lot of shipping and receiving in the grocery business. And, as of Dec. 30, Chris Higginbotham, director of the Hy-Vee Food Store at 2323 W. Broadway, will be shipping out. He will be received by a Hy-Vee store in Peru, Ill. “It’s just a new challenge,” he said. “I’ve been around here a while.” Higginbotham, who grew up in Council Bluffs and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, will apply some of the expertise he has gained from starting a new store in his new position. “They just went through a remodel and have all the latest and greatest, and we sort of went through that,” he said. There are other similarities between the two locations, Higginbotham added.

“It’s a little bit smaller community, and, like Council Bluffs, it’s community-based – and we like that,” he said. “That’s a community that has supported their Hy-Vee a lot like Council Bluffs has supported ours.” Higginbotham’s older son, a senior at Lewis Central High School, will finish the year in Council Bluffs and graduate from Lewis Central, he said. His younger son, too, will finish the year here. “I’ll just move up there now, and then we’ll move the rest of the troops in probably June or July,” he said. Higginbotham has been a store director in Council Bluffs for about six years and has been with Hy-Vee for 26 years. Prior to that, he worked at Rog & Scotty’s Super Valu in Council Bluffs for nine years.

Like NonpareilOnline.com on Facebook

general obligation bonds. Today, the debt obligation totals just $63,869,474, he added. “I think we’ve progressed as a city. I think we’ve done very well over that time.” And, these positive financial changes came during a major nationwide economic crisis, along with one of the worst flooding situations in this area’s history. “There was the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, which was nationwide, and we got through that without any great negative impact,” Hill said. “Then, there was the 2011 flood and we also built a big project, the Tom Hanafan park.” For those who may think he may be tooting his own horn while discussing the city’s financial growth during his tenure, he instead called it “a team effort.” “We’ve got a lot of good development going on, and we’ve done well with our new mayor (Matt Walsh), who is setting a good direction for the future. It’s an exciting time to be in Council Bluffs.” Hill plans to travel some and spend more time as a member of Alegent Mercy’s Patient Family Advisory Committee. “Does this mean I will stop working? Probably not,” Hill said. On the day Hill officially stepped down, Janae Sternberg, a financial executive with Harrah’s and Horseshoe casinos, took over his position.

looks to the future

A longtime fixture on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors is moving on to other challenges. Loren Knauss failed to win re-election this fall for a fourth term on the board, coming in last among four candidates for three seats up for grabs. Incumbent Scott Belt and first-time board candidates Justin Schultz and Tom Hanafan, former Council Bluffs mayor, were chosen. Knauss, who has been quiet about his future plans, first took office in January 2003. He worked to introduce and develop the county’s Animal Control Department and the Medical Examiners Office, and was active in the development of the Pottawattamie County Veteran Coalition and the Southwest Iowa Animal Coalition as the facilitator. DIAMOND SALES & SERVICE • WATCH REPAIR • CUSTOM DESIGN JEWELRY REPAIR • LOOSE COLORED GEMSTONE SALES

MARTI LYNCH Phone (712) 325-0414

126 E. BROADWAY SUITE 3 COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA 51503

www.lynchsjewelrycb.com

twitter.com @NonpareilOnline

Visit us at www.NonpareilOnline.com

Visit us at m.NonpareilOnline.com

2014 Year in Review: Monthly Recaps

12C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

APRIL

Trials, grants and retirements all in

File photos Clockwise from top left, Retired Council Bluffs Police Chief Ralph O’Donnell, right, hugs officer Cathy Russell April 4 during a retirement party at the Council Bluffs Public Library; center, Iowa School for the Deaf finalist Steve Gettel; Rebecca Beyer, left, speaks with her defense attorney, Bill McGinn, while walking into court in April. Beyer was charged with first-degree kidnapping and willful injury causing serious injury for alleged abuse of her 21-year-old stepson. The new Alegent Creighton Clinic, 3135 W. Broadway, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting April 24; Bloomer Elementary student Jaela Leuschen, left, plays on her school playground’s monkey bars with assistance from her mother, Danyelle Cavin April 16. Council Bluffs students had spring break from school in the month of April.

Ashlee Coffey

acoffey@nonpareilonline.com

“Omni Omni listened and an ided the he treatmen treatme tr men me n provided treatment t I needed to get the beautiful, sparkling spa spa parkli rkling rkli ng smile I have ttoday!”

Call today to receive our Snow White Winter Whitening Special, 50% off from now-February 14th. You can have the FRQÀGHQFH that comes from a bright, white smile! Call: 402-298-5359 • www.OmniDentalCentre.com

Two locations Council Bluffs or Carter Lake •

/OmniDentalCentre

dŚĞ ŝĨĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ŝƐ ŽƵƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ͊

ϭϱϮϬ ͘ ^ŽƵƚŚ KŵĂŚĂ ƌŝĚŐĞ ZĚ͘ ŽƵŶĐŝů ůƵĨĨƐ͕ / ϱϭϱϬϯ ϳϭϮͲϯϴϴͲϵϳϰϰ ǁǁǁ͘ĐĨŝƚŝƌĞĐď͘ĐŽŵ

WĂƐƐĞŶŐĞƌ Θ >ͬd dŝƌĞƐ͗ • • • •

DƵůƚŝƉůĞ ƌĂŶĚƐ ŝŶ ^ƚŽĐŬ ,ƵŐĞ ^ŝǌĞ ^ĞůĞĐƚŝŽŶ &ůĂƚ ZĞƉĂŝƌƐ EĞǁ ĂŶĚ hƐĞĚ

ƵƚŽ ZĞƉĂŝƌ͗ • • • •

ůŝŐŶŵĞŶƚƐ ƌĂŬĞƐ ^ŚŽĐŬƐͬ^ƚƌƵƚƐ Kŝů ŚĂŶŐĞƐ

3DVVHQJHU /LJKW 7UXFN ² 0HFKDQLFDO

n late April, Mayor Matt Walsh and officials from the Council Bluffs Parks Department and Iowa West Foundation unveiled the remaining lineup for Loessfest 2014. Loessfest, which began on May 25, was held at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, an 85-acre preserve and recreational area located on the Iowa side of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that stretches north along the riverfront. In addition to a triple concert featuring rock groups Three Dog Night, Loverboy and The Guess Who – which was announced in March – it was announced Loessfest would include “Fireworks for Freedom with the Omaha Symphony,” Movie at the Park Night featuring “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” an Xtreme Obstacle Challenge, Bike the Bluffs, GolfFest, Movie at the Park Night featuring “Despicable Me,” Semi-Pro Football Kicks It at the River and Disney Day at the Park, which ended with a free showing of Disney Pixar’s movie “Monster University.” On April 29, the first day of the first-degree kidnapping trial of Rebecca Beyer took place, with prosecution laying out its case that Beyer abused her special needs stepson, including burning him with heated silverware and held him against his will at the Beyer home. In mid-February 2013, the 20-year-old victim was transported from an Omaha shelter home by a Council Bluffs police officer and discussed alleged abuse by the Beyers. Rebecca Beyer was convicted of first-degree kidnapping and willful injury causing serious injury on May 2. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 10. On April 27, more than 400 people braved the rain and wind to take part in the Gambler 5K and half marathon. The race, which was put on by the Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau, brought in nearly $4,000 for the Methodist Jennie Edmundson Foundation and Sports Medicine department. On April 26, St. Albert Catholic Schools held its annual benefit auction at the Mid-America Center. More than 500 guests attended the event, which included dinner, fellowship and presentations about the benefits of Catholic education. In addition to the auction proceeds, more than $15,000 was donated by the attendees to support launching new engineering courses at the school next year. On the evening of April 26, a 19-year-old Iowa Western Community College student was shot in the upper left arm in the parking lot of a dormitory on the school’s campus. Because of the shooting, the college planned to implement new security measures. According to the 19 year old, the shooting was a Craigslist deal gone wrong. According to the Council Bluffs police, the shooting took place about 5:40 p.m. near Iowa Western’s Reiver Village dormitories. Dalton Crosser and his friend, Nicholas Butorvich, had arraigned to meet someone to sell an item, and they drove to the meeting place in Butorvich’s vehicle. Two men arrived and got into the back seat of the car, where one of them drew a gun and pointed it at Crosser, demanding their wallets. Crosser believed the gun was fake and attempted to grab it, causing a struggle for the gun. Crosser was shot in the upper left arm and shoulder, and the two men fled and drove away, according to police. On April 25, five Council Bluffs educators were honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award by the H.H. “Red” and Ruth H. Nelson Foundation. The award honors outstanding teachers or

counselors from the Council Bluffs and Lewis Central community school districts. Honored this year were Brooke Bunten, a language arts teacher at the Kanesville Alternative Learning Center; Gina Johnson, a second-grade teacher at Titan Hill Intermediate School; Trudy Kimble, a language arts teacher at Lewis Central Middle School; Marleen Peterson, a math teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School; and Heidi White, a kindergarten and first-grade teacher at Kreft Primary School. The Nelsons founded Nelson Insurance Agency, now the SilverStone Group, in 1945. The Nelson Family Foundation was formed in 1997 as a supporting organization of the Omaha Community Foundation. On April 24, the new Alegent Creighton Clinic at 3135 W. Broadway was dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony. Ground was broken April 3, 2013, for construction of the 28,000-squarefoot building on the property. The clinic, which opened to the public April 28, offers family medicine, pediatrics, physical therapy and basic lab and diagnostic services. The new facility replaced clinics at 2201 W. Broadway and 715 Harmony St. On April 23, the Iowa Board of Regents selected Steve Gettel as the next superintendent of the Iowa School for the Deaf and Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Previously, Gettel was the director of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. His official start date was Aug. 1.

On April 10, the Iowa West Foundation, headquartered in Council Bluffs, announced $4.2 million in grants for the first quarter of 2014. The grants went to assist 22 nonprofit organizations and governmental entities with funding for area projects. The largest grant awarded in the quarter was to the Green Hills Area Education Agency for preschool programs in school districts located in Pottawattamie County. The $1.1 million grant went to ensure that 4-year-olds with the most at-risk factors for possible school failure will have the opportunity to participate in quality early childhood education. Additionally, Iowa West awarded a $25,000 grant to the Council Bluffs Community School District, Lewis Central Community Schools, St. Albert Catholic Schools and Green Hills Area Education Agency to partner with Waterloo-based SuccessLink to create a database for evaluating the impact of programs on students. SuccessLink allows school officials to determine the impact community programs like the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA or Scouting have on factors including students’ grades, attendance and graduation. During the early morning hours of April 8, deputies and Iowa State Patrol were called to 303 Brown St. in Oakland following a report of a disturbance. There, they arrested Robert A. Reynolds, 63, after finding Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey, 64, of Atlantic, dead of an apparent gunshot wound. Also inside the home were Reynolds’ wife, Teresa, another woman and a young child, Sheriff Jeff Danker said. None were injured in the incident. This case is believed to be the first murder in Oakland since the November 2006 killing of 24-year-old April Corter. On April 4, a steady stream of family, friends, coworkers and well-wishers filed into the Council Bluffs Public Library meeting room to celebrate the work of Ralph O’Donnell, who retired as the chief of the Council Bluffs Police Department on March 14 after 37 years. Guests included Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, Mayor Matt Walsh, former Mayor Tom Hanafan and representatives from various divisions of the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office and Omaha Police Department. O’Donnell grew up in Omaha, graduating from St. Paul VI High School 1971 and the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1975. His older brother Jack was an Omaha police officer, and Ralph O’Donnell decided to follow him into the profession. Tim Carmody was later hired to replace O’Donnell.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THE EXPERIENCE 715 E. Broadway Council Bluffs 712-256-5188 • HAIR CUTS & STYLES • CHEMICAL SERVICES • SKIN SERVICES • NAIL • WAXING • MASSAGE • WEDDINGS/UPDOS

www.MagerHair.com

Ăůů ƵƐ ƚŽĚĂǇ͊ ϳϭϮͲϯϴϴͲϵϳϰϰ ϴϬϬͲϳϯϰͲϬϭϲϱ Paul Hamilton

Eric Hamilton

Mark Ferdig

Jeremy Davern

Liz Larson

Margaret Depa

Lynette Wiley

Josh Randall

Christopher Kaiser

Bill Powers

Penny Anderson

Accounting & Auditing Services • Tax Preparation Compliance Services • Financial Planning & Consulting Bookkeeping & Payroll Services • CFO Services

20 Pearl Street • Council Bluffs, IA 51503

712.322.0277

www.hamiltonassociatescpa.com

2014 Year in Review: Monthly Recaps

MAY

The Daily Nonpareil

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

13C

gloomy with some bright spots Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

ay 2014 saw a variety of events ranging from crime to progress. The mother of a Lewis Central High School student accepted a plea agreement to reduced charges in late April in an incident where she made a Facebook post which hinted at a school shooting. Teri Pallat, 39, was sentenced to one year of supervised probation, fined $625 and must serve 60 hours of community service. Council Bluffs police arrested Pallat on Dec. 16, 2013, and she was charged with making terroristic threats and first-degree harassment in regard to a social media message. The terroristic threats charge, a Class D felony, was dropped as part of the plea agreement. According to police, the post read: “And they asked why do people shoot up schools, well this is exactly why and when our son does it cause I know he will have nobody to blame but the administration and I promise everyone he will only get the ones that caused this. He is an excellent marks men.” Pallat reported her teenage son had been the victim of ongoing bullying, dating back to September 2012, according to a police report. An incident report regarding an assault on Pallat’s juvenile son was filed with Council Bluffs police in November 2013. The Iowa Legislature reluctantly took up a controversial subject and passed a bill legalizing the use of a form of marijuana oil to treat chronic epilepsy. The measure passed the House 75-20 and the Senate 38-8 at about 4:30 a.m. May 1 as lawmakers pushed toward adjournment. It was later signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. It allows the medical use of oil derived from the cannabis plant as a last-resort treatment for seizures caused by a chronic form of epilepsy. The oil cannot be smoked and doesn’t create a high. It would have to be obtained in another state that produces it. A written recommendation from a neurologist is required. Patients and caregivers must acquire a registration card from Iowa’s Department of Public Health. Mothers of children with epilepsy lobbied lawmakers and are credited with changing the minds of many. The Council Bluffs Water Works reached a huge milestone when it unveiled its new state-of-the art water treatment facility May 3. Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh and other local officials spoke at the dedication of the Council Point Water Purification Plant located at 6401 Gifford Road. The plant is supposed to be able to produce up to 5 million gallons of treated water a day. One of Iowa’s most wanted sex offenders was arrested May 3 in Red Oak. The Red Oak Police Department arrested Travis Lynn Sickels, 34, of Red Oak at 4:34 p.m. near the 300 block of East Market Street in Red Oak on a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender and a warrant in Cass County for failure to pay child support, according to a press release. On Sept. 2, 2013, Sickels was convicted of indecent contact with a female between the ages of 14 and 17. A Council Bluffs man died May 5 after an single-vehicle rollover accident in Cass County. Douglas B. Miller, 37, was pronounced dead at the hospital after a wreck a half-mile east of Cumberland on Quincy Road sometime before 11 p.m., according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. A Medivac ambulance transported Miller to Cass County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It took less than 10 min-

utes May 6 for convicted murderer Anthony “Pookie” Davis to learn he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Davis, 35, of Council Bluffs was sentenced in Douglas County District Court to three consecutive life terms for three counts of first-degree murder. He and co-defendant Timothy “Mont” Britt were found guilty in the July 2012 execution-style shootings of reputed meth dealer Miguel Avalos, 44, and his sons Miguel Jr., 18, and Jose, 16. Davis, also found guilty of three counts of using a weapon to commit a felony, declined to speak. His attorney, Kelly Steenbock, said only that she sincerely believed the shooting deaths were not intentional. During the March trial, prosecutors said Davis and Britt planned to rob Avalos, but the robbery went horribly wrong, ending with the shootings. The father was shot five times in the head. Davis and Britt each was charged with first-degree murder under the felony murder rule, which holds accomplices accountable if someone dies in the commission of a felony such as robbery. In one of the “good news” stories of May, 13 southwest Iowa churches received funds totaling more than $9.3 million on May 8. Bud Skalla bequeathed 98 percent of his estate to Catholic parishes scattered across the area. On May 8, his executors passed on the money. Skalla left St. Mary Church in Portsmouth, where he was a devout attendee for many years, $730,000 – $10,000 of which was earmarked to maintain the St. Mary’s cemetery and graves of the Skalla family. He left $720,000 each to St. Michael, Harlan; St. Peter, Defiance; St. Joseph, Earling; St. Boniface, Westphalia; St. Mary, Panama; St. Patrick, Missouri Valley; St. Anne, Logan; St. Patrick, Dunlap; Sacred Heart, Woodbine; St. Patrick, Neola; St. Rose of Lima, Denison; and St. Patrick, Council Bluffs. Skalla died Nov. 26, 2013, at the age of 92 after a career as a farmer. A Glenwood man was arrested May 9 for kidnapping and sex abuse charges. According to the Glenwood Police Department, Daniel Walden was arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree sex abuse and indecent contact with a child. Police said Walden allegedly sexually abused a child younger than 12 years old after luring the child into his home. First-degree kidnapping is a Class A felony that is punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison. A Council Bluffs man died early May 12 in a single-vehicle accident on North 16th Street. Willie Donald, 72, was southbound in the northbound lanes of North 16th Street south of Nash Boulevard at around 12:40 a.m. when he entered a construction area near the site of the new Walmart, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Shortly after entering the construction area, Donald’s Mercury sport-utility vehicle collided with heavy construction equipment, police said. Council Bluffs Rescue transported Donald to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Dustin M. Brown was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Iowa Fourth District Court Judge Mark Eveloff May 13 for first-degree robbery as part of a plea deal reached between the defense and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office. Around 9 a.m. on Jan. 22, Brown broke into the home of 59-year-old Carmen Morales, beating the woman with a tire iron and threatening her life while removing TVs, game consoles and a safe from her home. Police and the county attorney’s office said Brown also hit Morales in the head with a cellphone, dragged her upstairs by

her hair and kicked her. Unknown to Brown, Morales’ daughter had placed a hidden camera inside the home, which captured much of the incident on video. Brown has an extensive criminal history, with run-ins with the law dating back to his years as a juvenile, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said. For the incident with Morales, the state originally charged Brown with firstdegree kidnapping, seconddegree kidnapping, first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery. In exchange for a guilty plea to the robbery charge, a Class B felony, prosecutors dismissed the other three counts. The robbery conviction carries a 25-year prison term, with Brown required to serve at least 70 percent of the sentence, meaning he’ll be incarcerated for at least 17½ years. In court, Brown’s attorney, Jennifer Solberg, said the suspect was high on methamphetamine at the time of the crime and has no recollection of the incident, but that he had watched the video. A Treynor teacher and assistant softball coach faces felony sexual exploitation charges after allegations from two former female students. Michael Douglas Travis, 44, turned himself into law enforcement May 20 after a warrant was issued for his arrest as a result of an investigation led by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office that alleged Travis had inappropriately touched two softball players during separate incidents in 2002 and 2006. Travis, who taught fifth grade at Treynor Elementary School, was charged with two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee, Class D felonies. He was placed on paid administrative leave in April. Travis was taken to the Pottawattamie County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each charge. His trial has been continued into 2015. An Essex man was killed in a collision at 11:16 a.m. May 24 at the intersection of 110th Street and C Avenue northwest of Essex, according to the Iowa State Patrol. A car driven by Everett Larson, 51, of Imogene, was westbound on 110th Street when it collided with a pickup driven by Gary Williams Sr., 53, of Essex, who was traveling south on C Avenue. Williams was ejected from his truck and was pronounced dead at the scene. Larson was flown by LifeNet helicopter to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha with minor injuries. A Georgia man was killed in a wreck at 4:26 p.m. May 24 along Interstate 80 at the Interstate 680 interchange near Minden. A car driven by Cody Schandelmier, 24, of Council Bluffs and a semi driven by Harold Salmon, 41, of Alpharetta, Ga., were westbound on Interstate 80. Schandelmier’s car was in the right lane, and Salmon’s semi was in the left lane. The car struck the back end of the semi, and both vehicles left the highway and landed on Interstate 680 eastbound below the Interstate 80 bridge. The car stopped on Interstate 680, but the semi ended up in a ditch to the south of the highway, where it caught fire. Salmon was pronounced dead at the scene. Schandelmier and his passenger, Lisa Rieper, 27, of Council Bluffs, were both treated at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and released. Justin James was chosen to be the next chief of the Council Bluffs Fire Department, Mayor Matt Walsh announced May 27. James grew up in Council Bluffs, graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1995. He joined the fire department in September of 1999 and spent eight years as a fire-

File photos From top, Gary Woods, center, examines machinery during an open house of the newly-opened Council Point Water Purification Plant on May 3; inset, Bud Skalla, who died at the age of 92 in late 2013, left assets that could total $10 million – after farmland sales – to 13 southwest Iowa Catholic churches; Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh, right, named Justin James as the new chief of the Council Bluffs Fire Department; Council Bluffs Community School District students with perfect attendance for the 2013-14 school year march toward West Broadway during the first stretch of the Celebrate CB parade on May 17; a rendering of the proposed county veterans affairs building.

fighter before moving on to the fire marshal’s office, where he served as an arson investigator after graduating from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. During that time, James spent more than a year running the regional hazardous materials team. From 2003 until 2010, James also served as the president of the fire union. In January of 2013, Byers promoted James to assistant fire chief, where he managed about 30 people on the “C” shift. Byers retired in August 2013 after 35 years with the department and 19 years as chief. Drawings of the new Pottawattamie County Veterans Affairs building were released May 27 after being approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors. County voters overwhelmingly approved a $1.5 million bond issue in a referendum March 4 to build a structure replacing the outdated 1,600-square-foot veterans office in the annex building on the courthouse grounds. The board then awarded a $78,000 contract to HGM of Council Bluffs to design and oversee construction. The site near the northeast corner of South Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue was selected for its high visibility and easy access, its close proximity to the courthouse and the fact that city buses run along that street, a supervisor said. The brick exterior features a metal roof, as well as a flat roof in the back. The main entrance will face east, and the design was influenced by army barracks, he added. The one-story, 6,300-squarefoot building will provide offices for each of the agency’s four case workers, plus two offices where veterans could meet in private with staff from other related agencies. The plans call for a larger computer data room with privacy, wider hallways, plus a waiting room where veterans could view informational videos or pick up literature. It will be easier for those dealing with disabilities. There would also be a training room for those learning to deal with veterans’ issues or where support groups could hold meetings. The room could also be used by other commu-

nity organizations. In a case involving the abuse of an intellectually challenged adult, Ryan Smith will avoid further jail time if he complies with the terms of a plea agreement reached May 27 in Pottawattamie County court. Smith, 23, pleaded guilty to a charge of being an accessory after the fact for his role in the abuse of his stepbrother, a 21-year-old developmentally delayed man. Judge Timothy O’Grady accepted the plea deal reached by the prosecution and defense, which called for 180 days in jail, with 29 credited for time Smith has already served and the remaining 151 days suspended. Smith’s mother, Rebecca Beyer, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree kidnapping for her role in the abuse of the special needs man. Beyer, her husband, James Beyer, and Smith were all originally arrested and charged with first-degree kidnapping for the abuse, which allegedly involved burning the victim with forks and spoons heated on the stove, keeping the victim chained up in a garage and other physical and verbal abuse. O’Grady placed Smith on two years probation, violation of which would result in completing the 151 days that were suspended. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Amy Zacharias said the probation time could be reduced if Smith follows through on a promise to join the military. Zacharias said Smith confirmed about 90 percent of what the victim told authorities happened to him while he lived with the Beyers. Authorities arrested Daniel Hannan Jr., 39, on May 29 after a standoff that started around 11 a.m. when the Southwest Iowa Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve a warrant on Hannan at 2126 Sixth Ave., according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. As members of the task force arrived at the scene, a single shot was fired by a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, police said. Hannan then retreated inside the house. Hannan was allegedly uncooperative and the police department’s negotiation unit and

other law enforcement agencies were called to the scene. At about 12:15 p.m., officers with the police department’s emergency services team, fully armored, entered the residence and, after a brief conversation with the suspect, apprehended him. Hannan was taken out of the house in handcuffs and – after officers made sure the scene was secure – attended to by Council Bluffs Rescue personnel, who transported the suspect to CHI Health Mercy Hospital for a gunshot wound to his upper right arm. An investigation into the shooting by the marshal later cleared him of criminal wrongdoing. Iowa court records indicate Hannan Jr. has a long history of run-ins with the law. Tyson Foods Inc., which has a plant in Council Bluffs, announced May 29 a proposal to acquire The Hillshire Brands Company for $50 per share in cash. The combination of Tyson and Hillshire would reposition Tyson as a clear leader in the retail sale of prepared foods, with a portfolio of wellrecognized brands, including Tyson, Wright Brand, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, State Fair and Hillshire Farm, analysts said. In particular, Tyson officials believe that the strength of Hillshire’s products in the breakfast category would allow Tyson to capture opportunities from shifting consumer trends in this attractive and fast-growing segment where Tyson has little presence. A Glenwood High School social studies teacher was arrested May 30 for allegedly supplying alcohol to a minor and having a sexual relationship with a student who attended the school. Russell Crouch, 38, of Glenwood was charged with suspicion of sexual exploitation by a school employee, an aggravated misdemeanor, and supplying alcohol to a minor, a serious misdemeanor. If convicted on all charges, Crouch faces up to three years in prison and a maximum $6,750 fine. He also would have to register as a sex offender. Crouch was placed on paid administrative leave on May 19 and resigned on May 21.

14C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

JUNE

2014 Year in Review: Monthly Recaps

The Daily Nonpareil

Police investigate body at Bluffs mall, mayor searches for new police chief

Kirby Kaufman

FOR THE NONPAREIL

n June 2, Council Bluffs police found themselves investigating a dead body found outside of a strip mall just west of Mall of the Bluffs. Council Bluffs Police Sgt. David Dawson said a missing persons report was made on the man Friday evening. He was found deceased by a passerby in the wooded area behind the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage office on Woodbury Avenue. It appears the man committed suicide, Dawson said. Police had searched that general area based on a report of where he was last seen. Police were busy throughout the month as a Council Bluffs man died from his injuries June 6 after a two-vehicle wreck on Valley View Drive. The crash occurred about 6:40 a.m. Mickie Carroll, 37, was northbound on a motorcycle on Valley View at the 800 block when a southbound vehicle attempted to turn into the area businesses, Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Jason Bailey said. James Binns, 66, of Council Bluffs, allegedly turned his car in front of the motorcycle and a collision ensued. Carroll died at the scene, police said. Another fatal crash occurred June 26 when a 22-year-old Honey Creek man died after his truck left a road and rolled into a ditch in Honey Creek. Adam West of Honey Creek was driving a white 2008 Chevy pickup north on 185th Street about 11:50 p.m., said Lt. Dwayne Riche of the Pottawattamie County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office. The vehicle left the road and rolled into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;steepâ&#x20AC;? ditch. West was ejected from the vehicle. He was not wearing a seat belt, Riche said. Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deputies performed CPR on West, who was not breathing. Medical personnel pronounced West dead at the scene. Hundreds of Council Bluffs students put their schoolbooks away and embraced the time-honored tradition of summer vacation. Once schools was out, the summer officially kicked off with Loessfest festivities at Tom Hanafan Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge Park, and in other location throughout town as children attended hydrant parties, free fishing events and more. One of the largest news to come out of June came out of an unemployment benefits case against what is now CHI Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. The documents told the story of a hospital administrator who resigned his post in 2013 after his superiors allegedly refused to tell patients that surgical instruments used on them hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been properly sterilized. Robert Owen Burgin, a registered nurse and the infectioncontrol specialist for Mercy Hospital resigned on April 12, 2013. Records indicated the man quit after making attempts to get permission to tell two patients they were at-risk of infection from blood-borne pathogens because of improperly sterilized surgical instruments used during their operations. A supervisor told him that if he continued to pursue the matter, he would lose his job, he claimed. The situation came to light after Burgin filed for unemployment benefits, and the hospital challenged his claim. Administrative Law Judge Terence Nice ruled in Burginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favor because the nurse â&#x20AC;&#x153;felt intimidated to stop his activities.â&#x20AC;? Burgin became aware of the incidents in late 2012 after overhearing a conversation between hospital employees. He discovered there were six surgical cases in which patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; safety may have been compromised, but only two could be confirmed. The Council Bluffs chapter of Habitat for Humanity opened the doors of its new facility on June 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in a building with a long history, ranging from implement dealer to cereal plant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on South Main Street to nonprofit officials and media members Monday afternoon. Not only did the group gain a new home, but it also helped Council Bluffs gain its newest building on the National Register of Historic Places. For an organization whose goal is to help reinvent low-income areas by revitalizing and rebuilding existing structures, the move embodies many of Habitatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is absolutely fitting that the work of eliminating poverty and creating safe, thriving neighborhoods and growing the mission of the ReStore be done in a repurposed facility that needed more than a little TLC,â&#x20AC;? said Gina Primmer, Habitat for Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director, to visitors in June. The Charles E. Lakin Habitat for Humanity Campus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; named after the renovation projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major donor, along with the Iowa West Foundation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is set to open sometime in July, providing a major upgrade from the nonprofitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current location on Ninth Avenue. Over at Council Bluffs City Hall, Mayor Matt Walsh said June 27 that he had hoped to find a new police chief by early August 2014. Walsh defended the selection process for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next police chief, which was different from the method used when the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire chief was selected. Six candidates were interviewed by a five-member selection board that included the mayor. After the board narrowed its selections, Walsh himself interviewed those individuals before he made his choice that required City Council approval. Walsh ultimately selected Timothy Carmody of Fort Dodge, who served as that cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s police chief. Other candidates included Council Bluffs Police Capt. Terry LeMaster, Randall Aragon of LaMarque, Texas; Yancey Garner of Potomac, Md.; Daniel McGovern of Omaha; and Jeffrey Theulan of Council Bluffs, according to Ellen Stageman, acting director of human resources for the city.

File photos Clockwise from top left, Frank Cates shows off a 3.74-pound largemouth bass, that he caught at Big Lake Park in June; IM5 performs at Tom Hanafan Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge Park as part of the Official Stand Up Tour for the closing Loessfest 2014 event in June. The boy band was joined by Danielle Prou, My Only Escape, The House on the Cliff, Jessie Chris, and American Idolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Robbie Rosen at the anti-bullying concert. Attendees also got to watch a free, post-concert screening of Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Monsters Universityâ&#x20AC;? at the park; left, students at Walnut Grove Elementary School released balloons June 4 to mark their last day of school as well as Walnut Groveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last day as a school. The release was timed to the final word of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirit song; Gaven Adams, 5, laughs as he runs through bursts of water at the fire departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hydrant party near 40th Street and Avenue C on June 10; bottom, Habitat for Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restore will occupy two floors of a renovated building on South Main Street that once housed a cereal factory. Habitat staff gave a tour of their new office space in June.

Your home.Your care.Your pace.

Your home.Your care.Yo home. USE IT. DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;TYour LOSE IT. Your care.Your pace. Your home.Your care.Your pace. Your home is best and Immanuel Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible.

Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program Your is best Immanuel of All-inclusive Care for home the Elderly. We and provide primary Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal is to youascontinue livingdrugs, in your home as long as possible. and hospital carehelp as well prescription adult day services, transportation and so much more to our Use Your FSAYour Health BeneďŹ ts Our programgoal provides a complete system of health care. home is bestparticipants. and Immanuel Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to home, Services are provided inisthe at the The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program Dollars Beforehelp December 31 Center you continue PACE living in yourand home as long as possible. in the community.

of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary If you participate in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) For complete program details and benefits, please call 712-256-PATH (7284). Our program provides aiscomplete system of health care. Your home is your bestemployerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Immanuel Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal to and as well as Immanuel prescription Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drugs, adult goal is through â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cafeteria Planâ&#x20AC;? beneďŹ ts program, Yourhospital homecare is best and The service isthecalled PACE, whichday stands for: Program may be running Some plans require money you help youtime continue livingout. in your home as long as possible. services, transportation and in so your much home more to ourlong as to help you continue living contributed to be spent by December 31, or you risk losing of All-inclusive Care forit.the Elderly. We provideServices primary are provided in the home, atas participants. the Our program provides a complete system of health care. possible. hospital carethat asmay well as prescription drugs, adult Here is a list of vision-relatedand services and expenses 1702 N. 16th Street PACE Center and in the community. The service PACE, which stands for: Program qualifyisforcalled reimbursement: Council Bluffs, IA 51501 day services, transportation and so much more to our www.immanuelpathways.org of All-inclusive Care &ZF )FBMUI &YBNJOBUJPO t $POUBDU -FOTFT for the Elderly. We provide primary For details and benefits, please of call 712-256 participants. Services are provided incomplete the home, at the and Our program provides a complete system health Your home isprogram best Immanuel Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal is to and hospital care as&ZFHMBTTFT t $PNQVUFS &ZFHMBTTFT well asPACE prescription drugs, adult Center and in the community. PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time. help you in your homewhich as longstands as possible. care. Thecontinue serviceliving is called PACE, for: 1SFTDSJQUJPO 4VOHMBTTFT day services, transportation and so home much is more our Immanuel Your besttoand Pathwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal is to -BTFS 7JTJPO $PSSFDUJPO For complete program details and benefits,of please call 712-256-PATH (7284). Program All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We participants. Services are provided in the home, at the program provides help you continue living in yourOur home as long as possible.a complete system of health care. Note: Check with your plan administrator to 1702 N. 16th Street and hospital care as well as provide primary PACE Center and indetermine the community. the speciďŹ c requirements of your The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program Council Bluffs, 51501 Our program provides a complete system of IA health care. plan. Please let our ofďŹ ce know about your prescription drugs, adult services, transportation www.immanuelpathways.org For complete program details and benefits, please call 712-256-PATH (7284). of All-inclusive Care for theday Elderly. We provide primary The service is called stands for: Program major medical or vision plan coverage when PACE, which and so much more towell ourasparticipants. Services N. 16thWeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Street you call for 1702 an appointment. help you and hospital care as prescription drugs, adult of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services a Council IA 51501 get all the beneďŹ ts youBluffs, have coming to you. are in the home, atand thesoPACE and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, adult day provided services, transportation muchCenter more to our www.immanuelpathways.org BEAT THEday YEAR-END and inmuch the community. services,RUSH. transportation and so more to ourare provided in the home, at the participants. Services 1702 N. 16th Street 4$)&%6-& :063 "110*/5.&/5 50%": PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time. Council Bluffs, IA 51501 participants. Services are provided in the home, PACE Center andatinthe the community. www.immanuelpathways.org PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please

Your home.Your care

Your home.Your care.Your pace.

PIZZA DEALS AT PIZZA RANCH

$6 SMALL PIZZAS $10 MEDIUM PIZZAS $12 LARGE PIZZAS EXPIRES 12/31/14

3505 METRO DRIVE, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA

712-256-7701

Vision Care Clinic For complete program(7284). details and benefits, please call 7 call For complete program details and712-256-PATH benefits, please call 712-256-PATH (7284).

PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.

Vision Care Clinic, P.C. 132 W. Broadway 132 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Bluffs, IA 51503 (712)Council 325-4999

(712) 325-4999

1702 N. 16th Street www.visionsource-visioncareclinic.com

Council Bluffs, IA 51501 www.immanuelpathways.org

1702 N. 16th Street Council Bluffs, IA 51501 www.immanuelpathways.org

PACE be fully and personally liableservices for thearecosts of Participants unauthorized or out-of-PACE PACE may be and personally costs ofparticipants unauthorized ormay out-of-PACE program services. Emergency covered. may disenroll at any time. All ofďŹ ces who are members of the Vision SourceÂŽ network areparticipants owned and operated byfully independent doctors liable for the ÂŽ PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Em optometry. Vision SourceÂŽ of is athe registered trademark of Vision ÂŠVision Source 2014. Allofoffi ces who are members Vision Source network areSource ownedLP.and operated by LP independent doctors program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time. of optometry. Vision SourceÂŽ is a registered trademark of Vision Source LP. ÂŠVision Source LP 2014.

From your friends at

535 W. Broadway, Suite 300 • Council Bluffs, IA • www.nonpareilonline.com

2014 Year in Review: Final Farewells

16C Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

FINAL FAREWELLS: PEOPLE WE SAID GOODBYE TO IN 2014 *LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER* Tuesday: January-March TODAY: April-June THURSDAY: July-September FRIDAY: October-December

Mildred Smock

Mildred Smock spent five decades working for the Council Bluffs Public Library, including 35 years as its director. She loved traveling, learning and her family. And she really loved books. Smock, 94, died of cancer May 8 at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital. Her niece Barbara Hall said Smock was a “prim and proper” woman who left a legacy in the community, devoting herself to

• Fred Dahl lived quite a life. Born in Council Bluffs on May 1, 1923, Dahl was an internationally distinguished engineer and business executive. He died at the age of 90 on March 16. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific during World War II. Returning to the United States, he met and married his beloved Darlene Schmidt in 1947. In 1951, Fred and Darlene to Tucson to study mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona, where he graduated in 1955. After a stint with Combustion Engineering, Inc. he was then recruited by the global engineering and construction firm, Bechtel Corporation, and advancing quickly in their Portland, Oregon and San Francisco offices. Bechtel’s president, the future Secretary of State George Shultz, later put Dahl in charge of Bechtel’s Washington Executive Office in 1979. In that capacity Dahl oversaw Bechtel’s relations with the federal government, labor organizations, the business community and diplomats of foreign governments. Highlights included meetings with President Carter, several Cabinet members, and David Rockefeller in the Oval Office. The Dahls were also regular guests at White House dinners and attended the Reagan inaugural ball. In 1982, Bechtel promoted Dahl to manage their International Business Development. In the role Dahl secured contracts for the design and construction of power and industrial projects throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. This position enabled Fred and Darlene to indulge their passion for travel - special favorites were Spain, Thailand, Australia, and Italy, and, above all Rome - and their talent for making lasting friendships around the world. Dahl retired from Bechtel in 1985 and moved back to Tucson. When Darlene Dahl began to experience health problems the pair moved to Council Bluffs to be near relatives. Following her death in September of 2012, Fred came to Tucson once more, spending his final months enjoying spectacular views of the Catalina Mountain from his balcony at Villa Hermosa. • Marjorie A. Donnelson, 74, passed away April 28. Marjorie received her degree in education and taught elementary school for Lewis Central Schools until retiring. Marjorie was a member of Community of Christ Church and served as their choir director and organist for many years. • Ronald R. O’Neil, 81, of Council Bluffs, died on April 28. Ron served as a Council Bluffs police officer for 22 years, retiring as a lieutenant. In retirement O’Neil worked as a rural mail carrier and was a longtime referee, officiating high school football for more than 30 years. His memberships include Bethany Presbyterian Church, American Legion and past member of the Masonic Temple and the Iowa High School Athletic Association. He loved his family and all athletic events. • Alice J. Schoening, 75, of Council Bluffs, died March 30, at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. Schoening for Lewis Central Schools, in various capacities for nearly 25 years. She was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church; Crescent, Iowa Saddle Club; Quarter Horse and Painted Horse Associations, she was also an avid Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs fan. • Georgia Sievers, the first female to serve on the Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors and a teacher who also assisted in the development of Iowa Public Television, died on March 30 at an assisted living center in Avoca. She was 89. But even with a busy life, Sievers still found time to attend family members’ sporting events and theater performances. “She just liked being involved with the family,” said her daughter, Paula Davis, 63, of Grandview, Mo. Sievers taught science classes for several years and directed plays at Avoca schools. Outside of her work as a teacher, Sievers spent time making clothing for her grandchildren and gardening, even though she suffered from allergies. She also enjoyed quilting. Davis said Sievers’ grandchildren told people the clothing came from “Georgio of Iowa,” a reference to their grandmother. Teresa Hoepner, 41, who lived next to Sievers in Avoca for

pursuing a lifelong education and supporting others. “Books were her passion,” Hall said. “She was one of a kind.” Kathy Rieger, the current director of the Council Bluffs Public Library, said Smock would still visit her former employer on occasion. Smock was a smart woman who was respected across the community, Rieger said. She worked her way up from being a circulation clerk, doing every job at the library as she advanced through the ranks. She began at the library in 1941

16 years, said Sievers always looked after neighbors. “She would do anything for you,” Hoepner said. “She wanted to participate, and she would show her support for everybody.” As a board member for the Iowa West Foundation, Sievers served alongside Susan Miller of Carson as a representative for rural communities. Miller said Sievers was focused on education. “She was always concerned about getting more funding into the rural school districts,” Miller said. “If the needs of the rural communities were to be taken seriously or given a fair shake, Georgia and I felt like it was our responsibility for that to be brought up or discussed. We knew we had a voice at the table, and we had to use it.” Sievers completed 29 years of collective service with the Iowa West Racing Association Board and Iowa West Foundation Board. In 1988, Sievers received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service to the State of Iowa. She also served on the State Board of Public Instruction and Vocational Education, now the Iowa State Board of Education. Sievers advocated for the improvement of roads and bridges for school buses in southwest Iowa. Sievers advocated for women’s equity in her activity with the Democratic Party and other organizations. She was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989. • Chris Tinley was always there for his family, above all else. “He loved his family, adored his wife and kids and would do anything for them,” sister Jeannie Gilmore said. Added sister Suzanne Tinley: “Family was important – whether it was extended family, his brothers and sisters and their offspring or his own (immediate) family.” Chris Tinley of Council Bluffs died on April 3 at the age of 53 after a three-year battle with cancer. He’s survived by three siblings, his wife Cindy, sons Joel and John and daughter Lauren. “He was someone that everyone just loved. There’s no other way to describe it,” Suzanne Tinley said. “He was the most nonjudgmental person I’ve ever met.” Tinley grew up in Council Bluffs, the youngest of eight siblings. He graduated from Creighton Prep High School in 1979, received an undergraduate degree from the University of San Francisco and then graduated from the Creighton University Law School. He practiced law with Root, Tinley, Sondag, Kelly & Lehan and then on his own at Tinley Law Firm. While he was serving clients in general practice, he took care of his family’s legal needs, like his father Emmet before him. Chris Tinley also served as the chairman of the Pottawattamie County Democratic Party, meeting President Barack Obama – then a senator from Illinois – during his successful 2008 campaign for the White House. A Creighton men’s basketball fanatic, during the 2013-2014 season Chris Tinley and his family was honored during the university’s “Pink Out” basketball game. “He and his sons met with the team before the game and sat behind bench during the game,” Emmet Tinley said. Doctors diagnosed Chris Tinley with urinary tract cancer on Feb. 14, 2011, his brother said. Family members described a courageous fight in which Chris worked to not show any signs of pain or sickness. Emmet Tinley, 71, was the oldest of the Tinley children, born to Emmet and Jeanne Tinley. From there, it went Michael, Kathy, Mary Ann, Timothy, Jeannie, Suzanne and Chris. Only Emmet, Jeannie and Suzanne remain after the death of Chris. Michael Tinley died in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, while Kathy died of cancer. Mary Ann died after a living her life with multiple sclerosis and Timothy died in a boiler accident while working while home from college in 1973. Only Kathy made it to the age of 60. “We’ve had more than our fair share of tragedy. We’ve had enough,” Suzanne Tinley said. “It makes you realize each day is important, you don’t know what’s next. You have to live each day to the fullest.” • Eleanor J. Anderson, passed away on May 11 at Lakeside Hospital in Omaha.

after graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1938, and she remained at the Council Bluffs Public Library as she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Denver. Smock was named library director in 1957, guiding the public institution until 1992, when she instead became an active volunteer for the Council Bluffs Library Foundation, urging the residents of Council Bluffs to invest in a new library building.

“She did get her wish,” Rieger said. “She was very frustrated with the old building.” Beyond the library, Smock organized the Abraham Lincoln High School Hall of Fame Scholarship, which gives graduating seniors an opportunity for a four-year award to help pay for college. She was inducted into the hall of fame herself in 1999. Melanie Shellberg was the principal of Abraham Lincoln when Smock launched the scholarship effort. She said Smock had a “tremendous impact” connecting

Anderson was born Oct. 11, 1942. On June 13, 1964, she married Richard Anderson in Council Bluffs, where she was born and grew up. The couple lived in Des Moines, Marengo, and Marshalltown before moving to Omaha in 1986. She loved to dance and operated her own dance studio after high school. Jean was Miss Council Bluffs in 1962, and was a finalist in the Miss Iowa Pageant. She was a graduate of Cosmetology College and operated her own beauty salon in Marengo. A graduate of Marshalltown Community College, Jean worked for Bell Telephone Co. for several years before being employed at Boys Town. Most recently she had been a supervisor for Cox Communications. After the loss of their daughter, Michele, in 1990, Jean and her husband became involved in The Compassionate Friends Organization both locally and nationally. • Arvella A. Camp, 87, of Council Bluffs, entered into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ on April 29, 2014. Arzie loved children and was involved in the Foster Grandparents program for the Council Bluffs School district for many years. In February 2004, she received the “Award of Excellence” from Iowa Gov. Thomas Vilsack for her contribution in making an outstanding and positive difference in the lives of Iowa children. Arzie loved the arts, especially the theatre when her children were involved. A lifelong member of First Baptist Church, she was active in the choir and taught Sunday school for many years. • Robert L. Franks, 84, died on May 7. Robert Franks worked in the railroad business for the Western Weigh Inspection Bureau for twenty years and the Council Bluffs Schools as a custodian at Abraham Lincoln High School and Wilson Junior High for twenty three years. • Omaha Fire Captain Laura M. Larson, 46, passed away on May 9, 2014. • Jack L. Peters, 91, died at Bethany Lutheran Home on May 29. Peters was a native and lifelong resident of Council Bluffs, a 1942 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and a 1949 graduate of the University of Wyoming. A World War II Navy veteran, he retired as President of J.L. Peters Construction Co. in 1985. He was a member of New Horizon Presbyterian Church, Bluff City Lodge No. 71, American Legion Post No. 2, and the Council Bluffs Rifle and Pistol Club. He and his wife, Lue E. (Hamann) Peters were married 66 years. Other survivors include two sons, Dr. Mark L. Peters, of Castle Rock, Colo. and David J. Peters, of Council Bluffs. • John “Bernie” Petrus was born on Dec. 26, 1922 and died on May 16. A World War II veteran, he was the retired president and owner of Midwest Walnut Company, as well as president of the American Walnut Manufacturer’s Association. Born in Mounds, La., to John Bernard and Lyda Louise Petrus. He was active in his church�Trinity Church and All Nations Church, both in Omaha�and was a leader for Fresh Start for All Nations. • Donald L. Rowland, 80, of Council Bluffs, died on May 9 at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. Don was born October 28, 1933, in College Springs to Garold and Marjorie (Mitchell) Rowland, who preceded him in death. He was a 1952 graduate of Knoxville High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in criminal justice. After serving in the U.S. Army, Don started his career in law enforcement with the Iowa State Patrol, retiring as a sergeant. After retirement he became chief deputy with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s office. He was also a member of Salem United Methodist Church. • Philip Willson, 90, of Omaha, Neb., passed away on May 8 at Hospice House in Omaha. Phil was a cofounding partner of the law firm of Willson and Pechacek, P.L.C. of Council Bluffs. Phil received many honors and recognitions during his lifetime: The Iowa State Bar Association Award of Merit; Iowa Southwest Bar Association Award for 50 years; Iowa State Bar Association Community Service Award; Iowa State Bar Association President’s Award; the Iowa Defense Counsel Association

students with alumni through the launch of the scholarship campaign. “She was interested in the students during their college career and beyond, and provided a lasting legacy in this scholarship,” Shellberg said. The last of her generation, she clung to her Council Bluffs roots as her family spread out across the Midwest. She lived in the same house for 47 years, Hall said, only finally moving to a retirement community the month before her 94th birthday.

Lifetime Member Award (2012), and Council Bluffs Heritage Award (2002). Phil was a member of the American Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association (President, 1977-78), the Nebraska State Bar Association, the Southwest Iowa Bar Association, the Pottawattamie County Bar Association (President, 196364), Iowa Defense Counsel Association (President, 1969-70), the Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, the Defense Research Institute, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a Fellow of the Iowa State Bar Foundation. His community services included the Council Bluffs Library Board; Opera Omaha; Council Bluffs Community School Board Policy Review Committee (2002 - 2007); Joslyn Art Museum Board of Governors (2004 - 2007); Joslyn Committee on the Collection 2004-2007 - chair of Subcommittee on Joslyn Modern Contemporary Art Committee; Past President Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce (1964); Past President, Council Bluffs YMCA Board of Directors; Past President, Council Bluffs Public Library (1962 - 1964 & 1999 - 2001) • Lovina Mae Bryant, 95, a longtime school teacher in Crescent and Neola, died June 9 at her residence in Underwood. She taught more than 30 years in her native southwest Iowa. She was born in Woodbine and was a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Neola and the American Teachers Association. Bryant was survived by 22 grandchildren, 42 great grandchildren and 35 great-great grandchildren. • Donnell C. Flom, 87, was the owner and operator of the Spec Shop and worked in the optical business for more than 45 years. He died May 26 at Bethany Lutheran Home. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army. The Spec Shop is located at 301 W. Pierce St. in Council Bluffs. • Margaret Alice Hammer, 88, taught elementary school in Shenandoah, Tabor and Council Bluffs, including 25 years at Walnut Grove Elementary School. She died May 23, the same year Walnut Grove closed its doors. Hammer was a P.E.O. member for more than five decades, active in both the Tabor and Council Bluffs chapters. She was also a longtime member of the Congregational Church in Tabor and the First Congregational Church in Council Bluffs. • Joseph E. Lenihan, 82, died at his Council Bluffs home May 31 surrounded by his family. He was the customer service manager for the Council Bluffs Water Works for more than 60 years, retiring in 2013. Lenihan served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard for three years after graduating from St. Francis High School. He was a Council Bluffs native. He was the manager of the American Legion Post No. 2 for many years, and he was also a longtime member of St. Patrick Catholic Church. • Ilene Ann Matthews, 85, Council Bluffs, was a custodian for the Council Bluffs Community School District for more than 12 years. She died June 14 at Midlands Living Center. She was a 1947 Thomas Jefferson High School graduate. • Diane Corinne Weitz, 78, was an influential Council Bluffs educator and principal. She died June 12 after a four-month battle with Leukemia. Weitz was principal of several Council Bluffs Community School District elementary schools before retiring in 1998: Walnut Grove, Tinley, Sunnydale, Gunn, Rue and Carter Lake. Before moving to administration, she taught at Rue, Bloomer and Lewis and Clark elementary schools. She also taught in the Des Moines Public Schools prior to moving to Council Bluffs in 1960. Between 2003 and 2008, she was a trainer for the Iowa Department of Education. Weitz was honored as Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year, as a National Distinguished Principal and as a recipient of a national Milkin Award. She was also the president of the School Administrators of Iowa. Outside of her career, she was a member of the New Horizon Presbyterian Church, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was a 56-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Iowa chapters IS, LR and MQ as well as Chapter FL in Nebraska.

IN MEMORIAM: Remembering those who left us in 2014 APRIL Sandra Kay (Miller) Grant Alberna M. “Bert” Donovan Alice Jane “Sue” Schoening Allen R. “Rob” Osbahr Alvira B. “Beth” Vasicek Annastazia Iden Barbara Ann Grimes Bennie Hunter Betty L. McKeown Betty L. Mills Betty Louise Paulsen Bonita “Bonnie” Nielsen Carl Corwin Morris Carolyn Jane Lodhia Charlene Wilhelmena Alhlen Christopher John Tinley Dee Davis Delphine “Gussie” Molony Denise Marie Benegas Donald G. Birdsong Edward M. Carroll Ellen E. (Eisenhart) Smith-Somervell Elsie Marie Hackett Eugene “E.B.” Floersch Jr. Evelyn M. Hunter Faye K. Androy Fred L. Dahl Frederick R. “Jocko” “Pete” Peterson Jr Gary C. Frost George C. “Peewee” West III Georgia A. Sievers Geraldine R. (Clatterbuck) Rasmussen Gilbert W. Stogdill Jr. Hardy A. Snipes Harley E. Nihsen Harold E. Johnson Harry D. Jansenius Harry McCormick Helen Ann (Duschanek) Killion Helen L. Smothers Helen McFadden Irene M. Parks Irvin I. Carper Jr Jack R. Graham James T. “Jimmy” White

James Voge Kemmish Janette R. (Skinner) Lines Jeffrey J. Sulentic Jerald (Jerry) A. Knudsen Joanne M. Congdon Judy L. Custard Karen L. Batten Kenneth D. Birdsley Kenneth L. Sime, Sr. Kirk R. Gallup Larry D. Petersen Laura Ann Rose Leo J. Toman Loris Ann Aldredge Louis George Weihs Marjorie Ann Donnelson Marjorie J. Merryman Marjorie Maxine Coffman Mary E. (Howlette) Nichhols Myrul Anna Brown Norman L. Knudsen Patrick D. Welch Phyllis Ann Rajcevich Ralph T. Maxfield Rita May (Flack) Ronk Robert Christofferson Robert E. Gittins, Sr. Roberta Jo Jacobs Roger G. Schmahl Ronald Ralph O’Neil Rosella Mae Storjohann Sharon Walker Shirley L. Hudson Shirley Nihsen Stephen “Steve” Bradley Fischer Steven Edsel Moore Thomas C. Wagner Wilbert M. Jensen William George Kniskern William P. Petersen, Jr. William Lester Belt Zachery D. Thoms Zetta A. Wiater Jack O. Baldwin Lorrayne K. Andersen

MAY Alice E. Petersen Arthur Morris Pedersen, M.D. Arvella Avis Camp Barbara A. Eraas Barbara J. Rossum Mrs. Barbara Jean (Watson) Camp Ben J. Quinze Betty J. (Grienke) Hamer-Reed Billy D. Blocker Carlo Albert Borini Carolyn Jean Schnepel Catherine Quintus Cathie Hutchinson Celia “Elaine” Shreves Chad Michael Miller Charles Vernon Benson Cindy D. Rodarte Clare Holmgard Somers Clyde H. “Jack” Greene, Jr. Connie L. Crane Cynthia Renee Obrecht Dale H. Aaberg Double “A” Daniel J. Edgington David D. Foote Sr. David Michael Thompson Debra Jean (Heiter) Kaufhman Delacy (Duke) William Prior, Jr. Delbert M. Smith Donald Lee Rowland Donna R. Plagman Doris A. Chambers Doris L. Bentz Douglas B. Miller Edgar John Lukefahr Edna P. Berg Eleanor Jean Anderson Eli C. Wheat Eli Vukson Erin Lynn Gamblin Ernest C. Gaines Eugene David Porter Eva R. M. Fazio Evelyn G. Orr Fotios J. Andriopoulos Frances K. Beck

Franklin Howard Geiger Fred L. Dahl G. Craig Wright Geraldine Ash Caughlan Geraldine M. (Snipes) Hartley Gilbert L. Orr Glenn Fred Robertson Gunner Lee David Nielson Howard E. “Sonny” Campbell Irene Elizabeth Michal Jack E. Draper Jack L. Peters Jack Le Roy Lambeth Jacquie Lee Pilling James Charles Henderson James L. Adkins James Lisiecki Jean K. Petersen Jennifer L. Bergsten John B. “Bernie” Petrus John H. “Jack” McPartland, Jr. Joseph “Bud” Fredrick Chute Juanita Mae Duncan Judith Kay Weiland Julia N. Walling Katherine Rose (Clark) Guevara Kristy Joy (Anthony) Paper Larry Gene Wynne Larry J. Diercks Laura Marie Larson Leo Thomas (Tom) Rauterkus Lester Kinney Lona M. Rocz Louise Marie McMahon Lula Frank Lynn L. Sorensen Marilyn J. Jackson Marjorie Ann Donnelson Mary Julianne (Judkins) Cowan Mary Deloris Schafer Mary M. (Swift) Brown Maxine Tait Mayci Jane LeRette Melinda Lee “Mindy” McGruder Merele G. Ellerbeck Michael P. Bennett

Michelle Cooper Michelle F. “Miki” Leu Mildred K. Smock Nathan Ray Keller Nellie D. Arthur Norma J. Juhl Norma Schoening Norman W. Krueger Ole H. Olson, Sr. Patricia Ann Allen Pearl Frances Mendoza Peter Remo Elonich Philip Willson Richard E. Gurney Richard Eugene Eustice Rita M. Langdon Robert C. “Rob” McCusker Robert L. Kell Robert LeRoy Franks Roland L. Hilty Ronald D. Price Ronnie Joe VanFossan Rosalie Jean Sorensen Outka Ruth Gee Day Sadie Rose Bolie Vera Skank Vernon R. Keuck Vicki L. Price Virginia Marie DeLawter William E. “Bill” Duncan William Peter Petersen, Jr. Michael D. Burnside Naomi J. “Noni” Walling Brewer JUNE Adam Michael West Albert Kruse Alvin L. “Lowell” Larkin Audrey Girton Betty Anne Willemssen Betty M. Loveless Beverly Dean Hicks Carolyn K. Bennett Charles L. “Iowa Boy” Barnard Charmaine B. Gray Clifford D. Tuttle Dale L. Rasmussen

Dean O. Arnold Delbert Krummel DeMaris E. Gress Diane Corinne Weitz Donald Craig Swanger Donnell C. Flom Doris Dolaine Herrick Doris “Dee” Graham Dorothy L. Brandt Dorothy L. Strietbeck Edgar F. Fowler Eileen M. Christensen (Hough) Eleanor L. Ruettgers Elena I. Spencer Elnor Whitsitt Father Scott S. Rathman Frank Roy D’Louhy Gary D. Alpen Genevieve Golder Harry L. Brisbin Helen A. Fairchild Ilene Ann Matthews Irven G. Saar, Jr. Jack L. Peters James William Eckert Jerold F. Hurst Jerry A. Anderson Jerry N. Elliff Jeselyn Jenevieve (Richardson) Maxwel Jo Ann “Jackie” Funkhauser JoAnn Bertrand John P. Ryan John R. “Mitch” Mitchem John Thomas Gunther Joseph E. Lenihan Joseph Ryan Richards Joseph T. Twomey Joyce E. Van Horn Julia Socha Kay Marie Hayes Larry Gene Wynne Lea L. Leslie Leona D. Galle Lillian Gazell Phillips Loris A. Aldredge

Lovina M. (Churchill) Bryant Margaret A. Trouba Margaret Alice Hammer Marilyn K. Tallman Mark J. Christoffersen Mary Deloris Schafer Mary Louise Boots MaryJane Peacock Marylou Gilmore Max G. Williams Max Norris Hummel Merle Kepford Mickie Jay Carroll Mitchael J. “Mitch” Richardson Myrtle Annetta “Ann” Ackerman Naoma Sward Norma Shields Norman A. Crane Norman C. Whiteley Phyllis Nadine Almquist Ralph E. Morse Rena Lee (Chase) Van Pelt Robert Edwin Smith “Bob” Robert Ray Knezevich Russell T. Core Shawn M. (Wingerd) Shires Shirley J. Nelson Tad S. Smith Thomas P. Shaw Trill’Villous Chevelle Lewis Vicki (Ackerman) Backus Vickie D. Doyle Victoria L. Draper Vivian Juanita Swain Walter R. “Russ” Williams, Jr. James C. Henderson Janette (Skinner) Lines Marjorie Mae Stone Mildred L. Green Ralph L. Harmon Sr. Robert L. Stevens Rosemary Conzemius William Stivers

The names listed above are from Obituaries & Funeral Notices published in The Daily Nonpareil during 2014 (through December 14th). The list may not be a complete list of all area deaths. This tribute sponsored by your friends at...

1221 N. 16th Street | Council Bluffs, IA

www.HoyFuneral.com

i n r e v i e w BUSINESS Local Business

WWW.NPDODGE.COM

1855 1857 (712) 328-5008

Chronology in Review

535 W. Broadway, Suite 300 Council Bluffs, IA 51503 712-328-1811 NonpareilOnline.com

800-216-5008

1032 Woodbury Ave, Council Bluffs 51503

1876 1894 1922 1928 Our hometown service for our customers separates us from the rest!

4 Generations! 1317 North 16th • Council Bluffs, Iowa

712-322-1228 Trusted Since 1894

Celebrating 86 years of quality products and service.

127 Pearl St. Council Bluffs, IA

2900 W. Broadway 322-2900

Service & Repair ✔ Remodels Free Estimates:

✔

712-328-1823

322-6874

1949 1956 1930 1948 Campbell 1956

We Exist to Serve and Protect Our Clients

SMITH DAVIS INSURANCE

INSURANCE

• Jay Malone • Cynthia Urzendowski • Beth Wilson

Agency, Inc.

(712) 322-1600 532 1st Ave., Council Bluffs, IA

All Types of Insurance

712-328-3975

421 WEST B ROADWAY, S UITE 200 COUNCIL B LUFFS, IOWA

712-322-6000 WWW.WILLSONPECHACEK.COM

103 North Ave., Council Bluffs, IA

www.smithdavisinsurance.com

LAW OFFICE

Hamilton Associates, P.C. Certified Public Accountants 20 Pearl Street

322-0277

1960 1970 1972 1974 Our

ABC

PEOPLES

1970

Year!

Tom & Annette ABC ELECTRIC, INC.

HVAC Services - Mechanical Construction Temperature Controls

BRUCE RASMUSSEN

21855 McPherson Avenue Council Bluffs, IA 51503

President & CEO

3100 Nebraska Ave.

(712) 322-4590

323-0541

One Edmundson Place, Suite 500 Council Bluffs, Iowa

712.323.5333 www.MillerOrtho.com

HARDWARE

2917 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, IA 51501

712-323-6822

1975 1980 1985 1988 DRENNEN

Thank you

AUTOMOTIVE # Repair Tune up Brakes ● Struts

to our customers, who have voted us as AUTO REPAIR READER’S CHOICE 2007

●

AILY NONPAREIL ONPAREIL DAILY

2008

DAILY AILY NONPAREIL ONPAREIL

2005

DAILY AILY NONPAREIL ONPAREIL

A Plus

TOM’S AUTO BODY, INC.

PRINTING

2013

323-7845 1023 N. 16th St.

2004

for

DAILY AILY NONPAREIL ONPAREIL

many years!

DAILY NONPAREIL

(712) 322-0922

Satisfaction Guaranteed Frame & Unibody Repairs • Written warranty on all repairs

1216 N. 16th • 328-7224

325-1440 • 2700 W. Broadway

37 South Main Council Bluffs, IA 51503

1989 1990 1994 2011 EPCO LTD., INC. Architectural Specialty Products for General Contractors

STEVE & JOANN EPPERSON

(712)) 322-0308

1159 E. Pierce St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Saint Albert alumni: Steve ('75) & JoAnn Epperson ('75) Phil Epperson ('00), Michelle Kia ('03)

HAWKEY E / NEBRASKA

MINDEN MEAT MARKET

SIDING, WINDOW & DOOR, INC.

Hodges Smokehouse Catering

Mary Morrow (Jim 2007) Dan Koch 402-630-0852 Jeff Henderson 402-740-2008 1530 Avenue N Council Bluffs, IA 51501 NE (402) 344-2376 IA (712) 323-5126 www.hawkeyenebraska.com hnsiding@yahoo.com

•CATERING •RETAIL/CUSTOM PROCESSING •SIDES •QUARTERS •DEER PROCESSING

CHECK OUT OUR AWARD WINNING MEATS: Dried Beef Jerky - Smoked Turkey - Center Cut Pork Loins Ham - Ring Bolonga - Cottage and Canadian Bacon - Bacon

Jeff Hodges

Box 25, Minden, Iowa 1-800-272-3529

712-483-2836

Celebrating Life, Remembering Love, Honoring Family 1221 N. 16th Street • Council Bluffs, IA 712-256-9988 • www.HoyFuneral.com

A18 Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

2015

NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION DECEMBER 31, 2014 IT’S A NIGHT OF WINNING LEXUS GIVEAWAY It’s the Ultimate New Year’s Celebration at Horseshoe Casino! You could be the owner of a brand new 2015 Lexus Earn entries NOW – December 31 at Harrah’s and Horseshoe Council Bluffs. Activate your FREE ENTRY and earned entries on December 31 at Horseshoe Casino

IT’S A NIGHT OF INDULGENCE 360 STEAKHOUSE AT HARRAH’S 5pm – 10pm | Reservation Required

FRESH MARKET SQUARE BUFFET AT HARRAH’S $22.99 with Total Rewards® card • $24.99 without 4:30pm – 10pm VILLAGE SQUARE BUFFET AT HORSESHOE $22.99 with Total Rewards card • $24.99 without 4:30pm – 10pm

IT’S A NIGHT TO NEVER FORGET STIR LIVE & LOUD AT HARRAH’S

New Year’s Eve Bash with DJ Illuminate, drink specials and more! 9pm – 2am | NO COVER CHARGE

WHISKEY ROADHOUSE AT HORSESHOE

Bennie and The Gents – 70s Glam Rock Cover Band 9pm – 1am | NO COVER CHARGE Double your New Year’s Eve experience with a FREE shuttle service that runs between Harrah’s and Horseshoe Casino all night long!

Visit Total Rewards or HorseshoeCouncilBluffs.com for complete drawing details