Bigfoot seen on eagle cam; losing out on 50K lottery ticket; man submerged in mud
- Updated
Odd and interesting news from the Midwest.
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ST. LUCAS, Iowa (AP) — The remains of a Navy chaplain have been returned to his home in Iowa nearly 75 years after he died during the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Chaplain Aloysius Schmitt was aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. Schmitt was among a group of sailors who discovered a small porthole as the ship was filling with water, the Telegraph Herald (http://bit.ly/2dBm9BE ) reported. Schmitt had the chance to escape but refused and hoisted others through the porthole and out to safety.
The battleship capsized within minutes, and Schmitt became the first chaplain killed during World War II. He was among 429 crew members on the USS Oklahoma who died in the Pearl Harbor attack. The Navy announced in September that Schmitt's remains had been identified.
A visitation and remembrance was held for the chaplain Wednesday in his hometown of St. Lucas, Iowa, where nearly 100 people gathered. At the gathering, Archdiocese of Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels reflected on the chaplain's courage.
"Freedom is not free, but purchased with great sacrifice — the ultimate sacrifice," Jackels said. "His life ended as he lived it, giving himself to others."
His burial will be held Saturday in Dubuque at Loras College's Christ the King Chapel.
___
Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com
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CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago fans likely won't only be booing the San Francisco Giants when the Cubs open the playoffs Friday night.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/2d76afx) the Board of Ethics has ruled that city aldermen and city officials who take advantage of an offer from the Cubs to purchase playoff tickets at face value must do so in their official capacity and accompany guests to all games — and be publicly announced to the crowd.
Any city official who doesn't comply risks violating the ethics ordinance. Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the team plans to support the Board of opinion by displaying the names of aldermen in attendance on the video board.
All 50 aldermen and state lawmakers who represent Chicago districts have been offered the right to purchase the tickets.
___
Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/
- Updated
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman will lose out on the proceeds from a $50,000 lottery ticket after a state appeals court ruled the government should keep the money because the ticket was purchased with drug money.
The Fourth District Appeals Court ruling overturns a Macon County judge who previously awarded the winnings to Tykisha Lofton, the Herald and Review (http://bit.ly/2dVtgo2 ) reported.
Police found the lottery ticket while raiding a Decatur home where Lofton lived with her boyfriend, Terrance Norwood. Norwood told authorities that he had already turned the ticket in to claim the prize, worth more than $35,000 when paid as a lump sum.
Norwood told police the ticket was his way out of having to sell drugs. He was sentenced in October 2015 for drug dealing, drug possession and armed violence offenses.
Lofton was present during the raid but had told police she wasn't aware Norwood sold drugs.
Police say Lofton didn't dispute that Norwood had purchased the ticket, although she scratched it off. Court documents say Lofton later told authorities she had bought the ticket with money she received from babysitting.
Lofton said her purchase yielded a free ticket and that it was the prize winner. She produced a lottery winner claim form that included her name and details.
The Macon County judge had said he didn't believe her story and ruled that the ticket was most likely bought with drug money. However, he ruled in Lofton's favor, saying that extending Illinois forfeiture laws to grab the proceeds was going too far.
The appeals court judges overturned that ruling.
"Because of the direct link between the lottery winnings and the funds used to purchase the original ticket, the winnings can reasonably be considered 'proceeds traceable' to Norwood's illegal drug sales," they wrote.
___
Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com
- Updated
FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — The Fort Madison police chief has resigned, two days after he began his job in the southeast Iowa city.
The Burlington Hawk Eye reports Kenneth Rosa resigned late Tuesday, saying he had to deal with a family situation and must quit his job to return to East Hartford, Connecticut, where his wife and two children live.
Rosa had been sworn in as police chief Monday morning.
City Manager David Varley called Rosa's decision "quite a shock" but wished him well.
Varley appointed Todd Shields, a longtime member of the department, as interim police chief.
Varley says Shields, a finalist in the previous search, will be considered with four others who interviewed for the job. The City Council will consider appointment of a new chief on Oct. 18.
___
Information from: The Hawk Eye, http://www.thehawkeye.com
- Updated
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The long-time secretary of a women's sorority group that focuses on personal integrity and service to others has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for taking more than $1.6 million over 14 years from the organization.
Andrea G. Baker of Elkhart was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.66 million in restitution to the Ames chapter of the Chi Omega Alumnae Association.
She asked for a sentence of home confinement instead of prison.
Baker, who is 50, entered a plea agreement in June in which she acknowledged that between 2000 and 2014 she used per position as treasurer to pay personal credit card expenses, deposit money into her own accounts and hide it by falsifying the group's financial records.
- Updated
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A panel of Indiana lawmakers has recommended that the state expand publicly funded early childhood education programming.
The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/2dvFvcP ) reported that members of the Republican-led Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy on Wednesday didn't provide details on how broad they think the expansion should be.
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates for Indiana governor have proposed expanding pre-K as part of their education plans, but the parties have differed on how it should be done.
"What we want to do is close the educational gap between at-risk kids, and this is one step," said Republican Rep. Tim Brown, chairman of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee. "It may not be a complete package, but it is one small step to close that educational gap."
Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Porter, the House Democratic fiscal leader, said any expansion should cover all children.
A new study by Indiana University exploring the effects of supporting pre-K projected a $3.80 to $4 return for every dollar the state contributes to the program. Researchers came to the conclusion by reviewing potential savings to the criminal justice system and special education programs, as well as higher wages expected for participants of the program.
"Unlocking access to high-quality pre-K is one of the most important ways we can impact the life trajectories of children born into poverty, and their success has considerable implications on our state's economic outlook," Michael Huber, president of the Indy Chamber, said in a statement on the study. "The business community is encouraged by new research demonstrating a four-to-one return on investment in pre-K."
Lawmakers in January will commence the new legislative session.
"At this point, we are really leaving it up to the legislators to decide what dollar amount the additional funding will be," said Connie Bond Stuart, chair of the United Way of Central Indiana's board. "We want to make sure that more of these children have access to a high-quality early childhood education . that's our message to the legislators."
Indiana currently provides $10 million each year for its pre-K pilot program.
___
Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com
- Updated
BEAL CITY, Mich. (AP) — A wild bull elk is roaming around some mid-Michigan counties and the state Department of Natural Resources wants to keep tabs on it.
The large herbivore has wandered about 100 miles south from its home range in the northeast Lower Peninsula, the state said Thursday.
"We first started receiving reports of a bull elk in Ogemaw County, and then Gladwin County and most recently near Beal City and the Herrick area in Isabella County," elk specialist Chad Stewart said. "We were able to confirm the locations and also that it does appear to be a wild elk."
Michigan has about 1,300 elk, with the vast majority located in the Pigeon River Country State Forest, east of Vanderbilt.
A full-grown adult bull elk stands about five feet at the shoulders and weighs about 700 pounds. Elk eat grasses, twigs, acorns and apples.
"Typically, a stray wild animal like this will make his way back to where the rest of the herd is found, and actually where the females are," Stewart said. "It may take several weeks to months for this to happen, so we appreciate any information on this elk and its whereabouts."
Regulated hunting has been used since 1984 to manage Michigan's wild elk population. It's illegal to hunt a wild elk outside the elk range.
- Updated
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A public health emergency has been declared in Allen County, allowing officials to create a needle-exchange program to combat the spread of hepatitis C and HIV among drug users.
The Indiana State Department of Health on Thursday declared the emergency for the county that includes Fort Wayne. Allen County's commissioners previously approved the needle exchange.
Needle exchanges provide clean syringes to intravenous drug users to prevent needle-sharing that spreads hepatitis C, HIV and other diseases. Similar public health emergencies already have been declared in seven other Indiana counties.
A law allowing counties to request approval for needle exchanges was approved last year in response to an HIV outbreak in Scott County, about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, that has been the worst such outbreak in state history.
- Updated
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Sioux Falls man is accused of breaking into another man's home and then hitting him with a car.
Authorities say the 21-year-old man entered a home without permission and got into a fight with the 22-year-old resident. Officials say the 21-year-old man got into his car and hit the man after the fight moved outside.
The victim was hospitalized for injuries that weren't a threat to his life. Authorities also accuse the assailant of punching a woman who intervened in the alleged fight.
Court records don't list an attorney for the 21-year-old man.
- Updated
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — A man working to restore a creek bed in Olmsted County spent nearly four hours submerged in mud before he was rescued.
Authorities say the 60-year-old man was working to restore a creek bed near Marion Wednesday. He slipped and fell into the muddy creek and began to sink. The property owner discovered the man who was submerged in mud and clay up to his waist and tried to rescue him with a rope and car as he called 911.
KTTC-TV (http://bit.ly/2dUAPir ) says first responders used a basket stretcher and haul line to free him. He was taken to St. Marys Hospital and was expected to be OK.
___
Information from: KTTC-TV, http://www.kttc.com
- Updated
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law an early literacy bill that requires that third-graders be held back if they lag in reading, unless they qualify for an exemption.
Snyder signed the legislation Thursday. The Legislature approved the measure last month, voting in mostly party-line votes in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Democrats were largely opposed.
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, third-graders will not advance unless their state reading score is less than a grade level behind, they show proficiency through an alternative assessment or they demonstrate mastery through work samples. Parents may seek a "good cause" exemption letting kids still be promoted to fourth grade.
The law requires schools to intervene early when students are having reading problems.
- Updated
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — People across North Dakota can now send a text to 911 in an emergency if they're unable to call.
The North Dakota 911 Association and local governments announced Thursday that customers of any of the six cellular carriers operating in the state can now text to 911. The carriers are AT&T, Sagebrush, Sprint, SRT, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Association President Brent Nelson says calling 911 is still the best and fastest way to get emergency help. But he says the text-to-911 option can be useful in situations such as a home intrusion in which a person might be in further danger if they speak out loud to a dispatcher.
Officials say the texting option also will help people with hearing problems.
- Updated
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A retirement fund for Ohio police and firefighters is warning people to watch for fraudulent checks bearing its name.
The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund says the checks are drawn from an erroneous account at Huntington National Bank in sums from $1,650 to $5,000. Many are going to people who aren't members of the retirement system.
The fund advises not cashing any check unless you are expecting a specific amount from it in the mail.
The scam has taken many forms, but usually the recipient is asked to cash the check, keep a portion and forward the balance to the originator.
Authorities at the fund are investigating and working with the bank to minimize financial consequences. They say member records and confidential information weren't compromised.
___
Online: https://www.op-f.org
- Updated
SUAMICO, Wis. (AP) — A husband and wife from Suamico (soo-AH'-mih-koh) narrowly escaped serious injury when an apparent drunken driver smashed through the wall of their home and into their living room.
Neil Vannieuwenhoven tells WBAY-TV (http://bit.ly/2dN2g9U ) he and his wife were watching TV in the living room Tuesday night and he left the room for a couple minutes. Vannieuwenhoven says he heard the driver's tire blow when he hit the curb outside the house and within seconds the car was in the living room and stopped inches from his wife.
Vannieuwenhoven says the living room is in shambles, but he's glad no one was hurt. The driver was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving.
___
Information from: WBAY-TV, http://www.wbay.com
ST. LUCAS, Iowa (AP) — The remains of a Navy chaplain have been returned to his home in Iowa nearly 75 years after he died during the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Chaplain Aloysius Schmitt was aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. Schmitt was among a group of sailors who discovered a small porthole as the ship was filling with water, the Telegraph Herald (http://bit.ly/2dBm9BE ) reported. Schmitt had the chance to escape but refused and hoisted others through the porthole and out to safety.
The battleship capsized within minutes, and Schmitt became the first chaplain killed during World War II. He was among 429 crew members on the USS Oklahoma who died in the Pearl Harbor attack. The Navy announced in September that Schmitt's remains had been identified.
A visitation and remembrance was held for the chaplain Wednesday in his hometown of St. Lucas, Iowa, where nearly 100 people gathered. At the gathering, Archdiocese of Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels reflected on the chaplain's courage.
"Freedom is not free, but purchased with great sacrifice — the ultimate sacrifice," Jackels said. "His life ended as he lived it, giving himself to others."
His burial will be held Saturday in Dubuque at Loras College's Christ the King Chapel.
___
Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago fans likely won't only be booing the San Francisco Giants when the Cubs open the playoffs Friday night.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/2d76afx) the Board of Ethics has ruled that city aldermen and city officials who take advantage of an offer from the Cubs to purchase playoff tickets at face value must do so in their official capacity and accompany guests to all games — and be publicly announced to the crowd.
Any city official who doesn't comply risks violating the ethics ordinance. Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the team plans to support the Board of opinion by displaying the names of aldermen in attendance on the video board.
All 50 aldermen and state lawmakers who represent Chicago districts have been offered the right to purchase the tickets.
___
Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman will lose out on the proceeds from a $50,000 lottery ticket after a state appeals court ruled the government should keep the money because the ticket was purchased with drug money.
The Fourth District Appeals Court ruling overturns a Macon County judge who previously awarded the winnings to Tykisha Lofton, the Herald and Review (http://bit.ly/2dVtgo2 ) reported.
Police found the lottery ticket while raiding a Decatur home where Lofton lived with her boyfriend, Terrance Norwood. Norwood told authorities that he had already turned the ticket in to claim the prize, worth more than $35,000 when paid as a lump sum.
Norwood told police the ticket was his way out of having to sell drugs. He was sentenced in October 2015 for drug dealing, drug possession and armed violence offenses.
Lofton was present during the raid but had told police she wasn't aware Norwood sold drugs.
Police say Lofton didn't dispute that Norwood had purchased the ticket, although she scratched it off. Court documents say Lofton later told authorities she had bought the ticket with money she received from babysitting.
Lofton said her purchase yielded a free ticket and that it was the prize winner. She produced a lottery winner claim form that included her name and details.
The Macon County judge had said he didn't believe her story and ruled that the ticket was most likely bought with drug money. However, he ruled in Lofton's favor, saying that extending Illinois forfeiture laws to grab the proceeds was going too far.
The appeals court judges overturned that ruling.
"Because of the direct link between the lottery winnings and the funds used to purchase the original ticket, the winnings can reasonably be considered 'proceeds traceable' to Norwood's illegal drug sales," they wrote.
___
Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com
FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — The Fort Madison police chief has resigned, two days after he began his job in the southeast Iowa city.
The Burlington Hawk Eye reports Kenneth Rosa resigned late Tuesday, saying he had to deal with a family situation and must quit his job to return to East Hartford, Connecticut, where his wife and two children live.
Rosa had been sworn in as police chief Monday morning.
City Manager David Varley called Rosa's decision "quite a shock" but wished him well.
Varley appointed Todd Shields, a longtime member of the department, as interim police chief.
Varley says Shields, a finalist in the previous search, will be considered with four others who interviewed for the job. The City Council will consider appointment of a new chief on Oct. 18.
___
Information from: The Hawk Eye, http://www.thehawkeye.com
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The long-time secretary of a women's sorority group that focuses on personal integrity and service to others has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for taking more than $1.6 million over 14 years from the organization.
Andrea G. Baker of Elkhart was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.66 million in restitution to the Ames chapter of the Chi Omega Alumnae Association.
She asked for a sentence of home confinement instead of prison.
Baker, who is 50, entered a plea agreement in June in which she acknowledged that between 2000 and 2014 she used per position as treasurer to pay personal credit card expenses, deposit money into her own accounts and hide it by falsifying the group's financial records.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A panel of Indiana lawmakers has recommended that the state expand publicly funded early childhood education programming.
The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/2dvFvcP ) reported that members of the Republican-led Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy on Wednesday didn't provide details on how broad they think the expansion should be.
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates for Indiana governor have proposed expanding pre-K as part of their education plans, but the parties have differed on how it should be done.
"What we want to do is close the educational gap between at-risk kids, and this is one step," said Republican Rep. Tim Brown, chairman of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee. "It may not be a complete package, but it is one small step to close that educational gap."
Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Porter, the House Democratic fiscal leader, said any expansion should cover all children.
A new study by Indiana University exploring the effects of supporting pre-K projected a $3.80 to $4 return for every dollar the state contributes to the program. Researchers came to the conclusion by reviewing potential savings to the criminal justice system and special education programs, as well as higher wages expected for participants of the program.
"Unlocking access to high-quality pre-K is one of the most important ways we can impact the life trajectories of children born into poverty, and their success has considerable implications on our state's economic outlook," Michael Huber, president of the Indy Chamber, said in a statement on the study. "The business community is encouraged by new research demonstrating a four-to-one return on investment in pre-K."
Lawmakers in January will commence the new legislative session.
"At this point, we are really leaving it up to the legislators to decide what dollar amount the additional funding will be," said Connie Bond Stuart, chair of the United Way of Central Indiana's board. "We want to make sure that more of these children have access to a high-quality early childhood education . that's our message to the legislators."
Indiana currently provides $10 million each year for its pre-K pilot program.
___
Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com
BEAL CITY, Mich. (AP) — A wild bull elk is roaming around some mid-Michigan counties and the state Department of Natural Resources wants to keep tabs on it.
The large herbivore has wandered about 100 miles south from its home range in the northeast Lower Peninsula, the state said Thursday.
"We first started receiving reports of a bull elk in Ogemaw County, and then Gladwin County and most recently near Beal City and the Herrick area in Isabella County," elk specialist Chad Stewart said. "We were able to confirm the locations and also that it does appear to be a wild elk."
Michigan has about 1,300 elk, with the vast majority located in the Pigeon River Country State Forest, east of Vanderbilt.
A full-grown adult bull elk stands about five feet at the shoulders and weighs about 700 pounds. Elk eat grasses, twigs, acorns and apples.
"Typically, a stray wild animal like this will make his way back to where the rest of the herd is found, and actually where the females are," Stewart said. "It may take several weeks to months for this to happen, so we appreciate any information on this elk and its whereabouts."
Regulated hunting has been used since 1984 to manage Michigan's wild elk population. It's illegal to hunt a wild elk outside the elk range.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A public health emergency has been declared in Allen County, allowing officials to create a needle-exchange program to combat the spread of hepatitis C and HIV among drug users.
The Indiana State Department of Health on Thursday declared the emergency for the county that includes Fort Wayne. Allen County's commissioners previously approved the needle exchange.
Needle exchanges provide clean syringes to intravenous drug users to prevent needle-sharing that spreads hepatitis C, HIV and other diseases. Similar public health emergencies already have been declared in seven other Indiana counties.
A law allowing counties to request approval for needle exchanges was approved last year in response to an HIV outbreak in Scott County, about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, that has been the worst such outbreak in state history.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Sioux Falls man is accused of breaking into another man's home and then hitting him with a car.
Authorities say the 21-year-old man entered a home without permission and got into a fight with the 22-year-old resident. Officials say the 21-year-old man got into his car and hit the man after the fight moved outside.
The victim was hospitalized for injuries that weren't a threat to his life. Authorities also accuse the assailant of punching a woman who intervened in the alleged fight.
Court records don't list an attorney for the 21-year-old man.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — A man working to restore a creek bed in Olmsted County spent nearly four hours submerged in mud before he was rescued.
Authorities say the 60-year-old man was working to restore a creek bed near Marion Wednesday. He slipped and fell into the muddy creek and began to sink. The property owner discovered the man who was submerged in mud and clay up to his waist and tried to rescue him with a rope and car as he called 911.
KTTC-TV (http://bit.ly/2dUAPir ) says first responders used a basket stretcher and haul line to free him. He was taken to St. Marys Hospital and was expected to be OK.
___
Information from: KTTC-TV, http://www.kttc.com
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law an early literacy bill that requires that third-graders be held back if they lag in reading, unless they qualify for an exemption.
Snyder signed the legislation Thursday. The Legislature approved the measure last month, voting in mostly party-line votes in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Democrats were largely opposed.
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, third-graders will not advance unless their state reading score is less than a grade level behind, they show proficiency through an alternative assessment or they demonstrate mastery through work samples. Parents may seek a "good cause" exemption letting kids still be promoted to fourth grade.
The law requires schools to intervene early when students are having reading problems.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — People across North Dakota can now send a text to 911 in an emergency if they're unable to call.
The North Dakota 911 Association and local governments announced Thursday that customers of any of the six cellular carriers operating in the state can now text to 911. The carriers are AT&T, Sagebrush, Sprint, SRT, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Association President Brent Nelson says calling 911 is still the best and fastest way to get emergency help. But he says the text-to-911 option can be useful in situations such as a home intrusion in which a person might be in further danger if they speak out loud to a dispatcher.
Officials say the texting option also will help people with hearing problems.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A retirement fund for Ohio police and firefighters is warning people to watch for fraudulent checks bearing its name.
The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund says the checks are drawn from an erroneous account at Huntington National Bank in sums from $1,650 to $5,000. Many are going to people who aren't members of the retirement system.
The fund advises not cashing any check unless you are expecting a specific amount from it in the mail.
The scam has taken many forms, but usually the recipient is asked to cash the check, keep a portion and forward the balance to the originator.
Authorities at the fund are investigating and working with the bank to minimize financial consequences. They say member records and confidential information weren't compromised.
___
Online: https://www.op-f.org
SUAMICO, Wis. (AP) — A husband and wife from Suamico (soo-AH'-mih-koh) narrowly escaped serious injury when an apparent drunken driver smashed through the wall of their home and into their living room.
Neil Vannieuwenhoven tells WBAY-TV (http://bit.ly/2dN2g9U ) he and his wife were watching TV in the living room Tuesday night and he left the room for a couple minutes. Vannieuwenhoven says he heard the driver's tire blow when he hit the curb outside the house and within seconds the car was in the living room and stopped inches from his wife.
Vannieuwenhoven says the living room is in shambles, but he's glad no one was hurt. The driver was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving.
___
Information from: WBAY-TV, http://www.wbay.com
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