Spencer, Iowa — The death of a Spencer High School wrestler who collapsed during a December wrestling meet and died later that night has been determined to have been from natural causes.
The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on the body of 18-year old Austin Roberts, and determined that his death was likely caused by a congenital heart defect. “Probable dehydration” and “other significance” were also listed as causes in his death.
Roberts collapsed during a match at the Spencer Fieldhouse on December 19th after taking injury time to try and catch his breath. He was taken to Spencer Municipal Hospital where he passed away later that night.
Sheldon, Iowa — The 5th Annual Sheldon Gun and Outdoor Sports Show will be held this Saturday, March 19th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the National Guard Armory on Western Avenue in Sheldon.
Again this year, the show is sponsored by Southern Archery in Spencer, and Southern Archery owner, Ted Bruning, tells us about some of the merchandise he’ll have for sale at the Sheldon show.
While Southern Archery will have a large selection of merchandise available at the show, they are by no means the only vendor.
Bruning says that, in fact, you’ll be able to buys guns, ammo, and accessories, as well as join the NRA, sign up for concealed carry classes, see motorsports displays and more that day, all under one roof. He also says that there are still some table available if you want to be a vendor.
To reserve a display table for the Sheldon Gun and Outdoor Sports Show, call Mark Rector at 712-324-1789.
Des Moines, Iowa — As we told you earlier, the Iowa Utilities Board gave its approval Thursday for a construction permit for the proposed Dakota Access Bakken oil pipeline that will cross 18 Iowa counties, including Lyon, Sioux and O’Brien here in northwest Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued a permit later in the day that spokesman Kevin Baskins says will allow the company to cross public lands.
The D-N-R held a public information session on the permit request and Baskins says they used the same procedure that’s used for other utilities.
The D-N-R says it gets around 700 requests for utilities to cross public lands each year. This permit allows the pipeline to cross four public areas.
The permit lays out conditions that address the construction techniques required to be used.
Baskins says the D-N-R has also requirements in place the company must follow after the construction is complete.
The D-N-R permit is still conditional on authorization from the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service.
For it’s part, Dakota Access says they are pleased with the decisions rendered by the Iowa Utilities Board and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The company says they now have the necessary decisions from all four states regarding this important energy infrastructure project. As of today, Dakota Access says they have secured voluntary easement agreements on 90% of the properties across the four-state route with 97% in North Dakota, 93% in South Dakota, 82% in Iowa, and 92% in Illinois. Dakota Access says they will continue to work with landowners to negotiate voluntary easement agreements as construction begins.
Northwest Iowa — The warmer weather we’ve been experiencing the past several days turns our thoughts to spring. And in this part of the country, spring means planting season.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Vince Kurtz says planting season has a tendency to sneak up on us.
He says motorists need to be aware that they’ll soon be sharing the road with much larger, and slower, vehicles.
Trooper Kurtz advises farmers that now is the time to prepare their implements to safely share the road with motorists.
The trooper says that, while the Slow Moving Vehicle Emblem is the only safety equipment required during daylight hours, things change after dark.
Trooper Kurtz says that if farmers have their implements appropriately marked and illuminated, and motorists slow down and be aware of the potential of encountering slow moving farm implements on the road, we can all have a safe planting season.
Orange City, Iowa — Orange City’s 76th Tulip Festival is over two months away, but with such a big annual festival in a town the size of Orange City, preparations are nearly year-round, according to Tulip Festival spokesperson Julianna Pennings.
She says they start meeting and making decisions for the next Tulip Festival every June, about 11 months before the festivities. Pennings tells us what preparations are being made now, with spring in the air.
Pennings says that the tulip bulbs are in the ground, waiting to bloom for the festival.
She says they plant several varieties of tulips including early, mid, and late-blooming tulips so that they have some beautiful blooms for the festival.
As far as volunteers, she says some committees have been meeting for months and others are just getting started. She tells us about these volunteer opportunities.
Again, Orange City’s Tulip Festival is always the third weekend in May. This year that’s May 19th through the 21st.
Ashton, Iowa — Law enforcement officers are often called upon to make difficult captures, but the one Osceola County Sheriff’s Officers were called upon to make Wednesday was definitely out of the ordinary.
Osceola County Sheriff Doug Weber says the Osceola County Communications Center received a call Wednesday of a bald eagle down in the median ditch on Highway 60, north of Ashton. Weber says that when he arrived on scene, the bird was a little tough to find.
Sheriff Weber says that once he saw what they were dealing with, he called for backup from experts.
He says officials surmise that the eagle was injured by a passing vehicle.
Weber says that after it’s capture, the eagle was taken to a rehabilitation facility.
Sheriff Weber tells KIWA that his biggest worry during the attempt to capture the bird was that it would manage to get back up onto Highway 60 and be hit again.
Weber caught the bird’s capture on video, and that video is featured below, courtesy of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Spencer, Iowa — The death of a Spencer High School wrestler who collapsed during a December wrestling meet and died later that night has been determined to have been from natural causes.
