Congressman Dave Loebsack Vists for Monday, April 2

Congressman Dave Loebsack, serving Iowa’s Second Congressional District, will be visiting Newton, Knoxville and Sigourney on Monday, April 2. He will be in Newton at 12:30 PM at the Trinity Structural Towers Inc. He will then be at the Red Rock Hydropower Dam in Knoxville for a tour at 2:15 PM. Afterwards, he’ll be off to Sigourney for a ride along with the Sigourney Police Department and Chief Allan Glandon. The driving tour will be at 4:15 PM.

Two from Newton Facing Theft Charges After Investigation

Posted on February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 by Rick Watts

(JASPER COUNTY, Iowa)–On Monday, Feb. 12, after a lengthy investigation, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office was able to arrest two subjects for multiple thefts and related charges.

Charles Loudermilk, age 49, of Newton, was one of the two subjects arrested. Deputies had an active arrest warrant for Loudermilk, as well as additional charges of burglary. Deputies attempted to stop Loudermilk, but he tried to flee, driving through a ditch. Deputies used legal intervention and stopped Loudermilk. The vehicle Loudermilk was operating was reported stolen in Jasper County on Dec. 24, 2017. Inside the vehicle, Deputies recovered a firearm. Loudermilk was taken into custody and transported to the Jasper County Jail.

A second vehicle in the area attempted to elude deputies. The vehicle was eventually stopped in the 6800 block of Cone Street. The driver, identified as Kristen Miller, age 34, of Newton, was also arrested and transported to the Jasper County Jail.

During the last several months, numerous burglaries were reported by residents of Jasper County. Vehicles, construction equipment, trailers, tools, horse tack and other personal items were reported stolen.

Based upon information developed during the investigation, a search warrant was executed Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 at a residence in Reasnor, in Jasper County. During the search, Deputies recovered stolen property from some of these reported burglaries. The property recovered was valued at approximately $125,000. Deputies have identified some of the owners of the property. Property reported stolen from Poweshiek County was also recovered at this location. Additional follow up is being conducted in identifying all of the property recovered.

Loudermilk was charged with: Theft 1st Degree (property in excess of $10,000) – Class C Felony Theft 2nd Degree – possession of stolen vehicle – Class D Felony Possession of firearm by a felon – Class D Felony.
Loudermilk is being held on No Bond. He is also being held on a previous five year prison sentence (Iowa Department of Corrections), after he failed to turn himself in to authorities.

Miller was charged with: Theft 2nd degree – Class D Felony Carrying Weapons – Aggravated Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana – Serious Misdemeanor Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts) – Serious Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- Simple Misdemeanor. Miller had a bond set by a judge at $5,000.

Follow up investigation continues and additional criminal charges against the subjects are pending. Information from the public, along with assistance from the Newton Police Department and MINE EAST Task Force, allowed investigators to focus on these two subjects.

Anyone with additional information in reference to this investigation or reported burglaries is encouraged to contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

Criminal charges against both subjects are merely allegations and they should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

– This information is from a news release provided by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.

Oskaloosa Boys Survive Scare From Newton

Posted on January 31, 2018February 6, 2018 by Rick Watts

The Oskaloosa basketball teams hosted Newton on Tuesday night and the two games were decided by a nail-biting five points combined. The Osky boys survived a late Newton rally by winning, 57-56, while the Indian girls battled but ultimately fell, 28-24.

The boys’ game was one where Osky hoped to get a more comfortable win after outlasting Newton in a tight 56-53 game on the road in December. But Garrett Sturtz and his All-State caliber resume would not go quietly into the Oskaloosa night.

The game was very back and forth from the start, with Newton closing the first quarter on a 9-1 run to take a 12-10 lead. In the second quarter, Osky’s offense got going and a buzzer beater layup by Cole Henry gave the Indians a 30-27 lead at the half.

After the break, things got sloppy as both teams struggled mightily to score points. Sturtz would eventually draw his fourth foul, which all came on charges offensively. Unfortunately, Osky was unable to take advantage of Sturtz being off the floor as they only increased their lead to 37-32 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The fourth was the exact opposite, as both teams lit up the gym for a combined 44 points. Many of those came from Sturtz, who would score 22 of the 24 Newton points down the stretch. Oskaloosa would counter with Spencer Tucker scoring six points late including two free throws after the Newton bench was assessed a technical foul.

As the game wore on, Sturtz got a three-point play to cut the Osky lead to one and Rian Yates was fouled by the Cardinals with just under 10 seconds to play. After Newton called a timeout to ice the shooter, Yates missed the front end of the 1-and-1 opportunity, allowing Newton a chance to win. Sturtz drove down the floor but picked up his dribble at the three-point line and pump faked. The Oskaloosa defense didn’t bite as Sturtz attempted a tough leaning shot to draw a foul. There was no whistle, and the Indians survived.

Oskaloosa got 18 points and 5 rebounds from both Cole Henry and Jarad Kruse who were vital pieces to the Osky puzzle. Spencer Tucker also was in double figures with 10 points and added 7 assists.

Sturtz led the way for the Cardinals with an impressive 42 points to go with 9 rebounds. He shot 13 for 14 from the free throw line. In two games against Oskaloosa, the Newton senior scored a combined 86 points.

With the win, the top-ranked Indians move to 16-1 overall and 11-0 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. Newton falls to 9-6 overall and 5-6 in the LHC.

The girls’ game was equally entertaining from a competitive standpoint, as the Osky girls mounted a comeback from 14 points down to put plenty of pressure on Newton.

Marleigh Denburger, Oskaloosa’s leading scorer coming into the game, was saddled with foul trouble throughout the first half and the Cardinals built up a 22-8 halftime lead. But the Indians chipped away to head to the fourth down 27-20.

The fourth quarter saw Newton employ a stalling strategy to limit Osky’s possessions. This resulted in a slow quarter pace-wise, and forced Oskaloosa to pressure the ball as time went on. Unfortunately, the Indians couldn’t find buckets on their end to complete the comeback while Newton struggled to ice the game from the free throw line.

After the smoke cleared, Newton was outscored in a poor shooting fourth period, 4-1, but held on to beat Osky, 28-24.

Marleigh Denburger, Lindsey Holmberg, and Mary Nelson all had 6 points for Osky in the game. Nelson also had 8 rebounds. Emma Kelderman had a solid game despite going scoreless with 7 boards and 3 assists. Holmberg had 3 steals on the defensive end.

Newton was led by Taylor Ryan, who scored 8 points off the bench, all in the first half. Anna Forsyth was the engine for Newton, scoring 6 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and getting 3 steals while serving as the lead guard for the Cardinals. Marcelina Marvelli had 5 points and 4 steals and Ali Bestell had 5 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks for Newton.

Osky is now 0-18 on the year and 0-11 in the Little Hawkeye. Newton snapped a ten-game losing streak and are now 4-15 overall and 2-9 in the conference with both wins coming against Oskaloosa.

Osky has a big doubleheader on Friday on the road at Norwalk. The Indian boys dominated a very good Norwalk team early in January and the Warriors will be looking to return the favor in a matchup of highly ranked teams. The girls’ game should also be competitive as Norwalk has struggled in conference play.

Due to space restrictions, we will have AUDIO ONLY for the Oskaloosa vs. Norwalk doubleheader on Friday night. The broadcast starts at 6 PM and the girls will start around 6:15. You can hear all the action on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app.

Newton Resident Arrested, Charged with Theft and Felon in Control of Firearm

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Rick Watts

Owners of a rural farm residence northwest of Newton reported a burglary with multiple items missing, including a skid-loader and ATV on Tuesday, Dec. 26.

While deputies were investigating the incident, the owner reported seeing their skid-loader and ATV parked at a residence located at 1954 W 32nd Street N in Newton, IA.

Deputies made contact with a resident, identified as 34-year-old Matthew Bakalar of this residence. A subsequent investigation and search warrant at the property allowed deputies to recover suspected additional stolen property. Included in these items was a truck reported stolen to Newton Police Department on Dec. 21, and a handgun reported stolen from Marion County. Additional firearms were also recovered.

Investigation continues in this case. Deputies charged Bakalar with:

Theft First Degree (property valued in excess of $10,000) Class C Felony
Felon in Control of a Firearm- Class D Felony
Possession of a controlled substance- (3rd or subsequent offense) = Class D Felony
Theft Fourth Degree – Serious misdemeanor (handgun)

Bakalar was transported to the Jasper County Jail and is currently being held on $41,000 bond.

All criminal charges are merely allegations and the subject should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Osky Boys Move to 9-0 For First Time with Slim Win Over Newton

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Rick Watts

It wasn’t pretty down the stretch, but the Oskaloosa boys’ basketball team did just enough to hold off the hard-charging Garrett Sturtz and the Newton Cardinals on the road. The Indians outlasted the late push and won by a final score of 56-53. Earlier in the evening, the Osky girls showed some improvement but ultimately fell to Newton, 50-30.

The boys’ game started with Newton slowing the pace to try to limit Osky’s chance to get up and down the floor. The Indians were still much more efficient in the offensive half, outscoring the Cardinals in the first half, 33-18, with great balance across the stat sheet.

Sturtz would ignite a comeback for Newton, however, as he would score nearly every point for his team down the stretch. The senior would finish the game with 44 points and 9 rebounds in an impressive showing while his running mates were cold from the field.

The Cardinals’ comeback would get them within two after a steal and layup on the fastbreak, but Osky’s Cole Henry hit a huge shot fading away from the left block to give the Indians a two possession edge.

Henry led the way for Osky with 21 points and 9 rebounds. The rest of the Indian offense was inconsistent. Xavier Foster finished with 10 points, but was quiet for most of the second half. Same could be said for Spencer Tucker who ended up with just 7 points and no made field goals in the last two quarters. Jarad Kruse never really got it going in the game, finishing with 7 points as well, but hit a couple of shots in the second half as the Indians tried to secure the lead.

Again, it was Rian Yates sinking a couple of free throws to help ice the game for Oskaloosa, but shots at the charity stripe continue to haunt the Indians. The finished the game shooting just 7 for 14 on freebies.

A win is a win, however, and the victory moves Osky to 9-0 for the first time in boys’ basketball history. They are also 4-0 in the Little Hawkeye Conference as we head to the holiday break. Newton is now 4-2 and 2-2 in the LHC.

The girls’ game had its ups and downs for Osky, but it was a slow first quarter that really decided the contest.

The Indians fell behind 18-4 at the end of the first. They were only outscored by six points the final three quarters, but that obviously wasn’t enough to grab their first win of the year. The girls were led by Marleigh Denburger, who had 14 points, 4 boards, and two blocks.

Osky is now 0-8 on the year and 0-4 in the LHC, while Newton is 3-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Oskaloosa should have a very competitive doubleheader out of the break on January 5th as they host Norwalk. The Warriors are still unbeaten on the boys’ side and that will set the table for a battle for the top spot in the Little Hawkeye Conference as we near the halfway mark of the season. The Norwalk girls are just 3-6 and are winless in league play.

That doubleheader can be heard on 99.5 FM and 740 AM KMZN and can be viewed with a live video stream on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7 in Oskaloosa. The broadcast begins at 6 PM on Friday, January 5th.

Newton Company Finds New Venture For Additional Jobs

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Rick Watts

A company that makes wind blades in central Iowa will begin manufacturing bus bodies as well, adding hundreds of jobs. T-P-I Composites started producing wind blades in Newton nearly 10 years ago. Now, Newton Development Corporation Executive Director Frank Liebl says they’ll be making composite bus bodies for California-based Proterra Incorporated.

“Fortunately, for Newton, TPI decided to open a second facility. They’ll be leasing about 100,000 square feet at the former Maytag Plant Two,” Liebl says.

The supply agreement requires TPI to provide Proterra with up to 3,350 bus bodies over a five-year period. The Newton bus manufacturing operation is expected to be up and running in the first half of next year with 75-to-100 employees.

“Eventually, the plan calls for three-year employment numbers that will exceed 350,” Liebl says.

T-P-I currently employs nearly 1,100 people in Newton at the plant that makes wind blades. Liebl says the bus bodies will be taken by semi to Proterra factories in South Carolina and California to be finished out. Proterra designs and manufactures battery-electric vehicles.

Large Schools Look for Momentum Heading Into Volleyball Playoffs

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Rick Watts

We are within a week of every school beginning their trek to the Volleyball State Tournament at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. The schools in Class 3A, Class 4A, and Class 5A will not have it easy to get there.

All first round games in these classes will be on Wednesday, October 18^th at 7 PM.

In Class 3A Region 6, PCM (9-16) will have to go on the road to face West Marshall (27-10). The bracket is fairly loaded, so if PCM finds a way to get past West Marshall in the quarterfinals, #12 Iowa Falls-Alden could be awaiting them.

Staying in Class 3A, Region 8 involves four South Central Conference teams in the bottom half of the bracket. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (19-13) get Albia (10-19), a team they just beat in four sets on Tuesday night. Winner of that matchup will see either Davis County or Centerville. EBF has not lost to any of those teams all season.

Class 4A Region 4 is loaded with four area teams of the six in the bracket. Oskaloosa (11-17) will have to go on the road to play Knoxville (14-19). The Indians have made a habit out of winning road games in the playoffs. The two teams have not seen each other this season. You can hear that game live on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and radiokmzn.com.

Awaiting them is #4 Pella (28-5) for the semifinals on Tuesday, October 24^th. Pella hasn’t dropped a set in two matches with Knoxville this season and swept Oskaloosa in the only meeting between those two teams so far this year.

On the other side of the bracket, Newton (3-20) will be a big underdog on the road against Carlisle (12-13) in the first round. Bondurant-Farrar (17-10) awaits the winner in the second round. B-F is one of the few teams to beat Pella this year which could be a factor if those two teams hold serve and meet in the regional final.

Region 6 in Class 4A has Grinnell (8-19) on the road to face Clear Creek-Amana (19-16) as an underdog. Winner of that match will get #7 Center Point-Urbana (30-9) in the semifinals.

Finally, Ottumwa is our lone Class 5A school and they are in the Region 5 bracket. The Bulldogs (13-16) will host Des Moines North (0-19) in a fairly easy matchup. Should they take care of business there, they will go on the road to face #12 Waukee in the semifinals (23-18). #5 Linn-Mar and #15 Cedar Rapids Prairie are in the other semifinal in a loaded bracket.

The trek to state all begins with the first round, which will take place on Wednesday, October 18^th at 7 PM. We will have continuing coverage of the brackets on the No Coast Network.

Several Area Football Teams Still Have Playoff Pulse Heading Into Stretch Run

Posted on October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 by Rick Watts

The football season is winding down with just two weeks of the regular season remaining. Even though there’s just two games left for most teams, there’s dozens of playoff implications that can come into play for several teams still hanging around for a postseason berth.

In Class 4A District 4, the Newton Cardinals improbably started their season 6-0. But a loss to Southeast Polk last week has put them in a dire position, needing to win both of their remaining games to squeak into the playoffs. With powerhouse West Des Moines Valley on deck, it would be a monumental feat for the Cardinals to be playing postseason football.

The same cannot be said for the Oskaloosa Indians, who will be looking to cinch up a playoff spot out of Class 3A District 5 in Washington this week. Osky has a very easy road map: beat Washington and you’re in, lose to Washington and you need to hope to get a wild card. A Week 9 matchup with West Burlington/Notre Dame should not deter the Indians should they get past the Demons.

Also in Class 3A, Pella is well on their way to another district title after holding off Norwalk last week. The Dutch are the only unbeaten team left in District 6 and have favorable matchups at North Polk and at home to Nevada to wrap up their season.

In Class 2A District 6, PCM is rolling through their schedule. After a tough non-district loss to undefeated Pella Christian in the season opener, the Mustangs have won six straight and are big favorites against Davis County and Clarke as they wind down a season where they’ll be named District 6 Champions.

Class 1A District 4 is pretty self-explanatory for Sigourney/Keota. There’s one open playoff spot after Iowa City Regina and the Cobras need to beat Wilton and Wapello the last two weeks of the season to clinch it. A win over Wapello this week would effectively eliminate them from the race and leave it between S/K and Wilton, and they will meet in Wilton to decide the automatic berth in Week 9.

District 5 in Class 1A is monopolized by a couple of area teams. Pella Christian is still undefeated after they knocked off Pleasantville on the road last week. PC should waltz to the district title. Pleasantville has to beat Woodward-Granger this week to clinch their spot in the playoffs.

Class A District 6 has been a fun one to follow all year and Lynnville-Sully is on their way to winning the district title. The Hawks started 8-0 last year before losing in Week 9 to Montezuma. Now, after gutsy wins over Pekin and New London, L-S gets a bye before seeing the Braves again looking for retribution on their way to the playoffs and a first round home game. Pekin faces off with New London this week to determine the #2 seed out of this district, while the loser hopes to get one of the wild cards.

Finally, 8-Player District 5 is chaotic. All we know is that HLV is sitting pretty at 5-0 in the district after a big win over Colo-Nesco. HLV faces Melcher-Dallas this week. If M-D were to drop this home game, they will likely fall out of the playoff race. Moravia is also hanging around. Their matchup this week with Colo-Nesco will factor heavily into that #2 seed. A Melcher-Dallas win this week would create even more chaos, however, as all four teams could end the week with hopes of the playoffs going into Week 9. There are no wild cards in 8-Player football so these matchups are huge for these schools.

We’ll be following the action closely the last two weeks of the season, so be sure to join us for Scores and More Presented By Bubbl’r after the games go final Friday night on 104.9 FM KBOE, 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, kboeradio.com and radiokmzn.com.

Several Area Schools In Good Playoff Position at Midway Point of Football Season

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Rick Watts

Five weeks of high school football are in the books and we are starting to learn who the contenders are in every district in the state.

For our listening area, there are several teams who seem to be look to push towards the playoffs.

Oskaloosa (3-2) made the playoffs in 2016 after a great 7-2 regular season after a couple of down years. They are looking to repeat the dose here in 2017, and their road map is identical. Wins in their last four games will clinch the #2 spot in Class 3A District 5 and send Osky to the postseason. Their biggest challenge will be in Week 8 against Washington, who sits at 4-1 on the year.

Pella (4-1) also sits pretty as one of the top teams in Class 3A District 6 along with Norwalk (4-1). Those teams will battle for what will likely be the District 6 Championship in Week 7.

In Class 2A, PCM (4-1) should run away with the District 6 Title once again, following up a dominant run in 2016. District 6 is fairly weak after the Mustangs which has to door wide open for someone to grab that second spot. After EBF’s (3-3) tough loss to Albia last Friday, Central Lee seems to be in the best shape to snag that #2 slot and an automatic playoff berth. Do not rule out a wild card team either, as Centerville (2-3) snuck into the playoffs last year after having a high district point differential.

In Class 1A District 4, Sigourney/Keota (2-3) is looking to bounce back after a couple of tough weeks to start the year. Their playoff aspirations likely rest on their Week 9 matchup on the road at Wilton (5-0) as Iowa City Regina (3-2) will run away with the district. Don’t sleep on Louisa-Muscatine (2-3), as they still have a road to the playoffs they can follow as well.

Class 1A District 5 seems to be locked up for Pella Christian (5-0) and Pleasantville (5-0) to make it back to the playoffs. They will meet in Pleasantville in Week 7 to likely determine the district champion and who will get home field in the first round.

Chaos is the name of the game in Class A District 6, as Lynnville-Sully (5-0), Pekin (6-0), and New London (4-0) are all rolling so far this year. A huge matchup will be featured in our Game of the Week on 104.9 FM KBOE and kboeradio.com this Friday, as Lynnville-Sully hosts Pekin. Winner of that matchup sets themselves up nicely to get into the playoffs and potentially win the district while the loser will need to win out. New London gets their crack at the top when they host Lynnville-Sully in Week 7 and travel to face Pekin in Week 8.

In 8-Player District 5, Moravia (5-1) seemed to have the best chance to make the playoffs, but a slip up last week at HLV (4-2) has the Mohawks desperate. A Week 8 duel at Colo-Nesco (4-1) will in all likelihood decide who gets the only other playoff berth at stake barring any upsets to HLV. Melcher-Dallas (4-1) has played well this season and have a route to the playoffs, but will be a solid underdog in their matchups with HLV and Moravia in Weeks 8 and 9.

Newton (5-0) has looked great in Class 4A so far this year, but the Cardinals have benefitted from the weakest schedule in the state’s largest class. They have two top teams in Southeast Polk and West Des Moines Valley in as opponents in District 4 and will need to beat at least one of them to have a chance at the postseason. That doesn’t include tough matchups against Indianola and Fort Dodge that the Cardinals will be also find themselves as underdogs.

The playoffs begin October 27^th, but we will be able to track every single movement of our area teams between now and then. Check kboeradio.com or radiokmzn.com for weekly looks at the area playoff picture.

Oskaloosa Volleyball Falls on the Road To Grinnell

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Rick Watts

The Oskaloosa volleyball team was back in conference action on Tuesday night, but it didn’t end the way the Indians were hoping as they fell in straight sets on the road to Grinnell, 25-14, 25-23, 25-19.

Oskaloosa was behind the 8-ball early in all three sets, but battled back in the second and third sets to hang around until late. Several attack errors and an outstanding team defensive effort from the Tigers combined to frustrate several of the Indian attackers.

Josie Bunnell would get going late to log a game-high ten kills. Emily Richmond and Baylee Crawford both would have four kills in the match with Emma Kelderman adding three kills. Jolie Yang would serve up three aces for the Indians.

Grinnell had a very balanced offensive strategy. Junior Macy Harris led the way with nine kills in the game. Kiana Kies was a great option down the stretch for the Tigers, logging seven kills and two aces. Hope Nelson had six kills and Nicole Popp had five for the victors.

The win moves Grinnell to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. They will next be in action next Tuesday, September 12^th, on the road against Newton.

Oskaloosa falls to 3-7 overall on the season and 0-2 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. The Indians are back in action this Saturday against several teams at the Southeast Polk Tournament. Their next conference game will be next Tuesday, September 12^th, at home against Dallas Center-Grimes. You can hear that game starting around 7 PM on 99.5 FM and 740 AM KMZN with a live video stream with the help of the Oskaloosa Video Production program on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7 in Oskaloosa.

In other volleyball scores in the area Tuesday night:

Albia 25-25-25, Centerville 20-20-14
Central Lee, Donnellson 25-25-25, Cardinal, Eldon 17-11-13
HLV, Victor 22-26-25-25, Lynnville-Sully 25-24-19-19
Pekin 25-25-25, Louisa-Muscatine 16-12-11
Pella 25-15-25-23-15, Pella Christian 20-25-18-25-9
Southeast Polk 25-25-16-23-15, Ottumwa 14-21-25-25-6
EBF 22-25-25-25, Clarke 25-22-18-10

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