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Matt Milner on Muck Rack

Matt Milner

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Eau Claire
As seen in: Leader-Telegram, The Country Today, Yahoo Life, Yahoo News, Ad Express & Daily Iowegian (Centerville, Iowa), Aol, Yahoo Finance, Chicago Tribune, Yahoo, Government Technology, Pluralsight, The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA) and
Covers:  courts, weather, geek news, tech, politics, iowa caucuses, social media, breaking news
Newspaper editor, dad, news and weather junkie. Usually found reading something heavy. Mostly harmless.
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Faith through the flames

Faith through the flames

Ottumwa Courier — Part two: Restored by faith Click here to go to part two. OTTUMWA - The Jack pine tree is serotinous. For it, fire is not the end. It is the beginning. Fire allows its cones to open, spreading seeds for future generations. That may sound like a strange place to start the story of the Ottumwa Heights fire.
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Restored by faith

Restored by faith

Ottumwa Courier — Part one: Faith through flames Click here to read part one. OTTUMWA - The fire at Ottumwa Heights left a devastated community in its wake. "First we were all concerned that all the nuns had gotten out," said Mary Ellen Blomme, then a first-year nursing student. "Everything was gone. Just gone."
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City must release RedSpeed records

City must release RedSpeed records

Ottumwa Courier — OTTUMWA - A former Ottumwa police officer has won a significant victory in court with a judge ordering the city to turn over details about who received tickets from an automated speed enforcement system - and who didn't. Mark Milligan filed a request with the city in the summer of 2016 seeking information about the city's RedSpeed camera vehicle.
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City begins website review

City begins website review

Ottumwa Courier — OTTUMWA - The city took its first steps toward a new website on Tuesday, but a lot of questions remain. What does the city want? How much will it cost? And when would people see the new site?
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Winter in the park

Winter in the park

Ottumwa Courier — OTTUMWA - Most people stay indoors in weather like Ottumwa is experiencing, going from one spot with central heating to another if they can. Then there are folks like Chris Watters and Patrick Howell. They were among a group of people who view this weather as a chance to indulge in a favorite pastime: ice fishing.
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Sirens get workout Sunday, more severe weather possible overnight

Sirens get workout Sunday, more severe weather possible overnight

www.ottumwacourier.com — OTTUMWA - OTTUMWA - Severe weather swept through southeast Iowa Sunday afternoon, but it could have been much worse. Several counties found themselves under tornado warnings - Wapello County twice.
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Iowa supreme court finds for city in flood suit

Iowa supreme court finds for city in flood suit

www.ottumwacourier.com — OTTUMWA - The Iowa Supreme Court has sided with the City of Ottumwa in reversing a jury's decision awarding an Ottumwa couple more than $80,000. David and Julie Garr filed suit against the city in October 2010 after their home was flooded. The Garrs live at 3105 N. Court, near the Cedar Creek Golf Course. The Garrs say Little Cedar Creek rose above its banks occasionally before 2002, the year in which they waterproofed and remodeled their home's basement, but that in 2004 the problem worsened significantly. According to the ruling, the Garrs "estimated that between 2004 and 2010, they had water in their basement at least 100 different times."
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NWS says Ottumwa damage due to 'possible tornado'

NWS says Ottumwa damage due to 'possible tornado'

www.ottumwacourier.com — OTTUMWA - The strongest storms to hit southeast Iowa in several years struck Sunday. Damage was widespread throughout the region. Winds were estimated at 70 mph when the storms hit Wapello County. While forecasters had known for several days that Sunday would be stormy, most expected the storms in this area to hit later in the evening or overnight. The worst-hit area in Ottumwa appeared to be along the 1000 block of West Mary Street near Liberty Elementary School, where the National Weather Service says radar data suggests a possible tornado.
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Interactive: Ottumwa holiday lights map

Interactive: Ottumwa holiday lights map

www.ottumwacourier.com — OTTUMWA - Let's face it: going outside at this time of year isn't the first thing people want to do, especially after an arctic front moves through. But holiday lights never look better than when there's a layer of snow on the ground. And we've made it easy to find the lights you're looking for. We've marked some of the best displays in town on it, so you can plan a drive and be sure of seeing some nice displays. It's not every house with lights, but it should give you an idea of where you can drive through with family or friends and enjoy a show.
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Interactive: Firefighters' busy year coming to an end

Interactive: Firefighters' busy year coming to an end

www.ottumwacourier.com — OTTUMWA - This year has been unlike any in recent memory for the Ottumwa Fire Department. Over the course of 2013, Ottumwa firefighter have handled 40 separate structure fires. Chief Tony Miller said that is more than any other Iowa city this year on a per capita basis. It is way above Ottumwa's normal year. ( Click here for our interactive map.) In 2012, Ottumwa saw 34 structure fires. There were 30 in 2011. Miller figures anything from 27-33 fires in a year is pretty normal. But normal doesn't apply to 2013.
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GUILTY

GUILTY

www.ottumwacourier.com — Shawn Bentler convicted in family's slayings KEOSAUQUA - Shawn Bentler will spend the rest of his life in prison. That was the verdict Thursday as Judge Michael Mullins said Bentler, 23, was guilty of killing his parents and three sisters. Bentler stood alone as Mullins read the verdict, his lip quivering.
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