Lee County Narcotics Task Force Arrest and Other News

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force reports the arrest of a Fort Madison, Iowa man on a felony drug charge.

Taylor R. Young, 24, of Fort Madison, Iowa was arrested on December 19th, 2018 on a felony drug charge. Young is charged with delivery of less than five grams of methamphetamine, a class C felony. If convicted, Young faces up to 10 years in a state correctional facility.

The arrest of Young stems from an investigation by the Lee County Narcotics Task Force into allegations that he was involved in the distribution of illegal drugs in the Lee County area.

The Lee County Attorney’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Madison Police Department, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, assisted the Lee County Narcotics Task Force in this investigation.

The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

According to ‘City of Christmas’ vice president and volunteer, Jean Meyer, approximately 39,293 cars made their way through the Christmas display this year.

Meyer said this is unprecedented and is the largest amount of cars that the ‘City of Christmas’ has ever seen. The ‘City of Christmas’ usually sees around 20,000 cars every holiday season, according to Meyer.

Work has begun on tearing down the display and putting it away until this time next year rolls around.

President Joe Shuman has said in a previous interview that the tear down can take nearly as long as the set up for the display and hinges very much on the weather.

Nearly 150 displays and 1,000,000 lights made up the 2018 display that was named one of America’s Top 50 Christmas Light Displays and got the top nod in the state of Iowa.

The Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri is celebrating 40 years of choral music, but they need more help to ensure these experiences for the next 40 years of singers! On Giving Tuesday, they kicked off their end-of-year campaign.

Their goal is to raise $4,000 toward their operational costs, which include expenses like talented staff, concerts, venues, and sheet music. Patrons can donate on the program’s Facebook event page through a PayPal service.

A donor and long-time supporter has agreed to match the first $2,000 raised, so your donation will go twice as far. In the spirit of their anniversary, they hope you will consider a gift of $40 to help them achieve their goal, but any donation, big or small, helps.

They greatly appreciate your consideration and generosity! Your gifts will help them build bridges and strengthen connections in the community through song.

In sports news, as we approach the New Year, we reflect on the 2018 Iowa High School Athletics Association announced Hall of Famers in sports we have not recognized in the news yet.

Several former Iowa Hawkeyes football players were inducted before the 4A State Championship game on Nov. 16.

The list inductees includes the following people:

Mark Fetter from South Tama County: Fetter was a two time All-State selection at running back while totaling over 1,570 yards for an undefeated South Tama team as a senior. He would then go on to the Hawkeyes where he would finish his career as the Hawkeyes’ 14^th all-time leading rusher.

Matt Purdy from Cedar Falls: Purdy was a three-year starter for the Tigers and was All-Conference and All-State in both his junior and senior seasons. He helped lead Cedar Falls to two appearances in the State Quarterfinals and was named the Big Eight Conference’s Lineman of the Year in 1990. At Iowa, Purdy started 36 games over his career and was named both Team Captain and Second Team All-Conference as a senior.

Scott Davis from Glenwood: Davis played both linebacker and offensive lineman as a four-year letter winner. While he was a strong defensive player, he was named an All-American for his work on the offensive line, playing both center and tackle during his career. He played all but four games in his college career an d was a starter on the 1990 Big Ten Champion and Rose Bowl team. He was named All-Conference in the Big Ten twice and also played five seasons in the NFL.

Finally, Dallas Clark from Twin River Valley: Before he became a Pro Bowl Tight End and Super Bowl Champion with the Indianapolis Colts, Clark was a four sport athlete at Twin River Valley. He played linebacker, running back and receiver for his high school team. He led his team in tackles twice and was named Second Team All-State at linebacker. After also leading his team in rushing and receiving, Clark walked on at the University of Iowa, where he was moved to Tight End. He was a star for the Hawkeyes and helped lead them to the 2002 Orange Bowl and won the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in the country the same year. He was a first round draft pick for the Colts and finished his 10 year career with 505 catches for 5,665 yards and 53 touchdowns.

Other local inducted members include former Fairfield Trojan Milt Jackson in football, who scored 21 touchdowns in just two seasons while being named a two time All-State selection and would later start for the Notre Dame fighting Irish in college, and Ken Laffoon who finished with a 508-181 record in two stints at Danville High School as the boys basketball coach. Laffoon led the Bears to seven state tournaments and won titles in 2001 and 2002 and came in second in both 2011 and 2012.