SUNNY AND WARM AGAIN TODAY...AROUND 80.

82/100 OF AN INCH OF RAIN LAST NIGHT IN MAQUOKETA AND STORMY WEATHER HERE IN EASTERN IOWA. ANAMOSA AND OTHER PARTS OF JONES COUNTY WERE HIT BY TORNADO LIKE WEATHER AND TORNADO HIT IOWA CITY. THE IOWA CAMPUS CLOSED TODAY.

EMELIE HARMON WILLEY, AS SHE LAY BLEEDING ON THE STREET OUTSIDE
HER HOME YESTERDAY, TOLD POLICE THAT HER BROTHER, MARK WILLEY, STABBED HER. WHEN OFFICERS ARRIVED, SHE SAID, "MARK STABBED ME". SHE WAS AIRLIFTED TO IOWA CITY WHERE SHE UNDERWENT SURGERY AND IS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION. AMONG THE INJURIES, A BAD INJURY TO ONE EYE. MARK WILLEY APPEARED BEFORE MAGISTRATE CORLIS BATY THIS MORNING ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER, A CLASS B FELONY AND WILFUL INJURY, A CLASS C FELONY. BATY SET BOND AT $250,000 CASH AND IS STILL BEING HELD IN THE JACKSON COUNTY JAIL. THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ASKED FOR THE HIGHER BOND BECAUSE HE BELIEVES WILLEY IS A FLIGHT RISK. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHERE HE HAS BEEN STAYING HERE IN MAQUOKETA FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS. DURING HIS COURT APPEARANCE THIS MORNING, WILLEY CALLED THE CHARGES RIDICULOUS AND SAID HE WAS INNOCENT. HE FINIALLY GAVE THE JUDGE A POST OFFICE BOX NUMBER. MAQUOKETA POLICE CHIEF BRAD KORANDA SAID A SEARCH WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR THE BAG WILLEY WAS CARRYING WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED. IN THE BAG WAS A BLOODY KNIFE, A BLACK DRESS, A MASK, PIECES OF BLOODIED ROPE, BLOODY LATEX GLOVES, AND A STUN GUN. EMELIE HAS BEEN LIVING IN MAQUOKETA FOR ABOUT THE LAST 3 YEARS, IN THE HOME WHERE THEIR MOTHER AND FATHER LIVED. THEIR FATHER, DUANE, DIED A FEW YEARS AGO AND THEIR MOTHER IN 2003. A SISTER, DAWN, ARRIVED IN MAQUOKETA YESTERDAY. NEITHER SISTER IS MARRIED. THE ESTATE HAS NOT BEEN SETTLED. EMELIE IS A DRIVER FOR THE RTA IN MAQUOKETA. I HAVE KNOWN THE FAMILY SINCE I CAME TO MAQUOKETA AND KMAQ IN 1958. AT THAT TIME, DUANE WAS THE SALES MANAGER FOR THE NEW KMAQ (HE HAD BEEN A MAQUOKETA NEWSPAPER SALESMAN BEFORE THAT, WORKING FOR THE LATE ROBERT MELVOLD) AND A YEAR LATER, HE WAS NAMED MANAGER OF KMAQ. A COUPLE TIMES, I BABYSAT THE 3 KIDS FOR DUANE AND BEVERLY. BEVERLY WAS ORIGINALLY FROM WISCONSIN, NOT FAR FROM MY HOMETOWN THERE. IN THE LATE 50'S, DUANE WAS IN A BAD AUTO ACCIDENT AND NEVER RECOVERED FULLY ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO WORK. BEVERLY, WHO WAS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER, TOOK CARE OF DUANE AND RAISED THE 3 KIDS.

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND. HAPPY EASTER.

DENNIS VOY