Parkersburg News Archives

Parkersburg, Ia. - For Joan Becker, football was a welcome - and overdue - relief.

In an Aug. 27 story about a mental compentency hearing for the suspect in the shooting death of Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas, The Associated Press incorrectly reported the hearing would be overseen by a U.S. District Court judge.

An application filed Tuesday morning claims Mark Becker is not competent to stand trial.

An application filed Tuesday morning claims Mark Becker is not competent to stand trial.

An application filed Tuesday morning claims Mark Becker is not competent to stand trial.

It won't be the same, but the games go on without Ed Thomas in Parkersburg, Iowa.

Accused murderer Mark Becker of Parkersburg suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and is unable to understand the charge against him or to aid in his own defense, his lawyer said today in court documents.

The Aplington-Parkersburg School District will start a new school year with a new high school.

The killing of a high school football coach has brought lessons of friendship, empathy and forgiveness in the small town of Parkersburg, Iowa.

Moments before a massive tornado would wreak havoc on their community, destroying hundreds of homes and killing nine residents, almost no one in the small town of Parkersburg, Iowa , had any idea what was about to hit them.

Gov. Chet Culver honored Iowans who helped save lives or pulled someone from harm's way Friday, including a group who rescued two people trapped in rubble when a tornado ripped through the town of Parkersburg last year.

Friday night people across the country heard their story of devastation. ABC's 20/20 aired an hour long special on Parkersburg called, "Blown Away Twisted Terror." It went through what happened in this small Iowa town on May 25, 2008.

For the town of Parkersburg, Iowa , May 25, 2008, started out like any other Sunday.

What happened when the most dangerous kind of tornado hit an Iowa town over Memorial Day weekend last year? Sam Champion of " Good Morning America " gives a detailed account of the disaster in "Blown Away: Twisted Terror." The program airs at 10 p.m. Friday on ABC's "20/20 ." The program airs locally on WFTV-Channel 9. The program features ...

Parkersburg officials are seeking volunteers to help build the third playground that is part of a $500,000 project to ensure the community's children have a place to play.

The Iowa Football Coaches Association in collaboration with the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the family of the late Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas has created a helmet decal commemorating the life of the late varsity coach.

Parkersburg officials are seeking volunteers to help build the third playground that is part of a $500,000 project to ensure the community's children have a place to play.

A national cable network is planning to carry the first football game of the season on its network this season following the fatal shooting of coach Ed Thomas.

Saturday marked the start of a new era for the Aplington-Parkersburg School District.