Absentee Ballots Available For General Election
(Le Mars) — Absentee ballots for the November 8, 2016 General Election are
available as of September 29th in the Auditor’s Office at the Plymouth County
Courthouse during regular business hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday to
vote in person.
Absentee ballots may be cast in the Auditor’s office until Monday, November 7th
until 5 pm. Absentee ballots to be mailed to voters must be requested in writing.
Forms are available at the Plymouth County Auditor’s Office or at
www.co.plymouth.ia.us under Online Services and then County Forms. Absentee
ballot request forms can be mailed to the Auditor’s office at 215 4th Ave. SE, Le
Mars, IA 51031. Voter’s may contact the Auditor’s office and an absentee ballot
request form can be mailed to a voter.
Voters requesting an absentee ballot to be mailed to them must have the request
form to the Auditor’s office no later than 5 pm on Friday, November 4th, as that
is the last day absentee ballots can be mailed out to voters. The Auditor’s
office provides the postage for all absentee ballots returned by mail. Ballots
must be postmarked prior to midnight, November 7, 2016 (the day prior to the
election), or can be delivered to the Auditor’s office before the polls close at
9:00 pm on November 8, 2016 (Election Day.)
If you wish to absentee vote in the Auditor’s office Monday, October 31st through
Monday, November 7th and are not registered to vote already, you will be required
to complete the EDR (Election Day Registration) process at the Auditor’s Office
prior to casting your absentee ballot. The EDR voter registration process
requires a valid photo identification, and one form of proof of Plymouth County
residency. Examples of proof of residency can be a valid Iowa drivers license
with your current Plymouth County address, a utility bill, cell phone bill,
residential lease, bank statement, paycheck, government check, vehicle
registration, or tax assessment.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Plymouth County
Auditor’s Office at 712-546-6100.
Man Found Guilty In Sioux County For Sexual Abuse Of Child
(Orange City) — A Matlock, Iowa man was found guilty on Thursday in Sioux County District Court for one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, Class C Felony. Sioux County Attorney, Thomas G. Kunstle, prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Iowa. 33 year old Daren Thomas Leikvold, was found guilty.
This case arose in February of 2016, when authorities were contacted by school officials who learned a 12 year-old child reported she was twice raped by her mother’s boyfriend, Daren Leikvold, who denied he ever inappropriately touched the child. After investigating, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office arrested Leikvold, charging him with two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree.
Leikvold pled not guilty, waived his right to a jury trial, and the case proceeded to a bench trial before the Judge Duane Hoffmeyer on July 19-20. Leikvold chose not to testify. Judge Hoffmeyer announced his verdict on Thursday finding Leikvold guilty on one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, and set the matter for a sentencing hearing at 10:00 am on October 31, 2016. Because Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree is a forcible felony, Leikvold was taken into immediate custody pending sentencing.
South Sioux City Schools Placed On Lockdown
(South Sioux City) — Classes are back to normal in South Sioux City after the district’s facilities were placed on lockdown Thursday morning.
Lt. Chris Chernock of the South Sioux City Police says the incident began aournd 8:00 a.m. at the high school involving a conversation overheard between two male students.
Police responded and removed those two students from the high school and the building was evacuated and searched for weapons.
The two students have not been identified, but, Lt. Chernock says they are facing possible criminal charges.
The lockdown was lifted at around 10:35 a.m.
Parents were given an option to pick up their children or continue on with the rest of the school day.
Woman Gets Probation After Stealing From Law Firm
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A woman accused of stealing more than $38,000 from a
Sioux City law firm has been given four years of probation.
Online court records say 44-year-old Kristin Hermelbracht, of Hinton, made a
deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced theft charge. The
records say the judge gave her a suspended five-year prison sentence, told her to
perform 100 hours of community service and pay $7,600 restitution. That’s the
amount not covered by the firm’s theft insurance.
Authorities say that between July 2013 and November 2015, she stole the money
by forging a partner’s signature on the law firm’s checks while working as the
firm’s bookkeeper.
Columbus Junction Prepares For Flooding
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a southeast Iowa community hit hard
during flooding eight years ago is ready for whatever the Iowa and Cedar rivers
have in store.
The Cedar merges into the Iowa on the east side of Columbus Junction, which
was swamped when floodwater burst through three levees in 2008. Since then the
community has bolstered and raised them high enough to handle a 31-foot Iowa River
crest.
Community development director Mallory Smith says concern remains about
whether the Iowa Highway 92 bridge should be closed so flood protection can be
extended. She said Thursday the closure probably won’t occur unless the water
reaches 27 feet.
The National Weather Service is forecasting an Iowa River crest of 26.6 feet
late Thursday night or early Friday.
Former Iowa State University Student Needs To Register As Sex Offender
NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A former Iowa State University student will avoid prison
but be required to register as a sex offender for assaulting an unconscious female
student after a party.
Patrick Whetstone received his sentence Thursday after pleading guilty to
assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.
Under a plea agreement accepted by Judge James McGlynn, the 21-year-old
Whetstone will be on probation for two years, followed by 10 years of monitoring
as a sex offender.
That means he will be listed on the state registry and will have to report
his address and social media usernames to authorities.
The victim told police she became ill from drinking on March 30, 2014, after
an on-campus party and fell asleep. She says she woke up to find Whetstone
assaulting her.
Woman’s Body Found In Parked Van
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines police are investigating what they call the
suspicious death of woman whose body was found in a parked minivan.
Police say the body was reported about 8 a.m. Thursday in a minivan parked at
Broadlawns Hospital in northern Des Moines. The van apparently had been parked at
the site for several days.
The body was found in the van’s cargo area.
The death is considered suspicious, and detectives and the crime scene unit
were at the site.
Police didn’t release the name of the dead woman until relatives could be
notified.
Knoxville Teen Files Lawsuit Against County Attorney Over Photos
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) – A teenager and her family have filed a lawsuit to try
and block a Marion County attorney from charging her with sexual exploitation
after she sent photos of herself to a classmate through the mobile messaging app
Snapchat.
The Des Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/2ducvzM ) reports that the Knoxville
High School freshman took one photo of herself in a mirror, showing her wearing a
sports bra and boy shorts, a style of underwear. In the second photo, the teen was
topless and wearing the same underwear, but her hair covered her breasts.
The photos were gathered by authorities earlier this year amid an
investigation into nude and semi-nude photos sent by students at the school.
The family’s lawsuit argues that the county attorney Ed Bull is trying to
punish behavior that wasn’t criminal.
Bull says he’ll make a decision without regard to the lawsuit.
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