Home News Saturday News, February 11th

Saturday News, February 11th

Law Enforcement Agencies Arrest Wanted Fugitive

(Le Mars) — Law enforcement consisting of local, county, state, and federal agencies worked together on Thursday in arresting a wanted fugitive in Le Mars.
Agents asked for assistance in locating and taking the subject into custody. 29 -year old Tyson Nawanna of Sioux City was located at 34 Central Avenue northeast in Le Mars. Nawanna was taken into custody at approximately 11:00 a.m. without
incident. Nawanna was wanted for probation violation, violation of pretrial release on two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of failure to affix drug tax stamp. During the search for the fugitive, officers and agents also located two females and another male in and
around the same building. As a result, 27 year old Angela Caskey of Le Mars was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and interference with official acts. Also arrested was 27 year old Jessica Martinez of Sioux City. Martinez was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Officers and agents then
obtained a search warrant for the property at 34 and 34 and a half Central Avenue northeast in Le Mars. During that search, officers located some amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia. Agencies assisting were the Le Mars Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Tri-State Task Force, and the U-S Marshal Service.

 

Investigators Determine Sioux City Police Officer Shooting Was Justified

(Sioux City) — Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings says Sioux City Police were justified when they shot and killed an armed suspect during a traffic stop last December near Tri View Avenue.
Police had stopped a vehicle with a female driver and a passenger, 36-year- old Daniel Riedmann, of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota the night of December 7th.
The officers learned there was an arrest warrant for Riedmann who was to be considered armed and dangerous.
Officer Jordan Burns saw a handgun on the rear seat behind Riedemann.
Jennings says Riedmann ignored the officers’ commands to show his hands and unlock the vehicle.

 

Jennings says Officer Dylan Grimsley shot Riedmann as the suspect began reaching for something.

 

Grimsley fired four shots, striking Riedemann four times.
Agent Trevor Modlin of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says a loaded handgun fell out of the vehicle once officers opened the door:

 

Modlin says an autopsy showed Riedemann had meth along with amphetamines in his system at the time of the shooting.

 

Langel Proposes Changes To Distribution of Hotel/Motel Tax

(Le Mars) — Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel announced to the city council during its last meeting that he would like to see some changes with the money that is be allocated to various organizations and projects that are derived from the hotel/motel sales tax. The city council was presented with a list of
suggested projects to be funded as recommended by the Le Mars Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board. The CVB Advisory Board received 13 applications
totaling $49,763.19. Three applications for projects were turned down by the CVB Advisory Board, while three other applications were approved, but with partial funding. It is estimated the local hotel/motel tax will generate approximately $130,000. The Le Mars Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board recommends funding $31,951 in project grants, and to allocate $82,500 toward the operation of the Le Mars Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visitors Center which will oversee
a community marketing cooperative initiative. Langel says he is suggesting the council not to fund the requested projects from the hotel/motel tax.

Langel further explains his reasoning for his suggestion.

The city council will decide at its next meeting whether to fund the requested projects, or to follow Langel’s suggestions. Some of the projects that had requested funding and approved by the CVB Advisory Board include: 2018 Ice Cream Days events, Color Me Sweet Fun Run, 2017 Pioneer Village Christmas, YMCA’s
Sprint Triathon, 2018 Bicycle Tour de Plymouth, 2017 Frosty Cross, the city of Le Mars for the printing of a brochure to assist group tours, and Plymouth County Fair Board for money to help with renovations to a commercial exhibit building.
Gehlen Catholic To Hold Town Hall Meeting

(Le Mars) — Gehlen Catholic invites community leaders, parishioners, alumni, staff, past and present parents to attend the Town Hall, which will be held Thursday, March 2nd, beginning at 6:30pm in the Jason Puetz Memorial Gym.

President, Rev. Kevin Richter, stated the Town Hall is part of the school’s Long Range Strategic Plan. “Throughout the past year, Gehlen Catholic, as part of a diocesan-wide endeavor, has been gathering data and input from the various stakeholders. The Long Range Strategic Planning Committee will share the
findings and ask the stakeholders for their input as Gehlen Catholic enhances our strategies to advance the school’s mission in the next five years.”

Five areas for growth have been identified based upon the Diocese of Sioux City Office of Education’s Long Range Strategic Plan, entitled “Building the Future.”
These areas include Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Building and Grounds, Enrollment Management, and Finances.

Stakeholders will provide feedback on the five areas. Afterwards, the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee will finish preparing the action plans to guide and direct the school’s efforts in the next five years.

 

Museum To Host Program About Native Americans

(Le Mars) — Kimball Village Site, an American Indian village that was active some 800 years ago near the city of Westfield, will be the topic at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars during a program at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19.
This site, located along the Big Sioux River near Westfield, was named a National Historic Landmark in January by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Native Americans inhabited the area about 800 years ago.
A sample of artifacts from the site has been on loan for many years from the Iowa Archeological office in Iowa City to the Sioux City Public Museum. Matt Anderson, curator of history, is working on bringing some of the artifacts with him to the Feb. 19 program.
The artifacts were excavated during a 1939 dig at the village and burial mound site in Plymouth County. The 1.9-acre site is located in the Loess Hills and is well-preserved, according to historians. They estimate that between 1,100 and
1,250 Prairie-Plains tribes lived in the area.
Although the site was discovered in the late 1930s, historians say about 97 percent has not been excavated.
Headlining the Kimball Village program at the Museum will be speaker Megan H. Stroh, who serves as president of the Iowa Archeological Society. She has been archaeologist for the Sanford Museum and Planetarium of Cherokee for the past
three years.
She has worked with Mill Creek villages similar to the Kimball site.

 

State Supreme Court Says Officers Cannot Continue With Questions During Traffic Stops

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has made it significantly more difficult for police to continue to ask questions or even ask for a driver’s license during routine traffic stops if there is no reasonable suspicion a crime has been committed.
In a ruling Friday, the majority of a divided 4-3 court overturned a 30- year-old Iowa legal precedent that said officers could at least ask drivers to produce their license even during routine stops.
The court now says when police stop a car to check a license plate or for other route matters, they cannot further question the driver if there’s no reasonable suspicion of a crime.
Justice Brent Appel says limitations on searches and seizures “protect fundamental values of liberty and human dignity.

 

Preparations Being Made For Siouxland Garden Show

(Sioux City) — It’s not too early to start thinking about your home garden or landscaping once spring arrives.
Those topics will be among those discussed at the upcoming 11th annual Siouxland Garden Show to be held March 24th and 25th at the Sioux City Convention Center.
Molly Hewitt, County Director of Iowa State University Extension, who co-sponsors the event, says the theme this year is “Grow with Us”:

 

Master Gardener Diana Kincaid of Dakota City says more people are participating in “community gardens” to grow some of their own food:

 

Carol Larvick of the University of Nebraska’s Dakota County Extension office says all types of gardening have become more popular in the region:

 

Besides the speakers, Hewitt says there are a lot of “hands on” demonstrations and “Make and Take” projects:

 

There’s also a need for volunteers to help with the event.
The deadline for volunteers or show vendors to sign up is March 1st.
Tickets are available through the Woodbury and Dakota County Extension Offices.
You can find out more online at www.siouxlandgardenshow.org.