Plueger Honored By Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau
(Le Mars) — A Le Mars Police officer was honored Thursday for his ability to recognize drug offenders. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau memorialized Polk County Deputy Kipton Hayward’s ultimate sacrifice by forming the “Kip Hayward Award.” Each year, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau has awarded one Drug Recognition Expert officer the award. The award is a special award among the officers certified as a Drug Recognition Expert, and it signifies an officer reaching the highest mark in excellence to combating impaired driving. This
year the Kip Hayward Award was presented to Dan Plueger with the Le Mars Police Department. In August of 2000, Plueger became an officer with the Le Mars Police Department, and in 2007 he became certified as a Drug Recognition Expert.
Officer Plueger explains his interest of being a Drug Recognition Expert.
Officer Plueger has been the top DRE officer for northwest region of Iowa for the past eight out of ten years. Plueger says there are seven different categories in which a law enforcement officer will determine as to what type of drug the driver has been using leading to the impairment. He says you look for the different signs and make observations.
Officer Plueger was nominated for the award by Le Mars Police Chief Stuart Dekkenga. Officer Plueger has recorded over 508 OWI arrests and has done 215 Drug Influence Evaluations. In 2016 alone, Officer Plueger had 20 OWI arrests, 27 Drug Influence Evaluations, 320 traffic citations, and numerous warnings. He says he is very humbled to be given such a honor.
Our congratulations go to Le Mars Police Officer Dan Plueger.
Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office Working On Missing Person Report
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office has received a missing persons report and needs the public’s help in locating Kyle Sitzmann.
Sitzmann, 28, is from the Hinton, IA area and went missing on April 14th. when he left to visit friends.
The Sheriff’s Office does not expect any foul play, but are concerned for his welfare. If you see him or now his whereabouts please call the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office at 712-546-8191.
Supreme Court Upholds Search Warrant Despite No Officer Signature
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a warrant used to search a suspected drug dealer’s residence even though a deputy failed to sign the application.
Friday’s 4-3 ruling exposed differences among justices on whether officers and judges should be held to exacting standards when authorizing searches or if seemingly minor bureaucratic oversights can be excused.
At issue was an application that Scott County deputy Dan Furlong prepared to authorize the search of a Davenport home where a suspected drug dealer was staying.
Furlong didn’t sign the application spelling out why he believed there was cause for the search. But he verbally swore under oath to the information before Judge Henry Latham, who signed the warrant but failed to circle words in two spots indicating he found probable cause. The majority says the warrant is valid.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Drops
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in March to
3.1 percent.
Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday that the rate fell from 3.2 percent in February and was down from 3.8 percent a year ago.
The agency reports the number of unemployed Iowa resident dropped to 51,900 in March as more people left the labor force. The number of working residents rose about 500 to 1.64 million.
Iowa’s unemployment rate compares to a national rate of 4.5 percent.
