Carlin Wins Special Election For State Senate District 3
(Le Mars) — A large voter turnout was present for the special election for the State Senate District 3 seat. Republican, Jim Carlin of Sioux City was able to defeat the Democrat candidate Todd Wendt of Le Mars. The final vote tally had
Carlin with a large margin for his victory. Carlin picked up 3591 votes to Wendt’s 2988. Interesting that neither candidate was able to win their home county. Wendt was able to win in Woodbury County by a slim 56 vote margin, but failed to carry Plymouth County. In Plymouth County, Carlin secured 1724 votes against Wendt’s 1065. Carlin was able to win each Plymouth County precinct with the exception of the Hinton polling location. Having served as the school superintendent for the Le Mars Community School District for the past 17 years,
Wendt was hopeful the town of Le Mars would lean in his favor, but Carlin was able to carry all three precincts of Le Mars. Both candidates were appreciative of the volunteers that helped with the campaign.
Carlin says he was concerned about how the Le Mars voters would respond.
Wendt says the votes from Le Mars were not a total surprise, given the fact Le Mars has nearly a two to one ratio of Republicans to Democrats.
Since Carlin won the special State Senate race, there will now be another special election scheduled for someone to fill the House seat being left vacant from Carlin.
Downtown Fire Due To Electrical Power Surge
(Le Mars) — An electric power surge caused a fire to some downtown businesses Tuesday morning during the lunch period. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a fire at 103 Central Avenue Southwest for what appeared to be an
electrical transformer that caught on fire, which also caused fire to the roof of businesses located in the area. That power surge happened at about 11:38 a.m. and caused several businesses and residential homes to have a loss of power.
Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper was nearby at the Le Mars Public Library, and witnessed the fire.
Chief Schipper says fortunately, there were no injuries with the construction workers that were on the roof.
According to Schipper,it appears as though the Catton Marketing building, and Langel Accounting were the businesses most affected by the fire.
Schipper says the fire was started from the surge from the power utility line.
The Orange City Fire Department also responded to provide mutual aid and to serve as back-up.
Fire crews were on the scene for a little more than an hour and a half. MidAmerican crews were able to restore power to the neighborhood, within an hour
after the incident.
10 Year Old Hinton Boy Hit By Vehicle
(Hinton) — The Hinton Police and Hinton Ambulance were dispatched to an injury accident Tuesday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m. That accident was located on county road C-60 or (Main St) at the north entrance to Hinton Community Schools.
A 10 year male child was hit by a west bound vehicle. The 10 year old was transported to Mercy Hospital by Hinton Ambulance. There is no word on the condition of the child. The investigation is continuing. Hinton Police was assisted by the Plymouth County Sheriffs Office.
Bus Driver and Student Dies In School Bus Fire
OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a fire aboard an Iowa school bus has killed a student and the bus driver.
Investigators say no one else was on the bus when the fire erupted around 7 a.m. Tuesday southeast of Oakland, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Omaha, Nebraska.
Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Lt. Rob Ambrose says the remains of the driver and a student were found after the fire was extinguished. 16-year-old Megan Klindt and 74-year-old Donnie Hendricks, the bus driverboth died in a fire in western Iowa.
Ambrose says no one else was on the bus at the time.
The bus caught fire after it backed out of a farm driveway and into a ditch across the road. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The bus was from the Riverside Community School District.
Iowa City Man Charged With Murder
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa City police say they have charged a 30-year-old man with first-degree murder in a fatal attack last month on his father.
The Press-Citizen reports that Flannery Huston Kennedy-Meier was arrested Nov. 13 after police were called to a residence and found 63-year-old Mark Meier injured. Officers say Kennedy-Meier, of Iowa City, had hit his father in the head with a weapon, causing a skull fracture and brain bleed.
Meier died of his injuries on Dec. 4, and an autopsy blamed the November beating.
Kennedy-Meier remains in the Johnson County Jail and was being held on a $20,000 bond Tuesday morning.
An attorney for Kennedy-Meier did not immediately return a call Tuesday seeking comment.
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Poweshiek Clerk Charged With Theft
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The former administrative clerk in the Poweshiek County sheriff’s office has been charged with theft after a state audit found nearly $7,000 in missing money.
State criminal investigators announced the charges against Megan Lynne Strong on Tuesday, hours after State Auditor Mary Mosiman released a report showing missing deposits mostly from gun permits.
Sheriff Thomas Kriegel had requested the audit.
During an investigation in February Strong admitted to taking money and she resigned.
It’s not the first time a state audit revealed problems at the sheriff’s office.
Former Sheriff Tom Sheets was sentenced to probation in December 2016 for theft after an audit showed the county lost about $312,000 over three years.
Kriegel defeated Sheets in the 2012 election and took office in January 2013 and was re-elected last year.
Governor Reynolds Will Keep Steve King As Co-chair, Despite Being Upset With King’s Comments
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’ll keep U.S. Rep. Steve King involved in her gubernatorial campaign even though she condemns
his recent online comment that criticized diversity.
Reynolds told reporters Tuesday the Republican congressman from Iowa is one of multiple people serving as a state co-chair on her campaign, and she won’t always agree with everything they say.
King tweeted on Friday “diversity is not our strength” along with an article about the Hungarian prime minister’s anti-immigration views. The tweet caught national attention, and Iowa Democrats have called on Reynolds to drop King as a state co-chair.
Reynolds, who is seeking a four-year term next year, says she disagrees with King’s comment and won’t get “sidetracked” by it. She says she’s focused on
other issues like improving Iowa’s workforce.
Court Rejects Sorenson’s Appeal
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A federal court has rejected the sentencing appeal of former Iowa Sen. Kent Sorenson, who is serving a 15-month federal prison sentence for causing false campaign finance reports to be filed and obstructing
an investigation.
Sorenson accepted money for endorsing presidential candidate Ron Paul in 2012 but was caught up in a criminal case when federal authorities said he and Paul campaign officials attempted to hide the payments.
He pleaded guilty and expected probation but was given prison time in January when Judge Robert Pratt concluded Sorenson betrayed the public trust and deserved punishment.
He appealed the sentence but the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday concluded Pratt’s sentence was appropriate.
Sorenson is at a minimum security prison in Thomson, Illinois. He is due for release in April.
Birds Rescued From Abandoned Farmstead
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa City Animal Services say more than 200 birds have been rescued following a large-scale animal welfare investigation on an abandoned farmstead in eastern Iowa.
The Press-Citizen reports that animal services is now caring for 110 ducks and geese, 76 chickens and 49 pigeons.
Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek says an investigation Saturday at an abandoned farmstead southeast of Solon turned up more than 20 crates, kennels and small sheds on the land containing hundreds of birds.
Pulkrabek says the 70-year-old owner of the property admitted to owning the birds and voluntarily relinquished them. No charges had been brought by Tuesday morning.
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Glenwood Resource Center Employee Sentenced For Abuse
GLENWOOD, Iowa (AP) – The first of six former Glenwood State Resource Center workers charged with mistreating facility residents has been convicted of abusing a severely autistic man.
The Des Moines Register reports that 24-year-old Kayla Stevenson was convicted Tuesday in Mills County District Court of wanton neglect of a resident. She faces up to two years in prison when she’s sentenced.
A video shown at her trial showed Stevenson hitting the 19-year-old resident in the head twice with the heavy end of a butter knife as he’s held down by another worker. Her attorney argued the incident amounted only to “taps” on the head that caused no injury.
Earlier this year, 13 workers at the center quit or were fired over abuse allegations. An Iowa Department of Human Services investigation that found several clients were physically abused or subjected to verbal abuse or neglect.
The center provides services for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
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