Four Individuals Arrested On Various Charges
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office arrested multiple individuals for multiple charges in Le Mars on Tuesday, September 11th. At 4:20 am, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle at Holton Drive and 12th Street in Le Mars after it left Wal-Mart with a suspected suspended driver. As a result of the traffic stop, 4 individuals were arrested.
The driver, Brittany Britton age 24 of Sioux City, was arrested for driving while license suspended (simple misdemeanor). Britton was suspended for non- payment of Iowa fines.
Britton was jailed at the Plymouth County Jail and bond was set at $300.
Britton has been released on her own recognizance.
A passenger, Sopia Lillian Finauga age 23 of Kingsley, was arrested for providing false information (simple misdemeanor). Finauga also had an active arrest warrant out of Polk County Des Moines, IA for 2 counts of theft 3rd degree. Bond was set at $300 for providing false information charge. The Polk
County warrant is a no bond warrant and Finauga is being held until she is extradited.
A passenger, Garrett Matthew Palmersheim age 28 of Ponca, NE, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor). Palmersheim also had an active arrest warrant out of Woodbury County for failure to appear on a domestic abuse assault charge. Palmersheim was jailed at the Plymouth
County Jail. Bond was set at $300 for the drug paraphernalia charge. The Woodbury County warrant has a bond of $2,000 and Palmersheim has been released to Woodbury County.
A passenger, Dominique Juarez Burow Plummer age 31 of South Sioux City, NE, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine 3rd offense (Class D Felony) and possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor). Plummer was jailed at the Plymouth County Jail and bond was set at $5,000. Plummer has been released on her own recognizance.
Church Treasurer Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement and Fraud
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Federal prosecutors say a former church treasurer in northwestern Iowa has pleaded guilty to defrauding the church of nearly $500,000 over 13 years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern District of Iowa says 65-
year-old Andrew Matheason pleaded guilty Wednesday in Sioux City’s federal court to one count of wire fraud.
As part of the plea, Matheason admitted that from 2003 through 2017, he stole at least $479,298 from the Bethel Lutheran Church in Graettinger.
Prosecutors say he wrote checks to himself, paid his credit card balances from church funds and established a fake company to which he wrote checks from the church’s account. To avoid detection, he created false financial reports that he presented to church leaders.
Matheason faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced at a later date.
Trump Declares Iowa Counties As Disaster Areas
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – President Donald Trump has declared a major disaster exists in Iowa following severe storms and tornadoes in July.
Trump issued the declaration Wednesday, making federal funding available to state and eligible local governments as well as certain private nonprofit groups on a cost-sharing basis.
The declaration applies to damage from storms and tornadoes on July 19 in the counties of Lee, Marion, Marshall, and Van Buren. The storms included tornadoes that damaged or destroyed buildings in Marshalltown and Pella.
The declaration also makes federal money available to hazard
mitigation efforts on a cost-sharing basis.
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for funding under the federal Individual Assistance Program for homeowners, renters and businesses in Marshall and Polk counties for the July 19 is still under review by the White House.
Reynolds Declares Buchanan County As Disaster Area
(Des Moines) — On a similar note, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has added Buchanan County to the growing list of counties declared as a disaster area.
Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation Wednesday for Buchanan County in response to severe storms that took place beginning Sept. 2, 2018.
The governor’s proclamations allow state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program.
The Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.
A-P Investigates Reynolds Flight To Memphis – Liberty Bowl
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Associated Press review has found that Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds received approval from a state regulator to fly for free to Iowa State’s bowl game on a jet owned by a company that is a longtime state vendor.
That’s despite a law barring public officials and their relatives
from accepting gifts.
Reynolds flew to Tennessee to watch the Cyclones play in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 30 on a plane owned by Sedgwick, which administers workers’ compensation claims filed by injured state employees.
Reynolds’ office received approval from the state ethics board
director to accept the flight for herself and her family as a campaign donation from Sedgwick’s CEO. He says he reimbursed his company for its use.
Records show her office said “bona fide campaign events” would take place during the half-day trip.
Iowa Farmland Values Are Dropping
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new survey report says the Iowa farmland average values have dropped 1.7 percent in the past six months.
The report from the Iowa Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute says the decline over the past six months left the values at a little over $6,800 an acre. But the report issued Tuesday also says the values climbed 1.2 percent higher over the past 12 months.
Values went up in the past six months only in northeast Iowa, rising 0.7 percent.
The report blamed the state decline in part on tariffs that affected crop prices and on rising interest rates.
Northwestern College Plans For “Morning On The Green”
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Northwestern College’s annual Morning on the Green carnival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, as a part of the Raider Days Homecoming and Parents Weekend celebration. The event will take place on the campus green near Christ Chapel and the DeWitt Learning Commons from 10 a.m. to
noon. In case of inclement weather, the carnival and picnic will be moved to the Rowenhorst Student Center.
A variety of activities and games will be available at the carnival,
including an inflatable bounce house and slide, bowling and more. Tickets cost 25 cents each, with most activities requiring two or three tickets.
Local elementary school students will receive three free tickets that can be used at any booth. Parents of home-schooled elementary-age children are encouraged to contact Aletha Beeson, events and stewardship coordinator, at
alethab@nwciowa.edu to receive their free tickets. All proceeds will benefit the various student groups participating in the event.
