Le Mars Has A New Year’s Baby
(Le Mars) — Le Mars has its first baby of 2019. Libbi Marsha Bendickson was born Friday afternoon, January 4th at 2:04 p.m. at Floyd Valley Healthcare of Le Mars. The New Year’s baby weighed 6 pounds and 5 ounces and is 18 inches in length. The proud parents are Brian and Alyssa Bendickson of Le Mars. Dr. Donald Odens was the attending physician. Libbi is the sole child for the Bendickson’s, as there are no other siblings to
welcome her to the world.
Le Mars Police Arrest More Than 30 Individuals Involved With Under-age Drinking Party
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has released information about an under-age drinking party involving more than 30 individuals. Le Mars police officers were made aware of a the party held Sunday evening, December 30th at 434 2nd Avenue S.E. in Le Mars. After checking into the complaint,
officers obtained a search warrant for the residence to further the investigation. Once the search warrant was obtained, officers then made entry into the residence and discovered nearly 50 individuals inside the home. Through the course of an investigation, officers determined that 32 of the subjects present had been consuming alcoholic beverages while being
under the legal drinking age of 21 and many were intoxicated. All the subjects were identified and released from the scene. There were a total of nine individuals under the age of 18 that were arrested. Those under 18 years of age were turned over to parents or other responsible adult supervision. Jeremy Weiler, age 38, of Le Mars is the owner and resident of the home, and he was present when officers made entry. Weiler is being
charged with nine counts of permitting under age drinking and possession of alcohol on his property pertaining directly to the nine juvenile subjects at the drinking party that were under the age of 18.
The individuals arrested include the following:
Isabelle Faust – age 19, Paullina, Iowa
Abigail VanOtterloo – age 18, Le Mars
Brooke Alesch – age 18, Alton, Iowa
Jessica Hinds – age 18, Le Mars
Tyson Weiler – age 19, Le Mars
Benjamin Wadle – age 18, Le Mars
Silas Buss – age 18, Le Mars
Chandler Grosenheider – age 18, Le Mars
Justin Allaway – age 18, Le Mars
Katelyn Raymond – age 18, Le Mars
Sophie Fedders – age 18, Le Mars
Cody Franck – age 19 Merrill, Iowa
Elizabeth Ihrke – age 18 Le Mars
Skylar Forbes – age 19 Harris, Iowa
Karson Morehead – age 18 Merrill, Iowa
Dalton Schreiner – age 19 Sioux Center, Iowa
Colton Beitelspacher – age 20 Le Mars
Dawson Poeckes – age 19 Le Mars
Katie McAllister – age 19 Oyens, Iowa
Logan Schurr – age 20 Le Mars
Dakotah Owens – age 19 Remsen, Iowa
Dylan Rarrat-Kass – age 19 Le Mars
Jared Kessenich – age 19 Fort Collins, Colorado
The Le Mars Police Department was assisted at the scene by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office.
Two People Arrested On Drug Related Charges
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has for the last several months investigating several individuals into a drug-ring and involvement into the delivery of controlled substances. On Friday, January 4th two individuals were arrested as the result of the investigation. They include: 20-year old Jayden Harms of Le Mars, and 19-year old Reese Harms of Le Mars. Jayden Harms was charged with one count of delivery of marijuana, a class D felony, and one count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance, also a class D felony. Reese Harms was charged with two counts of delivery of marijuana, both class D felonies. The investigation is on-going and more arrests are expected.
Akron-Westfield FFA Instructor Honored
(Akron) — The Akron-Westfield FFA adviser and agricultural education instructor was honored Sunday evening. Randy Kroksh was presented the “Golden Owl” Award recognizing the efforts of agricultural education instructors.
Kroksh was presented a plague, along with a $500 check. The award is sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, and the Iowa FFA Foundation. Joshua Remington serves as the Executive Director of the Iowa FFA Foundation and explains the award is new.
Kroksh, along with five other agriculture education instructors from across the state are the inaugural recipients of the honor. Remington says the Iowa FFA had received more then ten nominations from the Akron-Westfield area nominating Randy Kroksh for the honor.
Nationwide Insurance officials and Remington made the presentation to Kroksh during the chapter’s meeting and pot-luck dinner. Kroksh says he was surprised by the honor. Kroksh has been teaching at Akron-Westfield for 17 years. He, in fact had retired from teaching, but after the replacement teacher decided to move on after one year of teaching, Kroksh decided to return to teaching agriculture education at Akron-Westfield, saying he had missed it. Kroksh credits his own ag teacher for persuading
him to take up agriculture education in college.
Kroksh says his philosophy regarding agriculture education is to alert people about the true story of agriculture.
Kroksh and the other five recipients of the “Golden Owl” award will be recognized during the state FFA convention to be held in April.
Le Mars Community Board of Education To Hold Special Meeting
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education has called for a special meeting scheduled for Monday, January 7th at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Education Service Center. The school board will receive the initial bargaining proposal for the 2019-2020 contract by the Le Mars Education Association.
Gun Manufacturer To Move To Iowa
ELDRIDGE, Iowa (AP) – A gun-making group moving to eastern Iowa is bringing with it a $25 million contract to make rifles for a European nation’s military.
The Quad-City Times reports that Lewis Machine & Tool is relocating from Milan, Illinois, to its new and much larger plant in Eldridge, Iowa, where it will supply the Estonian Defence Forces with 16,000 rifles.
Estonia borders Russia and the Baltic Sea in northern Europe.
Matt Pruitt, the company’s sales and marketing director, says all of the rifles will be made in Eldridge. He says the thousands of firearms represent the company’s largest order, but not its largest invoice. He says the company landed a $30 million deal with the United Kingdom in 2009.
Kayaker Dies In Des Moines River
PELLA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a kayaker died after being pulled from the Des Moines River in south-central Iowa.
He was one of two kayakers who’d capsized late Saturday morning near Red Rock Dam, southwest of Pella.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says 61-year-old Timothy Chicoine was pronounced dead later at Pella Regional Hospital. He lived in Des Moines.
The other kayaker was treated at the hospital and released. He’s
been identified as 56-year-old Kevin Beatty, of Tracy.
Firefighter Dies From Eastern Iowa Grain Storage Fire
CLINTON, Iowa (AP) – One firefighter died and another was critically hurt while fighting a fire at a grain storage facility in eastern Iowa.
The Quad-City Times reports Clinton City Administrator Matt Brooke says 33-year-old Lt. Eric Hosette died in Saturday’s fire at the ADM grain facility in Clinton, Iowa, and 23-year-old Adam Cain was injured.
Clinton Fire Chief Mike Brown says firefighters were called to the
ADM facility before 6 a.m. Saturday. While firefighters were battling the blaze inside a silo, there was an explosion.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Body Recovered From Crashing Into River
KEOSAUQUA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have recovered the body of a Missouri man who was in a vehicle that crashed into the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa.
Television station KTVO reports the body was found around noon Sunday east of the crash site near Keosauqua. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office identified it as that of 22-year-old Gavin Hannah, who lived in Memphis, Missouri.
A female traveling with him was rescued shortly after the crash Friday night. Her name and other information about her haven’t been released.
A Van Buren County dispatcher said Monday morning that she couldn’t provide any more details.
The crash cause is being investigated.
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Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Killing Cab Driver
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An eastern Iowa man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of an Iowa City cab driver.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that 42-year-old Curtis Cortez Jones was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in November for the 2017 death of Ricky Lillie.
Jones maintained his innocence in a statement read to the sentencing judge. Lillie’s mother said in a victim statement that she wishes Iowa had the death penalty.
Jones is also charged in the fatal shooting of Iowa City bail
bondsman Jonathan Wieseler. That trial is scheduled to begin on Friday at the Polk County Courthouse. Both trials were moved because of intense publicity.
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Nature Center To Undergo Renovations
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – A northern Iowa nature center is getting $386,000 in renovations this year.
The Globe Gazette reports that the Lime Creek Nature Center
announced plans to replace the center’s original main-level exhibits with “museum-quality,” “interactive” and “durable” ones that will highlight the area’s natural resources and the unique features and history of the Lime Creek Conservation Area. It’s also designed to provide an engaging educational experience for visitors.
The nature center opened in 1984 and was one of the first in Iowa.
It features displays that include mounted animals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and natural resources as well as an auditorium and library.
Managers say some of the center’s current displays are outdated and deteriorating.
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Council Bluffs To Get Indoor Sports Facility
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A $7 million indoor turf facility for soccer and other sports is being planned for Council Bluffs.
The 75,000-square-foot (7,000-square-meter) building would be erected just northwest of the Mid-America Center. Funding would come from the Iowa West Foundation and other grant sources.
It would be called the Iowa West Sports Plex and would be operated and managed by the Council Bluffs Soccer Club. The fields inside would be used for youth baseball, softball, flag football and other sports in addition to soccer.
The Daily Nonpareil reports that the proposal awaits a city Planning Commission vote Tuesday and a City Council vote likely later this month.
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