Fire Department Responds To Econolodge Motel For Frozen Water Pipes
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was also called at approximately 1:35 a.m. last evening to the Econolodge motel in Le Mars.
Apparently, a fire alarm had sounded. Fire Chief Dave Schipper says there was no smoke or fire, but what had happened was a water line that services the fire sprinkler system became frozen as the result of the frigid cold temperatures.
Two Die And Two Others Hospitalized After Vehicle Falls Through Ice
(Storm Lake) — Buena Vista County authorities responded to a call regarding a vehicle that had gone through the ice at Storm Lake, resulting in two fatalities. The incident happened Sunday afternoon at about 5:42 p.m. The Buena Vista Sheriff’s Office, Storm Lake Police Department, Storm Lake Fire Department, and the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Ambulance all
responded to the scene. Officials went out onto the ice and located one adult male and three small children were were brought to shore and transported to a local hospital. The adult male and one of the children were later pronounced dead. The other two children were transferred by air to a Sioux Falls Hospital. Authorities have not released the names of the
victims at this time. The incident remains under investigation by the Buena Vista Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa DNR.
School Official Given Probation After Found Guilty Of Embezzling Money From School District
ADEL, Iowa (AP) – A former Iowa school district official has been given three years of probation for embezzling nearly $217,000 over the course of several years.
Dallas County District Court records show 35-year-old Melissa Lantz was given a 10-year suspended prison sentence during a hearing Friday in Adel.
The judge also ordered her to pay restitution and perform community service.
Lantz had pleaded guilty to theft from Woodward-Granger Community School District. She was hired in 2012, assigned to payroll duties and eventually became business manager.
Her arrest followed a state audit that identified improper and
unsupported disbursements by the district over five years, including 101 checks that Lantz issued to herself on top of her authorized paychecks.
The district serves around 1,000 students about 20 miles northwest of Des Moines.
