Hinton Woman Found Dead Inside Burnt Sioux City Motel Room
(Sioux City) — A Hinton woman has died inside of a fire-damaged hotel room in Sioux City Thursday night. Emergency Responders were sent to Wyngate Hotel at 4716 Southern Hills Drive just before 9:30 p.m. for a report of smoke coming from a hotel room. Police officers found the unconscious victim in the smoke-filled room along with fire damaged items. Responders were unable to revive the 40-year old Elizabeth Bockholt, who was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause for Bockholt’s death. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg Visited Le Mars on Thursday To Promote Their Goals Of the State
(Le Mars) — Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg are traveling across the state emphasizing their agenda for the legislative session, and discussing their goals for the state. The dual made a stop in Le Mars Thursday afternoon at the KLEM offices. Governor Reynolds says there are
great things happening in Iowa.
Reynolds says the state’s financial condition is in better shape than last year.
With the federal government shut down going on for more than a month, Reynolds was asked if any state government agencies and programs were being adversely affected by the shutdown?
The Iowa governor says it is time for both Republicans and Democrats to put aside their differences, and do what is right for the nation.
The governor has asked Lt. Governor Adam Gregg to oversee the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. Gregg says the program will help smaller communities. Gregg is a native of northwest Iowa having grown up in Hawarden.
Both Reynolds and Gregg acknowledge that Le Mars serves as an excellent model for other communities to follow since Le Mars created additional housing opportunities and have expanded on our community betterment programs.
We will feature more of Governor Reynolds comments, as well as comments from Lt. Governor Adam Gregg from their visit in Le Mars in future.
Briar Cliff Receives Gift Of Two Million Dollars
(Sioux City) — Briar Cliff University has received a $2 million endowment gift from the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa. President Rachell Karstens says he legacy gift is one of the largest in the University’s history and the first time an endowed chair has been gifted to Briar Cliff.
That gift establishes the Sisters of St. Francis Endowed Chair in Theology.
Sister Kate Katoski, President of the Sisters of St. Francis, says the endowment will support and expand Briar Cliff’s theology program and infuse Catholic Franciscan values throughout Briar Cliff and into the community.
Dr. Paul Korchin chairs the university’s Theology Department and says the department will expand thanks to the gift.
Briar Cliff was founded in 1929 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, with the approval of the Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese. To date, the Sisters of St. Francis have gifted $6 million to Briar Cliff since the University’s inception.
Arctic Cold Temperatures Blast The Midwest
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – An arctic wave has wrapped the Upper Midwest in numbing cold. But the worst may be yet to come.
Wind chill advisories were issued for a broad swath of the Upper
Midwest, where wind chill factors could dip to 40 to 50 degrees below zero (40 to 45 below zero, Celsius) in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota and to 30 to 35 below (34 to 37 below, Celsius) in the Dakotas.
The deep freeze caused organizers of the Winter Carnival in
Minnesota to cancel several events, including Thursday night’s parade through downtown St. Paul.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has closed its six outdoor skating rinks because of the cold weather.
Forecasters say the frigid weather is expected to linger into next
week, with even colder temperatures midweek.
Man Serving Life For Murder Is Convicted For Second Murder
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A man already serving life in prison for killing an Iowa City cab driver has been convicted of murder in the 2017 shooting death of an Iowa City bail bondsman.
Television station KGAN reports that a jury convicted 42-year-old Curtis Jones on Wednesday of first-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Jonathan Wieseler.
Prosecutors say Jones was seen on security video near the crime scene and that Wieseler’s DNA was found in Jones’ vehicle.
Jones was also convicted in November of first-degree murder for the 2017 death of cab driver Ricky Lillie and sentenced to life in prison.
Jones committed the murders after being released years early from prison in late 2016 by the Iowa Board of Parole. He had been serving a stint for armed robbery.
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