Home News Thursday Afternoon News, March 23rd

Thursday Afternoon News, March 23rd

Iowa State Patrol Tells Motorists To Be Careful During This Holiday Weekend

(Le Mars) — The upcoming Memorial Day Holiday weekend is sure to see increased traffic on Iowa’s highways, and the Iowa State Patrol wants motorists to be paying attention.

That’s Iowa State Patrol trooper John Farley. Farley says during this holiday weekend, the Iowa State Patrol wants to be on your SIDE.

The Iowa State Patrol trooper says Memorial Day weekend has historically been a bad weekend for traffic accidents.

Farley reminds motorists to always use defensive driving, and be aware of the other drivers on the road, as well as your surroundings. Farley reminds motorists that schools are now dismissing for the summer, which means more children may be seen around city streets.

Farley says law enforcement officials are emphasizing for all people within a vehicle to buckle up whenever they travel.

 

 

Sesquicentennial History Book Features Several Stories and Photos From Le Mars Past

(Le Mars) — We turn our attention to the History of Le Mars Sesquicentennial book that will be released just prior to the town’s 150th celebration. Steve Collins, Iris Hemmingson, Linda Mayrose, Richard Ziettlow, Wayne Marty and Mary Reynolds collaborated on the more than 600-page, eight-pound book
featuring stories and photos of Le Mars’ history. The book is divided into several chapters, one of which focuses attention on Le Mars transportation.
Steve Collins says one of his favorite stories found in the book describes Le Mars’ roads during the late 1800’s and into the turn of the 20th century, by an amateur photographer who also was a physician, by the name of William T. Shepard.

From time to time, from now leading up to the city’s Sesquicentennial celebration, we will feature different stories as found in the Le Mars History Book.

 

 

Man Falls To Death From 1000 Foot Communications Tower

ALLEMAN, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a worker who died after plunging hundreds of feet from a broadcast tower near Alleman in Polk County.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified the man Thursday as 47-year-old Kevin Wright. The sheriff’s office says Wright fell about 1,000 feet (305 meters) to his death around 10:50 a.m. Wednesday. The cause of his fall is being investigated.
Wright was an employee of PCI Communications. Television station KDSM said in a Facebook post that he was one of the contractors making repairs to its antenna.

 

 

Man Shoots Wife Believing She Was An Intruder

SOLDIER, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man shot his wife in western Iowa after mistaking her for an intruder trying to get into their home. Monona County Sheriff Jeffrey Pratt says in a news release that 48-year-old Jackie Krier had been outside the family home about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Soldier when she was shot Tuesday evening by 49-year-old Brian Krier.

 

 

Council Bluffs Woman Shot In Leg While Chasing Burglars Who Were Stealing Vehicle

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 20-year-old woman was shot in a leg while chasing would-be car thieves in Council Bluffs.
A police news release says Carmen Hernandez and 19-year-old Eric Martinez were awakened just after 4 a.m. Thursday by the sound of someone starting one of their vehicles in a detached garage. Three men near the garage started running away down an alley when Hernandez and Martinez went outside to investigate the noise.
The release says one of the men fired several shots at Hernandez, hitting her once. She was taken to Jennie Edmundson Hospital for treatment.
No arrests have been reported. Police say it appears the three men were trying to steal a car from the garage but couldn’t get the garage door open enough to get the car out.

 

 

Dentist Won’t Be Charged For Death Of Burglar

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) – A prosecutor says a dentist won’t be charged in connection with the death of a man suspected of trying to steal items from dentist’s office in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Clyde Overturff had told officers that he was spending the night of March 17-18 in an apartment at his Maquoketa (muh’-KOH’-keh-tuh) office when he tackled and tussled with a man he found in his dental office’s garage.
Overturff says the man slumped over and stopped fighting, ending their struggle.
The Telegraph Herald reports that an autopsy report says the man, 44-year-old Richard Purcell, died from sudden cardiac arrest. Jackson County Attorney Sara Davenport says she won’t charge Overturff because Purcell’s death “was the result of pre-existing medical conditions aggravated by the actions of the property owner who was defending himself and his property.”

 

 

Man Convicted Of Murder For Being An Accessory

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – One of two people charged in the slaying of a Des Moines man has been convicted of murder.
Jasper County court records say 25-year-old Jaycie Sheeder, of Coon Rapids, also was found guilty Tuesday of robbery and being an accessory after the fact to murder. Prosecutors say Sheeder helped 50-year-old Jeffrey Stendrup, of Clive, find and assault 36-year-old Jeremy McDowell. McDowell was found dead June 22 in Newton in the back of a vehicle Sheeder had been driving. Authorities say Sheeder kept silent about Stendrup’s involvement in the attack and never tried to stop it.
Sheeder’s sentencing is set for July 1.
Authorities think Stendrup suspected McDowell of stealing items from him and beat McDowell with a baseball bat in an effort to get the items back.
Stendrup has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other crimes.
He’s scheduled to begin trial Oct. 23.

 

 

Grassley Praises Passage Of TRACED Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today released the following statement on the Senate passage of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored
by Grassley.

Grassley says, “Years ago, robocalls were merely a nuisance. Now, they can be dangerous. Scammers are using robocalls to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims. Passage of the TRACED Act is a positive step forward in bringing some much-needed security and relief to victims of robocalls in Iowa and throughout the country.”

Currently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) operates the Do Not Call registry, which Congress created in 2003. The online registry allows consumers to request that their phone numbers be removed from telemarketing call lists. However, as technology has evolved, the need for more protection
against robocalls has increased.

The TRACED Act, introduced by Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and cosponsored by Grassley, is bipartisan legislation that takes aim at telemarketers who prey on consumers. The bill would strengthen penalties by allowing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to impose civil fines up to $10,000 per illegal call. It would also extend the length of time a lawsuit can be brought against scammers from one year to three years, and engage telecom providers by requiring them to adopt authentication tools to enable phone carriers to disclose and verify the origin of an incoming call, which would allow consumers to choose whether or not they want to answer a call.