Remsen Gets Prepared For Annual Kids Days Celebration
(Remsen) — Remsen will hold its annual Kids Days today and tomorrow. Many of the events will take place in the downtown area of Remsen. Stacy Schroeder serves as the event’s chair person. She says the Remsen Kids Days are fun for the entire family and an opportunity to have great memories.
Schroeder reviews the schedule of events and vendors for the Remsen Kids Days.
The Remsen Kids Days chairperson says there will be several vendors, games, and contests scheduled for the downtown area.
The Remsen Kids Days will continue through tomorrow.
Avila Pleads Not Guilty To Fight Fatality
(Sioux City) — A Sioux City man pleads not guilty to a fatal assault charge that happened back in July of 2018. Ray Avila, age 24, is being charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault causing serious injury, and flight to avoid prosecution in the death of 31-year old Peter Johnson. According to court
documents, Avila says he used self-defense and defense of others. Avila was initially booked into the Woodbury County Jail last month after officials located and arrested him in Mexico. Apparently, the attack happened after Johnson, the victim, got into a fight with a person he thought was breaking into a car. According to the affidavit, that person was locked out of his
car and was striking the window in order to get inside. Avila is said to have punched Johnson in the face, which knocked Johnson to the ground onto the concrete sidewalk. Avila then fled from the scene. Johnson was taken to Mercy Medical Center where he had surgery to attempt to reduce or stop the bleeding and pressure on his brain. He later died in the hospital from his
injuries.
Native American Activist Passes Away
(Sioux City) — A locally known activist of Native American issues has passed away. Frank La Mere of the Winnebago tribe has died at the age of 69. La Mere spoke on several issues, and stood for Native American rights. He spoke against allowing alcohol sales in White Clay, Nebraska which was directly across the border from the Rosebud Reservation.
Army Corps Of Engineers Say They Are Close To Repairing Three Breached Levees
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has almost completed work to close three of the most serious levee breaches on the Missouri River in southwest Iowa.
Matthew Krajewski is readiness branch chief for the Corps’ Omaha district. Krajewski says four of about 40 breaches needed urgent attention after the flooding in March and May , and three of those should be closed Monday.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the levees needing urgent repair were designed to protect Council Bluffs, Bartlett, Percival and Hamburg. The closure of those four breaches is expected to cost more than $34 million.
The other breaches aren’t as large and don’t put as much
infrastructure or people at risk. Some of the breaches are allowing water to flow back into the river from flooded fields.
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Woman Sentenced To Prison For Theft
GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) – A woman accused of faking a kidney transplant has been imprisoned for an unrelated theft in eastern Iowa.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 46-year-old Shawn Marie Tomkins, also known as Shawn Marie Eastman Adams, to five years. She must also pay restitution.
Prosecutors say she took people to a farm in rural Dike in December 2017, selling them items that she falsely said were hers.
She’s also awaiting trial in Black Hawk County on theft and other
charges. Prosecutors say she got nearly $58,000 in aid from a Waterloo couple after telling them she had a kidney transplant, tumors and other medical problems. Prosecutors say she accused one of one of them of sexually abusing her son when the couple discovered her scam.
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Iowa Tornadoes
OAKVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say the three tornadoes that touched down over the weekend in southeast Iowa damaged a house and destroyed outbuildings but apparently didn’t injure anyone.
The National Weather Service says it’s confirmed two tornadoes that occurred around 8:20 p.m. Saturday about 3 miles (5 kilometers) south and west of Oakville. Both were rated EF-2 with peak winds of 120 mph (193.1 kph). The two also knocked down trees and power poles.
The third twister was spotted around 7:55 p.m. Saturday about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Mediapolis. It was rated EF-0 with a top wind estimated at 70 mph (112.7 kph). No damage was reported.
The service says the storm system also brought hail and heavy rain.
