7 year old Sioux Center Girl Dies After Tree Branch Falls On Her
SIOUX CENTER—A 7-year-old girl died Tuesday, July 2, after a broken tree branch struck her, Sioux Center police chief Mike Halma confirmed.
Halma said authorities are not releasing the girl’s name at this time pending notification of family members.
The girl had been swinging on a swing attached to a tree branch at a Sioux Center residence when it broke and landed on her, according to Halma.
She was transported by ambulance to Sioux Center Health, where she died.
“It’s unfortunate,” Halma said. “It’s a tough one.”
The chief called the situation unfortunate and noted how unlikely it seems.
“It was a good sized branch,” Halma said. “You look at and you don’t think this is one that would break. But you can’t see the inside of it, and apparently, there were some weakened spot in there that broke. Again, very unfortunate.”
Independence Day Holiday Traffic Expected To Set A Record
(Des Moines) — It’s estimated a record number of Americans will be on the road for the 4th of July holiday than any previous holiday, and Iowa’s law enforcement officers will be out in force looking for speeders, drunks and other lawbreakers. Floyd County Deputy Sheriff Brian Tiedemann (TEE-dah-mun) says
the increase in patrols comes from the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Special Traffic Enforcement Program or STEP.
*
[mktraf1] :12 “class reunions”
*
Iowa’s STEP initiative invites law enforcement agencies statewide to participate in increased traffic patrols over five dates this year including July 3rd through 7th. Tiedemann says the event’s main goal is raising awareness in seat belt use and driver safety.
*
[mktraf2] :15 “pulling out”
*
He warns motorists who like to speed that traffic violations can prove costly, as fines range from 40 to 200-dollars without court costs, depending on the infraction.
*
[mktraf3] :20 “fatality accident”
*
The other dates in Iowa’s STEP effort are St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Biofuel Facility To Plant Milkweed For Monarch Butterfly Habitat
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – Biofuel plants in Iowa are adding milkweed and other native plants to their properties so monarch butterflies can fuel up during the annual migration.
WHO-TV reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the monarch butterfly could warrant protection if something isn’t done to boost its population. That’s why the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association started its project called the “Monarch Fueling Station” in December of 2018.
The Renewable Energy Group (REG) plant situated on the northeast side of Newton is one of the latest ethanol and biodiesel plants to join the cause.
Plant manager Phil Abels says, “It’s a little bit of work to begin with and it’s a small amount of maintenance.” But he adds that “the value that will be received goes way beyond any effort.”
—
Parole Officer Fired
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa parole officer has been fired after an investigation concluded that she abused her power by conspiring with a detective to conduct an illegal search of a drug suspect’s home.
A termination decision from the Department of Correctional Services says that officer Kari White committed “egregious” unethical and unprofessional conduct.
The firing stems from White’s unusual role in a criminal
investigation of Daniel Vinnece, who was on parole for drug crimes and lived in Boone.
White was not Vinnece’s parole officer. But a Boone narcotics
investigator who was investigating Vinnece sought her help getting into his home without a warrant last year.
Unlike police, parole officers can conduct warrantless searches to
check on parolees. The search uncovered some marijuana and led to charges against Vinnece. But a judge dismissed the case after ruling the search violated his rights.
White has appealed her firing, contending she acted appropriately.
State Supreme Court Becoming More Conservative
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Kim Reynolds is transforming the Iowa Supreme Court from one that leaned left to a solidly conservative body, prompting concerns that it could erode past rulings on social issues.
Reynolds already has made two appointments to the seven-member court, which now has a 5-2 Republican majority, and will get a third before here term ends in 2022 because of a mandatory retirement age of 72 for judges. If she runs and wins a second term, she will complete the conservative
transformation.
It marks a stark contrast from the recent past, when an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in 2009 made it the third state in the nation to pave the way for same-sex marriage. As recently as 2018, the court established a fundamental right to abortion under the Iowa constitution.
Firefighter Returns To Work
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An eastern Iowa firefighter who was seriously injured in a fiery explosion that killed one of his colleagues early this year has returned to work.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 23-year-old Adam Cain returned to full duty just six months after the fire that injured him and killed 33-year-old fire Lt. Eric Hosette.
The fire at the ADM grain facility left Cain with two broken bones in his back, a dislocated elbow, bruised brain, two broken bones in his right arm and most of his ribs broken.
Cain says he just kept working steadily to get better.
Fire Chief Frederick Roling says he is grateful to have Cain back at work, and it’s fortunate that he was found during the fire because he was in bad shape.
—
