Home News Friday News, November 29th

Friday News, November 29th

Wells Visitors Center and Ice Cream Parlor To Feature Holiday Movies

(Le Mars) — Wells Visitors Center and Ice Cream Parlor is getting into the holiday spirit. Visitors can enjoy holiday events and special menu items in the newly renovated space. The Visitors Center will feature free holiday movies Monday evenings during the month of December. On December 2nd the
movie “Elf” will be shown. Dr. Seuss’ “The Grinch” is scheduled for December 9th, and “The Polar Express” will be the featured movie on December 16th. Each Monday movie night will feature a custom, movie-related, dessert available for purchase. Exciting seasonal menu items are sure to bring out the sweet tooth in everyone, with desserts like the Maple Donut Delight,
Peppermint Cookie Crunch, Dutch Apple Pie Shake, and Hot Cocoa Float. The gift shop has something for everyone on a list with tons of new items and ice cream-themed and branded stocking stuffers. Get into the post-Thanksgiving shopping spirit with everything at a 20 percent discount on Saturday, November 30th. The Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor is
also a collection site for Toys for Tots, so bring along a new, unwrapped toy and help make a child’s holiday brighter this season.

 

 

Alton Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, admitting that his scheme caused about 30 people to lose more than $550,000.
Authorities say 61-year-old Lon Friedrichsen entered the plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City. His sentencing has not been scheduled.
Court documents say the Alton resident pretended to be a
professional crude oil futures trader from June 2014 through March 2018. The documents say Friedrichsen used several aliases and email addresses so he could conceal his identity from investors.
Prosecutors say Friedrichsen fraudulently boasted in online
advertising that he had 30 years of trading experience and had previously worked on Wall Street and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

 

 

Woman Accused Of Stealing From School Booster Club

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) – An eastern Iowa woman is accused of stealing nearly $33,000 from a school booster club.
Buchanan County District Court records say 47-year-old Jennifer
Reuther is charged with two felonies: theft and ongoing criminal conduct.
The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Reuther. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 11.
Police in Independence say began their investigation in July after
being notified by a credit card company about a mysterious check written by Reuther, who was treasurer of the Independence Junior/Senior High School booster club. Investigators followed up and eventually concluded that more
than $32,700 had been taken from the club between June 2015 and August 2019.

 

 

Church Organization Forgives Woman After Stealing Funds

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A woman who stole thousands of dollars from the Open Bibles Churches organization in the Des Moines area has been given a suspended prison sentence and forgiveness by the organization’s leaders.
Polk County District Court records say 55-year-old Michelene Kinning was sentenced Nov. 21 to two years’ probation and a suspended 10-year prison term. She also paid more than $154,000 in restitution. The records say she’d pleaded guilty to theft.
The Des Moines Register reports that Randall Bach is president of
Open Bible Churches, and he said last week that church representatives thought probation and the suspended prison time were appropriate punishments.
Bach says church representatives were shocked to learn what Kinning had done while working at the organization headquarters, “but we forgive her.”

 

 

Man Sentenced To Prison For Not Paying Income Taxes

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A central Iowa man has been imprisoned for not paying income taxes for at least five years and then avoiding paying his federal bill for the back taxes.
Prosecutors say 53-year-old Scott Wallace, of Fort Dodge, was
sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to a year and a half. He’d pleaded guilty to attempting to evade and defeat the payment of taxes.
Court documents say Wallace ran a trucking business from 2000 to 2006 and didn’t pay returns for 2002 through 2006. The Internal Revenue Service later calculated that he owed nearly $131,000 in taxes for those years. Then, the documents say, Wallace evaded paying those taxes from 2008 through 2015.
Prosecutors say Wallace ultimately hid that he made more than $1.2 million from 2007 through 2014 so he could avoid having to pay his back taxes. In May 2016 a civil judgment against Wallace required him to pay nearly $314,000 in back taxes.

 

 

Iowa-Nebraska Football Game To Recognize Heroes

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A nurse practitioner from Iowa and a Nebraska farmer who died trying to rescue motorists will be honored Friday at the Heroes Game in Lincoln between the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Hawkeyes of the University of Iowa.
Katie Gudenkauf graduated from Clarke University in Dubuque in 2018 and last March was attending an indoor soccer tournament when one of the players collapsed. Officials say Gudenkauf and others performed first aid on the player, saving his life. She now practices at Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, Wisconsin.
The Nebraska hero to be honored is James Wilke. The 50-year-old Columbus farmer was killed March 14, during the historic flooding. He was crossing a bridge with his tractor, trying to reach stranded motorists, when the bridge collapsed. He was swept away, and his body was found downstream.
Gudenkauf and Wilke will be recognized at a halftime ceremony, and their names will be inscribed on the Heroes Trophy.

 

 

Economist Predicts Holiday Shopping Will Increase Retailers Bottom Line

(Des Moines) — Since today is considered as “Black Friday” the holiday shopping period has been considered important for retailers to finish the year with profits. Creighton University economist, Ernie Goss, says even with the changes in buying habits — that still holds true.

Goss predicts an increase of three to four percent in Christmas sales for retailers. He says online sales could be up 14 to 15 percent, and says most retailers have tried to get into the online market.

He says online is an area where the traditional big box retailers can make gains in holiday sales.

Goss says there is one trend he’s seeing that goes against the retailers.

Goss says consumers seem to be flush with confidence and some money to spend this holiday season.