(Le Mars) –Le Mars Police officers were called to a disturbance at the Amber Inn Motel Saturday evening around 6:45.
Officers observed an altercation with the motel owner and a guest, identified as Michael Anthony Keen of Callender, Iowa. According to written information from the Le Mars Police Department, when attempts to reason with Keen proved unsuccessful, he barricaded himself in his room, armed with a knife, and made threats to harm himself. A diversionary device was introduced into the room as officers made entry, and took Keen into custody. The suspect was treated at Floyd Valley Hospital for minor abrasions, and then booked into the Plymouth County Jail. Keen was charged with two counts simple assault, one count public intox, both simple misdemeanors, and one count interference with official act while displaying a dangerous weapon, which is a Class D felony. Le Mars Police were assisted by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office, the Iowa State Patrol, Le Mars Fire and Le Mars ambulance.
Sioux Relay for Life is the sixth largest in Iowa
(Orange City) — More than 148-thousand dollars was raised during the Sioux Relay for Life, which tops last year by more than 10 percent. The 13th annual Relay for Life in Sioux County was the largest ever. Sioux County finished sixth, behind Clinton County in the top ten fund raising Relays in the state. The 727 luminarias surrounding the track in Rock Valley June 18th and 19th also set a record. Preparations are underway for the 2011 event in Hull.
New recovery facility
(SIOUX CITY)–A group providing a hope for recovery for Siouxland professionals and their families has broken ground for a new facility.
Jackson Recovery Center of Sioux City began offering a River Hills program in 2006 to meet the needs of professionals with drug, alcohol and gambling addictions.
Due to the overwhelming need for the services, the program quickly outgrew its space and is being relocated to West Fourth Street.
Jackson Recovery C-E-O Kermit Dahlen says the new location is idea for the needs of the River Hills patients because it is extremely private and set in a beautiful, serene location.
More than two-thousand Siouxlanders accessed treatment services at Jackson Recovery Centers last year. Services are offered in Le Mars at 19 Lincoln Street Southeast.
This is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
Dreckman Memorial Fund
(LE MARS)–A memorial fund helped some Gehlen Catholic School families begin the new school year.
The Tim Dreckman Memorial Fund was established in memory of her husband by Barb Dreckman and the couple’s six children. The fund was designed to share Tim Dreckman’s love of Gehlen Catholic with new and returning families and to ensure his love and legacy live on through Gehlen Catholic School.
The Tim Dreckman Memorial Fund helps Gehlen Catholic families in two ways. First, every new family moving to Gehlen Catholic received some of their school supplies to start the year. In addition, new and returning families in need of tuition assistance may be surprised with full or partial payments toward their December tuition each year.
Barb Dreckman says money is tight during the holidays and the thought was to make the holidays a little easier and less stressful for families.
Protecting Families Conference
(SIOUX CITY)–A national speaker in the development of child advocacy programs will speak in Sioux City this week.
Mike Johnson is the featured speaker at Mercy Medical Center’s Protecting Families Conference Friday at the Sioux City Convention Center.
Sponsored by the Mercy Child Advocacy Center, the conference for medical, education, law enforcement and social workers provides the latest information about child abuse.
Johnson is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University who is assigned to the Juvenile Division of the Plano, Texas Police Department.
Motivational speaker Marni Vos will also speak at the conference. Vos is known to motivate and inspire her audience to be top performers in their profession and personal life.
Neb. man reports to jail in motorcyclists’ deaths
LITTLE SIOUX, Iowa (AP) A Nebraska man has turned himself in on four counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of four motorcyclists in Iowa.
Prosecutors on Friday charged 21-year-old Andrew Schlichtemeier, of Murray, Neb., in the Aug. 9 crash along Interstate 29 near Little Sioux. He reported to jail Saturday.
Police say Schlichtemeier was drunk when he swerved into oncoming traffic and struck the motorcyclists.
The victims were 62-year-old Dennis Chaney and 49-year-old Dale Aspedon, both of Glenwood, Iowa; 62-year-old Steven Benscoter of Pacific Junction, Iowa; and 48-year-old Jay Bock of Omaha, Neb. The men had been returning from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
Body found next to motorcycle in Cedar Rapids
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Cedar Rapids police are investigating the death of a man found unresponsive next to a motorcycle.
Police were called to the scene early Saturday about a single-vehicle accident. Officers found the man lying next to the motorcycle and began CPR.
He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police say his name won’t be released until all of his family members are notified.
Divers repair washout under Iowa dam
ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) A washout under a dam in Anamosa caused by flooding on the Wapsipinicon (WAHP’-si-PIN’-i-kuhn) River in 2008 is being fixed, thanks to some divers.
The dam generates electricity for Alliant Energy and is owned by North American Hydro of Neshkoro, Wis.
The repairs began earlier this week.
North American Hydro spokesman Rory Alsberg told The Gazette that boards were placed on top of the dam to divert the current away from the divers, who are working in water about 15 feet deep.
Concrete is piped to the divers, who pump it into large cloth bags to build concrete blocks. The blocks will be pinned to the bedrock and then covered in concrete.
The divers works in pairs and are in the water for no more than three hours a day.
Information from: The Gazette, https://www.gazetteonline.com/
2 Iowa counties share $340,000 in disaster aid
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) Federal officials say they’ve given out $340,000 in grants to residents of two Iowa counties after storm damage struck earlier this year.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that the residents of Appanoose and Wapello counties were approved for the grant money after damage inspections in southern Iowa. A presidential disaster declaration for the counties was added last week.
The funding breaks down to about $214,000 for Wapello County and about $129,000 for Appanoose County.
FEMA says that statewide is has approved grants of about $19 million for 34 counties for damage in June and August.
Federal officials say residents of eligible counties have until Oct. 13 to register for assistance. Information is available by calling 1-800-621-3362 or going online to www.disasterassistance.gov.
Iowa enrollment boost stretches counselors
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) The director of counseling at the University of Iowa says the rise in enrollment at the Iowa City campus has made it more difficult to provide mental health services.
University Counseling Service director Sam Cochran says the staff is “having trouble” keeping up with demand, but he tells The Iowa City Press-Citizen it’s too soon to know how big the burden will become. Cochran says his staffers usually keep between 12 and 18 cases, plus the time they spend with new clients.
Cochran says that’s one to two more cases than usual and that the office expects a wait list in the next few weeks. He says there are no immediate plans to ask for additional spending. University spokesman Tom Moore says if there’s a need the school would evaluate if more counselors are necessary.
Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, https://www.press-citizen.com/
Iowan pleads guilty in Obama student loan case
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) The last of nine former employees of a U.S. Department of Education contractor charged with unlawfully viewing President Barack Obama’s student loan records has pleaded guilty.
Andrew Lage of Iowa City pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Davenport to exceeding authorized computer access.
Lage and the other defendants worked at the Coralville office of Vangent Inc. when they viewed Obama’s student loan records while he was either a candidate for president, president-elect, or president.
Eight pleaded guilty. One went to trial and was convicted.
Lage faces up to one year prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Dec. 13.
Three defendants have been sentenced. Two have received one year probation. The third was sentenced to community service.
A telephone message left Friday for Lage’s attorney was not immediately returned.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
