(ORANGE CITY)–A Cleghorn man faces more than 15 years in prison for his sixth drunk driving conviction.
Sioux County attorney Coleman McAllister released written information about the conviction for 48-year-old Grant Wayne Wilson.
Wilson was arrested by a Hawarden Police Officer after a citizen called police on April 2nd to report an erratic driver on Highway 10 near Ireton.
Wilson pled guilty to driving while his license was revoked and driving while barred prior to a trial for the operating while under the influence charge.
A jury convicted him for the six O-W-I on Tuesday (September 28th).
McAllister says Wilson faces a maximum of 18 years in prison because he was also convicted of operating a vehicle while barred from driving and operating while his license was revoked.
A sentencing date has not been set.
More safety efforts shown by survey
(SIOUX CITY)–Drivers in Sioux City are buckling up more often.
SIoux City Police “Volunteers in Policing” made two seat belt surveys at two intersections in Sioux City this week.
The volunteers counted about 35-hundred people in front seats. Total seat belt use was 90 percent which is up one percent from May.
The overall use increased four percent from surveys in the spring.
Those in the front seat of vehicles used seat belts most often in passenger cars, 92 percent, followed by 90 percent for sport utility (SUV) vehicles and 84 percent for pickup trucks.
(LE MARS)–A report of a suspicious vehicle near Sioux City Wednesday night led to the arrest of a man on six charges.
According to information released by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office, 46-year-old Kevin Parker Jones fled on foot after deputies found a vehicle parked in the rear parking lot of Mike’s Saloon.
Deputies were talking with Jones who they say admitted to driving with a suspended license and fraudulent license plates when he fled and was arrested after a short foot pursuit.
Jones, whose address was not released, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a prescription drug, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a revoked license and interference with official acts.
He is listed on the Jail Roster today.
Jurors won’t report Tuesday
(LE MARS) Plymouth County Jurors do NOT need to report for Jury Duty on Tuesday, October 5th. Jurors are asked to call the clerk of court’s office on Monday, October 11th after 3 p-m to find out whether to report on Tuesday, October 12th.
Farber tribute on ‘Today’ Show
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) Veteran NBC newsman Tom Brokaw has paid tribute on the network’s “Today” show to professor William O. “Doc” Farber, who influenced many state and national leaders during his 70 years at the University of South Dakota.
Brokaw presented a tribute to the late professor during the “Today” show on Friday.
He says Farber changed his life and the lives of many other students at the university in Vermillion. Brokaw says he was not a very good student as a sophomore, but Farber turned his life around by telling him to quit college until he was ready to apply himself.
Farber died in 2007 at the age of 96.
Brokaw says Farber taught students to participate, be concerned for others and seek to make the world a better place.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Bear paw found near Carroll
CARROLL, Iowa (AP) A Carroll County sheriff’s deputy says a dog found a bear paw in a western Iowa field.
Carroll County chief deputy Ken Pingrey said Friday that both a local taxidermist and the state medical examiner have determined the remains the dog found on Thursday are a bear’s paw. Pingrey says the taxidermist had been working on a bear and buried part of the animal.
Pingrey says the dog dug up the bear’s paw.
Transit systems to make improvements
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa will receive more than $12 million in federal funds to improve public transportation.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin announced the funds on Thursday.
The Iowa Democrat says the state transportation department will get $5 million to replace buses across the state and to upgrade and build bus stations.
Dubuque, Ames and Cedar Rapids are also getting a share.
Dubuque will get about $2.3 million to replace buses in its Keyline Transit System and a rural system that serves Dubuque, Delaware and Jackson counties.
Ames will receive nearly $3.7 million to replace old buses in its CyRide system.
Nearly $1.5 million will go to Cedar Rapids to replace old buses and for a new bus hub.
Dubuque closes harbor as Mississippi River rises
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) Dubuque has closed the floodgates to its harbor as the Mississippi River continues to rise.
The river at Dubuque on Friday was almost 19 feet, which is nearly 2 feet above flood stage. The river is going up because of last week’s heavy rains in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and expected to remain above flood stage for about a week.
The Telegraph Herald says city officials began closing the harbor on Wednesday and pumping the water into the main channel of the river.
The harbor is home to a riverboat casino, a resort, convention center and a river museum.
Public Works Director Don Vogt says he expects the harbor to remain closed through the weekend.
Iowa sheriff reinstates pay-to-stay in jail
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) It will soon cost again to stay in the Pottawattamie County jail in Council Bluffs.
The Daily Nonpareil newspaper Sheriff Jeff Danker is reinstating the “pay to stay” policy, which has been idle for two years.
County supervisors on Wednesday told Danker to hire a full-time staffer for the room and board program.
State law allows sheriffs to charge $50 a day “rent” plus administrative fees and unrecoverable medical expenses.
Officials say Pottawattamie County tried several different approaches, including hiring a Colorado-based company. But the company was too far away to make the program cost effective.
Des Moines athletes treated for skin infection
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Officials say Des Moines area schools are seeing cases of a contagious and hard-to-treat skin infection.
According to The Des Moines Register, three athletes have been treated this school year. Two are students at Valley High School in West Des Moines. The other is a Des Moines student. Officials would not identify which school, citing privacy reasons.
The infection, Methicillin Resistant Staphyloccus Aureus or MRSA, is a strain of staph infection that’s resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to fight such infections. It’s spread through skin-to-skin contact and shared personal items and is more common in athletic settings.
Symptoms vary and include a puss-like pimple or boil, rash or “flesh-eating” wounds. It can be life-threatening if it enters the bloodstream, lungs or organs.
Iowa town moves ahead with ban on feeding deer
POLK CITY, Iowa (AP) Polk City is a step closer to approving an ordinance that bans residents from feeding deer within its city limits.
The Des Moines Register says the City Council this week approved a second reading of the ordinance. Another vote of approval is needed for the plan to be adopted.
Polk City is north of Des Moines, near Saylorville Lake.
The ordinance says residents can’t offer “shelled corn, other grains, salt or minerals, fruit or vegetable matter on the ground, or in feeders.” It applies to private and public property.
One resident, Ron Dubritsky, agrees that deer damage landscaping, but the amount of development in Polk City means there are fewer places for deer to forage without coming on private property.
Iowa farmers told to destroy flood-damaged grains
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa farmers are being reminded that if their grain has been impacted by flood waters it can’t be used for feed or food.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey issued the reminder Thursday. He says grain can’t be used if it was affected by flooding whether it was in fields or in bins. Northey says grain that’s still in the field should be destroyed and shouldn’t be blended with uncontaminated grain.
Northey says the corn and soybeans has to be destroyed because there’s potential flood waters brought contaminants into the grain. Rarely waters flooding fields wasn’t contaminated and Northey says that grain can be reconditioned. But farmers have to get written consent from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Northey says flood waters in Iowa this year were uncontrolled and considered contaminated.
UNI to break in new mascot
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) University of Northern Iowa mascot “TC” is about to get a little sister.
The school says it will add a second, as-yet unnamed, mascot who will debut at the Panthers football game on Oct. 23.
The new mascot is designed to relate to younger audiences and give TC a little TLC.
Alumni association spokeswoman Connie Hansen says TC is an extremely busy cat. He makes more than 170 offsite appearances a year at birthdays, weddings and other events.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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