(LE MARS)–A former Remsen man who is serving a life prison sentence will not have his case reviewed by the Iowa Supreme Court.
The state’s high court on November 9th issued an order denying further review requested by Donald Boss for his murder conviction.
The 46-year-old Boss is serving a life sentence for the death of his adopted son, Timothy Boss. The child’s body was found buried in the basement of the home where he lived with the parents who’d adopted him in Michigan and later moved to Remsen. Court records listed the death as in July of 2000.
Donald Boss was charged in January of 2002 and convicted by a jury in Plymouth County 11 months later.
In August, the Iowa Appeals Court ruled against Boss.
Convention Center work continues
(LE MARS)–Five of the heating-cooling units at the Le Mars Convention Center are installed.
City administrator Scott Langel updated the council on the Convention Center improvements Tuesday. Langel says the contractor, Electric Automations is NOT behind schedule. Langel was clarifying information given to KLEM News last Thursday.
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The boiler contractor is NOT Electric Automations.
Rentals at the Center continue because enough heating is available at this point in the season.
Park praised by national Legion leader
(LE MARS)–A park in Plymouth County dedicated to the service of all veterans is being praised by the National Vice Commander of the American Legion.
John Mella of Iron Mountain, Michigan was in Le Mars Tuesday for the annual National Vice Commander Tour with the American Legion of Iowa.
Wasmer Post 241 of the American Legion hosted Mella. Mella toured the Plymouth County Veterans Memorial Park at Third Avenue and 10th Street Southeast.
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Don Law and Rich Schultz who coordinated the project gave Mella a DVD of the park.
State American Legion Commander Jerry Sebben of Granger urged the northwest Iowa Legion members to remember the families of soldiers on active duty.
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Mayor Dick Kirchoff welcomed the Vice Commander and membership tour by highlighting the 1,125 flags displayed during the Avenue of Flags on Memorial Day and Veterans Memorial Park.
Highway 140 closed near Kingsley
(CHEROKEE)–An area on a state highway near Kingsley is closed while repairs are made.
Mike Kruger of the Iowa Department of Transportation says a damaged pipe under Highway 140, north of Kingsley is being replaced.
Traffic will be detoured on Highway 140, between county roads C-60 and C-44, until Monday, weather permitting.
A detour of that portion of Highway 140 has been marked by the Cherokee Construction Office staff of the Iowa Department of Transportation
Giese leaves Nebraska legislative seat for treasurer’s job
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) State Senator Bob Giese has resigned from his legislative position to avoid breaking a law that prohibits state lawmakers from holding two elected offices at the same time.
Giese of South Sioux City, was elected Dakota County, Nebraska treasurer on Nov. 2 after running unopposed. His resignation from the legislative seat takes effect Dec. 1.
Gov. Dave Heineman received Giese’s resignation letter on Tuesday. Heineman will appoint a replacement for Giese and is accepting applications for the legislative seat through Nov. 24.
Before election to the Legislature, Giese served as mayor of South Sioux City.
(COPYRIGHT 2010 BY ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
MN teen charged in Iowa store shootings
ALGONA, Iowa (AP) Authorities say a teenager from suburban Minneapolis is charged in the shooting deaths of two convenience store clerks in northern Iowa.
The Kossuth County attorney’s office says 17-year-old Michael Richard Swanson, of St. Louis Park, Minn., was charged Tuesday as an adult with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in both Kossuth and Humboldt counties.
He’s accused of killing 47-year-old Vicky Bowman-Hall at the Crossroads gas station in Algona about 9 p.m. on Monday. Officials also charged him with entering a Kum and Go store in Humboldt an hour later and shooting and killing 61-year-old Sheila Myers.
Swanson was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Webster City. He is in custody at the Kossuth County jail in Algona.
Obama awards Medal of Honor to Iowa staff sergeant
WASHINGTON (AP) An Army staff sergeant who stepped into the line of fire to help a pair of comrades on the Afghan battlefield has been given a Medal of Honor, the nation’s top military award.
President Barack Obama awarded the medal to Salvatore Giunta Tuesday. That makes the 25-year-old Iowan from Hiawatha the first living service member from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to be so honored. Seven others have received the award posthumously.
Obama called Giunta “as humble as he is heroic” and said the ceremony was a “joyous occasion.”
The Army says Giunta was a rifle team leader in eastern Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley when his squad was split in two after an ambush by insurgents. While under fire, Giunta pulled a fellow soldier to cover and rescued another who was being dragged away by the enemy.
Judge removes himself from University of Iowa case
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) A judge overseeing the wrongful termination lawsuit filed by the former dean of students against the University of Iowa has removed himself over a potential conflict of interest.
District Judge Ian Thornhill ruled Monday a reasonable person could question his impartiality because he sent the university letters inquiring about jobs in 2008 before he was appointed to the bench.
Thornhill had been hearing the lawsuit filed by Phillip Jones, who was fired in 2008 for his handling of a sexual assault case involving two football players.
University lawyers asked Thornhill to step aside so there wouldn’t be any suspicion of bias. And Thornhill agreed.
Jury awards couple $129K in termite damage case
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) A federal jury has ordered a pest control company to pay nearly $129,000 to a Bettendorf couple whose home was damaged by termites.
The jury on Monday found Orkin had committed “negligent misrepresentation” in its work on Lonnie and Terry Pool’s home.
The couple signed a contract with Orkin in 1997 for routine treatment after a terminate infestation was discovered in the home.
But the couple says in 2005 they discovered extensive termite damage to the home’s structure. They say the damage required significant renovations, which forced them to move out for months.
The jury awarded $86,640 in damages for repairs to the home, $37,100 for loss in fair market value after the repairs were done, and $5,000 for the loss of use of the home during construction.
Boil advisory lifted for Beaman in central Iowa
BEAMAN, Iowa (AP) Officials say the water is safe to drink again in the central Iowa town of Beaman.
The Times-Republican in Marshalltown says a boil advisory has been lifted. The advisory went into place last week when work started on replacing water mains.
The city says the project has been completed and water samples came back free of bacteria.
Feds say all motorcycle riders should wear helmets
WASHINGTON (AP) Federal safety officials want states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in deaths since the late 1990s.
The National Transportation Safety Board says motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined.
The board said there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. last year, more than in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.
The board said 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Most states have limited helmet requirements, and three states Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire have no requirement.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
