Murder Charges Filed Against Daycare Provider
(Orange City) — Murder in the first degree and child endangerment resulting in a death. Those are charges filed against 33 year old Rochelle Sapp of Orange City, Iowa for the death of three year old Autumn Elgersma also of Orange City. Sapp provided day care service for the three year old when on October 29th, an incident occured at her home resulting in the hospitalization of little Autumn. The child was initially taken to the Orange City hospital then transferred to a Sioux Falls hospital where she died three days later. Sioux County Attorney Coleman McAllister spoke to the media during a news conference held Thursday about the new charges against Sapp. McAllister says an autopsy was performed by the State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny and found that the three year old girl died as a result of blunt force head trauma. The Sioux County attorney says the death of the little girl has been ruled as a homicide. McAllister told reporters Sapp was arrested at her home early Thursday morning without incident. Bond has been set at $250,000. Initial charges against Sapp were dismissed following the death of the child, and McAlister was asked why there was a month delay before additional charges had been filed. The Sioux County attorney told reporters “the death of a child is a serious matter, and in any investigation involving a child’s death, or any suspicious death, it is important the investigation is careful, thorough, complete and comprehensive. In this case, the initial charges were made based upon the medical evidence and opinion available to the state at that time.” McAllister continued by saying, “Upon Autumn’s death, the circumstances changed. The Medical Examiner’s office in Des Moines, to their credit, took the time to make sure they did a thorough and complete examination. We, like everyone else was waiting for them to render an opinion for us to evaluate so we could move forward with charges. That was the reason for the delay.”
Sapp is scheduled to make her initial appearance in Sioux County District Court on Friday, December 6.
Branstad Not Able To Meet With President Obama
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad is not scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama to discuss Iowa’s low income health care proposal.
Spokesman Tim Albrecht says Obama and White House officials did not grant Branstad’s request for a meeting while the governor is in Washington on Thursday.
The state has applied for a waiver enabling the state to receive more federal Medicaid money for the proposed Iowa Health and Wellness Plan, a new health insurance program that would cover up to 150,000 residents.
So far that waiver has not been granted. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted earlier this week that the department was eager to continue discussions with the state.
Hill Re-elected As President Of Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — Dec. 5, 2013 – Craig Hill of Milo was re-elected president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) at the organization’s 95th annual meeting in Des Moines. Delegates also re-elected three district directors to the board. They include Doug Gronau of Vail, Nick Podhajsky of Traer and Calvin Rozenboom of Oskaloosa.
Hill’s service to the Iowa Farm Bureau started at the county level. He was involved in various positions with the Warren County Farm Bureau board of directors. In 1989, he was elected as the District 8 representative on the state board of directors. He then served as the organization’s vice president from 2001-2011 before being elected president.
As president, Hill serves as chairman of the board of FBL Financial Group, Inc., and serves on the American Farm Bureau board of directors. In addition, he serves on the Rain & Hail LLC board of directors.
