Supervisors Hear Quarterly Recorder’s Report
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors heard a report from County Recorder JoLynn Goodchild during their Tuesday morning meeting. Goodchild informed the supervisors that the county has collected more than $115,700 this past quarter.
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Goodchild reported most of the money collected was from mortgages
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The county supervisors also heard from County engineer Tom Rohe who informed the board, debris clean up from the June flooding is still occurring.
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Despite the flooding, and the subsequent debris clean up following the flooding, Rohe told the supervisors he thought his crew and contractors were still on schedule with many of the county’s culvert and bridge replacement projects scheduled for this summer.
Iowa To Pay Army $750,000 For Drowning Victim
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The state of Iowa will pay the Army $750,000 for the medical care of a boy who died after nearly drowning during a university-operated camp in Germany.
The State Appeal Board on Monday approved the settlement with the Army, which had been seeking $1.8 million reimbursement for the cost of treating Blake Jermon.
Jermon was 10 when he nearly drowned in 2003 at a municipal swimming pool during an outing with Camp Adventure, a University of Northern Iowa program for the children of U.S. military personnel. His mother was an Army sergeant in Germany.
Jermon suffered brain and spinal injuries and had to use a wheelchair. He died from complications during a 2006 surgery.
The state in 2012 paid a $2.1 million settlement to Jermon’s mother, following years of litigation.
Trial Continues For Death Of 20 Month Old Dead Boy
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – More than 2,000 documents, photographs and cassette tapes have been discovered recently in connection to the case of a man charged with killing a 20-month-old Mason City boy in 1994.
A retired state Division of Criminal Investigation agent was testifying last week in the case of 38-year-old Michael Cisneros when his comment over 20-year-old crime scene photographs sent both prosecutors and defense attorneys searching the evidence room of the local police department. A judge sent the jury home on July 2 in response.
Cisneros is accused of killing John Snyder Jr., whose body was found in a creek. Cisneros was an acquaintance of the child’s father. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Mason City Globe Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/1qPz3hD) testimony in the case resumed Monday.
Attorney General Says Iowans To Receive Refunds From Fraudulent Membership Club
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – More than 400,000 Iowans who were tricked into signing up for buying club memberships will be eligible for refunds ranging from $6 to hundreds of dollars or more.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced Tuesday that refund notices are being sent to Iowans who had memberships with Connecticut-based Vertrue Inc. and two other buying clubs.
The $40 million refund is the culmination of Miller’s 11-year investigation and prosecution of Vertrue, which was found to have tricked Iowans into buying 864,000 memberships dating back to 1989. Most of the memberships weren’t used.
Miller says the checks will be sent later this year, likely between October and December. Des Moines man Richard Schulz says he expects to receive $1,500 in refunds from Vertrue after he unknowingly had a paid membership for years.
Ames Closes Water Slides
AMES, Iowa (AP) – An Ames pool has temporary closed its slides to the public because of design cracks.
Officials at the Furman Aquatic Center said in a news release Tuesday that they recently discovered cracks in the structural supports of the drop slide and the tube slides.
The slides will be closed until a structural engineer can investigate the issue.
Ames Parks and Recreation Director Keith Abraham says the public’s safety comes first. The rest of the center, which includes a lazy river, diving boards and a water playground, remains open during regular hours.
Prosecutors Ask Victims Of Salmonella Food Poisoning To Decribe Illness Affects
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors are asking the victims of a 2010 salmonella outbreak to share their stories as a judge considers how to punish the corporation and executives responsible.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is asking anyone who was sickened by eggs produced by Quality Egg, LLC to come forward. Victims have the right to submit statements to the court describing what they had to endure.
Quality Egg owner Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son, Peter, have pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated eggs in interstate commerce. Quality Egg pleaded guilty to the same charge, as well as bribery and introducing misbranded food.
The DeCosters and the company are awaiting sentencing, which hasn’t been scheduled. They face up to one year in jail, plus fines and restitution.
