American Red Cross Honors Four People
(Le Mars) — Last July, Mark Ruba, an employee of Wells Enterprises was stricken with a heart attack as he was about to start work. Three employees of Wells Enterprises and a Le Mars Police officer, all responded and performed C-P-R in a lifesaving effort. Today, at an awards ceremony, held in Le Mars, the American Red Cross honored the four people with a Certificate of Merit, the highest award given by the American Red Cross, which bears the signature of President Obama. Randy Bock was also presented the medal of Lifesaving Award of Merit. Bock had taken C-P-R training from the Red Cross. He says it was simply instinct to start administrating C-P-R on his fellow colleague.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2015/Bock1.mp3{/audio}
Every two years Bock is re-certified for C-P-R training. He says he is thankful for remembering the proper procedure.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2015/Bock2.MP3{/audio}
Dan Plueger of the Le Mars Police Department was also recognized for his quick response and lifesaving assistance. Plueger used an automated external difibrillator to help revive Ruba.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2015/Plueger.MP3{/audio}
The heart attack victim, Mark Ruba was present at the Red Cross awards ceremony and offered his appreciation to those that saved his life.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2015/Ruba.MP3{/audio}
Wells employees Dennis Sexton and Don Allaway were also recognized by the American Red Cross for their efforts in helping save the life of Mark Ruba.
Explosion At Hog Building Seriously Burns Victim
(Orange City) — Three days following a major fire at a hog confinement facility, rescue workers returned to the same farm on Monday afternoon located at 3768 360th Street and responded to a report of a farm accident. 34 year old Scott Mulder of Boyden was unloading a feeder in a hog building when an explosion occurred near a pit area of the building. Mulder sustained serious injuries and was transported by the Boyden Ambulance to the Sioux Center hospital. He was later flown to the Avera-McKennan Burn Unit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last Friday, fire destroyed much of the hog confinement building causing over $200,000 of damage. There were no hogs lost due to the fire or the explosion. Responding to the explosion were the Boyden Fire Department, Boyden Ambulance, Hull Fire Department, Orange City Fire Department, Orange City Ambulance and the Sioux Center fire chief. The state fire marshall’s office has been contacted and will investigate both incidents.
Jury Selection To Begin On Crawford County Murder
DELOIT, Iowa (AP) – Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday for one of two men accused of killing two people and attempting to burn their bodies in western Iowa.
Twenty-six-year-old Michael Schenk is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson. Authorities say Schenk and 19-year-old Jayden Chapman, both of Denison, shot 80-year-old Marvin Huesling and 81-year-old Alice Huisenga at a trailer home in Deloit on March 10 and then set it on fire. Investigators say the two men likely were on the property to steal scrap metal.
Chapman’s trial is scheduled to begin April 28 in another county. A judge has ruled that because of expected media coverage of Schenk’s trial, it would be difficult to find an impartial jury for Chapman’s trial in Crawford County.
Shooting Suspect Arrested In Missouri
CHARITON, Iowa (AP) – A 45-year-old man suspected in the shooting of a woman in southern Iowa has been arrested in Missouri.
The Iowa Public Safety Department says Robert Graham was taken into custody on Monday night at Poosey State Park in northern Missouri. A jailer said Graham remained at Livingston County Jail on Tuesday morning.
Authorities say 33-year-old Gayle Darrah was shot Friday outside her home in Chariton. She was taken to a local hospital and then to a Des Moines hospital, where she remains in critical condition.
Sioux City Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Student
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City teacher has been arrested on charges he had sex with a 16-year-old student.
Court records say 29-year-old Erick DeLeon, a Sioux City Community School District teacher and coach, was charged Monday with felony exploitation by a school employee. He was released on bail Tuesday.
DeLeon is accused of sending sexually related text messages and engaging in sexual acts with the one of his female students at least twice from September through December.
School district officials did not immediately return calls from the newspaper. An attorney for DeLeon was unavailable for comment.
DeLeon is set to appear in court Jan. 30.
—
Farmers Union Want Tougher Rules On Pesticides
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A group representing farmers is calling on the state to toughen oversight and penalties related to pesticide use.
The Iowa Farmers Union said Tuesday that members have petitioned the state to change rules governing pesticide drifting through the air. They say chemicals typically used on conventional crops can drift and damage organic produce grown nearby.
Union President Jana Linderman says the group would like the state to require commercial pesticide users to notify some nearby farms 48 hours before spraying. Other changes they seek include increasing fines for operations that repeatedly break the pesticide rules.
A spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture said officials would meet with the group Thursday and will consider the request.
