Smoke Detected In Downtown Businesses
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was called to the downtown business district on Central Avenue shortly after 10:00 a.m. Hotopp’s Jewelry reported smelling smoke, and called for the fire department. Fire Chief Dave Schipper explains the smoke was actually originating from the business next door.
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Schipper says the smoke had entered the neighboring businesses.
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The Le Mars Fire Chief says fire crews searched the ground floor of the Green Tea business and did not find any fire. He says he then sent crews to the roof.
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Schipper believes the encrusted grease on the ventilation fan may have been burning for quite a while before people noticed the smoke.
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Schipper says he called for the Orange City Fire Department with its ladder truck to serve as a backup, in case the fire would have ignited the entire building.
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Firefighters used pressure fans to ventilate the smoke from each of the three businesses. Chief Schipper says he doesn’t know the extent of the dollar damage.
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The Green Tea will remain closed until such time repairs have been made to the business.
Jury Reaches Verdict On One Charge With Ex-Mayor
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) – A jury has reached a verdict on one of two sexual abuse charges against the former mayor of Oelwein (OHL’-weyne).
Jurors informed the court Tuesday that they are deadlocked on a second charge against 37-year-old Jason Manus. He is accused of sexually abusing one girl when she was 6 to 8 years old and another when she was 14.
A judge told attorneys Tuesday he’d advise the jury to continue deliberations. The verdict reached by jurors hadn’t yet been announced.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports (https://bit.ly/1ABMXoE ) the case went to the jury on Monday following closing arguments.
Assistant Attorney General Denise Timmins told jurors that Manus wasn’t telling the truth during his trial, while defense attorney Jeremy Thompson argued varied stories relayed by the girls proves nothing happened.
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Ankeny Man Arrested For Obscene Material
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Police say a Virginia man accused of carrying unlabeled pills and distributing nude photos to a minor was arrested at an Ankeny fast-food restaurant.
The Ankeny Police Department says 29-year-old Jonathan Yates, of Clintwood, Virginia, was arrested Monday on charges of dissemination of obscene material to a minor and unlawful possession of a prescription drug.
Officers responded Monday to a report of a suspicious conversation between Yates and a 16-year-old girl at a local McDonald’s. Upon arrival, officers found the two inside a vehicle in the parking lot.
Police say questioning of Yates revealed they planned to meet through online and text message conversations. Officers also discovered Yates had supplied the teen with nude photographs online beforehand.
Yates was taken to Polk County Jail. Additional charges are pending further investigation.
Waterloo Man Charged With Indecent Contact
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A Waterloo man whose wife ran an in-home day care has been sentenced to two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to luring a 7-year-old girl into a bathroom.
The sentence delivered Monday also requires that 44-year-old Bradley Yousse register as a sex offender for 10 years and be placed on parole when his probation ends. He had entered a guilty plea in October to a misdemeanor charge of indecent contact with a child.
Yousse’s defense attorney sought a deferred judgment to remove the charge from his client’s record upon completion of probation, noting that Yousse doesn’t have prior convictions. A judge denied the request.
At the sentencing hearing, Yousse apologized for his actions. The day care at his home has since closed.
Park Vandalism
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Volunteers are helping clean up the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, where vandals extensively spray-painted rock formations.
Park ranger Wayne Buchholtz tells the Telegraph Herald that the vandalism occurred on rocks in areas that aren’t easily accessible and that it was among the worst graffiti incidents at the state park in some time.
Volunteers on Monday used wire brushes and paint remover to help scrub away the graffiti. They plan to clean up the remaining vandalized rocks Friday.
Buchholtz says they have a list of possible suspects behind the vandalism. He says he’ll investigate further and speak with the Dubuque County Attorney’s Office about possible charges.
Famous Fountain To Be Repaired
MT. PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) – An iconic fountain in Mt. Pleasant typically decorated for the holiday season won’t be around for this year’s festivities.
The Mt. Pleasant News reports the Edd King Memorial Fountain located in the southeastern Iowa town’s main square is slated for repair in the coming months. The Mt. Pleasant City Council plans to vote May 13 on a proposal to send it to Alexander City, Alabama, at the end of summer.
Robinson Iron Corp., the company that designed and built the fountain, plans to facilitate the repairs, estimated at $49,500. It will be returned to Mt. Pleasant next year.
City Administrator Brent Schleisman says winter weather has damaged the fountain’s iron frame since its 1988 installation.
The fountain commemorates Edd King, who was assassinated in 1986 during his mayoral term.
