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Monday News, September 5th

VEHICLE RUNS INTO SIOUX CITY HOUSE

 A WOMAN ESCAPED INJURY EARLY MONDAY MORNING AFTER HER VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND RAN INTO A HOUSE.
SIOUX CITY POLICE RESPONDED TO THE 400 BLOCK OF SOUTH CECELIA AT 12:52 A.M.
AUTHORITIES SAY THE FEMALE DRIVER WAS GIVEN A TICKET FOR OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED.
NO ONE ELSE WAS INJURED IN THE ROLLOVER. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED AT THIS TIME.

 

ISAIAH MOTHERSHED TRIAL CONTINUED

THE TRIAL OF A SIOUX CITY MAN ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE SHOOTING OF A
SIOUX CITY POLICE OFFICER EARLIER THIS YEAR HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO LATER THIS
MONTH.

ISAIAH MOTHERSHED IS NOW SCHEDULED TO GO TO TRIAL ON SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 9:30AM.

A CONTINUANCE OF TWO WEEKS WAS REQUESTED BY COUNTY ATTORNEY PATRICK JENNINGS AND
GRANTED BY JUDGE STEVEN ANDREASEN.

MOTHERSHED HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND FOUR
COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE ROBBERY.

HE ALLEGEDLY SHOT OFFICER RYAN MORITZ IN THE LEG ON FEBRUARY 7TH.

MOTHERSHED REMAINS IN CUSTODY IN THE WOODBURY COUNTY JAIL.

 

GONZALES MURDER CONVICTION UPHELD BY HIGH COURT

The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Sioux City man for killing a South Sioux City woman.

Raymond Gonzales Jr. was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life for shooting 28-year-old Bonnie Baker 16 times in her South Sioux City home on December 15th of 2013.

In his appeal, Gonzales argued misconduct by the prosecutor for saying in his closing statements that Gonzales had lied when he denied being involved in the killing.

Gonzales also argued that the jury should have been instructed on whether he could be found guilty of the lesser offense of manslaughter.

The state’s high court ruled Friday it found no misconduct by the prosecutor and that no evidence presented at trial supported a sudden quarrel manslaughter finding.

 

Iowa Board Working To Make Tuition More Predictable 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The board that oversees Iowa’s three public universities says its plan for a new two-year budget system will bring more predictability to tuition expenses for students and their families, but the unpredictability of available state funding could complicate that effort.

The Iowa Board of Regents, which provides support to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, announced recently a plan to fund the budget years ending in 2018 and 2019 with a combination of tuition increases and new state dollars. The board will continue to seek money for one year ahead.

It may become increasingly difficult to determine how much money the Iowa Legislature will allocate each year to higher education. Student representatives expressed frustration when the board voted in July to raise tuition.

 

Omaha Zoo Blames Miscommunication Splash Pad Incident 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Omaha’s zoo is blaming staff miscommunication for an incident in which a boy using a wheelchair was barred from the zoo’s new splash pad.

Nicole Steng took her 8-year-old son, Titus, in July to the new Alaskan Adventure at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

But a young staffer and zoo supervisor told them Titus’ wheelchair couldn’t go onto the pad because pad’s ground cover wasn’t durable enough to handle the wheels.

There were no signs posted to that effect, and zoo spokeswoman Dawn Ream says that’s because wheelchairs are allowed. Ream says electric-powered rental scooters are barred because they aren’t waterproof.

Ream blamed the incident on miscommunication and says the rules were made clear at a meeting in mid-August.

 

Beast Of Burden Challenge Coming To Three Iowa Food Banks This Week

The “Beast of Burden Challenge” is coming to three Iowa food banks this week.
Food Bank of Iowa spokesman, Dany Akright, explains the background of the
challenge.

Kurti plans stops in northeast Iowa after visiting the Food Bank of Iowa in Des
Moines.

Kurti does two things when visiting the food banks.


according to Akright. Kurti hopes to spur others to support food banks.

Kurti has visited around 150 food banks since 2014. She has completed 77
marathons.

 

California Companies Accused Of Sending Phony Bills To Iowa Libraries

The Iowa Attorney General’s office has filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against three California companies, claiming they sent libraries in Iowa bills with inflated prices of photocopier toner, though the supply was never ordered. It began with Cate St. Clair, director the Robey Memorial Library in Waukon. After the library received a mysterious bill for about $400 for toner, St. Clair called the number printed on the invoice.


At least 14 other Iowa libraries have received similar bills this year. Iowa Attorney General’s office spokesperson Geoff Greenwood alleges the scheme starts with a phone call and someone inquiring about the brand and model number of the office photocopier.


The companies named in the lawsuit are Central Supply Solutions, Central Supply Center, and Elite Supplies. Greenwood said it’s unclear why so many of Iowa’s public libraries are being targeted by the scam this year.
(thanks: Sarah Boden, Iowa Public Radio)