City Council Hears Audit Report On Floyd Valley Healthcare
(Le Mars) — During the Le Mars city council meeting held Tuesday, a representative from Denman and Company auditing firm from Des Moines appeared before the council to deliver a financial report regarding Floyd Valley Healthcare. Scott Christopher informed the city council that Floyd Valley Healthcare is sitting in a good financial position, and is in better
financial position than most hospitals.
Christopher shared the financial numbers of Floyd Valley Healthcare with the city council.
The council voted to approve the audit findings for Floyd Valley Healthcare.
In other action, the city council approved a “No Parking Zone” designated on 1st Avenue Southwest in front of the Plymouth County Historical Museum.
Temporary no parking signs have been put in place, and the city will erect permanent signs in the near future. The no parking zone involves 100 feet between the signs on the east side of the street, and 70 feet on the west side of the street, and was the recommendation of the Public Safety Committee. The Public Safety Committee rejected the request to have no
parking areas surrounding other Agri-Center facilities. The request for the no parking zone was made by Agri-Center to help better accommodate large grain trucks that have to make the turn from 4th Street southwest on to 1st Avenue southwest. The council also approved on a 4 to 1 vote to extend a grant amounting to $45,000 to Choicewood Park Apartments for financial assistance with underground utilities. Voting against the measure was Councilman Clark Goodchild.
Orange City Tulip Festival Adopts New Logo
ORANGE CITY, IA. –The Orange City Tulip Festival Executive Steering Committee has introduced an update to the Tulip Festival brand identity with a new logo. The new logo was designed by local graphic designer Vaughn Donahue of Destination Graphic.
Reese and Cristi Kelch, chairpersons for the 2020 Tulip Festival says,“With the 80th Tulip Festival approaching this May, the executive steering committee felt the updated logo was a way to celebrate the future of the festival while also paying tribute to its rich history.”
The logo design process focused on creating an updated look that also kept in tradition with the festival’s classic look.
“Working with the committee, we felt it was important to create a recognizable icon for the festival that can be easily identified by both residents and visitors,” says designer Vaughn Donahue. “In a town already filled with tulips and tulip iconography, it was a challenge to create something distinctive and unique. We’re excited about this new visual identity and how it will be used to promote the festival.”
Planning is well underway for the 2020 Tulip Festival, and the new logo is updated on the Tulip Festival website, printed materials, social media channels and more.
Two Wanted Criminals Arrested By Woodbury County Authorities Following Pursuit
(Sioux City) — Woodbury County authorities were involved with a pursuit and ultimate capture of two wanted criminals with warrants from South Dakota.
The chase had occurred early Tuesday morning at about 4:15 a.m. The pursuit was initiated south of Sioux City on I-29 where the suspect vehicle exited at Sloan, Iowa and turned back to the north on gravel roads toward Salix, Iowa. During the pursuit, a male passenger exited the vehicle and ran. The driver of the vehicle, Donavon Pinkston, was later apprehended at
Carroll Avenue and County Road K-45. The passenger, later identified as Michael Twiford, was at-large for a number of hours until it was determined he was hiding in a cornfield near Salix.
Deputies, troopers and officers from Woodbury County, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement, and Sergeant Bluff Police Department, converged on the cornfield where they utilized K-9’s from the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and Sergeant Bluff Police Department, along with a Sheriff’s Office drone, to locate and take Twiford into custody.
Both subjects were wanted out of South Dakota on outstanding warrants and both are on parole. Pinkston was charged in Woodbury County with aggravated eluding, numerous traffic violations, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Twiford was charged in Woodbury County with two counts of interference with official acts. Holds for South Dakota were placed on both men.
Skywalk Attack
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A security contractor says in the wake of a violent attack on a couple out on a date that providing safety for downtown Des Moines’ skywalk system has gotten tougher in recent years.
Tom Conley is president of Conley Group, which has been providing security services for the skywalk since 2002. He told The Des Moines Register that thousands more people live downtown than did decades ago, and the system of bridges connecting downtown buildings is no longer almost exclusively for daytime commercial traffic.
Police say a 21-year-old man and his girlfriend were attacked by 20 to 30 teens or young men just before 9 p.m. Saturday in the skywalk near the downtown Wellmark YMCA. A witness told police the man was pinned to skywalk glass and kicked and punched. The woman fell to the floor after also being punched.
Conley says the nonprofit organization that manages the skywalk has slashed the budget for security officers.
Trial For Beating Death Has Been Delayed
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – The trial of a second person accused in the beating death of a Des Moines man has been delayed.
A Jasper County judge granted the request from the attorney for 51-year-old Jeffrey Stendrup, of Clive. Stendrup and 26-year-old Jaycie Sheeder were charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in the slaying of Jeremy McDowell. His body was found June 22 last year in Newton in the back of a vehicle Sheeder had been driving.
She was sentenced Oct. 3 to life in prison and last week filed notice of her attention to appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. Authorities say Sheeder, of Coon Rapids, kept silent about Stendrup’s involvement in the attack and never tried to stop it.
Jasper County court records say Stendrup’s new trial starting date is Feb. 12. It had been scheduled to start next week.
Iowa Man Sues Worthington, Minnesota Police For Excessive Force
WORTHINGTON, Minn. (AP) – An Iowa man who was arrested by Worthington police in January is suing the city and the police department, alleging his encounter with officers left him with four broken ribs and internal bleeding.
Thirty-three-year-old Kelvin Rodriguez of Sheldon, Iowa, filed his excessive force lawsuit Monday.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota says after Rodriguez was injured, he begged for medical attention. He was eventually rushed to a hospital by helicopter and required multiple surgeries.
The city’s attorney told the Star Tribune they received the lawsuit Tuesday and had no immediate comment.
The lawsuit also names Officer Mark Riley and civilian Evan Eggers, who was riding along, as defendants. Messages left with Riley and Eggers were not returned to The Associated Press.
Rodriguez was never charged with a crime stemming from his arrest.
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