Law Enforcement Officials Attempt To Apprehend Most Wanted Felon
(Le Mars) — Law enforcement officials try to apprehend a felon listed on Siouxland’s Most Wanted. At approximately 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Le Mars Police Department received information about Carter Brinkerhoff who was thought to have entered a recreational vehicle camper on a commercial lot in the southwestern part of Le Mars. Due to Brinkerhoff’s past criminal history and known violent tendencies, the Combined Emergency Rescue Team (CERT) unit was deployed to apprehend Brinkerhoff peacefully. At around 3:00 p.m. the CERT unit attempted to execute three felony warrants for drug related charges. After officers concluded a search of the area, additional information was provided, indicating Brinkerhoff had been aided by
accomplices in fleeing the area prior to law enforcement arrival. No further action was taken by the Le Mars Police Department or CERT.
Libertarian Candidate Runs For U-S Senate
(Le Mars) — Many people may not know of a third candidate who is seeking the office of U-S Senator representing Iowa. All attention and media advertising has focused on either Republican incumbent, Joni Ernst, or the Democratic challenger, Theresa Greenfield. However, Rick Stewart is running for the
Senate seat under the Libertarian party. Stewart was in Le Mars and stopped by at KLEM offices. He says many people may have become frustrated with the bombardment of political ads with Ernst and Greenfield, and he says that may prove to work in his favor.
The Libertarian senate candidate says Iowans are getting tired of partisan politics, and Iowans want to work with one another on resolving problems.
Stewart says both of his opponents like to play on a voter’s fears. He says Iowans don’t need to be scared into voting one way or the other.
Stewart says laws should be simple to read and understand by the common person, and they should not be any longer than five pages. He says there is no need to have complicated bills that have more than 1000 pages, as was the case with the Affordable Care Act, and lawyers are the only ones that understand the language.
The Libertarian says when our nation was first founded, laws were printed in the newspapers so everyone could see the bill and respond to it.
Stewart says more people are taking notice of the Libertarian party platform, and they are switching from the main parties of Republican and Democrat and becoming a Libertarian.
UI Health Care Workers Call On Iowa Leaders to Step Up Fight Against COVID
(Iowa City, IA) — Union health care workers from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are calling on Iowa’s leaders to “step up” in the fight against COVID-19 by providing personal protective equipment and needed resources. Leaders of the local chapters of the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees and Service Employees International Union at the hospital released a statement Tuesday after the state set another daily record with more than 500 coronavirus hospitalizations. They’re calling on Governor Kim Reynolds and elected officials to promise they would make Iowa
patients with the virus their number-one priority. The statement also says, “our members at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics have seen firsthand how devastating this illness can be. It says more than 600 U-I-H-C employees have themselves been infected with Covid-19.”
Marshalltown Police Department to Embed Social Workers With Officers
(Marshalltown, IA) — The Marshalltown City Council approved a proposal to embed social services workers with police officers. Police Chief Mike Tupper came up with the idea after calls to revamp police services and find better ways to deal with calls to police seeking help for noncriminal but potentially violent situations. Tupper said, “sometimes we’re asking our cops to do too much and they have to be a jack-of-all-trades.” He says the
program would give officers more support and maybe prevent some problems.
The city council approved 150-thousand dollars to fund the Marshalltown Partnership and Community Action Team or MPACT.
Webster County Teacher Accused of Sending Students Inappropriate Texts
(Gowrie, IA) — A teacher in Webster County is stepping down after being accused of sexual misconduct. Brandon Louis has resigned from his post as music teacher at Southeast Valley High School in Gowrie. A former student spoke at the school board meeting Tuesday, alleging Louis sent her text messages of a sexual nature. Reportedly over 20 current and former female
students are claiming that Louis sent them similar messages. The district said in a statement Tuesday night that it is cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate the allegations.
Denison Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $1.5 Million From Credit Union
(Sioux City, IA) — A Denison woman is pleading guilty to federal charges for embezzling nearly one-and-a-half-million dollars from a credit union.
The U-S Attorney’s Office says 53-year-old Brenda Jensen admitted to embezzling the money from May 2012 to March 2018 while working for Consumer Credit Union. Jensen and at least one other employee were in on the crime.
She was the credit union’s head teller and was able to conceal the crime from auditors and her employer for years. Jenson faces up to 30 years in prison and a one-million-dollar fine at sentencing which hasn’t been set.
