Home News Thursday News, December 30th

Thursday News, December 30th

Le Mars City Council To Hold A Special Meeting Today (Thursday)

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will hold a special meeting scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 30th to be held at the city council chambers.  There will only be one item on the agenda, and that is to approve the Le Mars city employee bargaining unit contract.

 

 

 

Northern Iowa Man & Son Will Plead Guilty to Storming US Capitol

(Washington, DC)  —  A man from northern Iowa and his son have a plea agreement with federal prosecutors for their involvement in the January 6th attack at the U-S Capitol.  Daryl Johnson of St. Ansgar and Daniel Johnson from Austin, Minnesota were found on photos and video from the attack that took place nearly a year ago.  A social media tip to the F-B-I helped identify them after Daniel posted about being one of the first to break into the building.  The charges against them were recently updated to include interfering with an officer, disorderly conduct and entering a restricted building.  The Johnsons are scheduled for a hearing before a Washington, D-C district court judge on Tuesday.  The filing does not specify which charges are part of the plea agreement.

 

 

 

Linn County Settles Harassment Lawsuit With Former Sheriff’s Deputy

(Cedar Rapids, IA)  —  A former Linn County sheriff’s deputy is awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in a paternity leave harassment lawsuit.  Earlier this month the Linn County Sheriff’s Office agreed to pay Scott Becker over 330-thousand dollars and his lawyers more than 240-thousand.  Becker sued the county last year, claiming he was harassed by his co-workers for taking time off to care for his newborn son in 2018.  In the settlement the county disputes the claims made by Becker, while he agrees not to try to get another job with the county in the future.

 

 

 

Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 10 Years For Gun Crimes

(Cedar Rapids, IA)  —  A Cedar Rapids man will spend ten years in federal prison for illegally possessing a gun and firing at a group of teens.  Twenty-four-year-old Dmontrey Redmond was sentenced today (Wednesday) after pleading guilty in July.  Court records show Redmond was in a Cedar Rapids alley on November 29th, 2020 and fired a handgun at five teens, striking a parked car.  Police responded and found a loaded Glock handgun in Redmond’s home and spent shell casings in the alley.  Prosecutors say Redmond went to a gun store in Waterloo six days later and instructed a woman to buy two guns and a box of ammunition for him.  Those handguns were later located in a home where Redmond was staying, and a child there accidentally discharged one of them and was injured.

 

 

 

Two Suspects Charged in Sioux City Hatchet Attack

(Sioux City, IA)  —  Two people are under arrest for an alleged hatchet attack in Sioux City.  Police say 52-year-old Mary Blair and 16-year-old Malachi Bassette, both of Winnebago, Nebraska, are accused of stabbing a 61-year-old man in an apartment December 18th.  The victim told officers his brother opened the door for Blair and Bassette struck him with a hatchet.  The man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  Blair is charged with burglary, assault and willful injury.  Bassette is facing similar charges and is charged as an adult in the case.

 

 

 

Iowa COVID Hospitalizations Drop Again

(Undated)  —  The number of COVID patients in Iowa hospitals dropped for the second straight week in the latest report from the Iowa Department of Public Health.  There were 711 COVID-19 patients reported in the hospital in the update Wednesday.  That is down 36 — and is the lowest it has been since the November 24th when there were 623 COVID-19 patients in Iowa’s hospitals.  The state’s 14-day test positivity rate did make a slight increase to 10-point-nine percent from 10-point-eight percent last week.

 

 

 

Gas Prices Drop 1 Cent A Gallon in Iowa

(Undated)  —  Triple-A’s latest survey finds the average price of a gallon of gas in Iowa has dropped one penny compared to last week and is still 83 cents more than one year ago.  The Triple-A survey found the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas is three dollars, three cents a gallon.  There are many areas where the price is below three dollars a gallon — and in some metro areas it is 20 to 25 cents below the state average.  The national average for gas on Wednesday was three dollars, 28 cents.  That’s down two cents from last week’s price.

 

 

 

ISU Extension Plans Crop Seminars

(Le Mars)  —  Iowa State University Extension is hosting a series of 14 Crop Advantage meetings across the state starting in the New Year.  Northwest Iowa crops specialist Joel DeJong (DEE’-young) says it’s a chance to brush up on your knowledge as every industry need to continually learn and improve.  He says you can contact your local extension office or go online to CropAdvantage-dot-org.  Sheldon will host the first seminar on January 4th at the Northwest Iowa Community College.  Other seminars to follow include Storm Lake, Burlington, Okoboji, Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Mason City, Chariton, Webster City, Atlantic, Davenport, Coralville, Le Mars, and Denison.

 

 

 

Reynolds Appoints Johnson As District Judge

DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced her appointment of Derek Johnson as a district court judge in Judicial Election District 2B. 

Johnson, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, currently serves as a district associate judge in Judicial Election District 2B. He previously worked in private practice and has served as the Humboldt County Attorney. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University and his law degree from the Drake University Law School. 

Johnson fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Gina Badding to the Iowa Court of Appeals. Judicial Election District 2B includes Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, and Wright counties. 

 

 

 

Better Business Bureau Advises To Be Cautious When Donating To Charities

(Des Moines) — With just a few days left in 2021, many Iowans are making year-end donations to charities, but they’re warned to look closely before writing the check. Teresa Fritz, with the Better Business Bureau, says to do some research before donating a dime. Fritz says the bureau evaluates hundreds of charities at the website Give-dot-org based on 20 different factors, with one of the biggest being accountability.

Many charities receive one-third of their annual donations during the holiday season, so these year-end gifts are important. Fritz says sometimes the names of organizations will sound alike, but their support is very different.

If you get a phone call from a charity you’re not familiar with, don’t give, especially if someone is pressuring you. When you’re making a gift, she suggests plastic may have advantages over cash or a check.

Anyone can access the Better Business Bureau’s Give-dot-org website for free. It’s part of the Wise Giving Alliance.

 

 

 

IRS Warns To Protect Your Identity When Using Electronic Devices

(Des Moines) — A spokesman for the I-R-S says you should be sure your electronic devices are properly protected as you get ready to file your taxes in the new year.  Christopher Miller says you want to protect your personal information.

He says use sites that also provide you protection.

Miller says you also need to be careful how you get on the internet.

He says crooks will try all sorts of things to get the personal information you use in filing your taxes and taking some of these steps will help keep you safe.