STOLEN CONVERTERS
The Sioux County Sheriffs Department is investigating the theft of catalytic converters from a Hull area business. The thefts were reported to the sheriffs department Thursday afternoon. Officers determined the suspect(s) drove into the parking lot of Te Slaa Trucking, 1.5 miles west of Hull, and stole catalytic converters from three vehicles parked there. The incident took place around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. Anyone with information about the incident are urged to contact the sheriffs office.
FLOYD VALLEY EXPANSION
Work has begun on an expansion of facilities at Floyd Valley Health in Le Mars. Chief Financial Officer Daryl Friedenbach says the 12,500 square foot addition to outpatient facilities will cause minimum disruption to clients. Funding for the 10.4 million dollars expansion will come from federal and local sources. Floyd Valley Health plans a two-story structure which will expand their Specialty Clinic and their Therapies Clinic. The project should be completed by late 2023.
PREGNANCY TERMINATIONS
The Iowa legislature has passed a bill responding to the case of a Storm Lake man accused of forcing his wife to take medication to end two pregnancies. Tony Wangmeng Lee was convicted of terminating a pregnancy without consent, based on his estranged wife’s testimony that he had forced her to take pills on five different occasions, ending two pregnancies. But in 2017 the Iowa Court of Appeals dismissed his termination conviction, saying there was no proof she had been pregnant — thus no crime was committed. Representative Sandy Salmon of Janesville says the bill is “designed to close that loophole.” The bill now goes to the governor’s desk.
NOMINATING RULES
Secretary of State Paul Pate says he’s ready to work with legislators to ensure state law clearly requires Iowans who sign nominating papers for candidates include the date they signed the petition. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last week errors in the dates next to three signatures on U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer’s nominating petitions were not grounds to disqualify Finkenauer from the June Primary ballot.
In its ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court said just last year the legislature passed a law outlining the specific reasons for rejecting signatures on nominating petitions, but that law did not address missing or incorrect dates on the signature line. Pate does not expect the state legislature to pass a bill on the subject before it adjourns this year, but he says it’ll be a priority in 2023. Pate says that way the law is clear when 2024 candidates begin collecting signatures on nominating petitions.
Pate made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says he’s ready to work with legislators to clarify the rules for nominating petition signatures. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last week that errors in the dates next to three signatures on U-S Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer’s nominating petitions weren’t grounds to disqualify her from the June primary ballot. Pate says he respects the ruling but did have a different opinion. He says he felt that more than 200 candidates got it right and one – Finkenauer – didn’t. He doesn’t expect to Legislature to pass a bill on the subject before it adjourns this session, but Pate says it will be a priority in 2023. Pate’s comments were made during the taping of “Iowa Press” which aired last night on Iowa P-B-S.
EMS TRAINING
For the first time ever, E-M-S crews in Sioux City will be required to undergo self defense training. The training will include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and staff from all three shifts — and includes new hires and those with decades of service. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about two-thousand emergency medical personnel are hurt in “violent incidents” each year while on duty.
