DUNN SENTENCED
The former police chief of Kingsley, Iowa will serve 30 days in jail on work release.
James Dunn was sentenced Tuesday in Plymouth County District Court.
Judge Jeffrey Neary sentenced Dunn to a year in prison on each of three counts of non-felonious misconduct in office in a plea agreement, with the terms to run concurrently.
He then suspended 335 days of the sentence with credit for one day of time served in jail.
The judge also deferred six felony counts and dismissed ten other counts against Dunn, who will also serve three years probation.
Dunn will be allowed to serve his sentence in Plymouth or Woodbury County.
He previously had pled guilty in October to six counts of unauthorized dissemination of intelligence data, which are class d felonies and three counts of misconduct in office, which are serious misdemeanors.
He was previously charged with 19 total counts including two counts of stalking involving his ex-girlfriend, the woman’s current boyfriend and his roommate.
TAYLOR REAX
Iowa 2 District State Senator Jeff Taylor applauded Governor Kim Reynold’s proposal to increase teacher pay. Taylor, a Republican from Sioux Center, says pay raises for teachers are long overdue.
The other major proposal by the Governor this week would lower the Iowa flat income tax, which Taylor also favors.
Kim Reynolds’ other major proposal is to refocus Iowa’s Area Education Agencies primarily on special education for Iowa students. Taylor is cautious about this reform.
Taylor says he welcomes reform in the agency, but he wants to see the details in the governor’s legislation to make sure AEAs provide all their needed services.
The Governor’s teacher pay proposal would raise base pay for new teachers to 50-thousand dollars, and a 62-thousand dollars base for teachers with 12 years experience.
AUDITOR CONCERNED OVER AEA OVERHAUL
State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat in statewide office, is questioning the governor’s plan to overhaul special education programs and create a new
division in the Iowa Department of Education to oversee Area Education Agencies. Sand says after the governor signed a law that forbids his office from seeking certain types of documents, he doubts the move will improve oversight.
Sand says he’s also concerned about what the governor’s plan means for the 3400 people who work in AEAs. Sand says his mother, who was an A-E-A physical therapist who helped disable children learn how to walk, is among the caring A-E-A staff who may be hurt by the governor’s overhaul. Governor Reynolds says the A-E-As are failing children with disabilities, who are scoring well below average on national assessments — all the while getting more funding than the national average.
GOP PRECINCT CAUCUSES
Plymouth County Republicans are ready for Monday’s precinct caucuses.
Plymouth County GOP Co-Chair Shelly Stabe says the Caucuses are Monday, Januray 16, at 7 p.m. Stage says get there early.
There is change of location this year for some of the precincts.
The caucuses are more than a presidential preference poll.
Delegates will be selected for county, district, and state GOP conventions. The Republican state platform will also be formed, starting with the caucuses.
For more information, contact Shelly Stabe at 712-395-2100.
See the list of Plymouth County caucus sites below:
GOP CAUCUS SITES
Plymouth County Republicans have released their list of caucus sites on January 15. Precincts near Le Mars will combine their caucus sites. Precincts 1 2 3 and 4 will meet at the Le Mars Convention Center. Country Celebrations near Sioux City will be the site of the caucuses of Precincts 7 8 and 9. Other sites will be Remsen, Brunsville, Kingsley, and Akron.
LeMars Precincts 1-3: LeMars Convention Center 275 12th St SE, Le Mars, IA 51031
Precinct 4, (Owens, Struble Remsen North): LeMars Convention Center 275 12th St SE, Le Mars, IA 51031
Precinct 5, Remsen: Gymnasium in old City Hall, Remsen 8 W 2nd St, Remsen, IA 51050
Precinct 6, Brunsville, Craig: Brunsville American Legion 305 Oak St, Brunsville, IA 51008
Precinct 7, Merril: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA 51108
Precinct 8, Perry Township/ Hancock Township: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA 51108
Precinct 9, Hinton: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA 51108
Precinct 10, Kingsley: Kingsley City Hall 222 S Main Street, Kingsley, IA 51028
Precinct 11, Akron, Westfield: Old Parish Hall, Arkon N 3rd St, Akron, IA 51001
SEMIS COLLIDE
Two semis collided Tuesday afternoon on Iowa Highway 3 west of Le Mars, causing injury to one of the drivers.
Plymouth County Sheriffs Deputies and Le Mars Fire Rescue responded to the accident scene at the Brunsville intersection. A semi loaded with hogs, driven by 37 year old Korey Krieg of Kinsgley, traveled south on K42. It went through the intersection of Highway 3, where it was struck by a westbound semi. The Sheriffs Office says Kreig’s vehicle either did not or could not stop at the intersection. Both units entered the southwest ditch after impact. The driver of the westbound truck, 42 year old Aaron Manley of Akron, had to be extricated from the vehicle, and was taken to MercyOne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He was treated and later released. Kreig was not injured, but was cited for failure to stop and yield the right of way. There were 160 hogs in the trailer. 60 either were killed in the crash or had to be euthanized. Highway 3 was closed for nearly six hours for cleanup.
CHIEF JUSTICE CALLS FOR PAY RAISES FOR IOWA JUDGES
Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Larson Christensen is asking lawmakers to raise the pay for Iowa judges. Christensen says judges are paid less than in every state that touches Iowa — 16-thousand less than South Dakota judges and 38-thousand dollars a year less than Nebraska judges. Christensen delivered the annual “Condition of the State” address in the Iowa Capitol Wednesday morning. She told lawmakers being appointed by the governor to serve Iowans as a judge should be the pinnacle of an attorney’s career, not a deep financial sacrifice.
CORPS RAISES FLOW LEVELS ON THE MISSOURI
The wicked cold of winter has moved into the region, and it’s prompting an increase in flows upstream on the Missouri River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a statement that it increased the flows from Gavins Point Dam from 13,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000. The Corps says the increased flows downstream on the Missouri River will lessen the chances of ice jams forming. It also will replace some of the water that forms into ice. The Corps plans to return winter discharges at Gavins Point to 13,000 once the possibility of ice forming on the Missouri River stabilizes.
FINAL DEER HUNTING SEASON OPENS TOMORROW
The final opportunity for hunters to take a deer this season will focus on unclaimed deer tags in individual counties. Iowa D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says this final season helps with population control. It runs January 11th through the 21st in select counties based on the availability of county antlerless tags. Elliott says the rules change a little bit on the type of gun you can use to encourage hunters to participate, including centerfire rifles between 22 and 50 caliber. Elliott says hunters have had success in recent weeks and he expects to end the season with 105- to 110-thousand deer harvested.
