SUBSOIL MOISTURE
Soil moisture measurements taken earlier this month demonstrate how soggy the fields are in northwest Iowa. The annual spring survey carried out by Iowa State University showed that the two sites in Plymouth County were over 3 inches above normal. The Akron site measured 9.86 inches of Plant available moisture, 3.09 inches above the historical average. The site near Le Mars was measured at 9.88 inches, 3.15 inches above the norm. ISU Extension says Iowa soils can hold up to 10 to 11 inches of moisture in the top five feet of soil.
STOLEN GOLF CLUBS
A Brunsville man was arrested and charged in the alleged theft of golf clubs. On April 21, the Plymouth County Sheriffs Office investigated the reported theft of golf clubs from a shed at the Prairie Rose Golf Course in Brunsville. From their investigation, a suspect emerged – 42 year old Chris Hodgson of Brunsville. Officers executed a search warrant at Hodgson’s home and recovered some of the stolen clubs. More victims came forward, and through the investigation, more clubs were found in Hodson’s possession. The total value of the stolen clubs was over 7-thousand dollars. On May 1, Hodgson was arrested and charged with 2nd Degree Theft and 3rd Degree Burglary, both felonies. Hodgson was released from jail after posting 5-thousand dollars bond.
INJURY ACCIDENT
Two people were injured in an accident east of Sioux Center Thursday afternoon. The Sioux County Sheriffs Office says the accident occurred on B40, three miles east of Sioux Center. An eastbound vehicle driven by 25 year old Abigail Vander Werf of Council Bluffs was turning left off B40 at Indian Ave. when her vehicle was struck by a westbound vehicle driven by Kirsten Cosgrove. Both drivers were transported to Sioux Center Health for treatment of injuries. Vander Werf was cited for failure to yield at an intersection. Sioux Center Police, Fire and Ambulance assisted the Sheriffs office at the scene.
NW COMMENCEMENT
It’s Commencement day at Northwestern College in Orange City. The ceremony is this morning at 10 am in the Rowenhorst Student Center. Degrees will be conferred to students in masters degree programs, and undergraduates. The commencement address will be delivered by Cynthia Moser of Sioux City, of Northwestern’s Class of 1974.
PEACE OFFICER MEMORIAL CEREMONY
The names of two Iowa policemen were added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial on the state capitol grounds in a ceremony at the site Friday morning. Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram was shot to death last September as he was serving an arrest warrant on a suspect who’s now charged with Cram’s murder. Des Moines Police Officer Phoukham Tran died in November after a decade-long struggle to recover from being struck by a drunk driver. Tran was directing traffic just outside the Iowa State Fair when he was gravely injured.
GOVERNOR SIGNS LITERACY BILL
This week, Governor Kim Reynolds focused her attention on what’s called “the science of reading” with students at a central Iowa School. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
SUPREME COURT SAYS FELONS CAN’T USE MUZZLELOADERS
The Iowa Supreme Court rules an antique muzzleloading rifle is a firearm under state law and convicted felons cannot possess them. Adam Rhodes bought a replica muzzleloader rifle and killed a deer with it in Des Moines County in 2021. The D-N-R investigated reports of the big deer being shot and found Rhodes had been convicted of third-degree burglary in 2004 and he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rhodes appealed the charge saying the state should follow the federal law which does not classify muzzleloaders as firearms. The Iowa Supreme Court disagreed, saying the Iowa legislature declined to exempt antique firearms from the felon-in-possession law and the Court will not add an exception that the legislature chose to omit.
IOWA MOTORCYCLE DEATHS INCREASE
There have already been 14 motorcyclists killed in accidents this year and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the Iowa D-O-T are trying to raise awareness of the problem. G-T-S-B spokesperson, Colleen Powell, says some people are not following basic safety rules.
Powell says being distracted in a car or on a motorcycle can lead to bad results as you need to have all your attention focused on driving. She says there’s also another trend in the motorcycle deaths.
Powell says motorcyclists can give themselves more protection with a helmet.
Motorcycles make up three tenths of one percent of all registered vehicles in the state, and point-33 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. But last year motorcycle deaths accounted for 16 percent of total traffic fatalities.
