MOTHER OF NORTHWEST IOWA INFANT WHO DIED LAST SEPT. ARRESTED ON MURDER CHARGE
A northwest Iowa couple faces felony charges in connection with the death of their infant child last fall. Sydney Schneidermann of Little Rock was arrested Saturday on first degree murder and child endangerment charges. Court documents indicate she did an online search for “shaken baby syndrome” on her cell phone three days before taking her baby boy to the hospital in Rock Rapids on September 10th of last year. Tests in the E-R found the baby’s vital signs were normal and the infant was released that night, but was back in the E-R the next day in critical condition. The baby was flown to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he died two weeks later. Brenann Schneiderman, the baby’s father, has been charged with child endangerment causing death. Investigators say his wife sent him a screen shot of her research on “shaken baby syndrome” three days before her first trip to the hospital and his “lack of action to protect” the boy contributed to his death. An autopsy revealed the infant had fractured ribs and brain trauma. Doctors in Sioux Falls say the child’s brain swelled and bruising on his neck was consistent with child abuse.
STATE OFFICIAL ATTRIBUTES FEWER BOATING ACCIDENTS THIS YEAR TO HIGH WATER
This Labor Day weekend is expected to be a busy one on the state rivers and lakes. Susan Stocker of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it’s has been a safe summer for boating, in part, because high water kept some of the boats at the dock or off the water completely. Boating was not advised on the Mississippi River until around the 4th of July and massive flooding hit rivers in northwest Iowa in late June. Stocker, who is the boating law coordinator for the D-N-R, says while everyone aboard a boat should be wearing a life jacket that properly fits, it is mandatory — under state law — for anyone under the age of 13 to be wearing one. Stocker says paddlers can check the D-N-R’s interactive, online map to see what conditions are like for canoeing or kayaking in specific areas.
UI STUDIES WHY HOMEOWNERS REJECT LOANS TO REBUILD AFTER DISASTERS
A University of Iowa study finds a significant number of homeowners who qualify for low-interest government loans to rebuild after a disaster choose not to apply, or reject the loan after they’re approved. U-I Finance Professor Cameron Ellis, in the Tippie College of Business, says they’ve done extensive research on people’s post-disaster borrowing habits dating back nearly 20 years, and the loans are an excellent opportunity. The U-I study found about a quarter of people who qualified for loans rejected them, or didn’t apply. It’s very odd, Ellis says, because there’s not a private alternative that would even come close to being as good of a deal. He says some people just have an aversion to going into debt, especially when the federal government is involved.
NEWTON HOSPITAL TO STOP DELIVERING BABIES THIS FALL
The MercyOne hospital in Newton will stop delivering babies in mid-October. Officials say it’s an indefinite pause in O-B/G-Y-M services at Newton’s hospital as well as the Newton Clinic due to a decade of significant challenges in recruiting staff. Pregnant mothers who are patients at the Newton Clinic are encouraged to keep going to prenatal appointments and talk with their doctor about where they can transfer to deliver their baby. Jasper County is now among 32 Iowa counties that have lost obstetric services since 2000.
ROCK VALLEY MAN ARRESTED AFTER VEHICLE CRASH
A Rock Valley man was arrested after a single vehicle accident last Thursday. The Sioux County Sheriffs Office arrested 44 year old Luis Campis, after his vehicle went off US Highway 75 south of Sioux Center. Campis wasn’t injured, but the vehicle sustained 12-thousand dollars damage. He was arrested because his driver’s license was suspended. He was cited for failure to maintain control, no proof of insurance, and operating without a valid drivers license.
