Trial continued in Le Mars murder case
The trial of a Le Mars man charged with first-degree murder has been continued.
22-year-old Omar Cruz was originally scheduled to go on trial today, October 28th, in Plymouth County District Court. Cruz’s defense attorney requested a continuance in order to adequately prepare for trial, quote, “in light of recent filings by the State and the Court’s recent rulings on pretrial motions.” Cruz voluntarily waived his right to a speedy trial as part of the motion, as the deadline for his trial to occur within a year of his arraignment was October 31st.
The judge agreed to the request and has set a status hearing date for November 7th at 10 a.m. to determine a new trial date.
Cruz was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Miguel Martinez, which occurred at a residence on 3rd Avenue in Le Mars on September 30th, 2024. Cruz was arrested in Sioux City a week later, and has been in custody at the Plymouth County Jail since then.
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Suspect charged in Morningside shooting
One man is in custody and another is hospitalized following a weekend shooting in Sioux City.
Sioux City police say the incident occurred just before 1 a.m. Saturday morning in the 3400 block of Marshall Avenue. Responding officers located a victim with a gunshot wound to their abdomen.
31-year-old Mario Armando Martinez Jr. of Sioux City was transported to Unity Point Health’s downtown unit where he continues to receive treatment.
A suspect was also located at the scene and arrested. 35-year-old Vicente Estrada Leon Jr. of Sioux City was taken into custody and charged with five counts.
They include willful injury resulting in serious injury, felony assault, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a weapon while intoxicated.
Leon Jr. is being held in the Woodbury County Jail on $50,000 bond.
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“Cranksgiving” kicks off holiday giving season
Cyclists across the country are kicking off the holiday giving season with the annual “Cranksgiving” food drive, with events being held here in Siouxland.
Described as a “food drive on two wheels”, participants pedal the streets while searching for items that make up a Thanksgiving meal. Once collected, all items are donated to a food bank of choice for those most at need.
The Siouxland Cyclists are hosting Cranksgiving for the eighth time this upcoming Saturday in Sioux City. Participating cyclists will ride out to different stores across town to purchase at least four food items to be donated. All items are donated to the Food Bank of Siouxland, and last year, the Siouxland Cyclists brought in a collective 3,477 meals for the Food Bank. Sioux City’s Cranksgiving starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Albrecht Cycle Shop.
In Le Mars, Bike Central is hosting their own Cranksgiving on Saturday, November 8th, with all donations going to the Food Bank of Siouxland as well. For more information on Cranksgiving, visit cranksgiving.org.
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‘Gridshock’ to be screened at local church
A screening of the documentary “Gridshock” will be hosted at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars on Thursday.
The film details the hidden and disturbing reality behind sex trafficking in Iowa, with a presentation by Stacy Besch from Team Iowa accompanying the screening. Besch will discuss the dangers of human trafficking, what signs to look for, and what Iowans can do to help combat trafficking themselves.
Filmmaker Vanessa McNeal, herself a survivor of sexual violence, set out to explore the often overlooked reality of about why the sex trafficking industry thrives, and specifically to expose the demand of sex trafficking in Iowa. According to the documentary’s website, “Gridshock” features survivors of sex trafficking, law enforcement, advocates, and a recovering sex addict.
The screening takes place at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 30th.
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Iowa banks are starting to restrict access to pennies, as production ends soon
At least one Iowa-based bank is telling its customers they can no longer get rolls or boxes of pennies, and checks that don’t end in a zero or five will have to be deposited or reissued. This follows an order from President Trump that the U-S Treasury stop making pennies. Adam Gregg, president and C-E-O of the Iowa Bankers Association, says the government is expected to quit producing new pennies for circulation in early 2026, but Iowa banks are already feeling the impact.
Gregg says many other countries have gone through this process of eliminating a small form of currency, and while there may be some bumps along the way, he trusts it will eventually lead to a streamlining of cash transactions. Still, Gregg says the I-B-A and similar organizations in other states are asking banking regulators and Congress to provide more guidance on how the elimination of pennies will work.
Gregg says it makes sense, with an S, to stop making cents, with a C, as one report shows the U-S Treasury lost more than 85-million dollars on penny production last year alone.
Gregg, who served as Iowa’s lieutenant governor until September of 2024, says businesses across Iowa may soon have to alter their pricing structure, adjusting prices to end in either a zero or a five.
A federal study finds only around 16-percent of U-S transactions now rely on cash, the rest are electronic — though some industries still rely on coins, like vending machines and laundromats. Coins have been discontinued in the U-S before, as recently as 2011 with the suspending of production of the dollar coin, and throughout history, as far back as 1857, when Congress ordered the end of the half-cent coin.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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