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Appeals Court turns down Eldon man’s appeal

May 24, 2006 By

The Iowa Court of Appeals has rejected the legal arguments of a man found guilty of the gruesome killing a wheelchair-bound south central Iowa. Kenny Chris Hemm of Eldon, which is just south of Ottumwa, was found guilty of first degree murder and arson for killing paraplegic Larry Pippenger in April of 2000.

Authorities discovered Pippenger had been decapitated and dismembered before he was set on fire. His hands and feet have never been found. Authorities believe Hemm set fire to his own house and the car where Pippenger’s body was found to cover up the crime.

Hemm’s first conviction on the charges was overturned, he stood trial a second time, and a jury convicted him of murder and arson. In his latest appeal, Hemm argues there wasn’t “sufficient” evidence to convict him. The Court of Appeals rejected all of Hemm’s claims and upheld his convictions.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Illinois man charged with attempted murder in Dubuque

May 24, 2006 By

Dubuque police have arrested an Illinois man for attempted murder after he allegedly hit a woman with a metal pipe. Police were called out around 4:45 A.M. Tuesday to a report of a disturbance at an apartment in Dubuque.

When they arrived they found 22-year-old Chenavia Conley suffering from injuries to her head, arm and shoulders. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Also at the apartment was 23-year-old Caine Meek of Harvey, Illinois. Meek admitted to police that he struck Conley with a metal pipe. Meek was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Webster County considers charges against members of track team

May 24, 2006 By

Webster County officials are considering filing charges against four members of the Eagle Grove boys track team after an incident at a track meet in Fort Dodge this month.

The four members of the team are accused of pinning a fellow team member and touching him inappropriately while inside a team tent at the Dodger Relays in Fort Dodge back on May 5th. The students in question were suspended from school last week for five days before being allowed back starting today for final exams.

Webster County officials and Eagle Grove police are continuing to investigate the matter and determine whether or not assault charges should be filed against the juveniles.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Grassley questions role of V-A in stolen info

May 24, 2006 By

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is questioning the role of the Veterans Administration in what could become one of the nation’s largest-ever identity theft cases. The V-A ignored warnings about lax computer security and then waited two weeks before telling millions of veterans their personal data had been stolen.

Grassley says if the V-A leadership knew about this, they aren’t being fair to the American people. He says the governmental agency should have put the word out right away to all veterans who were potentially impacted, once it was clear the V-A computer system had been compromised. “Both the government, as well as the private sector, has the responsibility, maybe not the legal responsibility but the moral responsibility, to notify everybody immediately if not sooner.”

The personal information about the vets was taken from a V-A employee’s home in what appeared to be a routine burglary. The data covered some 26-million veterans, most of whom left the service in the last 30 years.

The employee was said to have reported the theft right away to the V-A, which apparently dragged its feet in telling the F-B-I. As for the long wait, Grassley says the government had the responsibility to protect those veterans and should have set a better example, calling it “unconscionable.”

Filed Under: Military, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Iowa Marine killed by bomb in Iraq

May 24, 2006 By

A 21-year old Marine from northwest Iowa was killed this week when a bomb exploded in Iraq. Lance Corporal William J. “B. Jay” Leusink was conducting a dismounted patrol in Al Anbar province northwest of Baghdad when he was hit. Military officials say Leusink was treated on scene, then transported to a nearby hospital and died at noon on Monday.

Leusink belonged to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Three Marine Expeditionary Force, at Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe, Hawaii. He had also served a tour of duty in Afghanistan before heading to Iraq.

Leusink grew up on his parents’ rural Maurice farm and graduated from Sioux Center High School in 2003. He was married to Miranda Leusink two years ago and also leaves behind his parents, a brother, and two sisters. He was the son of William and Elaine Leusink of Maurice, Iowa. Services are pending.

Filed Under: Military

Davenport police officer has close call with shooter

May 24, 2006 By

A Davenport police officer is lucky to be alive today. The off-duty cop had gone into a fast-food restaurant on Tuesday to grab some lunch when he noticed a teen who was wanted on a warrant for a probation violation. The suspect took off and the officer chased him across the Wendy’s parking lot.

That’s when Police Captain David Struckman says the 16-year-old pulled a handgun from his waistband, pulled the trigger twice — and nothing happened. The officer was “visibly shaken” from the ordeal, Struckman says, and rightfully so. After the teen was taken into custody officers confirmed the gun was loaded, but just didn’t go off.

Struckman says the officer had been on the force for less than two years. The captain says he’s “a darn good officer, and we’re just very fortunate it turned out the way it did.” Sixteen-year-old Jonathon Jay Owens is charged with attempted murder.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Biodiesel center open in Dubuque

May 24, 2006 By

A new distribution center for bio-diesel fuel is open in Dubuque. The plant will have capacity to store 30-thousand gallons of pure soybean oil, and Grant Kimberly with the Iowa Soybean Association says it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel fuel.

Kimberly says availability’s the key — if the fuel is made available to other petroleum retailers out there, they’ll offer it to their customers. He adds that with new tax incentives passed this year by Iowa lawmakers, it’ll be more cost-competitive for customers considering buying it.

The Infrastructure Grant Program of the Iowa Values Fund is overseen by Iowa Renewable Fuels and will put 25-thousand dollars in cost-share funding toward the building and marketing of the bio-diesel distribution center. It’s to be built in Tamarack Business Park in Dubuque.

Kimberly says some private funding also went into the mix to make the center possible. The Iowa Soybean Association’s providing some money to help West Central Soy market and distribute the bio-diesel, and the Iowa Clean Cities Coalition also provided some funding. The business park hosted an open house for the facility Tuesday.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business
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