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Four year old girl killed in Sioux City accident

September 16, 2009 By

Police in Sioux City say an accident in a west side neighborhood Tuesday night claimed the life of a four-year-old girl. Lieutenant Mark Kirkpatrick says the incident, reported at 6:20 p.m., involved a pickup. “It was indicated to us that a four-year-old child playing in a parking area darted out from behind a car and into the roadway and was struck by this vehicle,” Kirkpatrick said.

The child, identified as Serenity Tweety, was pronounced dead at an Omaha hospital. The driver of the truck, 27-year-old Andrea Tuttle of Sioux City, was not cited. “It looks as though the driver did what (she) could to avoid the accident,” Kirkpatrick said. It’s the second fatality involving a child playing in a street in Sioux City in recent weeks.

A six-year-old boy died last month when he rode a bicycle into the path of a semi. Kirkpatrick says young children shouldn’t be left unattended near busy streets. “Really, we have to keep an eye on these kids,” Kirkpatrick said. “This is a four-year-old child…and they really don’t have the understanding that running out in the street is as dangerous as it can be.”

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Pella Corporation cuts 37 jobs in Sioux Center

September 16, 2009 By

Thirty-seven people have been cut from Pella Corporation’s workforce in Sioux Center. According to Pella Corporation spokesperson Kathy Krafka-Harkema, Pella announced on Wednesday, the continued steep decline in construction activity across the country has triggered the elimination of the 37 full-time manufacturing jobs effective Friday.

Those Sioux Center team members who were separated will qualify for transition pay and benefits to assist them in the process of searching for a new career. In addition, Pella is partnering with Iowa Workforce Development officials in Orange City and area employers to help connect separated workers with potential new jobs.

She says that area employers who have job openings are being asked to call Pella’s Sioux Center Operations Office to pass along the job openings to former Pella team members.

Contributed by Scott Van Aartsen, KIWA, Sheldon

Filed Under: Business Tagged With:

Violent crimes in Iowa down

September 16, 2009 By

The number of violent crimes in Iowa declined last year. The latest state data from the U.S. Department of Justice and the F.B.I. shows over 8,500 violent crimes were reported in Iowa in 2008.

That includes 76 murders. But the number of violent crimes is down from 2007 — a 3.2% decline in violent crimes in the state of Iowa.

The number of property crimes in Iowa fell more sharply from 2007 to 2008, by seven percent. Nationally, the violent crime rate declined for the second year in a row.

See the national data here.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

UNI playing well, looking to avoid letdown

September 16, 2009 By

The U.N.I. Panthers have been impressive early in the season and they hope to maintain momentum this weekend at home against Saint Francis of Pennsylvania. After nearly pulling off an upset at Iowa the Panthers opened their home schedule by pounding South Dakota 66-7.

U.N.I. coach Mark Farley says a letdown happens to everyone sooner or later, and they try to coach every day to avoid that. Senior quarterback Pat Grace has played well and passed for 455 yards in last week’s victory. Farley says Grace’s experience is showing. He says Grace might have gotten too aggressive in the offense in the previous year, but now he is operating the offense with more poise because of his experience.

Farley says Saint Francis played a good game against New Hampshire and got the shut out last week, so he says they will have to be prepared for them.

Submitted by Elwin Huffman

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

DPS warns of Amber Alert hoax

September 16, 2009 By

Iowans are being warned about bogus Amber Alerts they might be seeing in e-mail or text messages. The messages claim a three-year-old girl was taken by a man in a silver pickup truck and often list a license plate number and a county in Iowa. Jessica Lown, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, says rest assured, they’re not real alerts but are part of a cruel hoax.

“It plays on people’s sympathies,” Lown says. “There are a lot of really good people out there, especially here in Iowa, who want to help, who see this and think, ‘Oh, my goodness! There’s a child in danger. I’ve gotta’ let people know,’ and they forward this on to their friends and family. That’s great that people want to help but folks need to check out the legitimacy of something like this first.”

If you don’t verify it ahead of time, she says, you’re only contributing to the problem by passing along the false report. “The best place that you can go is to our website, ‘iowamberalert.org’ which is run by the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa State Patrol,” Lown says. “We are charged with approving and activating all Amber Alerts here in the state of Iowa.”

Lown says Iowans who think there is a credible threat to a child, should contact local law enforcement. Over the past few weeks, several reports of child enticement or attempted child abductions have been reported in central Iowa. She says if you didn’t get the information directly from a law enforcement agency or credible news organization, it likely began circulating as a prank. The only way to get Amber Alert notifications via text message is if you have personally signed up for them, via the same website: “www.iowaamberalert.org“.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

First reading of curfew ordinance passed in Iowa City

September 16, 2009 By

The city council in Iowa City has passed the first reading of juvenile curfew ordinance on a 4-3 vote. Many opponents of the measure say it’ll unjustly punish law-abiding teens for the actions of a few of their peers. Iowa City Police spokesperson Sergeant Troy Kelsay says the curfew, if approved, would likely involve a $50 fine.

“However it comes out, it will be a useful tool for law enforcement,” Kelsay said. “Don’t expect to see every juvenile who’s out past whatever the curfew is for that night, and depending on his or her age, to be charged. That is not what is going to happen.” The ordinance was drafted in response to recent problems with juvenile crime on Iowa City’s southeast side.

Kelsay says in most cases, officers will likely just tell kids who are found to be out past curfew to get home or the officer will give them a ride home without issuing a ticket. Two more votes are required before the measure becomes law. The curfew would require children 13 and younger to be home by 10 p.m., 14-and-15-year-olds by 11 p.m. and 16-and-17-year-olds by midnight.

There are certain exceptions for things like work, school and religious activities. The Iowa City ordinance is modeled after a curfew already in place in the neighboring town of Coralville.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government

DOT officer arrested for allegedly driving drunk

September 16, 2009 By

A state lawman from Webster City, who was named “Officer of the Year” in 2001, was arrested in Ames for alleged driving drunk while off-duty. Forty-year-old Chris Moline is a supervisor with the Iowa Department of Transporation’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Unit. Moline was apprehended during the early morning of September 6th.

The traffic stop was made by an officer with the Iowa State University Department of Public Safety. Moline is facing a charge of operating while intoxicated first offense. He was taken to the Story County Jail in Nevada and later released. The Story County Attorney’s office said Tuesday the arrest of Moline is still under investigation, with the case to be treated like any other OWI case.

Moline has been temporarily relieved of his command, which included 26 counties in northwest Iowa. In the meantime, Moline remains on full pay but he has been assigned to a state D.O.T. office in Ankeny until his case is resolved.

Contributed by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:
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