The senior first baseman batted .471 and in five games had three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI and scored six runs. Rasmussen homered, drove in two runs and scored twice in a victory over Urbandale. He slammed two homers, drove in five runs and scored twice in a victory over Bettendorf.
Man faces 40 years in prison after drug-raid in Belmond home
June 22, 2010 By
A man has pleaded guilty to drug charges after a drug raid at his home in Belmond this past March.
Thirty-year-old Jose Bobadilla-Garcia was convicted of one count of
conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He admits he was involved in a conspiracy to sell meth in the Wright County area.
During the March 4th raid of his home, authorities found more than 673 grams of meth, over $15,000 in cash and a revolver.
Bobadilla-Garcia is currently in federal custody, facing up to 40 years in prison when he’s sentenced.
Central Iowa couple sentenced for stealing from employees’ retirement accounts
June 22, 2010 By
A central Iowa couple has been sentenced for embezzling money from the retirement accounts of their employees.
Prosecutors say James Van Elsen and his wife, Beth Ann, of Urbandale used money from their company to maintain their “expensive lifestyle,” paying a boat, cars and a second home in Pella.
A former worker at Van Elsen Consulting contacted federal officials to complain the company had taken money out of his paychecks in 2005 and 2006, money that was supposed to be deposited in his I-R-A account, but the money wasn’t there. Authorities say an investigation revealed the same thing happened to two other employees.
The Van Elsens admit they failed to forward the money to the I.R.A. accounts. They say it was an attempt to save a failing business. U.S. Attorney Nick Klinefeldt says this was a “crime of greed, plain and simple.” He says the couple deliberately decided “to keep their employees’ money for themselves.”
James Van Elsen has been sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison. His wife has been sentenced to home confinement for a year.
Former Agriprocessors manager sentenced today
June 22, 2010 By
The former manager of a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville will be sentenced to 27 years in prison and ordered to pay around $27 million in restitution. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Linda Reade will make the sentence official for Sholom Rubashkin, 51, later today. She outlined the sentence in a court memorandum issued Monday.
A jury found Rubashkin guilty on 86 federal financial fraud charges last fall. Rubashkin’s wife, Leah, says she’s a bit surprised with the sentence especially since prosecutors requested a term of 25 years. “On one hand we’re really shocked, on the other hand this just kind of sums up the whole story we’ve been going through,” Leah said. “I mean, why the raid in the first place?”
Federal immigration officials raided the former Agriprocessors plant two years ago. Leah Rubashkin called Judge Reade “cruel” for not taking Sholom’s family into account with the sentencing. The Rubashkins have 10 children, including a 17-year-old boy who’s autistic. “It’s kind of like the rug was pulled from under their feet,” Leah said of her children. “It’s not easy, but we try to keep them positive and focused towards the future.”
A U.S. attorney’s spokesman says his office will wait to comment after the sentence is imposed. The sentencing is scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon in Cedar Rapids. Guy Cook, Rubashkin’s Des Moines attorney, said he will appeal the 27 year sentence.
By Justin Foss (KCRG-TV)
Man faces 30 years in prison on gun, drug charges
June 22, 2010 By
A northwest Iowa man who was caught with a cache of stolen guns will spend time in a federal prison.
An undercover agent bought nine guns, 616 rounds of ammunition, some meth and some pot from 37-year-old John Daniel Saul of Sioux City. Saul has pleaded guilty to seven counts of firearm violations and one count of distributing meth and marijuana.
Saul had removed the serial numbers from several of the guns and used a hack saw to shorten the barrel of a shotgun. Federal officials say Saul stole the guns from a business in Jefferson, South Dakota.
Saul faces up to 30 years in a federal prison and a $2 million fine on the charges.
Gunman holds up Waterloo bingo parlor
June 22, 2010 By
Some bingo players in Waterloo got a scare last night. Police say a man walked into a bingo hall on the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds, armed with a handgun. He went to an office, pointed the weapon at a manager, and demanded money.
Police say several people were gathered inside the building, playing bingo at the time of the hold-up. No injuries were reported. Police say the suspect took an undisclosed amount of cash and drove away from the building in a black S-U-V.
Authorities are looking for the man. The robbery remains under investigation.
Thanks to Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Oelwein
Study: Most Iowans have broadband access but many stay offline
June 22, 2010 By
A national study on the availability of broadband service finds Iowa is making significant strides to bring high-speed Internet to rural areas, but many residents still aren’t logging on. Lori Grange, deputy director of the Pew Center on the States, says having ready access to the information superhighway is seen as a key element in the development of a community and a state.
Grange says, “Everybody thinks that broadband is accessing email and YouTube and our report really found that states and citizens are looking at broadband as being about jobs, the economy and our quality of life.” She says most Iowans have access to broadband but there are still large disparities among states and cities as well as income levels and urban versus rural areas.
Grange says, “State leaders are really looking to broadband as a tool for promoting economic growth and delivering critical services more efficiently and effectively, services such as education, health care and public safety, especially to residents in hard-to-reach areas who don’t have access to high-speed, high-quality broadband.” [Read more...]
