From the daily archives:

Monday, July 12, 2010

Ames man accused of inappropriate contact with 4 year old girl

by Pat Curtis on July 12, 2010

Michael Trachta (jail mug shot)

An Ames man is facing charges for inappropriate contact with a four-year-old girl. Story County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 18-year-old Michael Trachta Sunday night.

Captain Barry Thomas says Trachta is charged with three counts of lascivious acts with a child. “The victim in the case had come forward and told people about some events that had taken place and once the sheriff’s office received that report, we started investigating,” Thomas said.

The child said the contact occured at least three times over the course of several months at Trachta’s home. Thomas says Trachta admitted to the “inappropriate contact.” He is being held in the Story County Jail. Thomas described Trachta as a family acquaintance of the young girl.

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Challenger says State Treasurer should have taken a pay cut

by O. Kay Henderson 07/12/10 3:14 PM

The Republican who’s running for state treasurer is criticizing the current office holder for failing to take a pay cut. Governor Chet Culver ordered a 10 percent across-the-board cut in the state budget last October and Culver cut his own salary by 10 percent. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald’s salary was not impacted by Culver’s action. [...]

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River savior is nominated for title, big money prize

by Matt Kelley 07/12/10 3:12 PM

The Quad Cities-area native who launched a river clean-up project more than a decade ago is now competing for the title of Hardest Working Man in America. Chad Pregracke is president and founder of the non-profit group Living Lands and Waters. He started it with just himself, pulling garbage out of the Mississippi River. Since [...]

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Cost of passports to go up

by Dar Danielson 07/12/10 3:09 PM

The cost to get a U.S. passport will increase Tuesday. Jasper County Recorder, Nancy Parrott says the increase will bump the cost over $100 dollars for both adults and children. She says the adult passport cost of a book increases $35 to $135 dollars, and for anyone under 16, the cost increases $20 to $110. [...]

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Iowa business to be featured on cable show

by Pat Curtis 07/12/10 3:08 PM

A couple of Iowa businesses should get some national exposure tonight on a Travel Channel program. Tonight’s episode of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” will likely include footage of the chef and author’s visit to Iowa in November when he was in the state for an appearance at the Des Moines Civic Center. Bourdain’s film crew [...]

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Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Associastion Poll.

by Todd Kimm 07/12/10 12:56 PM

Class 4A 1. Mason City (30-6), LW #1 2. Dowling Catholic (26-6), LW #3 3. Dubuque Hempstead (30-3), LW #5 4. Iowa City West (25-7), LW #2 5. Des Moines East (29-7), LW #6 6. Davenport Central (25-7), LW #7 7. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (25-10), LW #9 8. Sioux City North (24-10), LW #4 9. [...]

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Electronic system to track pseudoephedrine sales on track for September

by Dar Danielson 07/12/10 11:15 AM

The state’s drug czar says it looks like a new system to track a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine is ready to meet the September 1st deadline for statewide use. Gary Kendall, the director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, says the new system will allow pharmacies to track the sale of [...]

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