Des Moines, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau report 47-year-old Sara Weisbeck, of LeClair was found guilty on October 7, 2022, in Scott County District Court of one count of Insurance Fraud (Class D Felony) and one count of Identity Theft (Class D Felony) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

The investigation began in December 2019 after the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau received information indicating Weisbeck had provided false information to her insurer when filing an insurance claim. She had alleged a lightning strike caused a power surge within her residence and destroyed over $7,000 of her personal belongings.

The investigation determined that specific items Weisbeck reported to her insurer as destroyed were not within the residence when the lightning strike occurred. It also determined that Weisbeck facilitated the removal of windows from within her residence and falsely reported that the power surge blew the windows from the house. The investigation also determined that emails submitted to Weisbeck’s insurer, which were authored in the name of her landlord and supported her insurance claim, were fictitious and had been fabricated.

Sara Weisbeck (Photo courtesy of the Scott County Sheriff’s Office)

Following her guilty conviction, Weisbeck was placed on supervised probation for two years and ordered to pay a civil penalty of $2,357.50. Weisbeck must also pay victim restitution in the amount of $1,240 for the damaged windows.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

(Lee County, Iowa) – A man riding a bicycle was struck and killed Wednesday evening, in southeast Iowa. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 1998 Chevy pickup driven by 70-year-old Sharon L. Robey, of Niota, Illinois, was westbound on S. 7th Street in Keokuk, when the vehicle ran into the rear of a Huffy Sante Fe bicycle, which was traveling west on S. 7th Street. Following the collision, the bicycle, operated by 57-year-old Clark Evan Pfeiferling, of Keokuk, came to rest under the right front corner of the pickup. The accident happened at around 5:54-p.m.

Pfeiferling was transported by Lee County EMS to the Southeast Iowa Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. The accident was under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Keokuk Police and Lee County EMS.

(Southeastern Wright County, Iowa — A man faces multiple charges in Wright County after using a stolen vehicle to ram a trooper’s car into the ditch, Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported. The Iowa State Patrol reports Troopers clocked 22-year-old Ahmed Khalif at 105 mph, on Interstate 35. Khalif did not stop for the trooper and a chase ensued at around 7-a.m., Wednesday.

Authorities say Khalif took the exit to Woolstock and ended up driving the wrong way before turning around again. That’s when Khalif rammed a trooper’s car into the ditch. Next, Khalif left the vehicle and a foot pursuit began. A short time later, the trooper tracked him down on foot and made the arrest. Khalif had warrants out of Minnesota and Maryland. The vehicle was stolen out of Massachusetts.

Iowa State Patrol Facebook page photo

Khaliff is charged with felony eluding, interference with official acts, assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, operating while intoxicated, possession of controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, speeding, no driver’s license and other traffic charges.

(Norwalk, Iowa) – Officials in central Iowa report a man from Marshalltown faces a charge of a murder in the first degree, in connection to the September stabbing of a Norwalk woman. 38-year-old Antonio Lavell Lewis also faces unrelated charges stemming from warrants out of Marshall County.

Norwalk Police say on September 15th, they responded to reports of a stabbing at an apartment at 608 Knoll Drive. Officers found 31-year-old Karisa Shendelman. She had died from multiple stab wounds. Antonio Lavell Lewis was also inside the apartment. He was arrested for unrelated warrants at the time.

(Creston, Iowa) – A woman who said she was distracted by her cell phone, failed to stop at an intersection in Creston, Wednesday night, causing her vehicle to rear-end a pickup truck. No injuries were reported. Creston Police report 67-year-old Ricky Ramaeker, of Creston, was driving a 1999 Dodge pickup truck on southbound Sumner Street, and stopped at the red light with Adams Street, when his vehicle was struck from behind by a southbound 2004 Pontiac. The accident happened at around 10:15-p.m. Authorities identified the driver of the car as 19-year-old Katilina Bozwell, of Creston.

Damage from the collision amounted to $4,000, with damage to the Pontiac amounted to $3,000. Bozwell was cited for having no insurance.

(Radio Iowa) – A study finds the average rate of family premiums for health insurance offered by private employers in Iowa has risen significantly. The report from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota found the average premium rate for Iowa families jumped about nine percent from 2020 to 2021, while the national average is only three percent. Robert Hest, a research fellow at the center, says Iowa’s relatively small population may be a factor.

Hest says, “It’s also kind of a statistical thing where, because there’s a smaller sample size in Iowa, that those estimates just tend to be less stable over time than you would see in a state with a larger population and a larger sample size.” Iowa has nearly three-point-two million residents, ranking it the 31st most populous state in the U-S. 

“Because there’s a smaller population, it doesn’t take as many employers, large employers to make changes to the types of plans they’re offering, or to the cost of those plans to really swing these statistics,” he says. The report found about 87-percent, or one-point-two million Iowans, who work in the private sector were offered employer-sponsored insurance last year.

(by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Winnebago Industries reports record revenue for its just-completed fiscal year. The outdoor lifestyle products manufacturer with Iowa factories in Forest City, Lake Mills, Charles City and Waverly reports revenues of five-billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2022, rising almost 37-percent from three-point-six billion in Fiscal ’21. C-E-O Michael Happe  says that was driven by the recently-acquired Barletta boats, pricing actions, and strong consumer demand for the company’s products.

“Over the past seven fiscal years, we have been laser focused on enhancing and strengthening our enterprise portfolio,” Happe says. “The success that those initiatives has created a more diversified, resilient, competitive, and profitable Winnebago Industries. This was never more evident than in Fiscal Year 2022 when our company achieved record revenue, profitability, and overall outdoor market share.”

The outdoor lifestyle product market boomed beginning with the start of the pandemic as more people turned to the outdoors, and Happe says the company continues to benefit from that increased demand for the Winnebago, Grand Design and Newmar recreational vehicle brands as well as Chris-Craft and Barletta boats.  “It is no secret that demand for outdoor products exploded in the last two years, and that new consumer trends have emerged which will impact our industries forever,” he says. “Thanks to the relentless focus, commitment and heart of our world-class team here, we’ve delivered on unprecedented levels of demand for our premium products as new and existing consumers embrace the outdoor lifestyle.”

Happe says the results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year overall show the company’s flexibility and ability to deliver in a volatile economic climate.  “Winnebago Industries’ fourth quarter results were a strong finish to an outstanding year in which we delivered record revenue and profitability,” Happe says. “We recorded fourth quarter net revenues of $1.2 billion, which represent a 14% increase over the same period last year.”

Winnebago Industries’ net income for the fourth quarter was $82.6 million, and for the year, the company reported a profit of $390.6 million.

(Radio Iowa) – Staff in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have drafted tougher rules for manure storage at any new livestock confinements or cattle feedlots in parts of northeast Iowa. The regulations would apply in areas where the bedrock is closer to the surface and it can be porous. Under current rules for these areas, manure from livestock operations must be stored in concrete structures. If the changes are adopted, the distance from the concrete bottom of any NEW manure pit and the bedrock would have to triple from at least five feet to 15 feet.

Attorney Eldon McAfee represents the Iowa Pork Producers and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. He says the changes could end expansion of livestock operations in northeast Iowa. “We could have producers who can’t build livestock operations with concrete manure storage on their farms,” McAfee says, “and that is very important to that area.” More than a dozen environmental groups say the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Michael Schmidt is a staff attorney with the Iowa Environmental Council.

“We are calling on DNR to do a better job regulating all of this manure to reduce the nitrogen, phosphorus and bacteria that enters our drinking water sources, our groundwater, our lakes, rivers and streams,” he says. It will be a few months before any proposed rules — whatever they may be — could be presented to the legislative committee that approves or blocks all state regulations.

The D-N-R is accepting informal comments on the proposed changes until late Friday afternoon. After that, there’s a formal public comment period and a possible rewrite of the proposed rules. The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission has to vote on any changes. Finally, a committee in the legislature that reviews all state regulations will either approve or block any proposed changes.

(Radio Iowa) – As some of her fellow Republicans call for deep cuts or an end to U-S aid for Ukraine, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst suggests that would be a dangerous step. “Do we want to live in a world where countries are free and can maintain their own sovereignty and their own borders or do we want to live in a world where Putin and President Xi and other authoritarians can just roll over whatever country they want without repercussions?” Ernst asks.

The Republican poised to be House Speaker if the G-O-P gains control of congress next year says the G-O-P will no longer give the Biden Administration a blank check for the war in Ukraine — and will insist on a plan for ending the conflict. While Ernst agrees unlimited spending on the war effort is unwise, she says the U.S. needs to keep supporting Ukraine. “But make sure that there’s absolute transparency with how we’re doing that,” Ernst says. “…People want to know how the dollars are being spent. They want to know what is being delivered to Ukraine.”

However, Ernst says that doesn’t mean congress should specify exactly what weapons and military equipment is shipped there. “Everything is so fluid on the ground,” Ernst says, “and we need to be able to provide them with what they need when they need it.” The U-S Defense Department is coordinating all the military aid the United States and its allies are providing Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s military.

“I think as long as they are willing to do that and stop this horrible, horrible man who also wants to do the U.S. harm, I think then we allow the Ukrainians to do that,” Ernst says.

In 2014, Ernst became the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate. In late 2015, she retired from the Iowa National Guard as a lieutenant colonel. She is now part of Senate G-O-P leadership as the vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, bid farewell to the City’s Parks and Recreation Department Director. Bryant Rasmussen tendered his resignation earlier this month. Friday is his last day. He been with the Parks and Rec Department since Nov., 2018. Rasmussen has accepted a position with the USDA’s Soil and Water Conservation District, in Mills County.

Bryant Rasmussen

Mayor Grace Garrett said “Bryant’s accomplishments over the past over the past four-years are too numerous to mention in detail,” but she went on to mention a few. She called one of his greatest accomplishments the spearheading of the Bull Creek Restoration Project, which had been in discussion for decades because the financial resources could not meet the regulatory requirements. The Mayor said “Bryant’s vision and expertise in earth science resulted in the project finally getting done. And I must say, it looks great,” she said. Garrett said Bryant will “be greatly missed.” She recognized him for “his contributions in making our parks and recreation opportunities a point of pride for the community.”

In other business, the Council:

• Passed (6-0, with Councilman Pat McCurdy abstaining) a Resolution “Releasing the remainder of the Insurance Proceeds due to property located at 611 Locust Street, to the property owners.” The step was necessitated by the insurance carrier so that retainage of funds intended for the demolition and removal of burned and severely damaged structures, can be released by the City to the property owner. The rental home at 611 Locust was destroyed by a fire on May 10, 2022.
• The Council passed – by a vote of six-to-one – a Resolution authorizing and approving a loan agreement and providing for the issuance of $500,000 in taxable general obligation land acquisition bonds and the levy of taxes. This is with regard to the purchase of land for housing development in the City. Councilman H. Lee Sisco was the loan “Nay” vote.
• They passed (7-0) the first reading of an Ordinance amending the City Code, by changing the zoning classification of certain real property from R-3 (High Density Single Family Residential) to C-1 (Highway Commercial District), and changing the zoning map to reflect the change. They then proceeded to waive the second reading and pass the ordinance on the third and final reading.
• And, the Council passed (7-0) the first reading of an Ordinance that calls for Vacating that portion of Country Oaks Right-of-Way, between 2703 Country Oaks and 2605 Country Oaks.

City Administrator John Lund was unable to attend the Council meeting Wednesday evening, but Mayor Garrett spoke on his behalf. She mentioned Lund wanted the Council to know that the City of Atlantic Animal Shelter was given a State Inspection score of A++. Garrett said “I think we can be very proud of our City Animal Shelter.” She congratulated Shelter Director Kris Erickson for her work in making the score as high as it was.

The Mayor said citizens of the community, that with the changing of seasons, comes a reminder of the Snow Ordinance, the proper places to park your vehicles during appreciable accumulation of snow, and, that residents must clear snow and ice from your entire sidewalk within 24-hours of the cessation of snow/ice fall.  If you are unsure of what your responsibilities are, please call the Atlantic City Hall.