Iowans who do a lot of holiday shopping online are being reminded to take steps to help ensure they receive their packages. Mindy Oberreuter of Cedar Rapids told KCRG-TV she fell victim this week to a “Grinch stealing Christmas” as someone took gifts right off her doorstep. “I get a phone call at work from my neighbor that he saw two people in a van steal our packages that were just delivered,” Oberreuter said.

The neighbor reported shortly after a UPS driver placed the packages on Oberreuter’s porch, two people ran up and took them. Oberreuter called police, but the boxes were long gone. They were filled with gifts for her daughter, Evey. “I was really annoyed at first, but shocked definitely in shock that someone would steal someone’s Christmas presents,” Oberreuter said.

UPS media relations manager Dan Cardillo claims package theft is rare, but consumers have options if they’re concerned. “If they’re at work during the day they can have packages delivered to where they work or they can choose to have things sent to a relative or a neighbor who is home during the day,” Cardillo said.

Mindy said she hopes her experience will open eyes that this can happen — something she learned the hard way. “But it’s something that you really shouldn’t have to learn, people should know better than to steal some little girl’s presents,” Oberreuter said.

Amazon did give a refund to Oberreuter and she ordered the gifts again, but changed the shipping address to her workplace. The packages should arrive in time for Christmas.

KCRG/Radio Iowa)

The sentencing date has been extended for a Cass County woman convicted on numerous charges associated with faking her 5-year old daughter’s cancer. According to online court records, 30-year old Leatha Kaye Slauson’s sentencing which had been scheduled to take place Dec. 22nd, will not take place now until January 20th.

Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner said the delay is due in-part to a witness or a witness’ report being unavailable in-time for the original sentencing date. Feistner says the witness is a professional, possibly selected to offer testimony as to Slauson’s current mental capacity to understand the proceedings.

Slauson’s attorney Jay Mez requested the continuance on Dec. 12th. Fourth District Court Judge Kathleen Kilnoski granted the request on Wednesday (Dec. 17th). The 20th was chosen as the sentencing date, since the 19th is a State holiday.

Slauson faces up to 21-years in jail when she is sentenced at 10-a.m. on Jan. 20th in Cass County District Court. Feistner said he’s not sure how much time, if any, she’ll actually be required to serve. He said the Dept. of Corrections Pre-Sentence Investigation [or, PSI], will likely have a lot of bearing on what the outcome will be.

The woman admitted last month that had given her daughter Cannabis Oil and Neupogen without a prescription. She also admitted she raised money for her daughter’s supposed cancer treatment, under false pretenses.

In her plea bargain, Slauson agreed to plead guilty to Class D felony charges that include two counts of Child Endangerment/Bodily Injury, with regard to the administering of Cannabis Oil and Neupogen to her daughter Riley, as well as a count of Administering Harmful Substances. She also plead guilty to a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Unlawful Possession of a prescription drug/Neupogen, and a reduced felony charge of Theft in the second degree, also a Class D- felony. She was originally charged with Theft in the 1st degree, a Class C felony.

Slauson was released from custody and is currently living with her mother in Hampton, Iowa.

Police in Creston are investigating an incident of vandalism and theft. Officials with the Southern Iowa Trolley at 215 east Montgomery Street in Creston, reported early this (Thursday) morning, that someone had broken into the building by breaking the glass on the front door. Inside, the burglars stole candy bars with a combined value of $10. Damage to the door was estimated at $200. The incident occurred sometime between 4-p.m. Wednesday and 5-a.m., today (Thursday).

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The final remnants of Sioux City’s former riverboat casino will remain in the river for up to a year. The Sioux City Journal reports two large moorings in the Missouri River are all that is left at the former site of the gambling boat. The reddish-orange moorings protrude about 15 feet above the surface near the shoreline.

The Argosy riverboat casino closed in July after the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission ordered it to cease operations because it wasn’t partnered with a state-licensed local nonprofit group as required by Iowa law. An Illinois marine business bought the riverboat and other assets, which it plans to sell.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman says the business has until December 2015 to remove the moorings.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 9:30-p.m., Wednesday in Villisca, resulted in the arrest of 18-year Kai Jacob Ballinger-Knoke, of Carson. Ballinger-Knoke was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and then released from the scene on a citation.

One-half hour earlier, 58-year old Stanley Mark Armstrong, of Villisca, was cited for Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol. The incident happened in the 700 block of south 7th Avenue, in Villisca.