(Radio Iowa) – State gambling regulators have fined an eastern Iowa casino for letting a customer bring a four-year-old onto the gaming floor. Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko says it happened in the Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington. “The security officer did not challenge the individual and prevent the situation from occurring,” Ohorilko says. “…The minor was sitting on the lap of the adult and pushing buttons on the machine. An employee did eventually notice it and remove the customer from the floor.”

Ohorilko says it appears the four-year-old was inside the casino’s gaming area for about 11 minutes. There was another incident at the Catfish Bend casino involving someone older, but still under the age of 21. They gambled for more than half an hour before security intervened.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has fined the Burlington casino 40-thousand dollars for the two incidents. The AmeriStar Casino in Council Bluffs has also been fined 20-thousand dollars after a minor was allowed to gamble before being escorted out. You must be at least 21 years old to gamble at an Iowa casino.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A Grand Opening will take place from 9-until 11-a.m. Saturday, June 4th, for the LC Clinic location, in Atlantic. The pregnancy medical clinic will officially open to the public on June 27th at 507 Chestnut Street. Executive Director Hannah Shady says their mission is to reach out to offer support to men, women, and their families in the community.

Parents who attend classes at the clinic will receive “Mommy money and Daddy dollars” to spend at the clinic’s baby boutique.

They also provide a men’s ministry program.

Another service LC Clinic provides, is abortion recovery support.

She says the non-profit clinic provide medical services, peer counseling and material assistance at NO CHARGE, and is funded solely through the generous donations of individuals, churches and business sponsors. LC Clinic already has locations in Creston and Stuart. Executive Director Hannah Shady says the Stuart location celebrated 10-years of opening their doors for the first time, on March 12th.

For more information, visit www.IowaLcClinic.org and www.HelpLifeCareClinic.org.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports three arrests. Early today (Friday), 23-year-old Monica Nicole Johnston, of Creston, was arrested at her apartment in the 800 block of W. Adams Street, for Assault causing bodily injury or mental illness. She was taken to the Union County Jail and subsequently transferred to the Adams County Jail, where her cash or surety bond was set at $1,000. Just before 2-a.m. (today), 22-year-old Noah Alexander Young, of Creston, was arrested in the 800 block of W. Adams St. for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. His bond was set at $300.

Thursday evening, Creston Police arrested 26-year-old Laura Lee Lagois, of Sioux City, IA, for OWI/1st offense. She was taken into custody following a traffic stop in the 900 block of N. Sumner Street, transported to the Union County Jail. Lagois later posted bond, and was released.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – Danish Windmill Manager Lisa Steen Riggs, Thursday, said the Danish Windmill Board of Directors has named Shaun Sayres of Harlan, to serve as the next museum manager. He will succeed Riggs, who has been with the windmill after its arrival at Elk Horn in 1976. Steen-Riggs announced in April, her plans to retire after 44-years. She became Manager in 1977. Originally built in Nørre Snede in 1848, the Danish Windmill museum has remained a staple of Elk Horn’s vibrant Danish community, drawing thousands of tourists to Elk Horn every year.

Sayres earned his Master of Arts in American History from the University of New Hampshire and is enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in Clark University’s doctoral program in American history. He has a comprehensive knowledge of northern European culture, technology, and migrations, including windmills and Atlantic crossings. He is currently writing his dissertation on steamboats and westward expansion, including the use of steamboats by European immigrants in the nineteenth-century.

Sayres’ qualifications in public history are supplemented by substantial experience in retail and customer service. He also acquired technical skills such as woodworking, electrical, plumbing which will be valuable in identifying and troubleshooting issues relating to the historic preservation needs of the 1848 windmill. Chris Fredericksen, the Windmill’s board president said, “We believe that Shaun’s unique blend of experience in history education and retail make him well qualified for the role.”

Shaun Sayre New Mgr (photo courtesy Lisa Steen-Riggs)

Since moving to Harlan in 2021, in addition to conducting research for his thesis, Sayres has taught at Harlan Community School District, Tri-Center Community School District in Neola, and volunteers for the Shelby County Historical Museum. As a trained historian with a commitment to history education and public engagement with history, he looks forward to carrying on the successes of the Danish Windmill as a renowned public archive of Danish-American culture and heritage.

Sayres said “With these skills at hand and a never-ending drive for learning new histories and skills, I believe I possess all of the desired qualities to ensure a successful tenure as the next manager of the Danish Windmill. Although recognized primarily as educators, historians are always students at heart and I am excited for the opportunity to dig into Danish-American culture and heritage while sharing my energy and passion for history with the people of Elk Horn, Iowa and beyond.”

The Danish Windmill is a 501(c)(3) is a non-profit museum established in 1975. As America’s only authentic working Danish windmill, it proudly serves as a historical and educational museum for all people interested in Denmark, Danish customs, Scandinavian traditions, Iowa’s cultural heritage and of course, windmills.

A man from Lubbock, Texas, was arrested Thursday night, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 57-year-old Pablo Rivera, JR. was arrested at around 8:47-p.m. in the 1600 block of E. Summit Street, on a charge Simple Assault. Rivera was being being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Two accidents in central Iowa, Thursday, claimed the lives of three Iowans. The State Patrol reports the first crash happened at around 2:17-p.m. on Interstate 35 northbound, in Warren County. Authorities say a 2010 Ford Econoline van driven by 48-year-old Bryan Bard Byre, of Bondurant, was traveling on I-35 just south of St. Charles, when the vehicle left the road and entered the east ditch before striking a tree. Byre died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt. The accident remains under investigation.

And, an accident in Jasper County at around 7:53-p.m. Thursday, occurred when a 2014 Lincoln MKX driven by 79-year-old Dorothy Findlow, of Monroe, traveled the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Highway 163, and collided head-on with a 2022 Chevy Trailblazer SUV upon the left lane. Findlow died after being flown to a hospital in Des Moines. The driver of the SUV, 46-year-old Delia Vance, from Pella, died at the scene.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Plymouth County Deputy Sheriff has been sentenced to up to four decades in prison on theft and burglary charges. Forty-three-year-old Aaron Leusink was accused of stealing prescription pain medication and other property from the evidence room at the sheriff’s department and from two pharmacies as well as homes in the area. Leusink had over 16-hundred pills in his possession when he was arrested in the spring of 2020. Leusink spoke during his sentencing hearing.

“I’ve made some mistakes, your honor…I fully understand all of the people that I’ve hurt,” he said. “I apologize to my co-workers. I haven’t talked to any of them for two years. I had friendships that I didn’t think could be broken, bonds that couldn’t be broken. They were brothers and sisters to me and I violated all of that.” Prosecutor Monty Platz had asked for the maximum penalty on most counts, saying Leusink had betrayed the public trust.

“These crimes were committed almost exclusively either through or with the aide of his badge,” he says, “getting access to homes he otherwise would not have access to.” The former Plymouth County Sheriff, the current sheriff for the county and a deputy sheriff were among several people who gave victim impact statements during Thursday’s hearing. Leusink, who pleaded guilty to 11 different charges, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for first degree burglary, 10 years for second degree burglary and five years for felonious misconduct in office — for a total of 40 years in prison.

Eight other counts for burglary, theft and unlawful possession of prescription drugs will be served concurrently.

(Radio Iowa) – The raffle of an A-R-15 style rifle that had been scheduled this weekend at the Sioux City Bandits indoor football game has been indefinitely postponed. Brett Funke, the team’s marketing and sales director, says plans for the fundraiser began a year ago, after a similar gun raffle on “military night.”

“The rifle that was set to be given away is a fully custom rifle from our partners which is a veterans-owned organization and the company that helped make the rifle is also a veterans-owned organization,” he says. “Our whole intent there was supporting these two partners, but after internal conversations, we decided it would be best to postpone.” Funke says he’s not sure when the riffle raffle will be rescheduled, but now is not the time for it after A-R-15s have been used at recent mass shootings in Buffalo, Texas and Oklahoma.

A Sioux City businessman had threatened to withdraw his sponsorship of the Bandits after comments the team’s owner made to the Sioux City Journal — that complaints about the give-away were from mainly from East Coast residents who drive electric cars and have an overblown obsession with a piece of metal. Funke admits that spurred a social media firestorm. “I would say this gained traction online from people who have no connection to Siouxland or the Bandits organization,” Funke says. Funke says there were no complaints about last year’s fundraiser.

“We were able to give away the rifle last year,” Funke says. “Anybody that would enter had to be of legal age. When the winner was picked they had to go to our partner’s location, which is a licensed firearms dealer, undergo the background check.” The Bandits will still honor veterans at their game Saturday and collect donations for veterans’ causes. Veterans also will be invited to walk around the field at halftime, so the crowd can recognize and applaud the group.

(Radio Iowa) – An employee of the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs has been fired for helping a romantic partner gamble on credit. Casino managers reported the incident to state regulators. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reviewed the case and has fined the casino 10-thousand dollars. Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko says a customer used a credit card to buy food and beverages and added hefty tips for a casino employee who was their dating partner.

“There were three situations that occurred over a two day period with a tip ranging anywhere from $100 to $280,” Ohorilko says. The AmeriStar employee converted the tips to cash and gave it back.  “That customer then used that money to gamble at the casino,” Ohrilko says, “and so that is a violation of Iowa Code.”

Iowa law forbids gambling on credit at the state’s casinos and on sports betting apps. You also have to use cash to buy lottery tickets in Iowa.