(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux City man is charged with second-degree robbery for a bank holdup that was a repeat of a past crime. Police say 31-year-old Jonathan Birdnecklace entered the great Southern bank shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday and passed a note to the teller demanding money and made a threat to shoot the teller if they pushed an alarm. He was located about a mile away by police later Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second time Birdnecklace has been arrested for robbing that great Southern Bank. He was arrested and charged with robbing the bank on October 30th of 2014. Birdnecklace was convicted of second-degree robbery that time and served several years in prison.

Jonathan Birdnecklace. (Sioux City booking photo)

He is being held on a $35,000 bond for the latest bank robbery charge.

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services proposes big changes to public health models, including the consolidation of county public health offices into ten to 15 regions across Iowa. It could mean local public health workers would become state employees. Kaitlin Emrich, public health director for Black Hawk County, worries the quality of care could diminish the further it gets from the local level. “It would have significant impacts on how we serve our communities,” Emrich says.

“Obviously, we would lose some decision making, and potentially have workforce changes along with that as well.” She says keeping public health as close to home as possible is important for quality care.

“As locals, we tend to really be proud of the fact that we know our communities well,” Emrich says, “that we understand what their needs are, and are adaptive to their needs and responsive to their needs.” Under the proposal from H-H-S, each of the state’s new health office regions would be serving at least 30-thousand people.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa [KETV]— A private school in Sioux City, Iowa is now arming staff members. KETV reports the superintendent of Siouxland Christian School says the idea started 18 months ago. Lindsay Laurich says after looking at research and holding several conversations, she decided to arm staff on campus. Laurich won’t say how many have access to the weapons, but says they were carefully vetted and trained.

Laurich says guns are something they hope never to have to use, but they will be available for staff to use, if a threat materializes.

It’s important to note that as a private school, Siouxland Christian has more leeway to implement a policy like this. Public schools need elected leaders support to move forward.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Wednesday night, arrested a man from Lenox. 36-year-old Alex Jordan Kolthoff was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center on a charge of Child Endangerment. Kolthoff was taken to Union County Jail and later released after posting a $2,000 cash or approved surety bond.

(Bode, Iowa) – Police in Fort Dodge have arrested a person of interest in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred on December 29th (2023).  Investigators say they received a tip Wednesday (Jan. 24, 2024), that 37-year-old David S. Dayton, of Ft. Dodge, was in the Humboldt County town of Bode. Earlier in the day, Wednesday, police increased the reward for information leading to Dayton. Police say David Dayton is a person of interest in the homicide of 45-year-old Ryan Andrews, in Fort Dodge.

At around 1:15-p.m., Wednesday, members of the Ft. Dodge Police Department with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team, as well as numerous other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at a residence in Bode. Law enforcement made numerous attempts to make contact with Dayton, but were initially unsuccessful. Authorities say multiple tactics were used to manage the incident and safeguard Dayton, members of the community, and law enforcement. After a period of time, Dayton exited the residence and was taken into custody on a Violation of Parole warrant out of Pocahontas County.

David S. Dayton

In addition to the previously mentioned ISP Tactical Team, Ft. Dodge Police were assisted by the State Patrol, Iowa DCI, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Webster County Attorney’s Office, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, and Humboldt County Emergency Services.

(Radio Iowa) – A University of Iowa study finds workers may see more success by making suggestions to their bosses using a question instead of a declarative statement. Daniel Newton, a U-I professor of management and entrepreneurship, says instead of saying, “We should have fewer meetings to boost productivity,” you should ask, “Have we thought about having fewer meetings to boost productivity?” Newton says a direct assertion may come across as pushy, but by framing suggestions in the form of a question, employees create a dialogue that allows managers and employees to work together to make the company better.

While many of us are taught that we have to speak up to get anything done, the study determined a less direct approach may work better, following the old saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.