SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say firefighters have found the body of a man inside a burning house in Sac City. The Sac City Fire Department says police officers arrived at the fire around 7:35 a.m. Monday. A woman outside the home told them her husband was still inside. Heavy smoke kept the officers from going in.

The department says firefighters entered the house when they arrived, and they found the body of 84-year-old Dale Cook. His wife, 76-year-old Barbra Cook, was taken to a hospital for treatment. The fire cause is being investigated.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Sioux City school district’s budget director has been placed on leave after raising concerns about the superintendent’s management style.
Documents obtained by the Sioux City Journal say the district placed John Chalstrom on paid administrative leave Feb. 13. The move wasn’t announced publicly.

Chalstrom had accused superintendent Paul Gausman of creating a hostile workplace and threatening his job if he shared alternative budget options with school board members outside regular board meetings.

Chalstrom brought his concerns to Dan Greenwell, a businessman and frequent critic of Gausman and his administration. Board members learned of Chalstrom’s concerns after Greenwell spoke with two leaders and emailed remaining board members.
Gausman has denied these claims.

It’s prom season in Iowa and more online retailers are offering to rent formal dresses as an attractive and affordable option for high schoolers. Ellen McKinney, a professor of apparel, merchandising and design at Iowa State University, is studying the growing trend of renting gowns for big occasions. McKinney says most kids love the concept. “On the whole, they are extremely happy,” McKinney says. “They get to wear something that’s unique and special and they don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to do it. In general, they get a lot of positive feedback from other people at the event.”

McKinney says dress rental offers students who don’t have a lot of spending money an excellent advantage. “By renting a dress, they’re paying maybe 10 to 20% of what they would pay to buy it,” McKinney says. “For the same budget, they’re getting a high-quality dress that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to have.”

She says it creates an edge for internet-based merchants versus the brick and mortar businesses for formal wear. “Some of the competitive advantage of the rental service is that they offer all of this information of reviews that they can read,” McKinney says. “It lets people know, okay, how are other people liking this dress? Will I like it? It gives them confidence to order online.”

Consumers are moving away from owning clothes and other products, shifting toward more rental, trading and sharing and she expects the trend to continue. McKinney’s research can be found in the latest edition of the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal.

(Radio Iowa)

A pursuit that began in Washington County, NE early this (Monday) morning ended in Iowa with a crash and the arrest of a man wanted on a Fugitive from Justice warrant from Woodbury County, IA. 23-year old Alan C. Reyes, Jr., of Sioux City, was taken into custody after the SUV he was driving went out of control following a wild chase that saw speeds reach 100 miles per hour and ended near 152nd and Rosewood Road at around 1-a.m.  Reyes was charged with Felony eluding, distribution of narcotics, a drug tax stamp violation, driving while barred, and prohibited acts. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a large bag containing 115.5 grams of methamphetamine. Reyes was also wanted on a warrant out of South Dakota for Failure to Appear on dangerous drug charges.

Three passengers in the vehicle were also arrested: 23-year old Marcos Avila, of Sioux City, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, no drug tax stamp and prohibited acts; 34-year old Tiffany Radley, of Sioux City, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, no drug tax stamp and prohibited acts; and, 24-year old Victoria Eyer, of Hornick, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, no drug tax stamp and prohibited acts.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports also, 18-year old Sydnie Morgan Collins, of McClelland, was arrested Sunday morning for Interference with Official Acts, after authorities forced entry into a home where alcohol was being served to persons under the legal age. Collins, along with eight other individuals – one female and seven males – was also cited for consuming alcoholic beverages at the party, located at a residence in McClelland.

Early Saturday morning, Deputies arrested 40-year old Anthony Joseph Blotzer, of Avoca, following a traffic stop in Avoca, for expired registration tags. Blotzer was taken into custody for OWI/2nd offense, and cited for expired drivers license.  Also arrested Saturday, was 25-year old Matthew John Swanson, of Council Bluffs, who was charged with OWI/2nd offense, eluding, and cited for speeding.

A traffic stop on a motorcycle Saturday, in Underwood, resulted in the arrest of 30-year old Johnathon Daniel Kunze, of Underwood, for Driving While Revoked/OWI Test Failure, and two citations for moving violations.