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DES MOINES, IOWA – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today (Monday) announced that his staff assistant Kevin Condon will hold a meeting in Atlantic on Friday, May 6th to listen to constituents’ views on a wide variety of issues. Residents can express their opinions about current legislative issues or seek assistance if they are having problems with a federal agency.
The meeting will take place from 2:30-3:30 PM Friday, at the Chamber of Commerce Office, which is located at 102 Chestnut Street, in Atlantic.
(Press Release)
Washington, DC – Congressman Steve King and Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin wrote to the United States Postal Service today (Monday), to ask that the Postal Service make public the details of the Area Mail Processing (AMP) Study that is being used by the Postal Service to weigh a move of Sioux City’s mail processing operations to Sioux Falls. The Congressman and Senators also asked that the Postal Service hold an additional public meeting once the AMP is released in order to give Sioux City’s residents and community and business leaders the opportunity to offer informed input about the AMP study, its data, and its conclusions.
The letter from the Congressman and Senators responds to an April 22nd letter to the elected officials from Marie Therese Dominguez, United States Postal Service Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy. In her letter, Vice President Dominguez offered to meet with the Congressman and Senators to explain the methodology and findings of the Sioux City AMP study rather than release a copy of the study as they had requested.
Statement of Congressman Steve King: “The Siouxland Community cannot be expected to offer constructive input regarding the proposed consolidation of mail processing operations if they are not given any information about the rationale being used by the Postal Service to justify this move. Hundreds of concerned residents showed up at a town hall last week hoping to find out some details about the AMP study, but all they got was a lot of general talk about the Postal Service’s need to cut costs and maximize efficiencies. I am certain that Sioux City’s residents and community and business leaders can help the Postal Service come up with a rational proposal to cut costs and maximize efficiency in mail processing in northwest Iowa. To do so, however, they must have access to the facts, figures, and data.”
Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley: “The public meeting wasn’t much more than window dressing by the Postal Service. If the Postal Service is sincere about wanting public input, it needs to be open and forthcoming about the rationale behind its proposal. Otherwise, there’s nothing specific for the public to comment on and, in the end, the Postal Service won’t have considered public input in a very meaningful way.”
Statement of Senator Tom Harkin: “Absent further details from the Postal Service regarding how it derived its supposed savings from the closure of the AMP, closure of the AMP would be irresponsible, costing Sioux City critical jobs and threatening to delay to delivery of mail to Iowans. Given recent job losses elsewhere in Sioux City, and the resulting economic impact, the Postal Service’s attitude of “trust us” just isn’t good enough. I’m proud of Sioux City’s efforts to maintain the processing facility and to find reasonable ways to bring down costs without threatening the livelihood of dozens of Sioux City residents. At the first public meeting in Sioux City on the possible AMP closure, my office specifically requested a second meeting following the release of the study. This remains the proper course of action and I will continue to press the Postal Service for this public meeting.”
A jury in Pottawttamie County, Monday, handed-down a “guilty” verdict against a Council Bluffs man in connection with the January 14th, 2011 stabbing death of 39-year old Tammy Rocha. 47-year old Clarence Woolsoncroft was found guilty of second-degree murder and two lesser crimes.
He had faced charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery and conspiracy, but after eight hours of deliberations, jurors only found him guilty of second-degree murder, false imprisonment and willful injury causing serious injury. Second-degree murder carries a mandatory 50-year prison sentence. A mandatory minimum time of 70 percent of the sentence – or 35 years – must be served before being eligible for parole. The jury decided Woolsoncroft was not guilty of conspiracy.
Woolsoncroft’s Attorney, Joseph Reedy said the jury’s decision would be appealed. Sentencing in the matter is scheduled for June 6th.
Rocha was stabbed multiple times in January and found in the street near 35th Street and Fifth Avenue in Council Bluffs. Woolsoncroft, in a taped interview with Council Bluffs police detectives, said he took Rocha to a residence on Fifth Avenue on Jan. 14, because Lisa Reeves – who also faces murder charges – told him she would “make it worth his while.” He said he assumed she meant she would give him drugs or money. Woolsoncroft told investigators that he never saw anyone stab Rocha after he drove her to the scene of her death.
Both Lisa Reeves – whom prosecutors allege stabbed Rocha – and her father, Bryan Reeves, face similar charges in the incident. Their trials are scheduled separately at a later date.
The Atlantic Police Department reports five people were arrested over the past few days. On Sunday, 18-year old Scott Jackson, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 27-year old Cody Hanson, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.
And, 25-year old Tony Mayo, Jr., of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County Warrant issued April 28th charging him with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Mayo, Jr. posted a $1,500 bond Monday, and was ordered to appear in court Thursday afternoon.
On Saturday, officers with the A-P.D. arrested 25-year old Zebedee Joiner, of Atlantic, on a charge of 5th degree theft. And, last Thursday, 54-year old Robin Jennings, of Atlantic, was arrested on an assault charge.
With the exception of Tony Mayo, Jr., each of the other individuals were brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested Monday on unrelated charges. 27-year old Garrett Alan Winther, of Villisca, was taken into custody Monday morning, on a warrant for theft in the 5th degree.
And, 39-year old Jason Ray Cornelison, of Red Oak, was arrested Monday afternoon, on an April 25th bench warrant for violation of his probation. Cornelison was originally charged back in April, with Possession of a Controlled Substance, 3rd offense.
Two, non-injury accidents were reported in Atlantic over the weekend.
According to the Atlantic Police Department, Paul Willenbring, of Lisbon, was cited Friday for failure to obey a stop or yield sign, after his vehicle collided with one driven by Daniel Huey, of Atlantic. The accident happened at the intersection of 10th and Palm Streets, at around 3:25-p.m. Damage from the mishap amounted to $6,500.
And, Brandon Jacobsen, of Atlantic, was cited Saturday, for Failure to obey a traffic control device, after the vehicle he was driving collided with one driven by Stuart Hoegh, of Atlantic, at 8th and Chestnut Streets. The crash, which happened at around 8:45-p.m., caused an estimated $7,500 damage.
(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, in honor of Staff Sgt. James Justice, 32, of Grimes, Iowa.
Gov. Branstad has cleared his public schedule on Wednesday in order to attend the funeral service.
Staff Sgt. Justice was killed during a small arms fire exchange with enemy fighters in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan on Saturday, April 23, 2011.
The Governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. H.R. 692, signed in 2007, requires federal government agencies in the state to comply with the Governor’s Executive Order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces.
Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.
The U.S. flag flown over the state Capitol on the day of the funeral will be presented to Staff Sgt. Justice’s family at a later date, along with a proclamation honoring him.
A Central Iowa restaurant is the home of Iowa’s Best Burger in 2011. Officials with the Iowa Beef Industry Council said today (Monday), “The Rusty Duck” in Dexter was selected by a secret panel of judges as the top location in the state to get a hamburger.
The restaurant was one of 275 nominated from across the state for the IBIC’s and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association contest. The field was whittled down to 10 finalists, which included the Coon Bowl Two in Coon Rapids, and the Farmer’s Kitchen, in Atlantic.
The Rusty Duck’s owner Brad Waldron is also the cook for the 90-seat bar and grill. He says 80-percent of his time is spent preparing hand-pattied beef at the restaurant. Waldron buys choice boxed beef and cuts his own steaks. The trim from the top loin and sirloin goes into the grinder and becomes ground beef for his burgers, which he forms into a 14- or 8-ounce size.
For having the Best Burger in Iowa, The Rusty Duck received a plaque and media prize package. This was the second year the IBIC and ICA have sponsored the contest. Last year’s winner was the Sac County Cattle Company, in Sac City.
Authorities in western Iowa report an arrest has been made in connection with investigation into the March death of a Harlan man. 20-year old Colton Edward Blaine-Benson, of Harlan, was charged today (Monday) with Murder in the Second Degree – a Class B Felony – for the death of 39-year old Jay Anthony Casali.
Officials say Benson-Blaine and Casali were involved in a fight inside a home in Harlan during the early morning hours of March 5th. Casali was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Harlan where he was treated for his injuries. The following evening, he was found dead inside of a different home in Harlan.
An autopsy conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined the injuries inflicted on Casali by Benson-Blaine contributed to Casali’s death.
Benson-Blaine was taken into custody at his residence in Harlan, around 10:30 this (Monday) morning. The arrest was made by officers with the Iowa D-C-I and Harlan Police.
An Iowa National Guard soldier from Walnut was injured by weapons fire while on patrol over the weekend in Afghanistan. Guard spokesman Col. Greg Hapgood reports Specialist Dane Nelsen was wounded by enemy fire while he was part of a foot patrol in Paktia Province.
Hapgood says Nelsen was wounded, evacuated from the combat zone and is receiving medical care, but additional information concerning the extent of his injuries and condtion, was not available.
Nelsen serves with Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry with the Iowa National Guard.
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