ATLANTIC, IOWA (JANUARY 2, 2020) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has taken a pledge to keep tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products out of the hands of Cass County’s youth. Known as I-PLEDGE, the program is a partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) to educate local retailers and to enforce Iowa’s tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product laws. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the statewide tobacco compliance rate has grown to 91%. By participating in the program, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has committed to do its part to increase the compliance rate even more this year.

I-PLEDGE places emphasis on retailer training. Clerks who successfully complete an online training course and then pass an exam will become I-PLEDGE certified. This allows a retail establishment to use an affirmative defense against a civil penalty if the certified clerk makes an illegal sale. “I-PLEDGE’s retailer training is a great way for clerks to prepare themselves to refuse illegal tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product sales,” Sheriff Darby McLaren stated. “The training also assists retailers to ensure they maintain a compliant and responsible establishment.”

Deputies will also be conducting compliance checks on local establishments as part of the I-PLEDGE program. Underage customers, under the supervision of law enforcement officials, will enter establishments and attempt to buy tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products. Clerks who make the illegal sale will be cited on the spot. Criminal penalties for selling tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products to a minor include a $100 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for third and subsequent offenses. However, handing out citations is not the intent of the I-PLEDGE program.

“By partnering with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, we hope to educate clerks and maintain a compliant retail environment in our community,” Sheriff McLaren stated. “Moreover, we pledge to help keep tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products out of the hands of Iowa’s youth.”

To take the I-PLEDGE training or search certification records to go to https://abd.iowa.gov/.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. On New Year’s Day, 24-year old Daniel Albert Ward, of Griswold, was arrested on charges of Criminal Mischief 2nd Offense (a Class-D Felony) and Criminal Mischief 4th Degree (Serious misdemeanor). Ward was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $6,000 bond.

(As we previously reported) On Tuesday, 25-year old Kyler Jay O’Brien, of Earling, was arrested, on aggravated misdemeanor charges of Driving While Barred, Eluding, and Carrying Weapons, along with Reckless Driving. The charges are the result of a pursuit that began in Anita late Monday night. O’Brien was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $6,000 bond.

And, on December 28th, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office charged 21-year old Drew Henry Miller with Assault Causing Bodily Injury, with regard to an assault that occurred in the Cass County Jail. Miller was already being held at the Cass County Jail for various drug charges and Probation Violation. Miller remains held at the Cass County Jail on $59,800 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Vandals have defaced a billboard in Mason City that asks for the public’s help in solving the case of former KIMT-TV anchorwoman Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance. The billboard was among three permanent billboards placed throughout the community in June 2018 in an attempt to raise awareness to Huisentruit’s disappearance, asking the question “Someone knows something, is it you?” The vandalism took place in the last few days, with the words “Frank Stearns Machine Shed” painted in yellow on the bottom half of the billboard.

Stearns was a longtime investigator with the Mason City Police Department who worked on the Huisentruit case. He has since retired from the Police Department and currently is employed by Cerro Gordo County as a medical examiner investigator. The 27-year-old Huisentruit failed to show up for her morning news program on June 27th 1995 and was declared legally dead in May 2001.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Tuesday, said Menlo Fire and Rescue/EMS (Emergency Medical Services) has 20 days to request a hearing on disciplinary action that may be imposed on the organization, with regard to several deficiencies noted in a nine-page Probation/Civil Penalty statement. The report says IDPH may place an EMS service on probation and levy a civil penalty when it finds an EMS service that has committed [certain acts or offenses].

Events leading up to the Department’s actions began in Oct. 2014, when several deficiencies were noted and resolved with technical assistance. In Jan. 2015, Menlo Fire and Rescue received a citation and a warning, for failure to correct two deficiencies related to EMS vehicle and equipment standards. Upon re-inspection in Sept. 2017, additional deficiencies were found and resolved with technical assistance. During a re-inspection in Oct. 2018, repeated deficiencies were noted and, again resolved with technical assistance. The same was true for a re-inspection in Nov. 2019. But at that time, there were also repeated deficiencies that were noted and NOT resolved with technical assistance, with regard to ambulance and non-transport “Service program operations requirement(s).”

The statement called for all deficiencies identified in the IDPH action to be corrected and submitted to the EMS Field Coordinator within 30-days of the action becoming final (Dec. 19, 2019). Full payment of an $800 civil penalty must be submitted within 90 days of the Department’s action becoming final.

Read the entire nine-page document here: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/IACIO/2019/12/31/file_attachments/1350552/Melo%20Fire%20and%20Rescue%20Probation-Civil%20Penalty%20signed%2012.19.2019.pdf

GOWRIE, Iowa (AP) – Some residents in a Webster County town have organized to keep open the only grocery store in their community. The newly formed Gowrie Grocery LLC has scheduled a meeting for Monday to discuss the Jamboree Foods store. It serves the nearly 1,000 residents of Gowrie and others in southwest Webster County. It’s part of a chain owned by Nick Graham, who’s closed stores recently in other small communities.

Marcie Boerner is one of the Gowrie organizers, and she told The Messenger that Graham’s willing to sell. She says the Gowrie group’s goal is to raise at least $250,000 to buy Jamboree Foods and ensure it stays open.

(Radio Iowa) — The Quad Cities will play host to hundreds of competitors from one of the fastest growing sports in the country. The metro area will be home to the 2021 U-S Masters Championships for the Professional Disc Golf Association. Chase Roberts, who owns a disc golf supply store in Moline, Illinois, is one of the local tourney organizers. With no snow and warmer-than-normal temperatures, he says some disc golfers are still at it. Roberts says, “We obviously have a slowdown season when it gets too cold, but one of the great things about it is that anybody can play it, and it’s relatively cheap to get involved with the game.”

Disc Golf

Roberts says the association chose the Quad Cities for the championship because it successfully hosted two previous national competitions in 2007 and 2017. Roberts says disc golf is similar to traditional golf, but with something resembling a frisbee. “They’re actually more like a discus that you would use in track and field than they are a traditional frisbee,” Roberts says. “We still have some discs that resemble the frisbee form — those are putters. They’re slower speed discs. There’s mid-range discs that are a little bit better for control, and then there’s drivers and distance drivers for high-speed and long-distance shots.”

It’s scored the same as golf, but instead of holes competitors “putt” into baskets. The 2021 Masters Championships will be for those age 40 and above. It will be held in September of 2021. Roberts says the Quad Cities is a “hotbed” for disc golf, with 11 courses in the area and a total of about 40 within a short driving distance.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A 19-year-old driver has made a plea deal on charges stemming from a fatal collision during a police chase in Davenport. Court records say Angel Ochoa intends to plead guilty to vehicular homicide, reckless driving and other charges. The records say that in return, prosecutors will drop a charge of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence. The judge is not bound by the agreement. On June 13 an officer tried to stop Ochoa’s car and a chase ensued. Investigators say Ochoa’s car reached speeds of up to 90 mph and ran through several red lights before broadsiding a car, killing Lori Letts.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A man and woman from Creston were arrested Tuesday afternoon on several charges. Creston Police report 45-year old Jennifer Campbell and 55-year old Roger Austin were taken into custody for Child Endangerment, Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Paraphernalia. Both were later released from the Union County Jail on $3,300 bond, each. And, at around 12:45-a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 1st), Creston Police arrested 19-year old Isaiah Jones, of Dallas Center, for OWI/1st Offense. Jones was later released on $1,000 bond.

(7:05-a.m. Newscast)