Alleged cop killer moved, bond raised to $2 million
Kyle Ricke, who stands accused of the murder of Algona police officer Kevin Cram, is now being held in the Hamilton County Jail in Webster City. If he wants to get out on bail, he'll need to raise another million dollars, as his bond has been doubled. The Sheriff said he hoped the move would provide "time for his staff to heal and get back to some kind of normality," without the alleged murderer of their colleague in their midst. "I didn't want our staff… having daily contact with the defendant." Rick's trial may begin in December, however authorities are still looking for the gun the defendant allegedly used in the shooting.
Algona considers health insurance for murdered officer's widow and kids
Cities are allowed, but not required, to offer health insurance to the surviving spouses and children of police officers killed in the line of duty. The city council of Algona is considering taking that action for the widow and children of slain officer Kevin Cram. for an as yet undetermined period of time.
Clarion considers road paving vs tax hikes
In response to vocal complaints by some citizens of Clarion, the city is considering paving about 17 blocks of gravel roads that need work. The work had not been done due to budget constraints. Council members were at odds over the issue, with one suggesting a 10% budget increase, which would result in a property tax hike, while another said citizen complaints have to be balanced against budget limitations.
REAP grant goes to Eldora for Memorial Park & disc golf course
Eldora won one of the highly competitive medium-sized city Resource Enhancement and Protection grants, and will be using the $75,000 to improve Memorial Park with a trail, and a wayfinding system for the new High Bridge disc golf course. Trails will be graded to "overcome elevation changes" and disc golf signs will be placed showing the play-through route for disc golfers.
Calmar Considers Solar
The city council of Calmar is considering moving ahead with solar power, and has determined that of a narrowed list of eight possible locations, the sewer site has the most potential. Estimated production from the sewer site would be 281,700+ kWH. The water plant site would produce the second most, but still far less at an estimated 112,400+ kWH. If the city installed solar at all eight sites it could save roughly $15,000 per year.
Lake City to Crack Down on Lawn Parking
City officials are warning Lake City residents that starting in the spring, the city will be taking action on cars which are parked on lawns. The city expects that some residents may want to expand their driveways in light of the change, and is ready to issue the required permits.
New Hampton switches from bags to bins after sanitation firm lowers senior rates
While the 64 gallon waste bins on wheels are popular with some, others prefer bag pickups. The pros and cons are that bins are heavy and expensive compared to bags, and the trucks that pick them up are much noisier, but they hold more and are less prone to animals getting into them. The weight and cost are the two biggest considerations for elderly, and in New Hampton the city council elected to switch to bins after Jendro Sanitation (a subsidiary of Waste Solutions out of Mankato, MN, which also owns Webster City's The Trashman) agreed to a pricing scheme that cuts costs by slightly more than half for senior citizens, and saves the remainder of their customers about a dollar a month, as compared to bag pickup.
Winneshiek County seeks engineer
Temporary engineers cannot sign off on contracts with the Iowa Department of Transportation, which is a problem for Winneshiek County, which currently shares Howard County's engineer. Therefore the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is interviewing candidates, and hoping to make the right hire.
'Ambulance Tax' brings response times down up to 15 minutes in Winnebago County
Funds allocated through Winnebago County's new "ambulance tax", based on the highly successful program pioneered by Wright County, has made the hiring of more Emergency Medical Technicians possible. And that has brought response times down by between 5 and 15 minutes to towns across the county.
Spillville asks for parking compliance
City officials are asking for voluntary compliance with the city's parking regulations, hoping to avoid a crack-down. The city bans vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds from parking, except when actively making a delivery. Likewise, the city limits parking on city streets to 48 hours.
$50,000 bond set for accused Waukon car thief
Dillion Michael Heiller, 37, was tased and arrested after a foot chase after being caught in a Waukon garage with a vehicle that was stolen from La Crosse, WI. Heiler is also charged in multiple car thefts going back to June, according to the Allamakee County Sheriff's office.
Artwork by Iowa artist with cerebral palsy sees strong demand
Iowa artist Maddi Hansen began painting just over a year ago, with the help of her grandmother Lana Thompson. This month she held a show in Ventura, Iowa and sold all but five of 120 paintings. Clearly, cerebral palsy isn't stopping her.
The city of Britt has a new chief of police
Tyler Harman joined the Britt police force as a K9 officer in 2014, before joining the police in his native town of Forest City in 2020. Now he is back in Britt as the city's top cop. Officer Jordan Williams, who had served as the interim police chief since the termination of former chief Mark Anderson's employment with the department, was also promoted to Sergeant.
Controversial redemption center closes in Hampton
A bin set up by a beleaguered redemption center in the city of Hampton to collect cans as a fundraiser for the local food pantry was deemed a nuisance by the city. As was the state of the property, with lawn mowing being a source of contention at the former flower shop, in a residential style home. Semi traffic was also an issue, and with no resolution in sight the owners have begrudgingly chosen to close the business. "Hampton is losing a successful business because of one or two people," wrote part owner Nancy Germundson in a Facebook post which also alleged that the city police were harassing truck drivers trying to service the business with ticket threats. The owners are seeking a new city to reopen in.
Clear Lake man jailed for assault, switchblade threats
Jonathan Wayne Coolige, 36, of Clear Lake was arrested and booked into the Cerro Gordo county jail following an alleged assault, and allegedly threatening his victim with a switchblade. Court records show that Coolidge is accused of striking and kicking a man, while swinging the knife at him and explicitly threatening to kill him. Coolidge has a prior felony robbery conviction, and was charged with Going Armed with Intent, Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon, and being in possession of a dangerous weapon when barred. He faces up to eight years in jail, and his bond was set at $25,000.
Driver killed in ditch crash
An unidentified driver was killed when his or her vehicle plunged into a ditch near McCallsburg and subsequently caught fire. It is not known how long the vehicle was in the ditch, or when it caught fire. But it was the flames which caught the notice of a passerby who called authorities.
