News

Man Sentenced To Prison In Sex Abuse Case

Orange City, Iowa — A Sioux Center man has been sentenced to two years in prison and ten years of supervised release for sex abuse.

Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle says that 43-year-old Danny Lee Barnes of Sioux Center was sentenced on Monday December 28, 2015, in Sioux County District Court for the crime Assault With Intent To Commit Sex Abuse.

According to court records, in July 2014 Barnes began making physical advances on a friend of his family, the 14 year-old female victim. He eventually had non-consensual intercourse with her and told her not to tell. Authorities were contacted in October of that year, and in November 2014, Barnes was charged with Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a Class C felony.

However, in exchange for Barnes’ plea of guilty to the amended charge of Assault with Intent to Commit Sex Abuse, the parties agreed Barnes would be sentenced to a two-year prison term. The police, the victim, and victim’s family supported this plea agreement. After serving his prison sentence, he will also be committed to the custody of the Director of the Iowa Department of Corrections for a period of 10 years, as though he were on parole and will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Scott Van AartsenDecember 29, 2015December 29, 2015

Fire Department Saves Semi

Sioux Center, Iowa — The Sioux Center Fire Department responded to a fire call on Monday afternoon.

According to Sioux Center Fire Chief David Van Holland, it was paged out about 1:30 PM. The page was for a semi on fire at Center Fresh Eggs. From Pizza Hut on Highway 75, that’s about three and a half miles west at 410th Street and Garfield Avenue. He says when they got there, they saw eight of the tires on a side-dump semi were on fire. He says Center Fresh was using the semi when he thinks there was some sort of mechanical failure such as the brakes locking up.

He says they were able to save the truck and everything around it, but he says all eight truck tires were a total loss.

He says they didn’t use much water and were on scene for about a half hour.

Scott Van AartsenDecember 29, 2015December 29, 2015

State Patrol Facing Trooper Shortage

Johnston, Iowa — The Iowa State Patrol is facing a shortage of troopers.

We talked to Iowa State Patrol Sargent Nathan Ludwig. He tells us about the number of troopers on the road (minus administration and supervisors) now compared to years ago.

Ludwig says while funding is one of the reasons for the decline, that’s not the whole picture.

He says it’s just not as popular of a career choice, although they continue to recruit. Of course, money does play a part as well, says Ludwig.

He says, however, that the updated equipment can mean a quicker response time.

He says they do ask for more funding from the legislature every year.

The good news, says Ludwig, is there is not a clear-cut correlation between the number of troopers and the safety of Iowa’s citizens. For instance, the number of fatal car crashes has gone down in recent years. But some of that could be attributed to other causes including better safety laws and equipment, he says.

Ludwig does say that the visibility of troopers out on the road does increase safety, due to people being more aware of their speed and driving habits.

If you’re interested in becoming a state trooper, he says you can find more information at dps.state.ia.us/jobs.

Scott Van AartsenDecember 28, 2015December 28, 2015

Round 2 Of Winter Weather Monday, Tuesday

Northwest Iowa — Another winter storm will impact the area later Monday into Tuesday.

The latest storm track has nudged the highest snowfall totals slightly further to the east. However, we’re still anticipating widespread snows through Tuesday, according to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Todd Heitkamp.

He says that due to the light nature of the snow and cold temperatures, roads will quickly turn icy once snow begins to fall. For those traveling, Heitkamp says please use caution. He says he expects the snow to linger into Tuesday.

After Tuesday, he says a prolonged period of dry weather is in store for the region through next weekend.

Stay tuned to KIWA Radio for the latest weather information and any postponements or cancellations.

Click here for road condition reports in:
Iowa
Minnesota
South Dakota

Or call 511.

Scott Van AartsenDecember 28, 2015December 29, 2015

Returning Gifts Can Be Complicated Process

Northwest Iowa — If you got something for Christmas that was the wrong size, the wrong color, or just plain wrong you might want to return it and get something that better suits you.

Kimberly Hazen, with the Better Business Bureau, says consumers might protest but many stores are not required to exchange an item unless it’s defective or was improperly advertised.

Stores must honor their written policies, but those might not always be clear. Some Iowa stores print those policies right on the receipt, which is very helpful, but she says most don’t.

Consumers need to beware, Hazen says, as retailers may charge a fee to put items back on the shelves. “A restocking fee can be as high as 25% of what you paid for the original item,” she says. If you encounter a problem at the store, consult the Better Business Bureau website at b-b-b-dot-org and enter your town in the search window.

tomDecember 28, 2015December 28, 2015

United Fund Needs Nearly $7000 This Week

Sheldon, Iowa — According to Sheldon United Fund spokesperson Cindy Runger, the fund needs nearly $7000 in the next three days to finish on goal for 2015.

The drive continues until the end of the month. The goal this year is $31,000. The funds are now at $24,114, which is $660 more than last week’s total.

She says $6,886 needs to be raised to achieve the fundraising goal. Since funds are still well under the goal, and since the drive’s deadline is looming, donations of $2295 must be raised each day until the end of the year for the drive to meet its goal.

Contributions may be left at any of the four Sheldon banks, or you can also send them to PO Box 41, Sheldon, IA 51201.

The United Fund is a fundraising campaign designed so that non-profit organizations can raise funds through a single appeal and so that Sheldon residents are not approached by several different organizations throughout the year raising funds. You can choose which of the 25 different organizations receives your donation, or split your donation among any or all organizations.

Essays explaining each organization are also available at the banks.