George, Iowa — A George man has been arrested on a burglary charge after he called to turn himself in.

According to a criminal complaint filed with the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office by the county sheriff’s office, 25-year-old Frederick Buckalew of George is accused of breaking into his girlfriend’s house early on Friday. He was arrested when the deputy arrived.

The complaint states Buckalew called the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and advised that he had just broken into his girlfriend’s house and he wanted to turn himself in. When the deputy arrived at the home, he says he found that Buckalew had broken the walk-in door to the garage to get into the home.

Buckalew was charged with third-degree burglary, a class D felony. If convicted, Buckalew could face up to five years in prison.

He faces a preliminary hearing on Monday, February 27th, 2023.

At last report, he remained in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids in lieu of a $5000 cash or surety bond.

Des Moines, Iowa — A northwest Iowa state senator who’s proposed five different bills in response to proposed carbon pipelines says the current regulatory process is unfair to landowners.

Senator Jeff Taylor says the bill most likely to pass would require that developers get voluntary access to 90 percent of the land along the pipeline route before state regulators could grant permission to seize the rest through eminent domain.

Taylor is a Republican from Sioux Center — in Sioux County — where the proposed Summit pipeline would pass through. Taylor says since Summit is owned by major GOP donor Bruce Rastetter and former Governor Terry Branstad has been an advisor to the project, it’s been politically uncomfortable to raise concerns.

Taylor says there’s no guarantee the legislature will take any action on the issue.

Dan Tronchetti lives near Paton in Greene County. The Summit pipeline would pass through one of his fields and be within 12 hundred feet west of his front door. He’s frequently at the Iowa Capitol, outlining his objections to having his land seized for the project.

Tronchetti says the contract Summit presented him suggests he could be sued if his combine or farm equipment damages the pipeline buried four feet below ground.

Tronchetti says if the pipeline passes through his farm, he may make the 75-foot wide strip of land on top of the underground pipeline a no-go zone rather than plant corn or soybeans on it.

Rock Rapids, Iowa — The details are quite limited at this time, but a Rock Rapids nursing home has closed, forcing residents and their families to find other facilities for them.

KIWA has received word that Rock Rapids Health Centre’s residents needed to be placed in other facilities.

We have not yet heard from a reliable source as to the reason for the Health Centre’s closure. At this point, all of that type of information is hearsay.

At one point, the facility was owned by Rock Rapids native Dan Boyle and his Dakota Dunes-based Boyle Companies. But Boyle Companies officials say they sold the facility and their Rock Rapids assisted living facility, Premier Estates, in 2012. The future of Premier Estates is not known. Their staff has not been informed of any changes.

Des Moines, Iowa — One of our area State Senators says he’s not opposed to the idea of pipelines, but he is against the idea of eminent domain abuse.

District 2 Republican State Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center says he’s been trying to get people’s feelings about the issue.

Taylor says there are certainly pros and cons to the carbon capture pipelines.

He says many people are very passionate about the issue, and he’s going to continue to work on it in Des Moines. According to Taylor, you never know what the legislature is going to be discussing next.

Taylor represents Lyon and Sioux counties and part of Plymouth County.

Larchwood, Iowa — A Jasper, Minnesota woman has been arrested on felony drug charges after she was arrested near Larchwood.

According to a criminal complaint filed with the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office by the county sheriff’s office, 32-year-old Brianna Thode of Jasper is accused of drug trafficking. She was arrested on Friday at Grand Falls Casino.

The complaint states an officer saw Thode sitting in her car in the parking lot. The officer was aware that the female registered owner of the car is a known drug user. He says he suspected the defendant was using or was under the influence of a controlled substance. Lyon County K9 Versa was deployed around the vehicle and alerted to the odor of illegal drugs. He says five bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 19 grams were allegedly found in the vehicle. A bong, a methamphetamine pipe, a bag of 100 smaller bags, and a scale were also found.

Thode was charged with drug trafficking, a class B felony; and failure to affix a drug tax stamp, a class D felony. If convicted, Thode could face up to 25 years in prison.

She faces a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, February 7th.

At last report, Thode remained in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids in lieu of a $30,000 bond.

Sioux Center, Iowa — One of the men representing this area in Des Moines says the signing of the governor’s new “School Choice” bill will actually HELP many public schools in his district.

The new law is expected to give $345 million to parents to send their students to private schools. It will provide state-funded accounts for the parents of private school students. In the first year, low-income parents who enroll a child in a private school could apply for nearly $7600 in state funding to cover tuition, computers, textbooks, and tutoring. In 2026, all private school parents could apply for the state money. According to school officials, the $7600 represents the entire amount that the district gets from the state per pupil, per year. However, the districts will get $1200 per year per pupil for pupils whose parents have elected to send them to private schools instead.

And that’s how District 2 State Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center says a number of public schools in his district will actually GAIN funding from this bill.

He tells us how that can be.

But he says the clincher is that the private school student does NOT have to be a NEW private school student.

He says it was a contentious bill, and he listened to everyone who spoke to him and read every comment people sent about it before making a decision.

At what was assumed to be Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ request, the bill was on a fast track. It passed early in the morning of January 24th and was signed into law later that same day.

Photos courtesy Tri-State Drone Photography Click to enlarge

Inwood, Iowa — The roof of the gym part of the Inwood Community Center has collapsed.

Inwood city officials tell us no one was injured when the roof collapsed on Saturday night, January 28th, in the 7 p.m. hour. They are asking people to stay away from the community center as they work through details with insurance and cleanup.

While no official word has been received, it is thought that the collapse was due to a heavy snow load. They tell us the walls are pulling in somewhat.

City officials say the Community Center is closed until further notice. They are telling parents who use the bus stop that no one will be able to enter the Community Center at all, including the lobby. They say the Inwood Post Office will allow kids to wait inside for the bus for now if needed due to the cold.

According to Scott Hanson with the City of Inwood, the gym is used for gym nights, racquetball, and various other recreation, and is frequently rented out. He says on a normal Saturday there would probably be 20 kids in the gym, but luckily there was no one in it when the roof came down.

Hanson was one of the first people on the scene beside a few people that were finishing up in one of the meeting rooms when it fell. He says Inwood firefighters and rescue personnel made sure everyone was out of the building, checked the structure, killed the power, and turned off the gas and water.

He tells us the facility is closed right now, but it’s looking like they will be able to continue to use the front half of the building, which contains the city hall and the library. According to Hanson, they are just beginning to talk to their insurance company and they have a structural engineer coming to take a look.

Hanson says when the roof collapsed, it did blow some doors open in the other part of the building and blew roof insulation into the hallway and rooms, which will all have to be cleaned up. He says the gym part of the building is basically destroyed and will need to be replaced if they’re going to continue to have a community gym.

Hanson tells us that the building was built in the 1980s and served as corn storage for a few years, with the intention to turn it into a community center. He says the public is safe as long as they stay away from the building at this time.

Northwest Iowa — Garden programs in Lyon and O’Brien counties are receiving some financial assistance.

In the midst of record-setting food pantry usage throughout the state, Growing Together Mini-Grants will provide fresh produce and nutrition education to pantries in 2023 through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s SNAP-Education program.

A total of 30 projects are being funded, with the goal of increasing food security and promoting healthy food access and nutrition education. This year, the Growing Together Iowa project will expand to five new counties.  A map is available that shows where projects are funded.

Master Gardener volunteers plant donation gardens with partners, support their community with plant-a-row programs to get more produce into food pantries and glean fresh produce from farmers’ markets and home gardeners. All produce is donated to local food pantries, food banks, and other food distribution sites with accompanying nutrition education materials.

Extension officials tell us that in O’Brien County, the money will be used to maintain donation gardens in Sanborn and Sheldon and collect excess home gardening produce donations. A container gardening class will be offered to food pantry clients at Love INC as well as “Pick Your Own” gardening opportunities.

They say that in Lyon County, the money will help expand the donation garden to meet the produce needs of ATLAS of Lyon County. Opportunities for food pantry clients will be provided including container gardening workshops, garden tours, and helping hours.

Larchwood, Iowa — The operator of the Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort at Larchwood has joined the campaign to renew the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls for the next generation with a $1.5 million investment.

Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts, said the gift, the second-largest to the UNI-Dome renovation project thus far, aligns with the family-owned company’s values of giving back to uplift the future of the state of Iowa.

Kehl says, “The UNI-Dome is such an iconic facility at such a great institution, it needs to be preserved. Our hope is that UNI continues to cultivate future leaders here in the state of Iowa and that the students who attend the University of Northern Iowa stay here in the state of Iowa to help Iowa prosper and grow.”

The contribution to the UNI-Dome renovation adds to Elite Casino Resorts’ philanthropic support of athletics programs, law enforcement agencies, and local nonprofits in the state of Iowa. The company operates three casino resorts in Iowa including Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Rhythm City Casino Resort, and Grand Falls Casino Golf Resort.

In recognition of Elite’s gift, a premier space in the UNI-Dome will be named in the company’s honor.

Elite’s investment supports a three-phased $50 million renovation of the UNI-Dome. Included in the first phase of renovations is replacing the UNI-Dome’s nearly 25-year-old fabric roof, reconstructing the west entrance and concourse, creating new and increased restrooms, and providing new and expanded suites.

Phase two of the project will include bowl upgrades and structural improvements along with resurfacing the indoor track.

Northwest Iowa — After this week’s signing of Governor Kim Reynolds’ “School Choice” bill into law, northwest Iowa public school superintendents are unsure to hopeful about the future.

The new law is expected to give $345 million to parents to send their students to private schools. It will provide state-funded accounts for the parents of private school students. In the first year, low-income parents who enroll a child in a private school could apply for nearly $7600 in state funding to cover tuition, computers, textbooks, and tutoring. In 2026, all private school parents could apply for the state money. According to school officials, the $7600 represents the entire amount that the district gets from the state per pupil, per year. However, the districts will get $1200 per year per pupil for pupils whose parents have elected to send them to private schools instead. Interestingly enough, depending on the district and the number of pupils CURRENTLY enrolled in private schools, it might mean an INCREASE in funding in some districts.

Sheldon Community School District Superintendent Cory Myer says, “I believe most families appreciate the high quality of education we provide in Sheldon and our families feel good about the choice they made when they enrolled in our school district.”

Sibley/Ocheyedan Community School District Superintendent James Craig says, “I really don’t have an indication about families moving to private school. Our conversations with parents are usually for open enrollment or homeschooling, so I have no idea where that will go for us.”

West Lyon Superintendent Shawn Kremen says, “It’s so hard to predict at this point, I don’t know that it will impact us a whole lot at this point, but again not sure.”

Central Lyon Superintendent Brent Jorth says, “It’s hard for me to estimate how many families will opt to attend a private school, because the choice is truly the private school’s to make. From my perspective, Central Lyon will continue to fulfill its mission to provide an exceptional education, opportunities, and resources for all students to become productive, life-long learners. Our families are very fortunate to have a teaching staff that is dedicated to empowering students to achieve at high levels as demonstrated in a track record of academic success and career readiness. Our school board and staff will continue to partner with families and our community to provide students with learning opportunities in and out of the classroom that will prepare them to be life-long learners, productive members of the community, and responsible citizens.”

Boyden-Hull Superintendent Steve Grond says, “I don’t know how it will impact Boyden-Hull and surrounding schools. We offer an excellent education at Boyden-Hull for all students, which we will continue to deliver. Overall, I believe that students and parents are pleased with the education they receive while at Boyden-Hull.”

MOC/Floyd Valley Superintendent Russ Adams says, “I am hopeful that our families recognize the outstanding quality of education they are receiving for their children at MOC-Floyd Valley, but time will tell.”