Law Enforcement

Spencer to celebrate homecoming next week (10/01/08)
Spencer students, residents and volunteers alike are expected to be "wild with pride" during this year's homecoming celebrations, which officially begin on Monday and last through next Saturday. School-sponsored activities during the 2008 homecoming week include theme days in each of the school buildings, sports activities, the annual homecoming coronation at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the Spencer High School (SHS) fieldhouse, and next Friday's 7:30 p.m. football game against MOC-Floyd Valley...

Spencer man receives federal conviction (10/01/08)
A January 9 court date has been set for a 25-year-old Spencer man convicted of distributing methamphetamine. Eder Noe Sosa-Jimenez was convicted Wednesday, Sept. 24, of: The verdict was returned after about seven hours of jury deliberations according to a statement released Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Matt Dummermuth...

Weapon use closes down highway (09/23/08)
Members of the Spencer Police Department and deputies with the Clay County Sheriff's Office were among numerous agencies to respond to shots fired along Iowa Highway 86 in Dickinson County. The highway begins for northbound traffic on the north edge of Milford and takes travelers along the west side of the Iowa Great Lakes...

Police catch break in car theft probe (09/09/08)
Members of the Spencer Police Department said they were able to recover more than 50 items that were stolen from cars in late August and early September. Officers began following up on information regarding several car burglaries in the Spencer area late last week. Investigators used the information to issue warrants for 18-year-old Jeff Martin, Jr. of Tulsa, Okla...

Lawson: No impact on Spencer cameras (09/02/08)
DES MOINES (AP) -- The Iowa Supreme Court, in a split ruling on Friday, upheld the city of Davenport's use of traffic cameras to catch speeders and drivers who run red lights. The ruling involved the case of a man who challenged the city's ordinance, which authorized the use of cameras and sensors to catch motorists who violate traffic laws...

Cocaine trafficking suspected in Spencer (08/29/08)
Three home searches revealed an apparent cocaine distribution ring in and around Spencer, according to a statement from the Spencer Police Department. Members of the Spencer Police Department conducted the searches on Aug. 22. The search at 3610 290th Avenue in rural Dickens led to the arrest of 51-year-old Don Mobley. ...

Extra enforcement planned for Labor Day (08/22/08)
Area law enforcement agencies are once again stepping up patrols in advance of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Chief Deputy Duane Bates of the Clay County Sheriff's Office is coordinating the year's fifth and final wave of sTEP, the special traffic enforcement program. The enforcement effort is being held in conjunction with "Over the Limit. Under Arrest," a national drunk driving awareness campaign...

Pilot walks away from 'gear up landing' (08/12/08)
The pilot of a 1960 Beachcraft Bonanza walked away from the scene of a plant crash at the Spirit Lake Airport, located in Okoboji, Sunday night at approximately 7:30 p.m. Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the airport at approximately 7:36 p.m. for an airplane that had crashed upon landing. Upon arrival of the department, it was determined that pilot, Bill McGinn of Council Bluff's, the only person on board the plane at the time of the accident, was not injured...

Will rural public safety be pinched by FCC action? (08/07/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff Law enforcement officials, like many individuals today, depend on cell phones to keep in contact with others. But if this form of communication is not supported adequately by cell phone towers and other related-infrastructure, which occurs in some rural areas yet today, individuals may find themselves placed at a disadvantage...

Crash leads to vehicular homicide charge (08/07/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Assistant Clay County Attorney Chuck Borth said a Class B felony charge of vehicular homicide will be filed against a Spencer man involved in a fatal crash. The Spencer Police Department responded to a hit-and-run crash at 7:16 p.m. Monday involving a sports utility vehicle, which rear-ended a motorcycle as both vehicles were traveling east on U.S. Highway 18 near the area of Del's Garden Center...

Spencer man faces charges in hit-and-run (08/06/08)
The Spencer Police Department responded to a hit and run crash at 7:16 p.m. on Monday involving a sports utility vehicle and a motorcycle. Witnesses told responding law enforcement officers a dark-colored SUV rear-ended a motorcycle as both vehicles were traveling east on Highway 18...

Spencer Police Department receives Donation from Community Bank (07/23/08)
Dawn Ressler, the Assistant Vice President of Community Bank and Insurance presents a $1,500 check to Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson to finish the department's fund-raising efforts for new Tasers.

Fire claims Spencer couple's home (07/19/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross has been contacted to help a Spencer couple who lost their home in a trailer fire Friday afternoon. An officer with the Spencer Police Department spotted smoke and called for assistance at 2:41 p.m. Friday. The officer saw flames as he approached the trailer on lot 4 of the trailer park at 317 West 18th Street...

Monster tractor stunt causes extensive damage (07/11/08)
Members of the Spencer Police Department would like to know who broke into a local salvage yard and drove a John Deere tractor over the the tops of cars during the July 4 holiday weekend. The stunt caused significant amounts of damage. The tires on the tractor alone have a value of $1,000. The vandal or vandals used four different vehicles to smash other cars in the Hurst Salvage yard...

MOVIE REVIEW: Will Smith...to the rescue? (07/07/08)
What if you had super powers, had no idea who you were, had no one like you to understand your problems, and felt a need to play the role of super hero whether Los Angeles likes it or not. Oh ya, in addition to having overwhelming super hero depression, you're also an alcoholic. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps you're Hancock...

2008 Citizen's Police Academy draws to close (05/28/08)
Eleven people completed the 2008 version of the Spencer Citizen's Police Academy. The academy courses took place on Tuesday nights from March 18 until May 20. The topics included criminal law, search and seizure, 911, crime scenes, gathering of evidence, processing crime scenes, drug investigations and traffic enforcement...

'Click it or Ticket' enforcement begins this week (05/19/08)
Iowa law enforcement announced today that they will be joining with hundreds of other law enforcement agencies across the country in renewing a pledge to save lives by intensifying efforts to enforce seat belt laws amongst all motorists around the clock during the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, which runs from May 19 - June 1...

'Click it or Ticket' enforcement begins next week (05/17/08)
Iowa law enforcement announced today that they will be joining with hundreds of other law enforcement agencies across the country in renewing a pledge to save lives by intensifying efforts to enforce seat belt laws amongst all motorists around the clock during the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, which runs from May 19 - June 1...

Police continue vandalism probe (05/14/08)
A $500 reward is still available to anyone with information about a series of car vandalism cases last week. Vehicle damage reports came in between 7:50 a.m. and 9:04 a.m. on Thursday, May 8. Officers think the vandalism took place in the late night and overnight hours leading into that morning...

Changes ahead for sex offender registray (04/30/08)
The Iowa Sex Offender Registry will take a step toward real-time public notification following the announcement of a federal grant earlier this month. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the Iowa Department of Public Safety will receive a $269,450 technology-based grant from the Department of Justice through the Adam Walsh Act...