Law Enforcement

Linn recognized for service (01/05/10)
After more than three decades of public service, Clay County Deputy Sheriff Dennis Linn is retiring. The 53-year-old retiree was surrounded by family and friends Monday afternoon during a retirement reception held in his honor at the Clay County Administration building in Spencer. ...

WEATHER UPDATE: Blizzard warning issued; sheriff calls for no travel (12/08/09)
A winter storm warning was cancelled for the area and a blizzard warning was put in its place by the National Weather Service at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow urged residents to stay home, saying deputies will only respond to "medical, life-or-death situations" as the sun goes down...

Deer firearm season opens Saturday (12/04/09)
The first round of shotgun-season deer hunters will be heading into Iowa's wooded areas at sunrise Saturday morning. This year's two seasons -- scheduled Dec. 5-9 and Dec. 12-20 -- are expected to once again attract a large crowd. ...

Fourteen sentenced in lakes region meth ring (11/06/09)
"Drug dealers out there, we're coming to a town near you." This message provided courtesy of Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow in the aftermath of sentencing that will result in over 2,000 months of combined jail time for 14 individuals associated with a drug trafficking ring in northwest Iowa...

Sirens 9-18-09 (09/18/09)
Jose Ramon De Leon Tavarez, 23, Paullina, was charged with driving while suspended and failure to file SR-22 insurance at 8:05 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, in the 180th Avenue of B-40 after a Clay County deputy initiated a traffic stop for a traffic violation. Hw was transported to the Clay County Jail and held on a $300 bond...

Clay County DARE teacher, student honored (08/01/09)
Of the several hundred DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officers in Iowa, Clay County Deputy Sheriff Dennis Linn was recently recognized as a 2009 DARE Officer of the Year by his peers during the annual Iowa DARE Conference in Altoona. Terry Dehmlow of the Denver Police Department was also named a 2009 DARE Officer of the Year...

Sirens 7-30-09 (07/30/09)
Scott Pruitt, 18, Spencer, was charged with criminal trespassing at 12:49 p.m. Friday, July 17, in the 200 block of 32nd Avenue West. He was transported to the Spencer Police Department, processed and turned over to the jailer. Preston Paulsen, 18, Spencer was charged with criminal trespassing at 12:49 p.m. Friday, July 17, in the 200 block of 32nd Avenue West. He was transported to the Spencer Police Department, processed and turned over to the jailer...

Larsen, K-9 Max awarded 'Top Dog' honors again (07/30/09)
Clay County Deputy Sheriff Zach Larsen and his K-9 partner, Max, received their second consecutive "Top Dog" award at a K-9 certification course held in mid-May at Camp Ripley, Minn. The Top Dog award is presented to the K-9 team that demonstrates the highest overall skill level in various testing categories. Larsen and Max were also awarded the Top Dog title in 2008...

Sirens 6-25-09 (06/25/09)
Sara Wirkus, 23, Spencer, was charged with theft fifth degree at 4:12 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, at Wal-Mart. She was released on a police citation. Shayne Pomeroy, 23, Ruthven, was charged on a Clay County warrant for failure to serve sentence at 8:57 p.m. Saturday, June 13, in the 300 block of Grand Avenue. He was transported to the Spencer Police Department...

Sirens 5-30-09 (05/30/09)
--- Manuel Martinez, 27, Spencer, was arrested on a Clay County warrant on a charge of violation of probation at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, in the 20 block of West First Street. He was transported to the Spencer Police Department and turned over to the Clay County Jail...

Briefs 5-23-09 (05/23/09)
Farmers Market is returning with an opening date of May 23. Early season vegetables available. Located in the parking lot of the Southpark Mall. --- Come learn about Global Positioning System (GPS) and the sport of geocaching. GPS units will be used to find hidden treasure at Huston Park. Located at the nature center at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23. The event is sponsored by the Palo Alto Soil & Water Conservation District and the Palo Alto County Conservation Board...

Council signs off on projects, resource officer (04/08/09)
The effort to re-establish a school resource officer in the Spencer School District took another step forward Monday night. The Spencer City Council authorized police chief Mark Lawson to apply for a grant to fund the position of a school resource officer in Spencer for three years. ...

Lawson gives city council Taser update (02/07/09)
Mark Lawson wonders about all of the tackles, dislocated joints, sprained ankles and blown-out knees that have been avoided by Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. The Spencer Police Chief gave city council members his annual update about Taser use Monday night at Spencer City Hall. The city purchased eight Tasers in 2006 under the previous police chief Michael Lashbrook's administration. Lawson has maintained the program, with 12 Tasers added through fundraising efforts in the past two years...

Citizens Police Academy hosting seventh session (01/21/09)
The Spencer Police Department will be hosting its 7th Citizen Police Academy beginning March 17, and running through May 19. Classes will be held each Tuesday evening starting at 6"30 p.m. and concluding at 8 p.m. Topics that will be covered include, but not limited to: communication center operations, 911, Constitutional Law, search and seizure, laws of arrest, use of force, traffic enforcement, radar, lidar, OWI enforcement, DRE, crime scene processing, criminal investigations, drug investigations, search warrants, juvenile probation, adult corrections, jail field trips and ride alongs.. ...

Robbery investigation continues (01/10/09)
Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson on Friday released the surveillance camera images of an armed robbery, which took place Monday night and a convenience store in northwest Spencer. Police are still looking for the man who was photographed walking through the door of the Casey's General Store at the corner of 11th Avenue West and West 18th Street. The photos capture the man, wearing a ski mask, as he appears in the doorway...

Area men sentenced for meth deals (01/10/09)
Four northwest Iowa men will spend a combined 53 years and 8 months in prison for their roles in a methamphetamine pipeline. U.S. District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett gave 40-year-old Michael Roth of Spencer the most severe sentence, according to a statement Friday from U.S. ...

Arson ruled as cause of Spencer fire (12/30/08)
A Spencer woman faces first-degree arson charges after allegedly starting a fire at the house where her daughter lived. Brenda Heilstedt was booked into the Clay County Jail on a Class B felony after a fire broke out at 12:03 p.m. Sunday at 209 West Park Street in Spencer. When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were venting out of the first floor east windows and the south front window...

Fire guts Arnolds Park home (12/17/08)
The Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue was dispatched to 584 Dam Rd. at approximately 11:24 p.m. Saturday night for a possible electrical fire. Once the police department arrived at the location they reported a fully engulfed house fire. Upon arrival, the fire department encountered a large volume of fire exiting from a chimney chase on the west side of the house. ...

Police urge caution as scams emerge (12/11/08)
Law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of older Iowans who may be misled by fraudulent phone calls about a relative in need. At least one area resident has been scammed by the phone call, according to the Spencer Police Department...

SIRENS 11-26-08 (11/26/08)
--- --- --- --- The deputy was advised that Steelman had two warrants out of O'Brien County for arrest on previous operating while intoxicated and driving while barred violations. The deputy then tried to identify the second occupant in the vehicle...

Special enforcement under way (11/25/08)
Area law enforcement agencies are once again trying to instill a little caution in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. The Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is coordinating efforts with more than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state in an effort to make the holiday safer...

Drunk driving remains a concern (11/20/08)
Before the end of the month, Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson says he will have an extra officer out on patrol on Friday and Saturday nights. The added patrol, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., is being made possible for the next 10-12 months through a grant from the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau. Drunk driving is a much-needed focus, according to Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow...

Armed standoff ends with no injuries (11/20/08)
A 46-year-old Spencer man faces a series of charges after he threatened responding officers with weapons at his home Tuesday night. Spencer Police responded to a disturbance complaint at 7:08 p.m. in the 500 block of East 12th Street. James Basler was at home with two family members when the disturbance began. One of the family members left the house to call police. Officers were told Basler was holding a 12-gauge shotgun and threatening suicide...

Unlicensed, uninsured drivers face charges (11/19/08)
Clay County Deputies and members of the Spencer Police Department continue to see numerous drivers who choose to be on Clay County roads even through their driving privileges are in question. In some instances this fall, additional charges surfaced following the traffic investigation. In each case the driver in question was held and schedule to appear before a magistrate. Some posted bond...

Trailer fire intentionally set: Criminal charges pending investigation (11/14/08)
Fire and law enforcement officials continue to investigate the cause of a trailer fire, which they believe was intentionally set at 310 Second St. in Dickens. Emergency crews were called out at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The fire destroyed a lead-in porch to the trailer...

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...

Crash leads to vehicular homicide charge (08/07/08)
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...

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...

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...

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