National Courts

Spencer building listed on National Register of Historic Places (03/09/10)
It's official. Spencer's former high school and middle school building at 104 E. Fourth St. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Administered by the National Park Service, this program is the U.S. government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

Legislators discuss rising health care costs, texting while driving (03/02/10)
When the third Eggs and Issues legislative forum of the season began Saturday morning in Spencer, attendees were encouraged to not ask the three participating state legislators about same-sex marriage or right-to-work issues, common themes of the first two sessions held this year. Even with the majority party not represented at the gathering, Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan; Rep. Mike May, R-Spirit Lake; and Rep. Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon; addressed a variety of issues ranging from oversight of the Department of Natural Resources and texting while behind the wheel to health care concerns and statewide budget cuts. ...

High Court: Castillo-Alvarez case won't be reviewed (01/22/10)
Clay County Attorney Michael Houchins on Friday confirmed a decision from the Iowa Supreme Court to deny further review of the 1997 gang-related murder of Estherville teenager Gregory Sky Erickson. Judge Don Courtney found former Estherville restaurant owner Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez responsible for orchestrating Erickson's death, based on a January 2008 ruling at the Palo Alto County Courthouse in Emmetsburg...

Justice: At what cost? (12/10/09)
Need a sign of the times? Look for one taped on the locked clerk of court's door, below a holiday wreath, at the Clay County Courthouse. "Iowa Court Offices Closed," it said, on the first of 10 days targeted by the judicial branch for a cost-saving shutdown...

Castillo-Alvarez conviction overturned (09/02/09)

Jury sides with Royal in wedding chapel dispute (08/01/09)
The dispute between Royal Wedding Chapel, Inc. owner Gerald "Lee" Youde and the city of Royal began with a business permit application. It ended with a 8.5-pound court file and a July 22 jury verdict at the Clay County Courthouse. Yes, Youde can still conduct wedding ceremonies out of the decommissioned Lutheran church he bought back in 2003. ...

Arson cases: One delayed, one resolved (05/07/09)
A Pocahontas man who started a fire in the mental heath wing of Spencer Hospital avoided prison time as part of a plea agreement finalized Tuesday at the Clay County Courthouse in Spencer. Jared Lee Reinholdt entered a plea of guilty to third-degree arson and Judge Nancy Whittenburg suspended a two-year sentence as part of an agreement reached with prosecutors...

Ruling closes 2008 murder case (05/06/09)
A Dickinson County judge has dismissed charges against the third defendant in the April 2008 murder case which resulted in the death of Matthew Begtrup. John Allen Swan, 31, of Crossett, Ark., Scott Thomas Adair, 30, of Crossett, Ark. and Michael James Friedrichs, 30, of Forest City were accused of first-degree murder in a Milford incident in April 2008...

Hundreds join tax protest at Clay County Courthouse (04/16/09)
Wednesday's national tax day, tea party government spending protests weren't limited to state capitols and major metropolitan areas. About 275 people filled in around a makeshift podium on the courthouse square in Spencer for a local version of the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party. The event was organized by Kris Thiessen of Everly, who co-owns White Glove, a janitorial business in Spencer...

Same-sex couple looking forward to marriage in northwest Iowa (04/14/09)
Lee and Tony are eager to celebrate their 15th anniversary together. Ecstatic about an April 3 Iowa Supreme Court ruling unanimously rejecting a state law restricting marriage to a union between a man and woman, the same-sex couple hope to formally mark April 18, 2010, with their wedding...

The Clay County Courthouse will be closed and all court staff will be on unpaid leave Friday (04/10/09)
The closure comes from a Feb. 27 order by the Iowa Supreme Court. The Judicial Branch anticipates $3.8 million reduction in the 2008-09 operating budget. With the order, all court staff also will take unpaid leave April 24, May 8, May 22, June 5 and June 19, 2009. One day of unpaid leave for about 1,600 judicial employees except judges and magistrates reduces expenditures by $335,009...

Iowa Court Of Appeals to hear arguments in Spirit Lake (03/25/09)
On Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2, the Iowa Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the Dickinson County Courthouse located at the junction of Highways 71 and 9 and Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake. In addition to the Dickinson County case of Lair v. ...

Storm shelter, culvert route possible for Fair (03/11/09)
Emergency management officials may have an unexpected option for shelter space at the Clay County Fair. Ted Kourousis, executive director of Northwest Iowa Planning and Development is working with Iowa Department of Homeland Security about the potential of creating shelter space, under West 18th Street, for the fairgrounds...

Newhouse: From student to ILCC's new CEO (03/07/09)
Valerie Newhouse will mark her first day as Iowa Lakes Community College's president on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The 50-year-old woman will be the college's seventh CEO. But unlike her predecessors, Newhouse, a native of West Bend, has strong roots throughout ILCC's five-county area. ...

Spencer man receives 30-year sentence (03/05/09)

Prior, Iowa Lakes Community College part ways (02/14/09)
The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees accepted the resignation letter and terms of retirement for college president Harold Prior during a special meeting Friday afternoon in Estherville. Prior's letter of resignation contained two sentences: "Please accept my retirement as President of Iowa Lakes Community College to be effective June 30, 2009. My retirement is subject to the attached retirement agreement."...

Daily Reporter Exclusive (01/16/09)
Chris Dean (Right) and Justin McCormick (above), a pair of Spencer residents who dedicated a great deal of time to President-elect Barack Obama's campaign efforts - Dean in Indiana and McCormick here in Spencer - are hitting the road together today on the way to Washington DC where they will take part in the historic inauguration festivities before and after the swearing in of Obama as the United State's next President. ...

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. ...

Corn grower issues heard in VeraSun bankruptcy proceedings (12/05/08)
JOHNSTON -- The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and other corn grower states helped bring about key developments at the VeraSun bankruptcy hearings in Delaware, Tuesday, Dec. 2. The states together filed a motion to challenge bankruptcy provisions that threaten future corn sales contracts. ...

Public input sought on 2009-10 school budget cuts (11/25/08)
Alerted to the fact that the Spencer school district will face at least a $328,876 deficit this school year, as well as a projected $340,803 deficit again in 2009-10, school board members brainstormed about a budget-reduction process and the possibility of reinitiating an early-retirement incentive for district employees. ...

Johnson seeks GOP's No. 2 post Tuesday Democrats retain Kibbie as senate president (11/18/08)
Senate Democrats, their numbers at the highest level ever, on Sunday rewarded top leaders with another two years in office and vowed to tackle a state budget that's struggling because of the economic slowdown. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, and Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, won new two-year terms without opposition...

Time to pick a president (11/04/08)
Polls open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, in Clay County for the 2008 General Election. Voting will take place at 13 voting precincts as follows: - Lake/Freeman -- at Dickens Community Center, 302 Main St., Dickens - Meadow/Sioux -- at VFW Club, 15 East 21st St., Spencer...

Bailout passes Senate, House foes soften (10/02/08)
WASHINGTON -- After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections...

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...

Obama, McCain argue over taxes, federal spending (09/27/08)
OXFORD, Miss. -- Barack Obama accused presidential rival John McCain of supporting Bush administration policies that produced the current economic crisis Friday night in their first debate of the campaign for the White House. Both men readily agreed Congress must act soon to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and homes...

Bailout deal stalls as GOP lawmakers revolt (09/26/08)
WASHINGTON -- A Repub-lican revolt stalled urgent efforts to lash together a national economic rescue plan Thursday, a chaotic turnaround on a day that had seemed headed for a success that President Bush, both political parties and their presidential candidates could celebrate at an extraordinary White House meeting...

Voters can weigh in today (09/25/08)
From the township trustees to the President of the United States, voters in Iowa can start making their choices. Beginning Thursday, voters can pick up absentee ballots at county auditor offices around the state. Election officials are predicting a voter turnout that could reach 80 percent...

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...

Sept. 9 election marks return of paper (08/30/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff When Clay County voters walk into their respective polling sites on election day, they'll register to vote the same way they have in the past. But the Sept. 9 school board election and the Nov. 4 general election will differ from recent years past in that voters will then be handed a paper ballot to vote on. ...

Obama sketches promise of America (08/29/08)
DENVER -- Barack Obama cast his presidential nomination as proof that no dreams are too high, savoring a historic moment for himself and the nation Thursday before setting out on a difficult struggle to break another barrier for a black American. Obama's success in obtaining the Democratic nomination was indeed a remarkable achievement, reached despite the misgivings of some Americans uncomfortable with electing the son of an African immigrant -- not "the typical pedigree," as he put it...

Dean's future comes one election at a time (08/28/08)
W. Chris Dean didn't expect an Indiana roadmap to come with the Cornell College degree he received in May. But a presidential candidate's campaign of "change" has thrown a few curve balls Dean's way this summer. The 2004 Spencer graduate was recently hired as a paid field organizer in northeast Indiana for the Barack Obama campaign. His three-county region includes the hometown of former Vice President Dan Quayle. Needless to say, the Democratic message isn't a automatically an easy sell...

Payne escapes prison time in conviction (08/27/08)
Despite an emotional appeal from the victim and her mother in court Monday, Kyle Dean Payne will serve no prison sentence for his conviction on three crimes related to an incident in which he partially stripped an unconscious fellow Buena Vista University student, photographed himself fondling her body, and later installed the images and video on his computer...

Biden no stranger to Spencer Democrats (08/26/08)
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware hoped for the top spot on the ticket less than a year ago when he stopped at the Clay County Fair. Friday he was selected as presumptive nominee Barack Obama's running mate. Democrats hope Biden's expertise in foreign policy and his blue-collar appeal will be a draw for voters in the Nov. 4 general election...

Agriprocessors supervisor faces additional charge (08/20/08)
DES MOINES -- A supervisor arrested after a massive immigration raid at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday to charges he knowingly hired illegal immigrants, according to court filings. Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza is expected to plead guilty to charges he conspired to hire illegal immigrants and aided and abetted the hiring of illegal immigrants...

McCain has invite to Clay County Fair (08/14/08)
State Rep. Mike May, a Spirit Lake Republican, said he has been in contact with the John McCain campaign and hopes the likely Republican nominee will include Spencer's biggest event in a post-convention victory tour. The 2008 Republican National Convention will take place Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. The 2008 edition of the Clay County Fair is Sept. 6-14. Along with timing, crowd numbers can't hurt the odds of a Spencer visit -- the fair drew more than 319,000 visitors in 2007...

Obama reopens Spencer office tonight (08/12/08)
Likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama will once again have a presence in Clay County. The campaign has announced a Spencer Obama Office-opening Kick-off at 6 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 12) at 301 Grand Avenue. The event is open to everyone. Food and refreshments will be provided...

Harkin 'dismayed' by McCain's Paris Hilton ad (08/08/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Large infrastructure projects and energy cost concerns were part of the discussion as U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin held a "Moving Iowa Forward" caf� stop Thursday morning at the Family Table Restaurant in Spencer. Along with local concerns, he also talked about national politics as the national nominating conventions approach for the major parties...

Obama proclaims himself the Democratic nominee (06/04/08)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination in a long-time-coming victory speech Tuesday that taunted Republicans on their own turf and reached out to heal Democratic wounds with lofty praise for his rival. "Let us begin the work together," Obama exhorted thousands of cheering supporters in a packed sports arena. "Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America."...

Appeals court to hear cases in Okoboji (05/29/08)
A workman's compensation claim and a possible open meetings violation are on the docket as the Iowa Court of Appeals brings its process to the Iowa Great Lakes. Cases typically are heard in Des Moines, but will be moved to Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center as part of the 85th annual Lawyers' Chautauqua in Okoboji...

Judge denies bond reduction in Milford murder case (05/28/08)
Judge Patrick Carr has decided to keep the bail set at $750,000 each for three men accused of a Milford murder earlier this spring. John Allen Swan, 30, of Crossett, Ark.; Scott Thomas Adair, 29, of Crossett, Ark.; and Michael James Friedrichs, 29, of Forest City, appeared in court for a bail review hearing last Monday. Judge Carr's decision reached the Clerk of Court's office this week...

Castillo-Alvarez files appeal (05/16/08)
Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez wants the Iowa Supreme Court to take a fresh look at convictions stemming from his involvement in the death of an Estherville teenager 11 years ago. Judge Don Courtney found the former Estherville restaurant owner guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony Jan. 25 at the Palo Alto County Courthouse in Emmetsburg. The guilty verdict came after a trial that spanned parts of three days in September...

Castillo-Alvarez receives 50-year sentence (04/26/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff A quiet and, at times, seemingly disinterested Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez received a 50-year prison sentence Friday for his role in the disappearance and death of a Estherville teenager almost 11 years ago. Castillo-Alvarez was the last of 10 people charged in the June 1997 plot to end 15-year-old Gregory Sky Erickson's life over an unpaid drug debt and his possible role as a police informant...

Hearing date set in Castillo-Alvarez case (04/03/08)
District Court Judge Don Courtney has set the hearing date for a former Estherville restaurant owner who was convicted for his role in the disappearance and death of an area teenager. Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez's attorney, Mike Williams, filed a motion on March 7 asking Courtney to vacate guilty verdicts on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. Castillo-Alvarez wants a new trial...

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