Police

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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