Street Gangs And Organized Crime Groups

Castillo-Alvarez back in Clay County Jail (02/26/10)
"He's back." Those words, spoken by Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow, referenced the return of Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez to the Clay County Jail. Clay County Sheriff' deputies transported Castillo-Alvarez from Newton's state prison back to the Clay County holding facility on a felony charge for furnishing an intoxicating beverage to inmates at a detention facility during his previous year-and-a-half stay. ...

Castillo-Alvarez case moves to Minnesota (02/25/10)
A 40-year-old former Estherville restaurant owner will face Minnesota charges after his Clay County murder and kidnapping convictions were thrown out on appeal in the fall of 2009. On Friday, Jackson County Sheriff Roger Hawkinson said he and the Jackson County Attorney's Office would file Minnesota charges of second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault and second-degree assault against Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez...

Implications of local charges far reaching (02/20/10)

Feeding the Spirit (02/13/10)
BarlowGirl will be making its second appearance at the Clay County Regional Events Center when they arrive in town Sunday, Feb. 21, on the first stage of the Love & War tour supporting the group's most recent album which hit the airwaves late in 2009...

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...

Spencer: The 'one place to get all things Dewey' (01/22/10)
The popularity of Dewey Readmore Books, Spencer Public Library's late resident feline, spans the world today. In addition to the countless tours of his former home and town occurring locally, plans are currently in the works to boost his appeal to even more visitors to northwest Iowa's newest destination city. ...

Heilstedt pleads guilty to 2008 arson charge (01/21/10)
On Tuesday, during a scheduled hearing, Brenda Lee Heilstedt of Spencer, withdrew her not guilty plea with regards to arson charges stemming from a fire that broke out at a home she owned on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008; and pled guilty to arson in the second degree, a Class C felony...

Milford man detained on drug, murder charges (01/12/10)
Samuel Blue Lint was still being held in Spirit Lake's Dickinson County Jail on $10,000 bond Tuesday as attorneys in northwest Iowa decide if, and when, the 18-year-old Milford man will be transported to Sioux Falls, S.D., to face charges of armed robbery and murder...

Spencer police charge area man with abuse, possession (12/29/09)
Spencer Police officers were forced to kick in a door and taser 19-year-old Terrell Ramon Alfaro after responding to a call in the 2100 block of 10th Avenue East at 3:37 a.m. on Dec. 24. The entry led to multiple charges include domestic abuse and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver among others...

Transportation projects roll on despite cuts (12/15/09)

Treasurer arrested for taking funds from ambulance program (12/04/09)
A 61-year-old Sioux Rapids woman is being investigated for theft in the second degree in an alleged scheme to take thousands of dollars from the Sioux Rapids Ambulance Service. In mid-October, the Buena Vista County Sheriff's department was alerted to a possible theft from the ambulance program. ...

Crash near Moneta injures four (12/01/09)
Crash investigators are still looking into a head-on collision in western Clay County, which sent four people to the hospital Monday morning. The Clay County Sheriff's Office received a report of a two-car traffic crash in the 3500 mile of 100th Avenue, just north of unincorporated Moneta at about 10:20 a.m...

Juvenile law a passion for county's new attorney (11/27/09)
Clay County's newest assistant county attorney is no stranger to the city of Spencer, but she's seeing a different part of the law these days. Kristi Busse is a month into her newest role as an assistant Clay County Attorney and associate at the Zenor and Houchins law firm in north Spencer...

Salesman's grab leads to charges (11/13/09)
A 71-year-old, door-to-door magazine salesman faces a charge of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse after he allegedly groped a potential customer during a house call. Clay County Deputies were called to a Webb neighborhood at about 7:30 p.m. Monday after a resident called authorities to report an incident of sexual misconduct...

SIRENS 11-11-09 (11/11/09)
Chase James Hagedorn, 19, Dickens, was charged with driving while license suspended/mandatory revocation at 1:18 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24. He was transported to the Clay County Jail. Tyler John Harkema, 28, Spencer, was arrested on a Clay County warrant at 10:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the 200 block of West Fourth Street. He was transported to the Clay County Jail...

Honor Flight participants highlight Veterans Day service (11/10/09)
An 11 a.m. program is planned Wednesday for Clay County residents to mark Veterans Day and honor the soldiers who answered the call of duty. The Clay County Veterans Day Service will be held at the Clay County Veterans Memorial, along Grand Avenue and just north of Spencer Municipal Utilities...

Cast a vote for local 'Every 15 Minutes' video (11/06/09)
A local video dramatizing the dangers of drinking and driving has been named one of 13 top entries in a national contest. The just over 31-minute video, which was produced by Spencer Municipal Utilities staff this past spring, features Clay Central-Everly students and other area representatives who'd been involved in a local drunk driving accident, as well as ensuing court and funeral scenarios. ...

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...

Plea agreement reached in Spencer arson case (11/06/09)
Judge Patrick Carr has scheduled a Jan. 19 hearing to consider a guilty plea from a Spencer woman accused of arson 11 months ago. Brenda Lee Heilstedt is expected to plead guilty to a charge of second-degree arson, a Class C felony, as part of the agreement struck by attorneys...

Armed robbery 'victim' arrested for false report (11/05/09)
A Peterson man was arrested and charged for filing a false report after claiming to have been the victim of an armed robbery in September. Tommy Lynn Hartfield, 38, was arrested on Oct. 31, after an investigation by deputies of the Clay County Sheriff's Office revealed discrepancies in Hartfield's claim...

Sex abuse suspect recaptured after 11 years (11/05/09)
Sometimes the wheels of justice are slow, but they never stop turning. Just ask Alejandro Montano, a current resident of the Buena Vista County Jail. After more than 11 years on the run from charges including sexual abuse, false imprisonment and drugs in Storm Lake, a false identity, and an alleged lifetime web of lies, Mantano has been found in Chicago and returned to face the charges for a February 1998 incident...

Opheim case moves forward (10/29/09)
An initial appearance has been made on behalf of a Spencer man accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from clients during a six-year period as a financial consultant. Spencer Police filed charges of ongoing criminal conduct and first-degree theft against 54-year-old James Harold Opheim on Oct. 19 for having "knowingly acquired or maintained, directly or indirectly, any interest in, or control of, any enterprise or real property through specified unlawful activity."...

Insurance agent's activities draw theft charge (10/15/09)
Spencer Police filed criminal charges against a Spencer insurance agent and securities broker Wednesday after investigators suspect he unlawfully took more than $100,000 from clients and used the money for personal expenses. Spencer Police charged 54-year-old James Harold Opheim with first-degree theft, a Class C felony and ongoing criminal conduct, a Class B felony for allegedly diverting money from his clients to pay for personal expenses between 2003 and 2009...

End of Life Consortium to focus on information (10/15/09)
It's never easy when an end of life diagnosis or situation occurs. If ever faced with such a life changing event, would you know who to contact? An End of Life Consortium, for the public, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Spencer Senior Center...

Local comrades share service (10/13/09)
The mood was jovial among the local veterans who departed Spencer Monday afternoon in a van provided by H&N Chevrolet Buick of Spencer. After submitting applications and patiently awaiting responses from the trip's organizer, each of the seven World War II veterans knew their time had come...

Law change reflected in new registry list (10/10/09)
For the first time in its monthly update, the Clay County Sheriff's summary of residents with sex offense-related convictions includes A tier classification to reflect changes in Iowa Sex Offender Registry laws. Technology specialists at the Iowa Department of Public Safety reviewed the profiles of about 5,000 Iowans on the state's sex offender registry as part of a new law that attempts to more closely monitor the most dangerous offenders...

Sirens 10-3-09 (10/03/09)
Betty Ann Burg, 46, Spencer, was charged with OWI-first offense at 9:13 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in the 2200 block of West Fourth Street. Joshua Adam Lambert, 34, Spencer, was charged with theft-third degree at 9:39 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in the 500 block of Ninth Avenue West...

Spencer attorney sworn in as judge (10/03/09)
It's Judge Borth now. Assistant Clay County Attorney Charles K. Borth officially filled the vacancy created by retiring Judge Donavon Schaefer during a ceremony Friday afternoon at the Clay County Courthouse. Fellow Spencer Judge Patrick Carr administered the oath at the investiture. Borth's wife, Liz assisted her husband with the donning of the robe...

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...

Stranded motorist scam leads to robbery (09/17/09)
The Clay County Sheriff's Office is requesting the public's help as it investigates the report of a roadside robbery early Thursday morning. Sheriff Randy Krukow said a traveler stopped to help a female motorist, who had the hood of a red or maroon Mitsubishi Eclipse propped open near the intersection of 470th Street and county blacktop M27...

Krause stumps for Grassley's seat at fair (09/15/09)
U.S. Senate aspirant Bob Krause (D-Fairfield) campaigned Saturday at the Clay County Fair. The 59-year-old, who acknowledges he faces stiff odds in his bid to defeat Iowa's senior senator, readily recited the handful of colorful statements his foe has made over the last few months, recited the incumbent's voting record and then forecast "that the winds they are a changing." ...

Traffic stops lead to meth-related charges (09/15/09)
Two area men face drug-related charges after stops in recent days. At 1:24 p.m. Thursday, a Clay County deputy pulled over a 2000 Jeep in the 2000 block of county road B-24. During a search of the vehicle, the deputy located an amount of pseudoephedrine along with another precursor typically used to manufacture methamphetamine...

Lost at sea -- Kendall Carver's crusade (09/12/09)
The days of business cards and power-point presentations were supposed to be in the past for 72-year-old Kendall Carver, a member of the Spencer High School class of 1954. He retired to Phoenix 15 years ago after a successful career as an insurance executive in New York City. It's the stage of life when hobbies, grandchildren and travel should replace the appointment book...

Rembrandt man face vehicular homicide charge (09/05/09)
Felony charges, including vehicular homicide, have been filed against a Rembrandt man involved in a head-on collision earlier this summer. Troopers from the Iowa State Patrol and deputies from the Buena Vista County Sheriff's Department took 39-year-old Matthew Wrather into custody on Thursday. He was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on charges of felony homicide by motor vehicle, felony serious injury by motor vehicle and felony child endangerment resulting in death...

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

Grand Avenue enhancements to begin this month (09/01/09)
The $2.4 million Grand Avenue bridge and boulevard enhancement projects that are being rolled into one over the next construction year are a bit shy of funds to be truly grand, organizers told a group that gathered Monday night in Spencer City Hall's council chambers. Because of this, residents can expect to see modifications occur with the project, as well as be asked to help pay for a small portion of it. In particular, property owners along Grand Avenue will be asked over the next three weeks to chip in a tax-deductible contribution to assist with the replacement of all the area's sidewalks. ...

Grand Avenue set to become beautified (08/04/09)
Light will be shed on a Spencer beautification project that's been nine years in the making as it finally begins to see its first visible phase unfold within the next few weeks. Spencer Park Board and Spencer City Council members approved awarding a $1.4 million contract to Midstates Builders, Inc. Monday night. With the approved contract in hand, the local general contractor is scheduled to enhance the town's Grand Avenue bridge and Grand Avenue boulevards from Eighth to 18th Street over the next year.

Motel evacuated amid handgun report (08/04/09)
The AmericInn Motel was evacuated for about 2 1/2 hours after police received a 911 call describing a man holding a hand gun outside a storage room. The call came in at 6:11 p.m. Saturday and a male subject was observed leaving the scene upon officers' arrival. He was detained by officers and a subsequent search by the Spencer Police Department Entry Team found no weapon...

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...

Registry violation leads to arrest (07/30/09)
A former Spencer man on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry was taken into custody at 9 a.m. Wednesday after deputies say he moved without notifying authorities. Michael James Sellers is on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry after a 2002 Plymouth County conviction of third-degree sexual abuse involving a female age 14-17...

Briefs 7/21/09 (07/21/09)
The annual Clay County 4-H Achievement Day will be held on Tuesday, July 21 in the 4-H Auditorium on the Clay County Fairgrounds. The event will begin at 8 a.m. and end about 5 p.m. Achievement Day is a mini-fair for Clay County 4-Hers. Due to the fact that our county youth are in school during the Clay County Fair, this event provides an opportunity for 4-H members to bring their project exhibit work to be judged. ...

Sex offender classification under way (07/16/09)
Technology specialists are reviewing the profiles of about 5,000 Iowans on the state's sex offender registry as part of a new law that attempts to more closely monitor the most dangerous offenders. James Saunders, assistant director for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said work is well under way and could be completed in about a month. Beginning July 1, people with a sexual offense in their history were to be classified into three tiers...

City signs off on police dog proposal (07/07/09)
Fundraising continues, but Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson said the department is ready to take on a K-9, or law enforcement dog. The four-legged officer may be an available resource for the Spencer Police Department by fall, Lawson told the Spencer City Council at its meeting Monday night...

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 6-5-09 (06/05/09)
James Patrick Griffin, 45, St. Laurens, was charged with no insurance and improper registration on Thursday, May 28, in the 3900 block of N18 during a routine traffic stop by Clay County deputies. He was transported to the Clay County Jail and held to appear before a magistrate...

Two Spirit Lake men charged with attempted murder (06/03/09)
Law enforcement in Dickinson County had a busy start to the week with attempted murder charges stemming from two separate incidents in the area. On Monday, June 1 Spirit Lake Police arrested Jeffrey Russel Wittler, 21, of Spirit Lake for attempted murder and other felony charges after a 9-1-1 call at approximately 11:08 p.m...

Appeals Court hears Castillo-Alvarez case (05/30/09)
The Iowa Court of Appeals will determine if a former Estherville man's right to a speedy trial was violated through the timing of court filings near the end of a decade-long extradition process. The appeals court on Friday heard oral arguments involving Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez as part of the 86th Annual Lawyer's Chautauqua in Okoboji...

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...

Spencer breaks top 100 in KISS tour bid (05/29/09)
It's still not clear how many local votes it will take to bring arena rock band KISS to Spencer. But it is clear residents are making progress in the Internet bid to "demand" a band visit to the northwest Iowa city of 11,000. Spencer has a chance to "book" a major concert tour stop because the legendary band has put fans in charge of selecting the tour stops through Internet voting at www.Eventful.com. A link to the Eventful voting process is prominent on the www.kissonline.com Web site, too...

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