11.06.13 by Iowa State Daily

Election draws more students, turnout still low By Emelie.Knobloch, David.Gerhold, Greg.Zwiers @iowastatedaily.com City council Election Day saw an increase in student activity around campus on Tuesday. “I believe it is an increase compared to past city elections,” said Joyce Carney, election official. “One reason might have been that candidates have gone around talking to and recruiting students in this precinct in the past few weeks.” There were approximately 13 voters at the Union Community Drive Center, and 10 of those were students, said Joyce Carney, election official. Although this number is not high, Carney said it is an increase from previous years. “Students are really impor-

Jake Miller/Iowa State Daily

Locky Catron, sophomore in agricultural business, voiced her thoughts by voting in Maple Hall Tuesday night. There were a total of 16 votes at Maple which is the most votes in a local nonpartisan election in over four years.

More details emerge after fatal car chase By Seth.Young @iowastatedaily.com Central Campus was shaken Monday morning by a high-speed chase involving officers of the Ames and Iowa State Police Departments, and a lone lawn-care truck driven by Tyler Comstock, 19, of Boone. Comstock had been arguing with his father before leaving a work site at 2007 Melrose Avenue in Ames by way of a truck stolen from Spring Green lawn-care services, according to his mother, Shari Comstock, of Hamburg. Geoff Huff, Investigation Commander for the Ames Police Department, released a statement on Tuesday stating that he would not release the dashboard video of police vehicles or audio dispatches due to an ongoing investigation. However the Des Moines Register obtained the recording from Broadcastify. “I have a citizen who has a spring green truck with a trailer who reports his 19-year-old son just stole the truck and that it’s headed south on Grand. They were working together, son got mad at his dad, and hopped in the truck and just took off,” said an Ames police dispatcher on the audio recording. This was in response to James Comstock, Tyler’s father, who had reported the truck stolen. Upon locating the vehicle, Ames police attempted a traffic stop after they identified the vehicle by its license plate on the attached trailer. “The vehicle’s not stopping, we are westbound on South 4th St. coming up

to Beach,” said an Ames officer on the recording while in pursuit. The chase continued as officers from Iowa State Police joined the effort. According to the Ames Police Department’s Pursuit of Motor Vehicles policy, “No more than one secondary unit shall become actively involved in a pursuit unless specifically directed otherwise by the on-duty Shift Supervisor; the involvement of more than two patrol vehicles may add to the hazards of the pursuit.” On Monday, Huff stated that six to seven vehicles were involved in the chase. The policy also states that “pursuing officers shall continually evaluate whether or not the seriousness of the offense justifies continuing the pursuit,” as well as that “pursuing officers should remember that abandoning a pursuit may be the most prudent course of action.” As Comstock turned onto Beach Ave. and toward campus, he backed the truck’s attached trailer onto a police car, and severed the hitch, sending the trailer onto the sidewalk near Richardson Court. Huff said on Monday that at this point, pedestrians had to jump out of the way. “Southbound on Wallace,” said an officer on the recording while in pursuit. “West on Union,” said another. Comstock continued to lead police the wrong way down Morrill Road until darting into the grass of Central Campus, crashing through a homecoming banner,

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tant for these elections because they live in this city,” said Carney. “They are affected by the laws and everything that the city does, but they might not know that they’re affected by it.” There were 16 total votes at Maple Hall, the largest number of votes at Maple Hall in a local nonpartisan election in more than four years, said Dee Dreeson, election official. Of the 240 voters at the Collegiate Presbyterian Church, about 10 were student voters, said Jan Bauer, election official. This number is higher than last year, Bauer said. Winners of the city council elections were Mayor Ann Campbell, 1st Ward Rep. Gloria

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Driver’s mother responds to death of her teenage son in police pursuit on campus By Makayla.Tendall @iowastatedaily.com Shari Comstock received a text from her son Monday morning when she woke up. By the time she called him back, he had been fatally shot after a car chase with Ames police that ended on Iowa State’s Central Campus. “He texted me,” Shari said. “I woke up yesterday morning and had a text from him. He said, ‘Call me when you get up.’ About 11 o’clock, I tried to call him, and there was no answer.” Her son was pronounced dead at Mary Greeley Medical Center minutes before her call. “He just wanted a pack of cigarettes, and his dad wouldn’t buy him a pack of cigarettes and he freaked out,” she said. Tyler Comstock, 19, of Boone, Iowa, had been arguing with his father before leaving a Spring-Green Lawn Care work site at which he worked with his father. Shari said her son had been upset with his father because he would not buy him the pack of cigarettes. At 10:17 a.m. on Monday, Tyler became involved in a police chase which began at Grand Avenue and Fourth Street. The pursuit proceeded to Beach Avenue, where he lost the trailer hitched to the truck. Tyler then continued onto Iowa State’s campus pursued by officers from the Ames Police Department until his truck came to a stop on Central Campus south of MacKay Hall, surrounded by both Ames and ISU police. Six shots were fired by Ames Police

officer Adam McPherson, one of which struck Tyler in the head. Another shot hit him in the chest. Tyler’s mother said her son had suffered from emotional distress and that for much of his life, he had been prescribed medications to combat some self-harming behaviors and mental health issues. Shari questioned the actions of Ames Police officers on Monday after she listened to the police audiotape online from the Des Moines Register. “Why the hell would they chase him into campus with all the people?” Shari asked. “Tyler would never hurt anybody, ever. He was just a scared child. He’s pretty rational when he calms down.” Shari said she has a high respect for law enforcement and for Ames Police in general. She said, however, she does not understand the proceedings of Ames Police on Monday morning. “I don’t understand [why this happened] when I blatantly heard them say, ‘Hey, we know who this is. It’s a kid, back off.’ I don’t get it,” Shari said after listening to the audio tape. Shari referred to a quote from the police scanner during which an unidentified officer from Ames police dispatch said, “We know the suspect, so we can probably back it off.” The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation in Des Moines is investigating the actions of McPherson, who is on paid leave.

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Student becomes 1st ag ambassador from Iowa By Caitlin.Deaver @iowastatedaily.com Katie Johnson has been selected to be one of 20 National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassadors and is the first ambassador to be chosen from the state of Iowa and Iowa State University. “It’s great to have Katie recognized in this way as a national ambassador,” said Brian Meyer, director of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications Service. “She is a student leader who wants to add her voice and experience to the conversations about agriculture, food and science.” Johnson, sophomore in agricultural and life sciences education, applied to be an ambassador in May when she received an email from the College of

Agriculture. She said it was her dream job and decided to apply. The application process included sending in a resume and posting a video to YouTube of a mock presentation. Applicants were then interviewed over the phone. “I have pretty strong presentation and communication skills [from my background in high school], and I conveyed an interest in agriculture,” Johnson said. Johnson was chosen in July. “It was the fourth of July [when I found out I was chosen],” Johnson said. “The fireworks really fit my mood.” Johnson then attended training in North Carolina with the 19 other agriculture ambassadors from across the country. She was one of the youngest in attendance. “I was definitely spoiled

when I could spend time with people who get as excited about GMOs and the farm bill as me,” Johnson said. Training took place in early August. Professors in the agriculture industry talked about giving presentations and the goals for the new ambassadors. The biggest goal for an agriculture ambassador is to inform and educate their audiences on the various aspects of agriculture through presentations. Ambassadors are required to complete 30 hours of presentations and can present to clubs on their individual campus. The workshops and topics Johnson covers include: agriculture advocacy, pollination, the dairy industry, GMOs, conventional agriculture, sustainability, agriculture issues and Feeding

I was ... spoiled when I could spend time with people who get as excited about GMOs and the farm bill as me.” Katie Johnson

the World. Ambassadors do everything themselves, like scheduling presentations and staying caught up with Congress’ legislation concerning agriculture to inform their audiences. “If you wear clothes and eat food, you’re connected with agriculture,” Johnson said. “It’s more

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TRIVIA NIGHT!

Jen Hao Wong/Iowa State Daily

Katie Johnson is a National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador.

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