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1000 Jeffreys Drive, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2175 101 North Main, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2191 801 East Main, Lamoni, Iowa (641) 784-3120 113 South John Wayne Drive, Winterset, Iowa (515) 462-5090 Toll Free: 888-342-3738 • www.americanstatebank.com
154 YEARS • NO. 7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Baumfalk sentenced to three years of probation By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Contributed photo
This is the cover of Larry W. Mongar’s book “Gravel Dust.”
Mongar shares life story in new book ‘Gravel Dust’ By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
“We all have a story to tell.” These are the words from Larry W. Mongar’s book, “Gravel Dust.” Mongar, who lives in Osceola and works at Chipp’s Harley Davidson, was recently inspired to write a book because of his father’s aging. “I intended the book to be about the deterioration of my dad, and it just kind of went from there,” Mongar said. Mongar discussed a moment when he saw his father Billy having trouble shoveling. “I thought the shovel was frozen to the ground, and I went to walk over there, and I realized he just couldn’t lift it,” he said. Plot The plot of “Gravel Dust” takes place over a three-day period of morel mushroom hunting and coming back each day empty handed. “The book is considered a memoir but it’s also fiction because I had to place everything into a three-day period,” Mongar said. “Even though, everything that I’ve written in there has happened.” The synopsis on the back of book states “Sometimes what you are desperately searching for is right under your nose. That’s the lesson of this fascinating memoir from a character who has grown up in what seems to be the least dramatic place in the country: small-town Iowa. Yet, even in small farming town, life can bring harsh blows and many crazy turns. Follow the journey of one man from childhood SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
trauma to drug addiction to settling down into a rewarding family life while gaining the respect of the man he always wanted to please, but was never quite able to: his father.” Mongar admitted he used to be a methamphetamine addict for a long time, but has been sober for the past couple of years. He said he realized one day he was “done” with it all. Now, one of Mongar’s passions is writing, and putting the many thoughts and ideas running through his head into words. It took Mongar approximately three and a-half months to write “Gravel Dust.” Available The book, which was published by Page Publishing, is out now. It’s available on Amazon. com and will soon be available for order at bookstores such as Barnes and Noble. It will eventually be available as an e-book online at sites such as iTunes and Google Play. Mongar said “Gravel Dust” is the first book in a three-book series. The second book has been written and is awaiting submission. It will be titled “As the Dust Settles.” He has just started writing the third book, which is titled “The Day the Door Closed.” Dedication As for the dedication of Mongar’s book, it is dedicated to his cat named Pawblo, nicknamed Pawble Dawbles. Mongar said he found a blind, orphaned kitten and helped nurse him back to health. Please see GRAVEL DUST, Page 4
Development’s unemployment insurance department affirmed a decision to not issue unemployment benefits to Baumfalk, a former Clarke County Animal Shelter manager, after she appealed the initial denial. Baumfalk was fired from the shelter in March 2012 for misconduct. Baumfalk was discharged from the shelter after discrepancies were found in the shelter’s finances. Rest of sentencing According to documents released Feb. 4, for Baumfalk to be in compliance with her sentencing, she must actively seek and maintain verifiable employment. Baumfalk must also execute and comply with a plan of restitution and restitution plan of payment. The documents state the Law Enforcement Initiative Surcharge (LEIS) is applicable in Baumfalk’s sentencing, which means Baumfalk is ordered to pay the $125 fee. In other restitution matters, Baumfalk is ordered to pay the probation supervision fees in the amount of $300. Court documents state Baumfalk was informed of the right to appeal the sentence, and pursuant to the Iowa Code, the bond on an appeal is set at $10,000.
City council to have public hearings on ordinance amendments, including stealing from law enforcement By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
City code of ordinances need to mirror the state’s code of ordinances. During an Osceola City Council meeting Feb. 6, Ty Wheeler, Osceola city administrator/clerk, said Iowa Legislature has made amendments to the code of Iowa ordinances, and now Osceola must make similar amendments to its city ordinances.
Amendment Wheeler said there was a state amendment made to provisions pertaining to public health and safety by adding a subsection that prohibits someone from intentionally removing or attempting to remove a police officer’s communication device while the officer is performing any act within the scope of lawful duty. “Basically, you can’t steal something from the police officers,” Wheeler said. “It’s pretty straightforward, I think.”
A public hearing was scheduled at the Feb. 19 city council meeting for approval of the amendment to be added to Osceola’s code of ordinances. Other public hearings were also scheduled Feb. 19 for more city-ordinance amendments, including: • Amending a city ordinance to state Osceola’s city administrator and city clerk is a combined position. • Amending a city ordinance establishing city-council compensation and pay frequency. City council members will be paid monthly, not quarterly.
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Musical cast:
Pictured are the actors in Clarke Area Arts Council’s dinner-theater musical production of “Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway.” Performances are Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at Osceola Country Club. For the Saturday performance, social hour starts at 6 p.m. For the Sunday performance, a dessert buffet starts at 2 p.m. The ladies 1920s-style hairstylings will be done by Betty Hembry.
Index Obituary .......................3 Editorial ........................4 Church Directory .........7
Copyright 2014
A former Clarke Community School cheerleading coach was sentenced to probation Feb. 4 after pleading guilty to the charge of one count of second-degree theft, a class D felony. According to Clarke County District Court documents, Jacqulynn “Jaci” Baumfalk had an original sentence of five years confinement in prison. However, the sentence of incarceration was suspended pursuant to the Iowa Code and Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, and Baumfalk was sentenced to three years of probation. Baumfalk was also fined $750 with a surcharge of 35 percent. Charge Court documents state, “During the time period of August 2008 through June 2011, (Baumfalk) did take possession of money belonging to others with the intent to deprive its owners thereof, and/or did misappropriate property exceeding $1,000 in value by disposing of money belonging to others in a manner inconsistent with the owner’s rights.”
Baumfalk plead guilty to the second-degree theft charge Dec. 5 at Clarke County Courthouse. Previous articles A Feb. 9, 2012, Osceola SentinelTribune article stated a state audit found Baumfalk at fault for mismanagement of funds raised for a cheerleaders’ trip to Florida in December 2010. The cheerleaders traveled to Florida to perform at the Champs Sports Bowl. According to the audit report, a special investigation of the district’s cheerleading account from Aug. 19, 2008, to June 30, 2011, identified $10,136.42 of undeposited collections, improper disbursements and a loss incurred by the district related to the account. The article states the undeposited collections totaled $8,674.14, and included $5,723.14 from fundraisers and $2,585 of payment from parents. According to the audit report, the payments from parents included cash and three checks, which should have been issued to the district but were issued to Baumfalk instead. The three checks were then endorsed by Baumfalk. Animal shelter An Aug. 2, 2012, Osceola SentinelTribune article stated an administrative law judge for Iowa Workforce
Classifieds ...................9 Record .........................2 Sports...........................5
Don’t Forget
Weather Your Local Weather Thu
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Winter farmers’ market
The market is planned 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Osceola Senior Center.
lowed by afternoon sun. Highs in the mid 20s and 40s and lows in the upCHECK OUT OSCEOLAIOWA.COM FOR DAILY UPDATED DEATH NOTICES AND SPORTS. lows inNEWS, the mid teens. per teens.