News
PLACE WINNERS
• Legislative luncheon
A Legislative luncheon hosted by Clarke County Development Corporation will be held noon Friday at Lakeside Casino. Lunch is provided.
I-35’s Arzani; CD’s Ranney, Wells medal at state wrestling Page 10
www.osceolaiowa.com
154 YEARS • NO. 8
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Sutton, Elben plead not guilty to accessory charges By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Two Osceola people involved in a double homicide investigation have plead not guilty to their charges. Lynn Ranean Sutton, 47, and Christopher Martin Elben, 42, have each plead not guilty to their charge of one count of accessory after the fact. Accessory after the fact is a result of the suspects helping the
perpetrator after the crime had occurred. According to a records search in Iowa Courts online, arraignments were scheduled 9 a.m. Sutton Thursday, Feb. 19, for the suspects and the not guilty pleas were filed. The homicides The double homicide investigation is about the deaths of Erick
Reyna, 22, and Noe Flores Rascon, 27, both of Osceola. Richard Ryan Lamb Carson, 38, has been charged with two counts of Elben first-degree murder in their deaths. Tracy Kay Johnson, 43, was also charged with one count of accessory after the fact. An online records search
showed no arraignment has been scheduled for Carson or Johnson yet. On Saturday, Jan. 24, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Osceola Police Department received a report that Reyna and Rascon had gone missing during the evening hours on Friday, Jan. 23. After further investigation, the two men were located Sunday, Jan. 25, in a vehicle at 1305 255th Ave., Osceola, in rural northern Clarke County. They were deceased. It appears both victims died of gun-
shot wounds. Court report According to court documents, a female reported, “Carson spoke of beating up her two friends and taking them into the county to dump them off.” The documents state Carson told state investigators that he did get into an altercation with Rascon while in a vehicle outside of a residence in Osceola. Carson said Please see PLEAS, Page 4
Council approves putting new city logo on water tower By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
If you’re going to have a new city logo, you might as well start using it. During a Feb. 17 Osceola City Council meeting, the council was presented with the opportunity to have the city’s logo, which was approved last year, put on the west water tower. Osceola Water Board had budgeted this year for the repainting/repairing of the west water tower. Originally, the plan was to put the black “OSCEOLA” letters back on the water tower. However, with the city’s new logo, it opened up an opportunity to put the image on the water tower, which is located by Clarke County State Bank and Subway. City’s contribution Since the water tower repainting/repair project is already becoming costly for the water board, the board made the request to the city to contribute to payment of the logo on the water tower. Putting the new logo on two sides of the water tower would cost $5,835. A suggestion was made at the council meeting to split the cost of the logo on the water tower between the water department and
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
This Casey’s General Store located at the intersection of Highways 34 and 69, also known as “the four corners,” used to be a Kum and Go convenience store.
City moves forward with Casey’s renovation project By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
The city of Osceola gave another go-ahead to the potential renovation of the Casey’s General Store located at the intersection of Highways 34 and 69, also known as “the four corners.” The building used to be a Kum and Go convenience store, before it was purchased by Casey’s a few years ago. Casey’s General Stores has acquired the necessary properties and is working with the city of Osceola on a site plan for a store renovation. There are also three other Casey’s General Stores in Osceola. An agenda item for the Feb. 17 council meeting was the second reading for the rezoning of the residence of 412 S. Main St. from “RB Residential Business” to
“B-2 Highway Commercial.” This would be part of the property expansion in Casey’s renovation project. Previous public concern During previous council meetings, there were public concerns about the convenience store renovation and what it would mean to development and neighborhood property values. Ty Wheeler, city administrator/clerk, said there was no recent public feedback on the issue. “It’s just a current ongoing discussion about what will be included in the site plan,” said Dave Leonard, the city’s zoning administrator/building inspector, community development. “Actually, just today, I got what they’re proposing as a final site plan. It shows, I’ve just looked at it briefly, but it shows all the modifications, except for the dumpster. That’s going to be a discussion.”
The final site plan will also have to go through the city council’s process of approval. “It looks like they’ve addressed all of the concerns in the short amount of time I’ve looked at it, other than the dumpster, which, you know, might be an issue,” Leonard said The public will still have a chance for comment during the site plan’s approval. Rezoning approval The second reading of the property rezoning was unanimously approved. The council chose to waive the third and final reading because there was no additional public comment. The waiving of the third reading was approved, however Councilman Dr. George Fotiadis voted no on the third reading. “The reason, your honor, with the site plan, I didn’t know if that would make a difference,” Fotiadis said.
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
This is the water tower on the west side of Osceola that will be getting repaired and repainted.
Contributed image
Please see WATER TOWER, Page 4
This is the new logo for the city of Osceola.
Loebsack visits Osceola, discusses broadband access By BAILEY POOLMAN
CNA staff reporter bpoolman@crestonnews.com
Access to the Internet has grown exponentially since Iowa entered the digital age, and U.S. Congressman for Iowa’s second congressional district Dave Loebsack (D) discussed Internet access and broadband during a Feb. 6 meeting at Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC). “It is a big challenge and it’s hard to fathom, that in this day and age we have places that don’t have internet access,” said Bill Trickey, SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2014
CCDC director. Broadband, which is wide bandwidth data transmission with an ability to simultaneously transport multiple signals and Loebsack traffic types, essentially means internet access at higher speeds than traditional dial-up access. “Rural broadband, internet in general, affects a heck of a lot of things,” Loebsack said. “I know
how important this is to rural communities, for economic development, for health, for a lot of different things.” According to Connect Iowa 2014 statistics, Clarke County does not reach 100 percent of households served by low-speed available broadband. Telemedicine was mentioned during the meeting, which means people can gain access to a health professional via video if a trip to the doctor’s office isn’t possible. “Hospitals in Iowa are under a lot of pressure as it is already, and
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Neighbors.....................5 Public Notices...... 13-14 Record..........................2 Sports.................... 10-11
clearly, part of it is our aging population in Iowa,” Loebsack said. “As far as I’m concerned, from a health care perspective, it’s all about access. We want quality, affordable health care, but we’ve got to have access. ... And, with economies, you can do more with telehealth.” Connect Iowa, which is a company in partnership with Iowa Economic Development Authority, has been in the works to allow broadband access everywhere in Iowa. “We’ve made free Wifi available
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on the square, and at the Depot, but the big coup that happened through all this conversation was I got INS, Iowa Network Services, came through Osceola with fiber on their way to Grand River,” Trickey said. “I said, ‘How about providing service on your way down there?’ So they did a study and decided to do it. So now, we have fiber available to our business community.” According to the statistics, of
Don’t Forget
Please see LOEBSACK, Page 4
A fish fry at St. Bernard Parish Hall, 226 E. Pearl St., will be serving from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday. People may register for door prizes.
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