Wednesday, September 10, 2003

SUNNY AND HIGH OF 86.

BRIAN TABOR WAS THE WINNER YESTERDAY IN THE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION HERE IN MAQUOKETA. A LOW TURN-OUT OF AROUND 300 VOTED AND TABOR WON BY OVER A HUNDRED VOTES.

A CAR CHASE THIS AFTERNOON ON HIGHWAY 61. A CAR, WITH A POSIBLE DRUNKEN DRIVER, WAS CHASED NORTH AT SPEEDS UP TO 70-80 MILES PER HOUR. THE MAQUOKETA POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO ASSIST CLINTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES BY SETTING A SQUAD CAR ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEPLOYING "STOP STICKS" WHICH CAUSE THE SUSPECT VEHICLE'S TIRES TO DEFLATE. WHEN THE DRIVER OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLE OBSERVED THE MAQUOKETA POLICE DEPARTMENT SQUAD, WHICH WAS LOCATED SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 136 ON HIGHWAY 61, HE SPED UP AND SWERVED INTO THE REAR OF THE UNOCCUPIED MAQUOKETA SQUAD CAR. THE CAR, A 2002 CHEVY IMPALA, SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE NAME OF THE DRIVER HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED AT THIS TIME. HE HAD TO BE EXTRICATED FROM HIS VEHICLE, AND THEN WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL HERE IN MAQUOKETA AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITAL. THE IOWA STATE PATROL WAS CONTACTED TO INVESTIGATE THE COLLISION. I, PERSONALLY, AM AGAINST THESE KIND OF CHASES AND TODAY WAS A DAY WHEN AGAIN, SOME INNOCENT PERSON COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. ANYONE WITH COMMENTS ABOUT CHASES CAN DO SO ON THE KMAQ WEB SITE IF THEY LIKE.

A FORMER MAQUOKETA MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO HIS INFANT DAUGHTER IN FEBRUARY. CHRISTIAN BOWEN, AGE 26, NOW OF DUBUQUE, WAS SENTENCED AFTER ENTERING AN ALFORD PLEA TO CHILD ENDANGERMENT. COURT DOCUMENTS SHOWED HE SHOOK THE INFANT, WHICH RESULTED IN SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY. THE BABY'S MOTHER, KRISTIN EARLES, HAS ALSO BEEN CHARGED, BUT HAS NOT BEEN SENTENCED.

THANKS FOR THE VISIT.

DENNIS VOY