First 2015 Greene County Baby Announced At Greene County Medical Center
For the first time since 2007, a New Year’s Day baby was born at Greene County Medical Center.
Community Relations Director Carla Offenburger says Tarek Aly was born at 11:47am on Thursday, January 1, 2015. Tarek’s parents are Megan Vaughan and Haitham Aly who were also given $50 in Greene County Chamber Checks in honor of Tarek being born on New Year’s Day.
Grand Junction Man Faces Felony Charges After Shooting Self
A Grand Junction man faces charges after accidentally shooting himself with a gun.
Greene County Sheriff Steve Haupert says four deputies and the Grand Junction Fire and Rescue unit responded at 8:09pm on Saturday, January 3rd when 24 year-old Patrick Ryan Thompson had been shot in the lower abdomen in the 400 block of Rebecca Street in Grand Junction.
Haupert notes that Thompson originally told authorities that someone shot him as he walking south of town to get to his vehicle that his wife had taken to another residence. After Thompson had been taken to the Greene County Medical Center, Haupert states that they believed the shot had been from close range.
After he was treated, Thompson admitted to investigators that he accidentally shot himself when he was walking alone. The handgun is believed to be a 25-caliber pistol. Thompson was released from the hospital that same day and is expected to make a full recovery.
Haupert adds that charges are pending the completion of their investigation but that Thompson will face a felony charge for a felon in possession of a firearm.
Iowa DNR Files 151 Charges In Ongoing Greene County Investigation
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has filed charges against three Polk County men who also face several drug charges from the Greene County Sheriff’s office.
DNR Officer Dan Pauly says there are 151 charges for illegal fishing and gaming that happened following an executed search warrant on November 4, 2014 in the 300 block of C Avenue.
Pauly states that 20 year-old Hossein Kolbehdari of Ankeny faces 69 charges and if found guilty, he could pay $6,832 in fines. 22 year-old Rheise Presnall of Polk City faces 78 charges and if convicted, he would pay $7,818.75 in fines. 21 year-old Maxwell McGlothlen of Ankeny faces four charges and if he’s found guilty, he would pay $408.75 in fines. All three could also have to pay for liquidated damages for game that is alleged to have been illegally harvested.
All three suspects face drug and assault charges from the Greene County Sheriff’s office. All three have pled not-guilty to the drug and assault charges. Kolbehdari and Presnall will stand trial in Greene County District Court on February 9th and McGlothlen will have his trial on February 27th.
A House Burned Down and A Dog Died In Jefferson
A dog perished and a house was a total loss from a fire in Jefferson.
According to Greene County Dispatch, at 12:15pm on Thursday a fire was reported at 405 East Perry Street.
Jefferson Fire Chief Randy Love says the house was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on scene. Love points out that with cold temperatures and high winds gusts there was a possibility that the firefighters could have sustained frostbite and their water lines could freeze. Neither happened from the incident.
Police Chief Dave Morlan says Jeremy Everle was inside the house at the time the fire started, but got out safely.
Love states that once the flames were extinguished, it was determined that one dog perished in the fire, no humans were hurt and the house was a total loss. He believes that the cause was from an electrical panel in the corner of the attached garage. The fire is considered to be accidental.
Morlan notes that Mark Thompson was renting the house from Joel Zehman of Zehman Enterprises who owns the property.
Jefferson Fire and Police departments, Grand Junction Fire Department and the Greene County Emergency Medical Services all responded to the scene.
Sledding Hill Now Open In Greene County
The sledding hill at Seven Hills Park in Greene County will be opened for the first time this winter this weekend.
Conservation Director Dan Towers says there must be at least four-inches of snow in order for the sledding hill to be open to the public. There is a rope tow to help those get from the bottom of the hill to the top along with a fire going in the shelter house.
He adds that there’s no sled rentals at the park but any approved sled can be used. Even though runner sleds are allowed, Towers points out that they can be pretty dangerous.
“It was usually those that if there was an injury of some kind, it was when the conditions were icy and fast and some kid fell off his sled and the next sled down was a runner sled and it might bump him up a little bit. Most are the plastic tubs and saucers now.”
It will be open from 1:30-4:30pm every weekend unless it’s below zero degrees, then Towers notes it will be closed.
It is free and open to the public.
Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation Begins Its Town Hall Meetings
A reminder to all Greene County residents that Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation will begin its town hall meetings this weekend.
There will be six town hall meetings-one in every city-to gather public input on what the non-profit gambling license holder could do with their share of the adjusted growth revenue from Wild Rose Jefferson.
GGCGC will receive a five-percent amount from the total adjusted gross revenue which is an estimated $1.5 million per year to give to other charitable projects and organizations. Of that five-percent, GGCGC’s contract with Wild Rose Entertainment stipulates that up to 20% or an estimated $300,000 is eligible to give to the contiguous counties of Carroll, Guthrie, Dallas, Calhoun, Boone and Webster.
The first two meetings will be this Sunday, January 11th at the community center in Scranton at 4:30pm and at the Greene County ISU Extension office in Jefferson at 6pm.
President Norm Fandel says their group hasn’t made any definitive decisions on how to distribute the funds which is why they are looking for public input.
The funds won’t be made available until the spring of 2016.
There will be four more meetings next week at various locations around the county.