LATEST NEWS

Orange City, Iowa — An Ireton man has been sentenced to prison for sexual crimes. In a news release Wednesday, the Sioux County Attorney’s Office reports that on Monday, December 4, 24-year-old Barret Eugene Vonk of Ireton, was sentenced in Sioux County District Court. Vonk was the center...

Sioux Center, Iowa — A Sioux Center man has been arrested on felony OWI, assault, and other charges after a traffic stop in Sioux Center. According to a criminal complaint filed with the Sioux County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Sioux Center Police Department, 26-year-old Adelso Chavez Chavez of Sioux Center is accused of driving under the influence and assaulting an officer. He was arrested on Sunday.

On Monday, December 4, at 1:45 p.m., the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office investigated a theft that occurred on a farm property, six miles west of Sioux Center, IA. Upon further investigation, deputies discovered that multiple custom-made cattle gates were stolen from the property. The cattle gates are unique in the fact they only have four crossbars, compared to the typical 5-6 crossbars. This theft is believed to have occurred within the last two weeks prior to December 4.

After nearly half a century of serving sweet treats, the iconic Dutch Bakery in Orange City, Iowa, is closing its doors. The owner shares the emotional journey and the tough decision to shut down this beloved local institution.

ROCK VALLEY—A 18-year-old Doon resident was arrested about midnight Saturday, Dec. 2, near Rock Valley on charges of first-offense operating while under the influence, first-offense possession/purchase of alcohol under legal age and failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle. The arrest of Noah Stanley DeWeerd stemmed from a...

ORANGE CITY—A 43-year-old Orange City man was arrested 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, on a charge of fifth-degree theft. The arrest of Nicholas Paul Olson stemmed from a report of him stealing vaping devices, cigarettes and a torch lighter from Brew Oil in Orange City about 10:10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, according to the Orange City Police Department.

SHELDON—A 63-year-old Sheldon man was arrested about 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, on a charge of assault. The arrest of Micheal Brown Jr. stemmed from him grabbing another man by the arms and pulling him close at Autumn Park Apartments in Sheldon on Monday, Nov. 27, according to the Sheldon Police Department.

A historic bakery in Iowa made the shocking announcement that its doors will be closing after almost 50 years in business. The Dutch Bakery in Orange City, Iowa will be closing on Saturday, December 30th after 49 years of making delicious sweets for the community. The owner plans to sell the building and auction off all the bakery’s equipment.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the population in rural areas is on the rise after a decade of decline. Parts of the Midwest and Great Plains saw increases, but not as much as in some other U.S. regions.

ROCK RAPIDS—A 47-year-old Adrian, MN, man turned himself in about 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office in Rock Rapids on a Lyon County warrant for first-offense trespassing. The arrest of David Joseph Case stemmed from him and a woman entering a rural George...

ORANGE CITY—MOC-Floyd Valley High School special education teacher Teri Anderson spent a year in a makeshift classroom erected in the building’s choir room last year. “We were kind of our own island last year,” Anderson said. “They put up some temporary walls, so we had our own spaces, but there weren’t doors or anything.”

SHELDON—Taxpayers might have to pick up the bill to clean up the property at 1302 S. Fifth Ave. in Sheldon where a house burned down on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The Sheldon City Council will consider a resolution authorizing advancement of costs for urban renewal project for the cleanup during its meeting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Sheldon Community Services Center.

In the serene rural town of Ashton, a startling event disrupted the peace on an early December Sunday. Austin James Thompson, a 28-year-old local, was arrested for operating his vehicle under the influence (OWI), marking yet another DUI case for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. Thompson's arrest occurred after a deputy discovered him with his 1999 Buick Park Avenue oddly parked between railroad tracks near East Third Street. The deputy's initial intent to assist quickly shifted to a DUI investigation upon noticing signs of Thompson's intoxication, including bloodshot eyes, impaired coordination, and the strong scent of alcohol. His subsequent failure in the field sobriety tests confirmed the offense.

Sheldon, Iowa — A Sanborn man has been arrested on felony OWI charges in Sheldon. According to a criminal complaint filed with the O’Brien County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Sheldon Police Department, 35-year-old Terrance Jackson of Sanborn is accused of driving drunk. He was arrested on Saturday.

Rock Rapids, Iowa — An Edgerton, Minnesota man has been arrested on burglary, drug, and OWI charges in Lyon County. According to a criminal complaint filed with the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Iowa State Patrol, 25-year-old Jorge Medina of Edgerton is accused of burglary, possession of methamphetamine, and driving under the influence. He was arrested on Friday.

A northwest Iowa man faces up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa to defrauding livestock producers in several Midwestern states. Fifty-year-old Robert Harry Bickerstaff of Rock Rapids pled guilty on Friday, Dec. 1, to one count of wire fraud. Bickerstaff, a former regional manager at an Iowa livestock dealer from 2018 to 2021, admitted to overseeing livestock buying stations across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. He confessed to a fraudulent scheme that involved manipulating swine weights and classifications, falsifying scale tickets, and destroying potential evidence in early 2021. Bickerstaff was a pork producer himself and previously received recognition from a statewide pork producers’ association for his work promoting pork in Lyon County. A sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled, pending the completion of a pre-sentencing report. Bickerstaff faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Rock Valley, Iowa — A garage and its contents were destroyed and other property was damaged in a fire on Monday, December 4, 2023, in Rock Valley. According to Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis, at about 2:10 a.m., the Rock Valley Fire Department was called to the report of a garage fire at 1229 15th Street, in the northwest part of Rock Valley.

Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon City Council will be meeting in regular session this Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the council chambers at the Sheldon Community Services Center. There are several items on their consent agenda. The items are normally approved all in one fell swoop. This time,...

Shane D. Johnson | Staff Writer Over the last week, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office has reported several scam attempts made with residents and even its own officers. In three separate press releases, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office has responded to these scam attempts.In a Nov. 27 press release, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office reported…

Of the 15 years that Culver’s has been serving frozen custard and ButterBurgers in Sioux Center, Zach Jensema has spent the last 10 years working there. After graduating from Dordt in 2013 with a business administration major, he applied to positions all over the country, including in his hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.