A federal judge has agreed to free an Iowa man from jail more than six months after his videotaped confrontation of a police officer inside the U.S. Capitol became one of the most well-known images of the Jan. 6 D.C. disturbance. Douglas Jensen was wearing a T-shirt bearing a symbol of the QAnon theory when he joined the group that approached Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman inside the building and followed the officer up two flights of stairs. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly agreed Tuesday to release the Des Moines resident on house arrest with electronic location monitoring. Prosecutors had argued that releasing Jensen would pose a danger to the public.
Republican State Senator Zach Nunn announced Tuesday that he will run for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd District, the seat currently held by Democrat Congresswoman Cindy Axne. Nunn was elected to his first term in the State Senate in 2018. He previously served two terms in the Iowa House. Nunn is an Air Force veteran and professor at Drake University. Nunn is the third Republican to announce a run for the 3rd District seat, joining Mary Ann Hanusa and Nicole Hasso. Axne has not said whether or not she will run for re-election in 2022.
Three juveniles have been arrested after stealing a car and leading police on a chase. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a stolen car from the Cedar Rapids area that could possibly be in the Elgin area early last Friday morning, just after 3:30. Deputies patrolled the area and saw the stolen car speeding on Highway 18 near Rose Road. A deputy pursued the car; the driver attempted to elude officers until driving into a creek. One juvenile was arrested after a foot chase, while the other two suspects walked to a nearby home and stole another car. A Bremer County Deputy later spotted that stolen car and pursued it, but the chase ended when the car went into a ditch. Charges include Operating Without Owners Consent, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Eluding, and Interference with Official Acts. Other charges are pending. The incident remains under investigation.
A month-long investigation led to the arrest of an Elgin man, accused of sexual abuse of a girl from the time she was 12 until she was an adult. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said it filed charges of 2nd Degree Sexual Abuse against 53-year-old John Franzen. He was released after posting $25,000 cash bond. The investigation continues, and officials say more charges could be filed in this case. If convicted, Franzen could be required to register on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry and could face up to 25 years in prison.
A 57-year-old Armstrong man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for receiving more than $1.3 million in loans in a fraud scheme involving federal programs offering help for coronavirus-related losses. Federal prosecutors say Donald Trosin was sentenced this week in Cedar Rapids federal court. Prosecutors said Trosin was living in Minnesota, when he conspired to launder funds from Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster loans he received from banks in northwest Iowa and Minnesota. After receiving the loans, he wired the money to other people in different states.
For the second time in less than a year, Bremer County is looking for a new Building, Zoning & Sanitation administrator. The county board of supervisors accepted the immediate resignation of current administrator Ben Wilkens at its meeting on Monday. Wilkens began working for the county in February 2021, and had received an increase in pay from the board in May, raising his salary to $73,963 annually. He supervised a department of four full-time employees. Following a closed session earlier this month, supervisors passed a motion to terminate Wilkens or give him the option to resign with two weeks’ pay. However, that was put on hold to allow Wilkens to have a ‘clear the air’ session with staff. However, instead of an update on that, the board received Wilkens’ resignation.
Fort Dodge will have a municipal broadband utility in the next two years. The city council there approved plans Monday night, including borrowing $40 million to build the system. They’ll use revenue from the utility to pay that off. Residents will pay no more than $95 for the highest internet speed, and $20 a month for a landline phone. During a 2019 referendum vote, 71% of those who voted were in favor of the project.
