The
good
This guy may be the last true cowboy in Iowa.
Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, of Boxholm,
is competing at his third Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo. The two previous times he left
Las Vegas, he bettered his position in the Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. In
2009, he finished ninth, in 2010 he was the
reserve champion, and this year he wants to
leave wearing the gold buckle awarded to rodeo’s
best. Sundell helped his quest significantly
when he won the first round of saddle bronc
riding. He is currently third in the world standings
with $131,666. He added $17,885 with his win
on Dec. 1. If he wins a gold buckle, it will
be the first time since 1966 and just the second
time in the history of the PRCA that an Iowan
has earned a world title. We’ll tip our hats
to that.
East High School, Iowa’s largest high school,
improved its attendance by 3 percent in seven
weeks to win the Central Region of the Get Schooled
Foundation’s Fall Attendance Challenge. Sponsored
by the Get Schooled Foundation, the friendly
competition included nearly 80,000 students
at 73 schools in 17 states between Oct. 3 and
Nov. 18. Leading the pack in the Central Region,
East High School’s 3 percent improvement bests
the national average of a 2 percent annual gain
in attendance. “I’m extremely proud of the staff
and students for winning the Central Region
of the Get Schooled Foundation’s Fall Attendance
Challenge,” said Steven Johns, East High School
Principal. “Participating in the challenge united
the students and community around a common goal:
get all students to school so they can succeed
and graduate. This shows Des Moines that East
students are on the move!” Three cheers for
showing up!
The bad
It seems like more and more police officers
are getting caught in the act. Nobody is above
the law, not even former Colorado Sheriff Patrick
Sullivan, who was once named the nation’s Sheriff
of the Year. Last week, Sullivan, 68, was arrested
in a sting operation after attempting to trade
methamphetamine for sex with a man. Sullivan,
known as a law enforcement legend, served as
the county’s top lawman from 1984 until 2002
and was part of a Colorado meth task force in
2000. According to police, Sullivan had a history
of bonding men out of local jails. Two informants
told police that Sullivan was dealing meth but
would only sell to those who would sleep with
him. During the sting, officers found multiple
bags of meth in Sullivan’s possession. He was
arrested and charged with unlawful distribution,
manufacturing and dispensing or sale of a controlled
substance. If convicted, he could face up to
six years in prison. Oh, how the mighty have
fallen.
The ugly
If you’re going to smoke crack, why not hide
it in your crack? Florida resident Teresa Hart,
47, was arrested last week after being caught
wearing stolen shoes and hiding two crack pipes
in her buttocks. According to police, a man
walked into a local athletics store and removed
the security tags from four boxes of women’s
shoes, then left the scene. Hart then entered
the store, grabbed the shoes and fled the scene
without paying. Security stopped Hart before
she could get to her getaway vehicle, and the
man waiting for her fled the scene. As officers
were searching her, Hart admitted to having
drug paraphernalia on her and then removed two
crack pipes from her butt. She was charged with
larceny/retail theft and drug equipment possession.
This lady apparently wasn’t in the holiday
spirit. Connecticut resident Ruth Wagner, 55,
was arrested last week after she tried to shoplift
some Christmas ornaments. According to police,
Wagner was at a local Christmas craft fair and
saw an ornament she just had to have. A witness
saw Wagner take the item and confronted her
before she left. Wagner pulled the ornament
out, stabbed the witness with it and fled the
scene. The witness needed surgery to remove
a piece of the ornament. Wagner was eventually
picked up a short time later and charged with
assault, robbery, reckless endangerment, larceny
and breach of the peace. Merry Christmas! CV |
