The
good
Waterway advocates were recently recognized
by River Network and Tom’s of Maine as part
of the 2012 River Heroes Awards which celebrate
those who protect rivers and watersheds. Of
the six named internationally, Des Moines’ own
Susan Heathcote was among them. Trained as a
scientist with a passion for improving Iowa’s
water quality, Heathcote has brought public
awareness to the natural processes governing
water quality. She helped found the first volunteer
monitoring program in the state and has provided
technical leadership on the Iowa Environmental
Council since 1996 on many issues, including
water quality, water monitoring, agricultural
drainage wells, livestock manure management
and Iowa’s hazardous site program. Thanks for
your service, Susan.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR),
a Department of Defense agency, recently announced
Nyemaster Goode of Des Moines as a finalist
for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support
Freedom Award, the DoD’s highest recognition
for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve
employees. A review board comprised of military
and civilian leaders selected 30 finalists from
the 3,236 nominations received earlier this
year. The DoD will announce the 15 recipients
of the 2012 Freedom Award early this summer
following completion of a national selection
board comprised of senior DoD officials, business
leaders and prior awardees. The 2012 recipients
will be honored with the 17th annual Secretary
of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in
Washington, D.C. in September.
The bad
Barely recovering from Officer Brandon Singleton’s
recent termination for allegedly possessing
meth and pot in the squad car (and other misconducts),
now the department is defending against a May
29 incident where an officer was doing a welfare
check on a person reportedly laying in the street
and accidently ran over the person he was supposed
to be checking on. The department spokesman
said the “misfortunate accident” was due to
the “unusual” way the person was positioned
in the street and the excessive darkness of
the night. Perhaps his spotlight needed a battery
change. But, if the call was regarding a subject
laying on the street with exact coordinates
as to where the person’s body was located, why
wasn’t the officer taking extra care to not
run the person over? Fortunately, the person’s
injuries were not life-threatening. Although,
the person shouldn’t have been laying in the
street, we expect police officers to be professional,
cognizant and ready for just about anything.
There’s no excuse for these kind of “misfortunes.”
¡Yo quiero! Ohio resident Michael Smith, 23,
was arrested last week after he crashed his
truck into a Taco Bell restaurant because they
allegedly shorted him one taco. According to
police, Smith had ordered a few items in the
drive-thru and then became angry after he discovered
the missing 99-cent taco. Smith then drove his
truck through a large window in the front of
the building and sped away. Police followed
a trail of leaking fluid all the way to Smith’s
residence. He was arrested and charged with
felony vandalism. And, no, Smith did not kill
the Taco Bell Chihuahua. “Gidget” died in 2009
of natural causes.
The ugly
This Texas mom apparently thinks tattoos are
more important than her child. Stephanie Irene
Santana, 20, was arrested last week after she
had left her 10-month-old child alone in the
car while she tried to get a tattoo. According
to police, Santana, who is currently seven months
pregnant, walked into a tattoo parlor around
3 a.m. and told the employees she wanted a tattoo
but was short on time because she had a sleeping
baby out in the car. The employees told her
to go take care of her child and then called
police. Upon arrival, officers discovered Santana
passed out behind the wheel with the child asleep
in the car seat. Officers also found several
open beer bottles and Xanax in the car. Santana
was arrested and charged with driving while
intoxicated, child endangerment and possession
of a controlled substance.
Don’t ruin my shot! Brian Strayhorne, 29, was
arrested last week in Myrtle Beach after he
reportedly stabbed a man for walking into his
photo. The 26-year-old victim and his brother
had been walking along Ocean Boulevard when
they accidentally walked in front of Strayhorne,
who was taking a photo. Strayhorne confronted
the two men and an argument ensued, which quickly
ended after Strayhorne allegedly stabbed the
victim with an unknown object. Officers located
Strayhorne a short time later and took him into
custody. He was charged with aggravated assault
and battery. CV |
