The City of Ottumwa will be holding a public information meeting in regards to the East Main Street Reconstruction Project. The meeting will be an open house format and will take place at the City Hall Council Chambers on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from 5:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. Representatives from the City of Ottumwa and JEO Consulting Group will be available to answer any questions you may have in regards to the project.
Ottumwa BP Robbed at Gunpoint
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – Ottumwa police are looking for information after an armed robbery at the BP Service Station in Ottumwa. According to a news release sent by the Ottumwa Police Department, a clerk reported that the BP Service Station located at 1301 N. Court was robbed at gunpoint around 8:00 PM on Sunday, Feb. 18.
According to the release, a clerk reported that a male had entered the store displaying a handgun and demanded money. The clerk said the robber then stole money from the cash drawer. Unfortunately, the release stated that the thief wore clothing that would conceal his identity during the incident, therefore no details about his appearance have been released, aside from two photos taken from surveillance footage.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683-0661.
Readers should be advised that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
By Hailey Brown, KBOE/KMZN
President’s Day Closings for Ottumwa
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – The third Monday of each February is a time to remember past presidents and, for some government employees, a day to enjoy off work. It is also when George Washington’s birthday is celebrated by many throughout the nation, although he was born on Feb. 22, 1732. According to a news release sent to KMZN by the City of Ottumwa, a number of offices and services will affected by the holiday on Feb. 19:
- Offices at Ottumwa’s City Hall and the Ottumwa Public Works Central Garage will be closed.
- The Ottumwa, Calvary and Jewish Cemetery office at 1302 N. Court will be closed.
- The Ottumwa Police Department Records Desk will be closed.
- Both the Ottumwa/ Wapello Landfill and the Recycling Center will be closed.
- City residential trash and recycling normally collected on Monday, Feb. 19 will be picked up Tuesday, Feb. 20. Bulky items normally collected on Tuesdays will be picked up on Thursday, Feb. 22. There is no change for the customers of the City’s rural residential trash and recycling collection. Bridge City Sanitation offices will be closed for the holiday on Monday.
- The Ottumwa Public Library will be closed.
- Ottumwa Transit buses will not be operating. The Ottumwa Transit office will be closed as well.
- Ottumwa Water and Hydro Offices at 230 Turner Drive will be closed.
- The Beach Ottumwa will be open 5:15 AM to noon for lap swim and regular programs.
Other notes:
- Courts will not be in session.
- The United States Postal Service will not deliver mail on Presidents Day, but UPS and FedEx will operate as usual.
- Most banks will be closed. For information about a particular bank, contact them directly.
- The New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and bond markets will be closed.
By Hailey Brown, KBOE/KMZN
Drugs, Weapons Seized During Ottumwa Traffic Stop
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – In the early hours of Tuesday, Feb. 13, the Ottumwa Police Department performed a traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of Ferry and Chester in Ottumwa.
According to a news release, officers seized controlled substances and a loaded handgun as a result of this stop. The following people were arrested and charged with the following crimes:
Ryan Lawrence Gillen, 22, of Ottumwa, was arrested for: Possession with the Intent to Deliver More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine, a Class “B” Felony; Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, a Class “D” Felony; Carrying Weapons, an Aggravated Misdemeanor; Driving While Barred, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
Theresa Ann Lomax, 43, of Ottumwa, was arrested for: Possession with the Intent to Deliver More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine, a Class “B” Felony; Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, a Class “D” Felony; Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, a Class “D” Felony; Prohibited Acts, Possession of Marijuana, a Serious Misdemeanor; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor.
Disclaimer: A charge is merely an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
By Hailey Brown, KBOE/KMZN
City of Ottumwa Public Information Meeting
The City of Ottumwa will be holding a public information meeting in regards to the Roundabout being constructed at the intersection Richmond Avenue and Ferry Street. The meeting will take place at the Evans Middle School on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. Representatives from the City of Ottumwa and DC Construction will be available to answer any questions you may have in regards to the project.
Ottumwa Man Faces Charges After January Incident
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – According to a news release sent by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Ottumwa Police Department executed a search warrant in Ottumwa at the beginning of January. As a result of the search warrant and investigation conducted at that time, Christopher Ray Cale, 41, was arrested. Cale is now charged with Violation of Protection Order a Simple Misdemeanor and Possession and Control of Firearms and Ammunition (Domestic/Protective Order) Class D Felony.
This investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available. According to the news release, Cale bonded from the Wapello County Jail.
Disclaimer: A charge is merely an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
By Hailey Brown, KBOE/KMZN
City of Ottumwa to Observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day
(Ottumwa, Iowa) – Monday, Jan. 15 is both a state and federal holiday to honor the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. According to a news release sent to KBOE, City of Ottumwa offices will be closed and some City services are changed due to the holiday:
- Offices at City Hall and the Ottumwa Public Works Central Garage will be closed.
- The Ottumwa Police Department Records Desk will be closed.
- There will be no Ottumwa Transit bus service. The Transit office will be closed as well.
- The Ottumwa, Calvary and Jewish Cemetery office at 1302 N. Court will be closed.
- The Ottumwa Public Library will be closed.
- The Ottumwa/ Wapello Landfill and Recycling Center will be closed.
- Residential trash and recycling normally collected on Monday, Jan. 15 will be picked up Tuesday, Jan. 16. North and South side bulk item collection as well as Christmas tree collection will be done on Thursday, Jan. 18. All other collection trash and recycling routes are the same. There will be no changes to county customer collection dates.
- The Beach Ottumwa will be open 5 AM to Noon for lap swim and regular programs.
- Ottumwa Water and Hydro Offices at 230 Turner Drive will be open regular hours.
Oskaloosa, Ottumwa Declares Snow Emergency
A Snow Emergency has been declared for the City of Oskaloosa effective Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 12:00 midnight. The ordinance shall remain in effect until 5:00 pm Friday, December 29, 2017.
According to Oskaloosa Municipal Code, Chapter 10.48, Article II – Snow Emergency, all vehicles must be removed from city streets to allow crews to remove snow throughout and after the snow event. Vehicles parked on city streets during this time will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
As a reminder, all property owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalks along their property twenty-four (24) hours after the snow has stopped falling as required by Oskaloosa Municipal Code 12.12.140 – Cleaning snow, ice and accumulations. Property owners can be ticketed and/or charged a fee by the city for failure to clear their sidewalks. A fee may also be charged if the city clears your sidewalks
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The City of Ottumwa’s Snow Emergency Ordinance will be placed into effect at 3 PM on Thursday, December 28, 2017. Residents are reminded that while the Snow Emergency is declared, no parking is allowed on streets designated as “Snow Routes” until the emergency is lifted. Snow Routes are marked with square blue signs showing a white snowflake.
Parking on non-snow emergency route streets rotates sides on a daily basis. On the even numbered days, parking is allowed on the even numbered side of the street. On the odd numbered days, parking is allowed on the odd numbered side of the street.
The Snow Emergency will remain in effect until further notice. While the Snow Emergency Ordinance is in effect, all vehicles parked out of compliance with the Ordinance are subject to being towed and impounded and a citation will be issued and fee charged for towing and impoundment.
During snow storms, City Public Works crews focus on keeping the snow routes and major streets open through the duration of the storm. This allows essential and emergency travel around town even in the worst of conditions. Once the snow stops, the focus shifts to clearing the side streets and residential areas.
During winter storms, City, County and State snowplows work hard to make roads passable. All motorists should be mindful that plow drivers cannot see directly behind their trucks and often stop or back up. Staying a safe distance behind a snowplow will protect you from possible injury and protect your car from sanding material that plows spread on slick roadways.
Ottumwa BP Service Station Robbery
On Wednesday, December 20, 2017, shortly after 7 PM, the Ottumwa Police Department received a report of a robbery that occurred at the BP Service Station located at 1301 N. Court.
The clerk reported that a male suspect entered the store claiming to have a weapon and demanded money.
The suspect stole an undermined amount of cash from the register and several cartons of cigarettes. The suspect had his identity concealed with the clothing he was wearing during the incident.
If anyone has information regarding this incident they are requested to contact the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683- 0661.
Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Ottumwa Resident Sentenced for Scamming Insurers
Cletus Abongwa Ngwa, 34, of Ottumwa, Iowa, was sentenced in United States District Court in Des Moines, Iowa on September 15, 2017, to an 18-month prison sentence with 3 years’ supervised release and ordered to pay joint restitution in the amount of $260,043 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Ngwa, along with his co-conspirator Venancia Amora Rodriguez, 47, of Ottumwa, defrauded two private insurance companies by filing fraudulent foreign death claims for three of Rodriguez’s family members who were alleged to have died in the Philippines.
The prosecution was the result of a collaborative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
“These fraudulent acts are intolerable,” Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said. “I greatly appreciate the hard work of our Fraud Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney to help bring these individuals to justice.”
“The FBI is committed to helping protect hard working citizens and corporations from fraudulent activity,” FBI Omaha Field Office Special Agent in Charge Randall Thysse said. “We are committed to investigating these matters and apprehending those who commit such crimes.”
“This is not a victimless crime as the cost fraud is ultimately paid for by consumers through increased insurance premiums,” Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau Chief Jared Kirby said. “Given the amount of fraud that occurs, it is absolutely critical to progressively investigate and prosecute the perpetrators for these insurance fraud offenses to deter future violations.”
Rodriguez was previously sentenced in United States District Court in Des Moines on May 24, 2016, to a 24-month prison sentence with 3 years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $260,043. This sentence followed Rodriguez’s February 19, 2016, guilty plea to mail fraud for her role in the fraud scheme.
“We are proud of the hard work that our team and federal and state partners put into procuring this kind of successful outcome in this case,” SAC Thysse said. “This should send a clear message to anyone who commits these acts they they will be caught and they will face justice.”
The investigation conducted by Federal and State law enforcement authorities concluded that Rodriguez had claimed to Standard Insurance Company, an Oregon-based insurer, that her 17-year-old son died of dengue fever on June 5, 2014, while visiting the Philippines.
Approximately three months later, Rodriguez claimed to the same insurer that her 49-year-old husband had died on August 15, 2014, of a heart ailment while visiting the Philippines.
On March 6, 2015, Rodriguez claimed to Minnesota Life, a Minnesota-based insurer, that her 15-year-old son had died as a result of drowning at a city pool in the Philippines.
During the investigation, it was determined that all three of these individuals were in fact still alive. It was discovered that Mrs. Rodriguez, who was originally from the Philippines, utilized her connections to pay people to acquire fictitious Philippine government documents, which she submitted to the insurance companies to support her claim.
Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304 or online at https://iid.iowa.gov/report