Opinion Tribune (Newspaper) - September 5, 2001, Glenwood, Iowa 137 Years CO CXI 3fc Volume 137, No. 49 county being sued Shooting victim's mother says law enforcement officers failed to protect her son despite threats Photo By Joe Foreman Good news for motorists Mills County motorists received an early holiday gift last week when gas prices fell below the mark for the first time in about two On Monday a gallon of regular gasoline was selling for 99.9 cents at most Glenwood service It was less than three months ago when area motorists were fearing that gasoline prices would rise to as much as a gallon because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the ' By Joe Editor The City of Mills County and the Southwest Iowa Drug Task Force are among several defendants named in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by the mother of a Glenwood teen who was critically injured in a shooting at his apartment last Nicholas 18, suffers from a long-term mental disability after being shot in the head at point-blank range by a Pacific Junction The shooting stemmed from an on-going feud between Vasquez and Karl 44. The feud was precipitated by alleged drug involvement and a relationship between and brother Mike In a Mills County jury convicted Voll of attempted murder as a result of the Sylvia contends that officers from the Glenwood Police Mills County Last a Mills County jury found Karl Voll guilty of attempted He shot Nicholas Vasquez in the head May 11, leaving the teen mentally Sheriff's Office and other southwest Iowa law enforcement agencies ignored death threats Voll made against her She also accuses officers of intimidating and discriminating against her family because of their Hispanic Four weeks before the May 11 16-year-old stepdaughter was caught at Glenwood Community High School with what was believed to be The Vasquez brothers had allegedly asked the girl to sell the drug as payment for a After being told that their daughter could face a substantial prison sentence for trafficking Voll and his agreed to record a conversation they would have with the Vasquez brothers concerning a drug Maria Voll paid the brothers for what she believed to be A lab test later determined the substance to be crushed lawsuit contends that Voll was recorded making the death threats against her sons and that the two boys informed law enforcement officers of the threats when they were arrested for the alleged drug The petition filed by attorney Sylvia Avalos inquired whether the Glenwood Police intended to do anything to protect her the Glenwood Police informed her that her sons were the problem and that they were not concerned about Karl Voll testified at his trial that law enforcement officers knew of his anger toward the two but just laughed it off. The petition also contends that law enforcement officers knew Voll was and was a to the Vasquez brothers because of his violent racial tendencies and criminal Avalos says law enforcement officers have exhibited discrimination since 1995 by stopping her sons while they were in their vehicles without probable cause or raiding her home on drug searches and engaging in intimidation such as stops and telephone parking in front of Sylvia home with the cruiser lights turned off and various other City Attorney Matt Woods said he could not comment on the I can say at this point is that we've notified our insurance Woods Procedural changes at resource center prompted by DOJ review Former city clerk from Hastings gets 10-year sentence for theft of funds By Joe Editor HASTINGS - Former Hastings City Clerk Sandra Campbell was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week and ordered to repay of the she embezzled from this eastern Mills County community of just over 200 residents between January of 1996 and December of 2000. Campbell was sentenced in Mills County District Court after pleading guilty to A special investigation by the Iowa State Auditor's Office uncovered four years of improprieties within the city clerk's The investigation was initiated by Hastings Mayor Art Goodwin after evidence of the possible misappropriation of taxpayer funds was The theft of funds nearly depleted the city of its cash The city has made up for some of the stolen funds through insurance donations and a loan from the fire The state auditor's report indicated that the misappropriated funds were the direct result of undeposited unauthorized disbursements and overdraft Some Hastings residents have stated that Campbell became financially strapped while caring for her paralyzed According to a report released last June by State Auditor Richard Ms. her Ryan ( a former Hastings City and her ReNee Brich a former Hastings City were all recipients of the unauthorized which included cash unauthorized checks and money Johnson noted that the city's prevented investigators from determining if other funds had also been The state auditor recommended the city strengthen its internal control policies and overall DES MOINES - The State of Iowa's mental health resource centers at Woodward and Glenwood are changing some procedures in wake of a two-year review by the Department of Justice Officials at both centers said that in preliminary federal investigators complimented many services but were critical of particularly in the area of coordinating psychiatric and psychological investigators said they were here to help and we're taking them at their said Dr. Michael superintendent of the Woodward Resource which cares for about 280 many of whom also have a mental j their exit interview last they talked to us about their preliminary We took them as valuable Davis A final report has not been but Sally Titus a deputy director of the Department of Human whose office includes institutional said it is important not to overreact to expected welcome suggestions on how to but Iowans need to know that we're providing exceptional service to a challenging group of some of whom were placed in a dozen or more settings before finding satisfaction at Woodward or she Glenwood Resource Center Superintendent Dr. William Campell said vast improvements have been made over the and that nearly all as well as their are pleased with treatment Residents live in houses and most have jobs that match their he Iowa is one of the few states that has not had a federal review of institutions under a 30-year-old law that protects civil rights of people being The DOJ review in Iowa began in the spring of 1999. Davis and Campbell said investigators had positive reports on medical treatments and were especially impressed with advances to assist residents who have swallowing also said what we know to be that our staffs respect and value the people we Campbell Davis said significant advances have also been made in psychiatric and psychological But he said the DOJ report is expected to be critical in that in this is It's hard to do a psychiatric review of a person who doesn't or who repeatedly hits himself or or who won't We're making Davis Davis said Justice Department officials were critical of the quality of the communication between professionals at the two told us that the psychiatric and psychological services have improved but that there is not enough coordination between the he agree there is room for didn't have a system in place where that was As a the psychiatrist might change the medication where the best thing to do might be to reduce or stop the use of psychotropic drugs and change the behavioral program he Psychotropic drugs are medications used to treat psychiatric Davis and Campbell said the resource centers have focused on this issue and have expanded training as a The federal report is expected to say that neither institution has enough psychologists and that the percentage of residents being treated with psychotropic drugs exceeds the national Campbell and Davis said they appreciate the input from federal value all including the Department of in providing assistance in our process of continual We will continue to change processes and systems to enhance the quality of life for people we Campbell The report on its findings is expected to be released When the staff of the resource centers and Justice Department experts will engage in further discussions in an effort to improve the quality of life for residents at the two Governor to honor officers Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson will be holding four special holiday events Dec. 8, and Dec. 16, at the state capitol in Des 'The events of Sept. 11 have served as a reminder of the commitment and cation of all firefighters and police Vilsack courage and dedication to the protection of our safety and well-being should be The schedule for the open house events is Dec. 8, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5 and Dec. 16,1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. two events were set up in an effort to accommodate the busy schedule the Iowa's firefighters and police officers Pederson Reservations for the open house should be made by calling 281-0201. The Bottom Line it * Glenwood basketball teams hit the INDEX Public Record 2 A Viewpoint 4 A Finance 5 A Focus IB tissue donors to be honored Dec. 8 Karl funeral director at Hertz Funeral Home in Glenwood and is joining colleagues of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association and Gov. Tom Vilsack in sponsoring the second annual Governor's Gift pf Hope reception Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to The at the state will honor Iowans who made tissue and eye donations between 20 and Oct. 1. Families in attendance will receive a certificate and rose in recognition of their loved one's donations and meet Vilsack and his pneumonia vaccine now available from Mills County Public Health Office i and pneumonia vaccinations are now available at the Mills County Public Health Office in The charge for these vaccinations will be for flu and for Medicare will be billed for those who have this insurance benefit and present their card at the time of the All children under the age of 18 must have a written order from their Additional information is available by calling the public health office at 712-527-9699. The following vaccination clinics have been scheduled in Glenwood by the Mills County Public Health Dec. 5-4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Dec. 8 - 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mills County Public Health Dec. 12 - 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Dec. 14 - 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Mills County Glenwood Weather Report Nov. 26 61 27 0.00 Nov. 27 28 24 0.00 Nov. 28 29 24 0.00 Nov. 29 31 29 0.00 Nov. 30 36 24 0.00 Dec. 1 50 23 0.00 Dec. 2 59 28 0.00 Weather Report Courtesy of t
