The two carbon-capture pipelines in the works from Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures will carry pressurized carbon dioxide hundreds of miles across 6 states. While the technology for these pipeline infrastructures has advanced and improved, a rupture is always a possibility. "The consequences to the land agricultural production lies and examination afterward, there's not much research done on that specific type of spill. Finding it in the literature is incredibly hard if it even exists, but there are a few things that we can expect for when that happens." Aaron Daigh is a land and soil expert who has studied pipeline ruptures and the impact they can have on the land. "You would expect whatever zone that supercritical carbon spread out on in the ground, is likely stripping out some of the nutrients and fertility of that ground and so in addition to that microbial part, you would see a reduction and productivity or that's what you would expect to occur." Supercritical carbon refers to pressurized carbon dioxide that is different from the pure liquid state. This CO2 is not really a liquid, not really a gas, it's kind of in-between, sharing properties with both states. "One of the things too is that when a rupture occurs in these supercritical states because the pressures suddenly change, the temperature drops dramatically," said Daigh. "So it will essentially flash freeze the ground around it, which is a hazard in itself if you're close by it, but it also jeopardizes more of that it makes the rupture larger." Let's back up a bit. Carbon dioxide itself isn't considered a contaminant. It's in the soil. It's in the air we breathe. But it's when you get it in high concentrations, that it can turn toxic, even deadly. "The pressure when it gets released, it can cause the supercritical carbon dioxide to enter into the ground and spread a particular distance. The longer the pressure hasn't been turned off of the pipeline, the larger and the wider that that's going to get." And the danger that poses is not just for humans. "One of the things is that because of that extreme temperature shift, biology is going to respond to that," said Daigh. "And in a lot of these areas, the ground freezes during the winter but the degree of freezing is very different than the temperature change that you would see from a pipeline break." So what happens when a carbon dioxide pipeline ruptures or leaks? How big of an area could be impacted? Daigh says it depends on how long it takes to notice it. He points to an oil pipeline rupture in North Dakota as an example. "Maybe a quarter-inch diameter hole either from corrosion or something else in our pipeline occurred," said Daigh. "And it wasn't noticed until some of the product that was going through it was actually ponding on the surface. So not only did it move down in the ground but built up and then ponded above it so it took a while to even notice." The aftermath of that rupture lasted years. "Just the remediation process to dig out the contaminated sediment that went down about 60 feet over about 70 acres. The remediation process just to clean it up and put the ground back took about six years to occur and cost approaching $100 million." While that's the worst-case scenario, Daigh says even with smaller leaks there are things landowners can do. "Something that I would recommend to landowners if there was ever a break on the property is that in the site investigation afterward to see what the disturbed area or contaminated area is, to not look just where the extent of the carbon entered into the ground, but also a little bit beyond it. You know, give it another 20-30-40 feet worth of sampling to see, because whatever was in the zone that that carbon moves through, the supercritical carbon dioxide, whatever it stripped out, it's going to deposit wherever it's stopped moving at," Daigh said. SEE THE VIDEO
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"The idea that she will have to stop her meds and then possibly restart is traumatic." Imagine having to tell your child they have to stop being who they are. That is the reality for Jessica Nutz after the Iowa Legislature passed a ban on transgender therapy for those under the age of 18. "She's been through a lot to get to this point to get to this decision." Jessica's 17-year-old daughter came out as transgender two years ago. She began hormone therapy in August. "By being on the medication, it's preventing a lot of the typical male characteristics and I know that her biggest fear is as soon as she goes off those are all going to start back up again." Her daughter did a year of therapy before beginning hormone treatment. Mental health she says is a big aspect of beginning treatment and being transgender. "The number one group that commits suicide, that not just attempts, achieves suicide are transgender youth." Now she's worried this new law will harm transgender youth statewide. "Within one year of working and being on medication and being with a therapist, a transgender youth is 70% less likely to commit suicide." Nutz has seen a transformation in her daughter since she not only came out to her family but began hormone therapy. "The changes I've seen in her from working with her therapists from her coming out. It's amazing. You know, she's more open of a person, she's more outgoing. Now that she knows who she is and that she can be who she is, the impact this is going to have on their mental health now," she said. "We don't have the resources in Iowa." READ MORE: Gov. Reynolds OK's gender-affirming care ban for minors, says it's 'best for Iowa kids' Her daughter turns 18 in July. Other Iowa families with transgender youth have a much longer fight ahead for their children. "These are just kids they're learning who they are and you have to support them. And so much is going on in their body right now. That if you can pause by taking a pill until they are for sure. If they were to change their mind. Okay, fine, her puberty would just restart and go back and start growing the facial hair and start getting the Adam's Apple again," Nutz said. "You know, they're just learning and all they need is love. They don't need any more hate. There's so much hate. And there's so much anger in the world right now." Nutz believes our state leaders didn't truly listen to families who would be impacted by this law. "They don't understand that process. It's not just you can't just go to the doctor and be like, hey, so my kid thinks that he's a she. So here let's get a prescription the same day. It's not like that. It's all a process. And she's an individual. She knows who she is. She knows who she wants to be. And to have somebody come into our lives to say nope, sorry. You really don't know who you are. Is difficult." She just wants her daughter to be able to live the life she dreams of. Even if that means leaving Iowa all together. South Dakota has already banned gender-affirming care for those under 18 and Nebraska has a bill moving through the unicameral now that would do the same. "There's enough hate. You don't need to add any more." SEE THE VIDEO "In 2004, the state of South Dakota came to my farm and showed me a search warrant," said Kerwyn Lykken, "and the first words that (Det.) Michael Braley said to me was, what were you doing on May 29, 1971? And I answered him back. What were you doing on May 29, 1971? He shows me the search warrant and he says, 'we have reason to believe the two girls are disappeared and they are buried on your farm'." May 29th, 1971 was the last time anyone saw 17-year-olds, Sherri Miller and Pam Jackson. The Vermillion teenagers were last seen driving a 1960 Studebaker Lark trying to find a rural keg party. They never made it. And never made it home. Their disappearance became known as South Dakota's most infamous cold case and is now the subject of a new book, "Vanished in Vermillion". "So I covered the case when I was a reporter in Sioux Falls. And it was one of, at the time, most interesting cases I was working on, but then the cold case completely fell apart while I was working on it." Lou Raguse is a reporter for KARE-TV in Minneapolis, but in 2005, he was a reporter for KELO-TV in Sioux Falls. "And then I had this feeling like I was missing something because I wasn't going to see what happened," Raguse said about leaving KELO, "and the biggest worry is we'd never find out what happened to Sherri and Pam." South Dakota's Division of Criminal Investigations, or DCI, opened a new investigation into the teens' disappearance in 2004. As Raguse details in his book, investigators pointed their finger at one man. David Lykken was in prison for unrelated crimes in 2004 and was suddenly suspected of killing the teens. "My biggest misconception was at the time they made me feel like David Lykken was a suspect back in the 70s when he was young, and then they just found the missing link to be able to charge him now," Raguse said. "And so to learn that his name was basically just floated because he was a person that lived in the area and had a criminal past, that was basically it." "And then from there, they matched everything they found to what they wanted it to be." Kerwyn Lykken is David's brother and he and the Lykken family were also implicated in the teens' disappearance. Three search warrants on the Lykken farm in the 2000s uncovered what police detailed as evidence. That evidence, Raguse shows in his book, wasn't really evidence at all. When police later filed murder charges against David, the evidence they used wasn't as it seemed. "As I went through the case files, it was surprising how much of what we were being told at the time completely contradicted reality in what police were putting in their reports," Raguse stated. On September 21st, 2013 a local man by the name of Jim Sorensen discovered the 1960 Studebaker Lark in Brule Creek. The teens weren't murdered by the Lykkens as South Dakota's DCI team said. They died in a tragic car accident. "I hope the public can see how easily an investigation can spin out of control," Raguse said. "And somebody's got to be able to pump the brakes." For Kerwyn Lykken, the accusations that he helped his brother cover up a murder are still something he deals with today. "The people that knew me and knew me from softball and curling and things, my activities, they knew we didn't have a thing (to do with it)," Kerwyn told me. "But it's the people on the peripheral that say 'I think they did it and I got away, they got away with it', you can see it in the book." Kerwyn hopes Raguse's book can help the community understand you can't believe everything you hear. "When you don't sit down and weigh the facts, what I've always thought was our judicial system, the courthouse shows the scales and it shows her blindfolded. And nobody in our case was blindfolded and the scales were like this here," Kerwyn stated, showing his hands in an uneven line. "And what can we do to fight the state? They had every resource. They had all this money. And what can we do? And I said to somebody one time, how do you clear your name when you're innocent?" Raguse says the laws in South Dakota keep the public and the press from seeking answers from police. "I hope the public understands that in other places around the country, there are laws that allow you to check up the work a little bit easier of what's been done by law enforcement. Those laws can be passed here and they should be." Raguse spent years with this cold case, interviewing countless people involved. One thing he hopes his book, Vanished in Vermillion, brings is closure. "I hope that the Lykken family doesn't have to think about this and doesn't have to walk down the street wondering if people think that they committed murder. Because it was really sad to me when I got here and started working on the story of how many people thought that they still had something to do with it," Raguse said about his book's purpose. "I hope for Pam and Sherri's family that even though they got some answers when Pam and Sherri's bodies were recovered, I hope that this gives them closure, and they could go on without thinking about it every day." Ever since Pam and Sherri's deaths were ruled accidental, there's just one thing Kerwyn wants that he has yet to receive. "I hope that we finally... if the law enforcement people and the court systems, I want them to be held accountable." Actually, two things. Katie: You're still waiting for that apology? Kerwyn: I've never gotten an apology from anybody. The murder charges against David Lykken were eventually dropped and he remains in prison for unrelated crimes. But there's a lot more to the story. You can read the book for yourself, it's on sale now at many area book stores or you can visit VanishedInVermillion.com to purchase it online. SEE THE VIDEO The trial for a Woodbury County couple began Tuesday as they fight to keep a liquid carbon dioxide pipeline off their property. William and Vicki Hulse who live in rural Moville twice denied surveyors for Heartland Greenway’s Navigator CO2 Pipeline access to their property in the Summer of 2022, who sought to perform environmental and cultural surveys where their proposed pipeline was mapped to be routed. Navigator then sued for a temporary injunction citing Iowa state law gave them permission to survey land without landowner permission. That injunction was denied by District Court Judge Roger Sailer in September 2022. The Hulse’s are challenging the constitutionality of Iowa’s law that would in turn give companies, like Navigator, the right to access private land for surveys and examinations regardless of landowner approval. The Hulses have also filed a counterclaim, seeking an injunction of their own to keep Navigator representatives off their property until the issue is resolved. Tuesday's trial will decide on a permanent injunction for Navigator and also rule on Hulse's unconstitutionality claim. READ MORE: "I knew that I was going to fight this": Woodbury Co. woman fights against CO2 pipeline Navigator, one of two proposed liquid CO2 pipelines slated for northwest Iowa, is a $3 billion project that would sequester CO from ethanol plants and other manufacturers through five states to be stored underground in south-central Illinois. Navigator's pipeline will run roughly 900 miles through 36 counties in Iowa, many of them in northwest Iowa. The Hulses are one of four Iowa landowners the company has sued for rights to access their private property. Trial began Tuesday morning with a gallery of pipeline opponents in attendance. Navigator’s first witness Ann Marie Welshans, and the only one of the morning, is Navigator's Director of Right of Way who was questioned about the validity and process of sending certified letters to landowners and how the company verifies the landowners received the notice about the surveys. Welshans says the surveys are a necessary part of the planning process for the pipeline. “The survey will allow us to determine what obstacles could be in the way,” Welshans testified, saying the survey helps to determine if there needs to be a possible reroute, see the geography of the land, and define other easements in the routed path. Following a short break, Vicki Hulse was called to testify by Navigator's legal team, seeking confirmation that Hulse spoke to a land agent regarding the pipeline and easement requests. Hulse stated she attended a public meeting for the pipeline, but did not meet with a land agent at that time, but was eventually called by one. “(The land agent) actually called my children who are not on the deed and they called me,” Hulse explained, “then she called me.” Hulse’s children do not reside at the residence, and Hulse states they do not live near the area. The person who leases their farmland, court records state, was also not notified by Navigator about the land surveys. Speaking on the survey and easement discussion with Navigator, Hulse stated she doesn’t recall being asked if the pipeline company could access her property for a survey but says she wouldn’t have allowed it either way. "If someone asked you to sign a voluntary easement for a co2 pipeline, you would not want to do that either,” Navigator’s lawyer asked. "That is correct,” Hulse stated. Hulse stated for the record that surveyors called the sheriff’s office after Hulse refused them access to her land. “I remember a surveyor calling me and saying, we’re going to bring the sheriff out and I said okay, I will meet you there.” Navigator's attorney's asked Hulse if she was worried about damage to her land by the surveyors. "Apparently they did a couple of surveys and I didn't even know it," Hulse stated. "So I guess I am going to have to check that out and I am very concerned about my CRP ground and the contract I have with the government. And I don't want them out there trampling all over my CRP ground." Part of Hulse’s land is enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, a federal program that pays landowners to leave parcels of their land untouched for at least a decade. Hulse states she was unaware of surveys already done on her property by Navigator agents and she’s concerned about the damage possibly done to her CRP land. She says she is fighting now to uphold her rights as a landowner. "I just feel it's against my property rights as an owner that they can come on our property any time of day against my will, any time that they want they can survey my land against my knowledge and go anywhere on my property as many times as they want and I just don't feel that that's right." Hulse has power of attorney over her husband, William Hulse, who suffers from dementia and currently resides in the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. Vicki Hulse has been in this fight with Navigator largely on her own. "He was in the Army in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange and how has dementia and Parkinson’s,” Hulse stated on the stand. Hulse’s time on the stand lasted about an hour. Daniel Rogers, who works for a company hired by Navigator to help facilitate the surveys, was called to Hulse’s property after a worker denied surveyors access to the Hulse property due to Hulse’s opposition to the pipeline. “I am there for problems between landowners and surveyor,” he said on the stand following Hulse’s testimony. He, the sheriff’s deputy, and a survey team went back to the property two days later and were served a letter from Hulse’s attorney denying them entry. The survey team left the property. Rogers claims Hulse told him over the phone that she rejected the certified letters from the pipeline. He then stated that he brought a copy of the letter to the Hulse property the day he and the surveyors attempted to gain access with the sheriff’s office. Part of the evidence brought to trial by Navigator included the certified letter addressed to the Hulses that was marked refused, which was challenged by Hulse's attorney. Rogers was the final witness for Navigator. The defense did not call any witnesses in the case. Trial proceedings concluded Tuesday afternoon and Judge Sailer will release his decision on Navigator's request for a permanent injunction and his ruling on the constitutionality of the pipeline laws at a later date. SEE THE VIDEO Dozens of Siouxlanders are left without a home just weeks before the holidays after a fire broke out at the Ida Apartments late Thursday night. Sioux City Fire Rescue was called to a structure fire at the Ida Apartments located at 1901 Pierce Street. The fire was reported shortly before 9 p.m. As of 11 p.m., the fire had not been contained and crews were still throwing heavy streams of water on flames coming from the roof and third-story windows. "We had crews go in and try to they went up to the top floor to get into the attic space and try to make an initial attack," said Sioux City Fire Captain, Dustin Johnson. "The attic space was well involved at that point. So at that point, we withdrew all of our personnel after we made sure everybody was out of the apartment from top to bottom." The building was evacuated and Sioux City Police and Sioux City Fire tell Siouxland News they believe all residents are out. Firefighters were able to do a thorough search of the building when they arrived on the scene. Sioux City Transit buses were called in to help keep evacuated residents warm and out of the snow. Volunteers were setting up a church for the more than two dozen residents to stay for the night until more permanent housing could be arranged. Two displaced residents tell Siouxland News that having this happen just before Christmas makes it hurt even more. "Now we ain't got no place to live. I lost everything in my apartment, all my Christmas gifts. I lost everything. Can't go get my money and stuff too," said Roy Wagner. "I lost everything," said Richard Hull. "I'm talking about. I got like at least $10,000 worth of stuff up in there." "I don't know at this point," Wagner said, "they're talking about having us live in a church for a little bit. But I have a medical dog and I just don't know what to do anymore. Sioux City Fire Rescue says they won't be able to determine a cause until the fire is out and they will remain on the scene throughout the night until everything is extinguished. They don't know the extent of the fire damage to the entire building at this time but did say that the attic and third-floor apartments are heavily damaged. "Some of the top floor apartments and that attic space are going to have heavy damage to it from the fire and also from the water," said Captain Johnson, "and so with the amount of gallons per minute that we're putting in this building right now we're gonna have a significant water damage." Johnson said it could have been much worse had the residents not been able to evacuate quickly and safely. "The big thing I just want to stress to just make sure everybody has, especially this time of the year is to have working smoke alarms inside your apartment units or houses," he said. "If you need them. We can definitely come onto your house and install them it's free of charge. We just want to make sure everybody's safe." SEE THE VIDEO Backers of Summit Carbon CO2 Pipeline tour Ida County corn processor as plans move forward11/30/2022 Just off Highway 20 outside of Galva, Iowa in Ida County, Quad County Corn Processors is one of 32 facilities partnering with Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon capture and storage project. Wednesday morning they invited stakeholders and members of the media to the facility for a tour to see how this partnership could benefit Iowans. In operation since the 2000s, QCCP is a leader in ethanol production in Iowa. They've partnered with Summit Carbon Solutions and their proposed pipeline to capture the CO2 the plant creates. "We actually use every piece of the kernel of corn all the way from protein to converting the fiber to cellulosic, so low carbon intense ethanol and also now the co2 value," said Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors. Currently, about 60% of that CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Johnson wants to change that. "This is going to bring our carbon intensity of our fuel down," he said. "And it really just brings more to our bottom line and allows us to have a good bid for our farmers for the corn that they produce." During our tour of the processing plant, we had the chance to see the corn processing systems up close. Johnson says capturing their CO2 instead of releasing it will help Northwest Iowa's Ag community in the future. "If there's lower demand for ethanol at times when people have to produce less, it'll be the plants that are not connected to the CO2 pipelines that will actually reduce their run rates or have to shut down," said Johnson, "so we see this as a way to add competitiveness to quad county value proposition which also adds value to the farmers in the local communities." "But these proposed CO2 pipelines aren't being well received by some landowners in their path. There are lawsuits against Summit and Heartland Greenway, the other proposed CO2 pipeline in several Iowa counties. Summit says they are still pushing forward. "There are about 170,000 miles of pipelines across the five states in which we operate. There are over 5000 miles of co2 pipelines in operation in the US currently," said Jim Pirolli with Summit Carbon Solutions. "And a lot of these projects have been in service for many, many years." Summit says they have almost 52% of the easements needed from landowners for the entire project. "Across the entire project, we're about 52% of the easements have been signed. That's over 2,050 miles," said Pirolli, "so well over 1,000 miles of voluntary easements had been signed almost 60% in Iowa, and that's over $100 million spent paid to landowners for those easements just in this state. About $240 million of easement payments across the entire system." Summit is confident in its pipeline and Quad County Corn Processors are eager to get started with the project ultimately capturing 100% of their CO2 emissions. "We see this as adding about $4-5 million to our bottom line every year as we go forward. And that's a very unique opportunity," Johnson said. "We don't get those types of opportunities often. We also believe that being on a pipeline is critical to be part of the future. Summit Carbon Solutions hopes to have the permits needed by next summer with construction beginning fall of 2023. Their goal is to be fully operational by the year 2024. SEE THE VIDEO It's a beautiful piece of farmland in Woodbury County and sits along the Plymouth County line and like many Iowa farms, it's a family heirloom. "We love this farm. It's 151 acres. It has been in his family for many, many years. And our farm is five years shy of being a century farm." And now Vicki Hulse of Moville, Iowa is fighting to keep her and her husband's land out of the hands of a carbon capture pipeline. "We have worked hard to pay for our land," Hulse told me during an interview at the Siouxland News studios. "We bought the farm from his dad's estate, and he worked two jobs. I work two jobs to pay for this farm. And we have two children that we want to hand the farm down to. And I'm fighting against eminent domain for private gain." According to Cornell Law School, eminent domain refers to the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use. Because of this, Heartland Greenway's Navigator CO2 pipeline has sent surveyors to each property where their pipeline will be. Hulse has twice refused to let them enter. "I did not sign the letter for the easement. I did not sign anything," she said. "I knew that I was going to fight this." This fight is personal for Hulse, not just because this pipeline would run through three of her four parcels of land, but because her husband William can't fight alongside her. "My husband is a Vietnam veteran. He was exposed to Agent Orange and he's in the Iowa veterans home in Marshalltown," she explained, "and I am his voice and I am doing exactly what I feel he would want me to do fighting for your land, fight for our land. He fought for our country and I am fighting for our land." And fighting she is. Hulse has twice denied surveyors access to her farmland. In response, Navigator is suing Hulse to gain access citing eminent domain. She has filed a countersuit seeking an injunction of her own. "They're a private company," she explained. "And so no private company should have the right to be able to claim eminent domain." The Hulse's farmland is also part of the state's Conservation Reserve Program and this pipeline she says would harm everything that makes it beautiful. "The farmland is in the (Conservation Reserve Program), It's got birds and butterflies and deer and wildlife. And that's just part of it, you know, part of its crops. But you go out there and you just see all the wildlife and we want to leave the land better than we got it," she said. "And so to see a pipeline come through would just be heartbreaking." And because of her husband's health, she's fighting alone. "I haven't even explained this to my husband. He has dementia," she said as she teared up. "I don't think he would even grasp any of this. And so I'm trying to make all these decisions." Her son and daughter are also fighting by her side as they will one day take over the farm. There are over 130 other landowners also fighting against the Navigator Pipeline, plus the two other proposed pipelines, Summit Carbon Solutions and Wolf Carbon Solutions, that would run through Iowa. But Hulse is one of the few taking legal action against them now. "Do you think there are any positives to this pipeline proposal? Big or small?" I asked her. "No, no, there's no nothing. I can't think of a thing," she said passionately, "Can you?" Hulse says this pipeline, should it go online, would impact not just the landowners whose property it runs through but the towns and communities nearby. "I just want to make people aware. There are so many people that I talked to that they say well, that CO2 in the air, you're breathing it, but no, it is not the CO2 that is in your diet coke. It's not the CO2 that's in the canisters," she said. "This is 2,000 pounds of pressure in an eight-inch pipe that is liquefied. And if there is a leak of the earth an explosion, it is so dangerous." She says this fight isn't just hers or even the landowners who have been targeted by Navigator and these other pipelines, but it's Iowa's fight. "I wish you knew that if you let this pipeline go through and let them claim eminent domain for private gain," she said. "That is just a stepping stone for the first company to do that. That it will far reach anything else to happen for any other company to keep doing this? On and on and on. I mean, where would it stop?" Hulse and the others who oppose the Navigator and the other two proposed CO2 pipelines have reached out to state leaders, going as far as marching in front of the Iowa Capitol building and sending meeting requests to Governor Reynolds with no response. She says getting more Iowans involved in the fight against these pipelines is key to stopping them, and getting involved is easy. "Do exactly what we're doing, become more aware. Just keep talking to your neighbors and fight the good fight." Because this land... is Iowa. "There's only so much land and that if you keep destroying the land, putting hazardous things in the land and putting these hazardous pipelines in, there's not going to be more land. This is it," she said. "We have to preserve our land."What would your husband say if he could fight this fight with you?" I asked. "He would be... He would be more vocal than I would be. He would be knocking on doors. He would be calling his legislators," she said of her husband. "And he had a big voice." And now Vicki is that voice. For her husband and so many others in this fight against the pipelines. SEE THE VIDEO LAUREL, NEB. — Nebraska State Patrol made an arrest in Laurel, Nebraska early Friday morning, just 24 hours after four people were killed at two separate crime scenes. In a news conference in Laurel Friday morning, Col. John Bolduc of the Nebraska State Patrol, said one person has been arrested for the murders of four people early Thursday morning. After finding evidence at the scene at both homes after the fires were put out, NSP investigators determined that 42-year-old Jason Jones, who lived across the street from the first home at 206 Elm Street, was a probable suspect in the homicides. Police made entry into Jones' home at 2:30 a.m. Friday and took him into custody. Jones was found with severe burns on his body, investigators say, and was airlifted to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb. He is described to be in serious condition. He was arrested on suspicion of 1st-degree homicide, 1st-degree arson and four counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony, but has not yet been officially charged. All victims were found with probable gunshot wounds. "We are still working to process the evidence that we collected at the (arrest) scene, it is still very early in this investigation," said Col. Bolduc." Watch the news conference from Nebraska State Patrol here. COURT DOCUMENTS According to court documents obtained by Siouxland News, authorities were alerted to a reported explosion at 209 Elm Street at 3:11 a.m. Thursday, August 4th. First responders found a woman inside the back door of the home who was suffering from two gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. First responders also noted burn marks on the floor, walls, and furniture inside the home indicating a fire had happened, they could also smell gasoline and smoke in the home and a red fuel can was found inside the front door followed by a discolored trail on the floor indicating the use of an accelerant. Later Thursday morning, authorities received a call about smoke coming from a home a few blocks away at 503 Elm Street. Fire officials on the scene found soot and smoke damage at the home when they arrived and discovered three people inside the home with gunshot wounds. They were also pronounced dead. Court documents indicate a pry bar was used to gain entrance to the home and the pry bar was found inside the back door. Court records indicate a magazine to a firearm was also found inside the 2nd home near the back door with a black Ruger 57 firearm located on the living room floor that was registered to Jones. A Molotov cocktail was also located inside the home indicating the fire was also intentionally set. With evidence from both crime scenes, investigators got a search warrant for 209 Elm Street, the scene of the first fire, where they located a black backpack with several receipts dated August 3rd for Cubby's Gas Station in Laurel. The credit card linked to the receipt purchase was to a card for Jason A. Jones. Another receipt in the backpack was from Fleet Farm in Sioux City for a 6-gallon auto-shutoff gas can, fuel tank and camping backpack and another receipt for Rath's Mini Mart from August 3rd. Investigators also obtained surveillance footage from Rath's Mini Mart in Laurel where Jones can be seen filling two red gas cans on August 3rd. Authorities say they are still searching for one firearm that was used at the first home as it is a different caliber than the firearm used and found at the second home. THE VICTIMS Nebraska State Patrol has identified the four people who were killed Thursday. 53-year-old Michele Shankles-Ebeling was the first victim at 209 Elm St. She was identified by family members who described her to Siouxland News. "She always had a smile and was a kind soul that made everyone laugh. She will be missed," her family said. 86-year-old Gene Twiford and his wife, 85-year-old Janet Twiford, and their adult daughter, 55-year-old Dana, perished at the 2nd scene, at 209 Elm Street. "I want to acknowledge the indescribable grief that this community is experiencing right now," said Col. John Bolduc, Nebraska State Patrol during the news conference Friday morning, "and that's going to be compounded by the betrayal of trust that they are going to feel because a community member here is alleged to have committed these crimes. The last 24 hours have been difficult not only for the community of Laurel, but for the first responders as well. Not only did the fire crews from three communities work to put out two house fires, they also had to carefully preserve the crime scenes and evidence as they worked. "I have to talk about, what I consider, the heroic efforts of the firefighters who were on the scene here yesterday," Col. Bolduc said. I describe them as heroic because they had a very difficult task." We asked them to put out these fires while preserving the evidence of these crimes," Col. Bolduc said. "They had to adjust their tactics, in order to do that and they did that with great efficiency. Their efforts preserved the evidence that led us directly to the suspect." Laurel Mayor Keith Knudsen issued a statement to Siouxland News Friday evening about the tragedy in his community. His full statement is as follows: On behalf of the City of Laurel, we offer the loved ones of those who passed our condolences. We grieve together with them during this difficult time and pray that God will grant them and our community comfort, healing, and strength in the days ahead. The City of Laurel would like to recognize and thank Laurel Fire & Rescue, Laurel Police Department, Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar County Emergency Management Office, Nebraska State Patrol, State Fire Marshall’s Office, Cedar County Attorney, Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, and the Wayne and Belden Volunteer Fire Departments for the extraordinary measures they took this week to serve and protect the Laurel community. Their strength, compassion, resilience and skill in responding to the series of devastating criminal actions is to be commended. We would also like to thank everyone who has reached out to our community and its residents in any way. Your kind words and thoughtful actions have provided overwhelming support as our community works together to heal from the profound impact of this tragedy. To see our full coverage from Laurel, visit our story here. Siouxland News is in Laurel and will be updating this story as new information is confirmed. SEE THE VIDEO Foul play is suspected after four people were found dead at two separate crime scenes in the small community of Laurel, Nebraska on Thursday. LATEST INFORMATION: The Nebraska State Patrol, which is leading the investigation, says that Cedar County received a call at about 3:00 a.m. Thursday morning about an explosion at 209 Elm St. in Laurel. Fire crews found one person dead inside that home. While first responders were at the first scene, a second fire was reported at 503 Elm St., about three blocks away from the first crime scene. Fire officials found three people dead inside that home while clearing it during the fire. In a release late Thursday night, Nebraska State Patrol says gunfire is believed to have played a part in both crime scenes. Upon further investigation following the fires, fire investigators say both fires looked to have been started around the same time around 3 a.m. The houses are three blocks apart and the Nebraska State Patrol says foul play is suspected, though they will not confirm that both crimes were committed by the same individual at this time. The NSP say they believe that accelerants were used in both incidents and anyone inside the homes at the time of the fires received burns. "We are not categorizing as anything at this point. We have multiple crime scenes we have four dead. We're trying to get to the bottom of it and it's very early in its investigation," said Col. John Bolduc, Nebraska State Patrol. "It would be a stretch to say there is no connection, but it's very early in the investigation and we hope to find those answers in the coming days." A silver Sedan that witnesses put at the scene was seen leaving Laurel, Nebraska west on Highway 20, driven by a black male. The vehicle may have stopped to pick up a passenger. It is possible that the suspect or suspects have injuries from burns. WATCH: Nebraska State Patrol provides information on Laurel crime scenes. Authorities and crime scene investigators will remain on the scene for some time, as fire adds another element to the investigation. "These are very complicated investigations," Col. Bolduc said. The Cedar County Sheriff was also in Laurel assisting in the investigation, but also assuring the community of Laurel that they are safe. "It's a tight-knit community," said Sheriff Larry Koranda, "it's a very safe community. Everybody knows everybody in this small community." Incidents like this don’t happen in small towns. That is what those living in Laurel, a town of just over 1,000 people, are saying as their small community is trying to wrap their heads around what has taken place. One neighbor to the second crime scene who wished not to be identified told Siouxland News that she never thought something like this would happen in her neighborhood. "Incidents like this can shake a community," Col. Bolduc said, "but I want to emphasize we have an astounding public safety team on the scene here with a number of our partners to keep the community safe." The identities of the victims are not being released at this time, pending notification of the families. Authorities have been talking with local businesses to see if any have surveillance videos that may be relevant. Sheriff Koranda praised the first responders on the scene, especially the fire crews who are mainly volunteers. "It affects everybody," Sheriff Koranda said, "I'm grateful for what they are doing." The Nebraska State Patrol is also seeking any information from the public. If you have any information please call 402-479-4921. The town and businesses in the community did go on lockdown for much of the day as investigators worked the scene. SEE THE VIDEO SIOUX CITY, Iowa — In a historic release from the United States Supreme Court, the 1972 ruling legalizing abortion in the U.S. has been officially overturned, leaving the right for a person to receive an abortion up to individual states. This ruling will have a different impact across all 50 states. 13 have already banned the practice, thanks to laws written so that they would take effect immediately upon Roe's overturning. SOUTH DAKOTA South Dakota is one of the 13 states with one of those "trigger laws" so abortion is now illegal in the Rushmore State. South Dakota's law not only bans abortions but also makes it a felony for medical professionals who provide abortions which is punishable by up to two years in prison. Now there is an exception to South Dakota's law from 2005 which allows abortions if there is a quote, "appropriate and reasonable medical judgment" to save the life of the mother, such as an ectopic pregnancy. Now South Dakota's Republican Governor, Kristi Noem, launched a new website to help pregnant women and individuals find information and resources on topics such as adoption, financial assistance and new parent tips. IOWA In Iowa, abortions are still legal until the 20th week of pregnancy, except to save the life of the parent or prevent a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. But, another state law passed in 2020 requires a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion procedure can be done. With this Supreme Court ruling, the GOP-controlled legislature in Iowa can call a special session to pass stronger abortion restrictions in the state. NEBRASKA In Nebraska, there is not currently a trigger law on the books meaning the current law in the state allows abortions until the 20th week of pregnancy. Republican Governor Pete Ricketts has said he does plan to call a special session for the unicameral legislature to pass stronger laws on abortion now that Roe is overturned, but no date for that session has yet been set. POLITICIANS REACT JD Scholten, a Democrat running for Iowa House this fall predicts this won't be the end for anti-Roe legal cases. "I think what we're going to see is in the state legislation some more extreme laws," he told Siouxland News, "I mean we are talking about making contraceptives illegal. And that's just a dangerous path to go down, And enforcing pregnancies when we don't have the adequate care around there." Scholten says the decision flies in the face of not only decades of legal precedence but the opinion of a solid majority of voters, even in Iowa. "But what we saw was 60% of voters in NW Iowa consider themselves pro-life, but also 60% of NW Iowa thinks abortion should be legal in some capacity," he said. "I think that something, when we talk about where we need to go from here a lot of it, is protecting mothers, protecting women, protecting a lot of the vulnerable people and that's what I'm hoping to protect." Scholten currently has no Republican opponent for the House District 1 election in November. DIOCESE OF SIOUX CITY One of the strongest opponents of Roe v. Wade over the past five decades has been churches with the Catholic Church strongly opposing abortion. The Diocese of Sioux City and its Bishop R. Walker Nickless released a statement celebrating the decision by the Supreme Court to reverse Roe, but, like South Dakota Governor Noem, expressing a desire to care for women through and after birth. Regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization today and a recent decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, I am pleased to see the direction of our state and federal judges moving toward protecting innocent life. As you may know, due to this U.S. Supreme Court ruling and the subsequent opinions released, all states, including Iowa, will determine their own abortion policy. On June 17, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed its 2018 decision that recognized a fundamental right to abortion as part of the Iowa Constitution. Also, the court sent back to a lower court the 24-hour waiting period before a woman can have an abortion. Although the recent actions of the federal and state supreme courts are good news to all who believe in the sanctity of life, there is much more work to be done. I ask all Catholics and all people of faith to continue to pray for an end to abortion in our state and our nation. Deliberately taking the life of an innocent person, as is always done in abortion, is gravely contrary to both the natural law and the divine law. A just civil law must protect the sanctity of human life. Let us pray for our nation and continue to respect the right to life. For the latest local and national news regarding Roe. V. Wade, visit this section of our website. SEE THE VIDEO |
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