A Sioux City teen is behind bars charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the shooting deaths of two people over the weekend.
Police arrested 19-year-old Joseph Cruz on Saturday.
Anthony Williams and Carlos Aguirre were shot and killed early on Saturday morning at a house near West 5th and Rebecca. Williams was identified as a cousin of Cruz’s, but a criminal complaint says the two were fighting over a gun.
The Sioux City Journal also reports that a memo filed in the case identifies Cruz as a gang member who is not originally from Iowa. He was also implicated in another shooting in August.
The investigation into a jewelry heist at Gunderson’s Jewelers continues. Two men wearing masks used sledgehammers to break out a glass jewelry case. No one was hurt in the incident that took place on Saturday afternoon.
Some Iowa school districts are seeing improvement in their ability to staff substitute teaching positions this year. Higher pay rates and improved benefits have helped districts fill in some of the gaps.
This time last year, school board meetings at Sioux City Community School District were full of tense discussions on how to improve its substitute fill rate of 70%. The district settled on raising rates by at least $25 a day and providing a $100 recruitment stipend.
And human resource director Jen Gomez says it’s helped a lot. The fill rate has risen to 87%
“Staff aren't having to help fill in during their planning time or during their duty time. So, when that fill rates are higher our existing staff is less stretched.”
Des Moines Public Schools is also touting a similar improvement. Its fill rate rose by 18 percent. Officials say reimbursement for authorization courses has played a hand in that.
Tyson Foods announced today the company is joining a national initiative to support financial literacy. The Financial Literacy for All movement was launched in May of last year to help missions of young people and working adults achieve greater financial success. A news release (found below) says Tyson started offering the courses to team members in 2018 and designed a program to help its workforce that has a high percentage of immigrant and refugee team members.
The company announced early this month it plans to relocate all corporate positions to Arkansas. This move impacts around 500 jobs in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.
Once Halloween is behind us, it’ll be full steam ahead for the year-end holidays, but with skyrocketing inflation pumping up prices on everything from gas to groceries, some Iowans may feel the pinch as December nears.
An economics professor at the University of Iowa tells Radio Iowa many retailers are worried that increased costs will force consumers to limit their gift-giving. This could leave retailers with more inventory and end up with lower prices after the holidays or even in the run-up to Christmas.
In terms of holiday spending, Halloween is usually second only to Christmas, but candy prices were up 13% from a year ago, forcing some Iowans to leave their porch lights off, a sign for trick-or-treaters to stay away.
Trick-or-treating in Sioux City takes place tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. The Sioux City Police Department released a list of safety tips for families (found below).
People are showing up at convenience stores, groceries and gas stations around the country to snatch up lottery tickets for a chance at a massive $1 billion Powerball jackpot. The jackpot for Monday night's drawing soared after no one matched all six numbers in Saturday night’s drawing. It’s the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won by three ticketholders in 2016. No one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3, a testament to how slim the odds are of winning the jackpot: one in 292.2 million. Nearly all big winners opt for a cash payment, which for Monday night’s drawing would be an estimated $497.3 million.
The Big 12 has reached an agreement on a six-year contract extension with ESPN and Fox worth more than $2 billion that will keep the conference’s media rights with those networks through the 2030-31 college sports seasons. That's according to two people familiar with the deal who confirmed details to The Associated Press on Sunday. Contracts had yet to be finalized and no official announcement was expected soon. Sports Business Journal was first to report the deal would be worth $380 million annually. The Big 12 still has two years left on its current deals with Fox and ESPN.
News releases from the Sioux City Police Department:
The Sioux City Police Department suggests the following safety tips for a safe and fun Halloween.
For Parents and Trick-or-Treaters:
- Halloween costumes should be made of fire-retardant material, well-fitting so that walking is not interfered with, and the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.
- Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
- A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
- If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
- Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
- Before allowing your children to eat any of the treats, examine them to be sure they are safe to eat.
- Stay in a group and communicate where you will be going.
- Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
- Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
- If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
- Never cut across yards or use alleys.
- Only cross the street as a group at established crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars or out of driveways.
- Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn’t mean others will!
- Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.
***Update***
The two victims of the Saturday morning homicide were identified as Anthony Williams (DOB 12/22/2002), and Carlos Ray Aguirre (DOB 9/9/2001).
On 10/29/22 at 2:15 AM, officers of the Sioux City Police Department were dispatched to the 1400 block of W. 5th Street for a shooting.
Officers encountered two victims, one was pronounced dead on scene and the other was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The SCPD is not actively looking for a suspect at this time, the person of interest has been identified and is not a threat to the public.
The names of the victims are not being released at this time until the proper notifications to family members have been made.
Detectives are still actively investigating, and no further information will be released at this time.
On Saturday October 29, 2022, at approximately 12:57 PM, Sioux City Police Department officers were dispatched to Gunderson’s Jewelers, 4830 Sergeant Road for a report of a robbery. Two male suspects wearing masks entered the store carrying sledgehammers and broke out a glass jewelry case and left the store with an undisclosed amount of jewelry. The two males got into a white pickup truck and left the area. No persons were hurt during the robbery. The investigation is ongoing.
News release from Tyson Foods:
Springdale, Ark., – October 31, 2022 – Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) announced today the company is joining the Financial Literacy for All movement, a national initiative to support embedding financial literacy into American culture. Launched in May 2021, this 10-year initiative will reach millions of youth and working adults enabling them to achieve greater financial success for themselves and their families.
“Tyson Foods is proud to be part of this coalition with so many companies working together toward the collective action of financial literacy,” said Tim Grailer, Senior Director, Sustainability Operations. “We are confident that we are already meeting many of the benchmarks set by Financial Literacy for All and look forward to continue bringing opportunities for a better financial future to our workforce.”
Tyson Foods began offering free financial literacy courses to team members in 2018 and has designed a robust program for a workforce that has a high percentage of immigrant and refugee team members. The company also offers, Investing in Tomorrow, an eight-week financial literacy course catering specifically to immigrant and refugee audiences.
In its most recent financial literacy initiative, Tyson Foods announced an investment in Working Credit, a nonprofit organization that provides free credit counseling workshops and one-on-one credit counseling. A pilot program is underway in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, which will soon be available to the entire workforce. More than 600 Wilkesboro team members have signed up for the workshop since its September launch.
“I’m finally able to put more money into my savings account and manage my finances and income better” said Antonio Davis Clark, a Tyson Foods team member in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to learn about financial literacy at work and gain valuable skills that I can take home with me and help my family.”
“We’re excited to welcome Tyson Foods to the Financial Literacy for All movement”, said Operation HOPE CEO and Financial Literacy for All Co-Chair John Hope Bryant. “Tyson Foods represents the classic American ‘up from nothing’ success story, where one person’s dream and determination can uplift not just themselves, but tens of thousands of others and transform an industry in the process. We applaud Tyson Foods’ commitment to the financial wellbeing of all their employees, and look forward to advancing this important work across the U.S.”
About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under four generations of family leadership, the Company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the Company had approximately 137,000 team members on October 2, 2021. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visitwww.tysonfoods.com.
About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: www.OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.