The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 3

ram y- UllLa 11 tl Sat, Feb. 9, 1985 3A 1 bcOmoinr ii REOttTE PHOTO BY BOt NAMDELL Panel wants Waterloo polico DATEO probo rash of rape attempts By JACK HOVELSON TM hMrt WaftriM BvraM WATERLOO, IA. Six Waterloo women, aged 73 to 86 and all living within a 12-block area, have been sexually assaulted in their homes in the pasHour months, apparently by the same young man. Police searched the home of Joseph Farmer, 19, according to search warrant documents filed In Black Hawk County District Court by Waterloo police that permitted police to search his residence. Police said they have talked with Farmer, but no charges had been filed as of Friday.

Farmer could not be reached for comment Friday. In moat of the Incidents, the victims were knocked down by a short, stocky man who then tried to disrobe and rape them. None of the women actually was raped, according to a police statement attached to a search warrant application. In one case, the attacker left when the woman asked why he would want to rape a 75-year-old woman, and another of the Incidents ended when the woman said she was 73 years old and convinced her attacker that "he really didn't want to rape an old lady," according to the documents. In the latest attack, a week ago, the man fled his victim's house when, during a struggle with him, she pressed the button on a medical alert device in her pocket and its beeping sound frightened him away.

When an 86-year-old woman resisted after she had been knocked down and dragged into another room, man took 5 from her purse and left when he was unable to remove her clothing. Three weeks before, an attacker stole 3100 from an 83-year-old woman's purse. Most of the attacks occurred in the early afternoon in a west-tide residential area a few blocks from downtown. One incident occurred In a woman's garage after she had driven inside. The man exposed himself to some of the women, according to the court documents.

In some of the incidents, the intruder first inquired whether the Intended victim's husband was home. When told he wasn't, the man attacked. He struck one of the women on the neck, police said. Police have warned residents to keep their doors locked and not open them to strangers. 'AAt fell Frosted fields A thin layer of frost coats the foliage, drifts through the fields and creates a yy 'y while halo IOWA Student hurt in experiment sues ISU for $500,000 TIW tftttr't tewi Nmrt Urvtc AMES, IA.

An Iowa SUte University student has sued the school for $500,000 for alleged injuries he says he received when a science experiment failed. ISU in a response filed by the Iowa attorney general's office says Barat All Mohamad Panahl has no one to blame but himself. Panahi claimed in his suit that a flask containing a hot liquid flashed while he was working in a microbiology laboratory at Science HalL He Jried to go to a safety shower, but a centrifuge blocked his path. When he finally reached the shower, it did not operate correctly. He said the school and microbiology department were negligent because the equipment was not maintained or Inspected properly.

Charles Lavarado of the attorney general's office says the state contends Panahi is to blame for the Incident Farmer dies when auto overturns in small creek TIM RnhHr'i tow Nwi Sarvtc BELLEVUE, IA. Mark Helmle, 32, of Bellevue was killed Friday morning when the car he was driving overturned in a creek on his farm near Springbrook. Authorities said Helmle was en route to his sister's farm to do chores about 5:20 a.m. when the accident occurred as he approached a small wooden bridge in his driveway. His body was found about two hours later by his wife, Patricia.

Another publio hearing set on bypass near McGregor McGREGOR, IA. A public hearing has been scheduled by the Army Corps of Engineers to hear comments on the proposed U.S. Highway 18 bypass near McGregor. The hearing, at 7 p.m. at Mar-Mac School here, is on an Iowa Department of Transportation request for a permit to fill part of a wetland in the path of the four mile, $7 million project The Corps held a similar hearing In June 1983, but the DOT was asked to modify its plans because of concern over endangered species in the high- way's path.

'y Indianola police chief retiring after 17 years Tht RnhMfi torn Newt tanrict INDIANOLA, IA. Earl Pace, who has been chief of police here for more than 17 years, has announced plans to retire June 29 because he said he thinks the job is better suited for someone younger. "I don't want to be an old fogey in the way of progress," the 64-year-old Pace said Friday. Five men arrested in prostitution hunt Despite the cold weather, a police decoy operation Friday afternoon led to the arrests of five men whom police charged with soliciting a female officer for prostitution. Four arrests occurred between noon and 4 p.m.

in the 1300 or 1400 block of Sixth Avenue. The other arrest was in the 600 block of Forest Avenue. Charged with soliciting for prostitution were: Dave Brill, 27, of 1328 Oak Park John R. Felton, 35, of New Virginia; David John Mansheim, 39, of Parkersburg; William Lee White, 34, of Ames; Joseph James Rhodes 42, of 7209 S.W. Fourteenth St All but Brill had been released Friday night under the county's pre-trial release program or after posting a 31,150 surety bond.

Brill was being held in City Jail with bond set at $1,150. He was scheduled to be arraigned today. Police 'sitting Ol a 1 county tracks scaled back By JAMES R.HEALEY A group that wants to sponsor pari-mutuel betting on horses at a number of county fairgrounds will have to scale back its plans if it wants to win a racing license, Iowa Racing Commission members agreed Friday. Commissioners continued to be en thusiastic about fairgrounds wager ing. "We're saying that we're going to license them," remarked Chairman Lawrence Scalise of Des Moines during a telephone conference call among all Ave commissioners.

"I'm just not sure they could get 11 tracks up and running." Commissioners said only four or five tracks would be permitted to have wagering this year. Scalise said likely sites would be Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Humboldt and Monticello, although the fairs will choose their own favorites for commission approval. The panel did not grant a license Friday to Iowa Fair Horse Racing indicating that it would do so within weeks if an investigation does not reveal problems. The fair group, a not-for-profit cor poration representing 10 county fairs and the Iowa State Fair, had asked that all 11 sites be licensed for 1985. But commissioners were wary.

"We need to walk before we run," said Vice Chairman L.C. "Bud" Pike of Grundy Center, from Washington, D.C. On another issue, the racing panel seemed to agree with Commissioner Sally Brown Prickett of Norwalk, who opposed a proposal by the fair group that the commission pay for photo-finish equipment "I am opposed to the commission subsidizing any costs It's a bad way to start out" she said. "We're not in any position to pop for any additional equipment," agreed Commissioner Steven Sovern, who was in Cedar Rapids. The commission's main concern seemed to be whether the fair group could provide adequate security for bets and bettors at so many sites on fairly short notice.

Sovern called it "difficult at best." Commissioners also said they want ed only harness racing at the fairgrounds tracks. Guthrie Center had planned to run thoroughbreds beginning May 25, in what would be Iowa's first legal encounter with pari-mutuel. If Guthrie Center bows out the first legal race betting in Iowa would be scheduled for the Dubuque greyhound track June 1. Jean Kleve of Humboldt executive director of the fair racing group, said, I don't think I'm too disappointed" with the commission's consensus. But he said the fair group's board members "could be real unpopular" when they pick only four or five of their 11 members for pari-mutuel sites this year.

Stewart advised project, post on panel clash By JANE NORMAN Des Moines developer Clarke Stew art has been told by the city's legal department he should resign from the Urban Renewal Board If a project of his comes under consideration by the board. City Attorney Phil Riley declined to go into specifics about the opinion until Stewart had a chance to review it but he said federal regulations clearlv state that anyone who has a direct or indirect interest in a project to come Deiore an urban renewal board should resign from the board. Stewart, who asked for the legal opinion, is a partner with Tim Urban in a proposal to build a bulk mail faculty on University Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets. The board has not voted on whether the city should acquire land for the facility, but the issue is expected to be discussed again within the next few weeks. Stewart said Friday he had just re ceived the legal opinion from Riley's office.

"It stipulates some things. I don't want to make any comment," Stewart said. "I haven't really studied and reviewed It" He wouldn't say if he plans to remain on the board or give up the project He and Urban have said they plan to ask the city to buy, rezone and offer the site for urban renewal. Stew art's company, Stewart-Thompson either owns or has options on all but one parcel of the property between Eighth and Ninth. He and Urban want to build a to building that would house a bulk mail facility for kameco which now has offices at 2 Ninth St.

Stewart, whose three-year term on the board expires in 1986, has said he has never voted on issues Involving the inner-city area, which is called City View Plaza, because he thought he might one day be Interested in developing property there. Polk budget ujll require small fax increase By DICK BROWN in taxes for the county is estimated at $6.52 per $1,000 of assessed valuation compared with the current rate of $6.35. Assessed valuation is the worth the city or county assessor assigns to a piece of property. Residents of unincorporated areas would pay $10.70 per $1,000, compared with $10.28 now. In addition to boosting the tax rate, supervisors are taking advantage of an increase in the percentage of assessed valuation that is subject to taxation.

The "rollback" mandated by the state allows residential property to be taxed at 72 percent of assessed value in 1985-86, compared with about 70 percent in the current budget year. Supervisors may point to the increase in the tax rate from $6.35 to $6.52 as being only 2.7 percent But that doesn't really indicate what will happen to tax bills, because with the increase in the amount of value that can be taxed, bills would have gone up even If the tax rate remained the same. More telling is the $16 or 7 percent increase in the bill for a $60,000 house, and the fact that total collections by the county will rise about 8.5 percent The budget supervisors sent to public hearing was little changed from the one they had approved earlier in the week, despite two hours of discussion Friday morning. Republican Supervisor Murray Drake proposed that the board eliminate about 15 county Jobs that are vacant but in the end the board eliminated only three for a savings of about $60,000. Drake withdrew some of the proposed Job cuts after hearing more details of why the positions are temporarily unfilled.

The owner of a house assessed at $60,000 would pay an additional $16 In property taxes to Polk County as a result of a tentative 1985-86 budget unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors Friday for public hearing next month. The $61 million budget will fund county programs during the fiscal year that begins July 1. It will require $44 million in property taxes, which owners will pay in September 1985 and March 1986, and $17 million from other sources such as federal funding. Polk County's current budget, for 1984-85, is using about $40.4 million in property taxes, so the $44 million figure will represent a 9 percent increase in collections. However, that won't translate into a 9 percent Increase in individual homeowner's tax bills.

The county's share of the 1984-85 tax bill on a house assessed at $60,000 is about $235, assuming the owner receives the homestead credit The 1985-86 share would be $251, an Increase of about 7 percent Those amounts represent only the property taxes that go to Polk County and don't include taxes divided among cities, school districts and other taxing bodies. Supervisors scheduled the public hearing on the proposed budget for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in Room 120 of the Polk County Administrative Office Building at Second and Court avenues. Supervisors can rearrange funding before giving final approval after the hearing but can't increase the budget total Property owners will pay more to Polk County under the proposed budget for two reasons: First, the tax rate necessary to generate $44 million from blowing snow ly morning iu. around the ear- Woodward en a Wandering tccn suffers frostbite By SHARON MORIOKA A 14-year-old Des Moines girl was found wandering in the snow early Friday morning, partially clothed and apparently intoxicated.

"There is no indication yet that she was sexually abused," said Police Sgt. Bill Mullins said Friday afternoon. The case was being Investigated as a sexual assault because she was found unclothed from the waist down. The girl was listed in fair condition at Broadlawns Medical Center where she was being treated for severe frostbite of her feet. Doctors were unsure of the extent of the frostbite.

The girl was seen wandering along the railroad tracks near East Thirtieth and and streets about 4 a.m. She was wearing only a corduroy coat and a sweater. She told police she had been at a girlfriend's house but could not remember how long she had been walking. Police said she was intoxicated. This secluded farm Is located sooth of gravel road just on lowa tiigiway m.

Man admits wanton neglect of young child By ANNE CAROTHERS-KAY Inconsistencies in the testimony of three children who say they witnessed three men rape a 22-month-old girl pose difficulties for prosecutors, Polk County Attorney Jim Smith said Friday. Last November, Frank Gossen 27, of 698 Twentieth Earl David Colton, 30, of 1245 Sixth St, and Donnie Miller, 25, of 1323 Sixth Ave. were charged with second-degree sexual abuse, a felony charge that car ries a mandatory 25-year prison sen tence. Friday, Gossen pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of wanton neglect of a minor, an aggravated misdemeanor. Aggravated misdemeansors can carry a sentence of up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Smith said he offered the lesser charge because sworn statements from the three children were contradictory. The children's statements also differed from medical evidence about the toddler's Injuries. "We may have the same kinds of difficulties and possibly more prob lems with the other two cases," he said. No action has been taken on the charges against Colton and Miller. Smith said the child originally was thought to have suffered physical damage from sexual abuse, but later evidence showed that she bad been ill, which may have contributed to the ap pearance of injury.

The wanton neglect charge against Gossen stems from his failure to take the child to a hospital upon the recom- I mendation of a social worker. i Although Smith declined to say that I the children, who were living in the house with Gossen but are not related to him, lied about the incident he said they may have misunderstood what they saw or "embellished" their version of the story. The children's mother has moved her family out of Iowa after one of the children, a 9-year-old boy, allegedly was threatened by Colton. Colton was charged with tampering with a wit ness, but that charge later was dis missed. Construction worker hurt in fall at Art Center A construction worker was In fair condition at Iowa Methodist Medical Center with a fractured elbow after falling off a scaffold while working at the Des Moines Art Center Friday afternoon.

Jeff Madsen. 27. fell eisht feet while working on an addition at ue center in Greenwood Part on Martins say By FRANK SANTIAGO ItttHtW Sf8rfl Wfttff The family of missing newspaper carrier Eugene Martin has accused Des Moines police of "sitting on leads" In the search for the missing youngster and of bungling the investigation. "We're frustrated," said Sue Martin, the boy's stepmother. "They say they don't know anything.

They can go out and get bank robbers the same night, but they're not able to find a kid. To me, that's unbelievable." Don and Sue Martin have purchased a quarter-page ad in the Des Moines Sunday Register that will appear tomorrow appealing to the public for information and asking that it be sent directly to them. "It's desperate," Sue Martin said of the ad. "We don't feel it's right, but we're saying it anyway because we feel it's important and we can't afford not to." The charges are reminiscent of the attacks on West Des Moines police by Noreen and John Gosch, parents of Johnny Gosch. Police say Gosch was apparently abducted as he delivered 1 the Des Moines Sunday Register near I his West Des Moines home.

Like the Gosch disappearance Sept. 5, 1982, the Martin case, now 6 months old, has been without apparent leads. Martin also disappeared while he was delivering the Des Moines Sunday Register, and although the cases have many similarities, investigators have been unable to say they are connected. Of the Martins' complaints, Des Moines Police Chief William Moulder said, "I have to agree with them." "We haven't found the boy and that's what we're paid to do. Our frustration somewhat mirrors theirs," the chief said.

"We're extremely frustrated. We know he has disappeared and we haven't a shred of information. We're the people who are supposed to do that" But Moulder said the investigation "hasn't been mishandled." "I'm not the least embarrassed by It I don't think there's a resource we haven't used. We take the case home at night. We think about it on weekends, at church, at dinner.

That's what we're paid to do." The Martins' complaints come almost six months to the date after Eugene, who would now be 14 years old, disappeared. The Martins are expected to distribute news releases spelling out their grievances today and to put up posters asking for the information. "There are 150 leads we think the police haven't checked into," Sue Martin said. Many of them are from psychics, whom, she said, police have ignored. Moulder said he was skeptical of psychics and that information relayed to police was handled confidentially.

The chief said the investigation continues, "but at some point and time we and the Martins have to sit down and say we're going with one investigator, because we've got nothing work with." Moulder said more than one investigator is now assigned, but he didn't know exactly how many there were. Sue Martin said that the newspaper ad, which requests information be telephoned to the family at 287-7042, cost $1,180.40 and was paid for with money contributed since Eugene's disappearance. The search, she said, has continued to be a full-time effort for the family..