Sioux City Journal from Sioux City, Iowa • 1

ELutherans don leatherpage A4 Riot may cost $8 millionpage A4 BUSD commencement todaypage A7 BWIT graduates listedpage A7 Area The Sioux City Journal Saturday, May 15, 1993page A3 astana girl recovers from heart fransplan the late.Frank Nichols, has two older brothers, Eric, 15, and Adam, 14 who have been staying with their grandparents, William and Jean Hathaway of Turin. The fourth-grader at the Castana upper-elementary center of the Maple Valley Community School District is still unable to speak due to a tracheotomy. But she nodded that she would rather be in school than in the hospital when asked by her doctor. The young transplant patient is not walking yet but she is enjoying being wheeled out into the sun, down to the cafeteria and to the hospital mail room. Megan communicates with her mother by a chalkboard.

"Pizza" was the first word she wrote after surgery. "She is hungry and wants pep-peroni pizza," says Elaine. Since she has been in a private room, mother and daughter have spent time reading the many cards that have been sent to Megan. In an effort to help speed her recovery, Megan's mother reads to her daughter during dressing changes. "I read and she doesn't need pain medication.

It takes her mind off of it. The medicine slows down her intestines, and she won't be able to eat until they start functioning," Elaine says. Elaine hopes to bring her daughter home soon. "It will probably be another two or three weeks," she says. "She still needs the physical therapy.

She has to learn to walk again." By Carole Johnston Journal correspondent CASTANA, Iowa Megan Nichols went to sleep on April 2 and woke up with a new heart. The 9-year-old Castana girl underwent heart transplant surgery at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. "Three hours after the surgery started, her new heart was beating," says her mother, Elaine. Another three hours were required to stop bleeding complications, then Megan was back in her room in intensive care where she would stay until May 10.

Her progress has been remarkable, especially during the past two weeks. "Everything is starting to click. For the first month she did nothing. the St. Louis hospital for transplant surgery.

"Each visit to Omaha was a minimum of $15,000 one was $29,000. And that is just for the hospital," says Nichols, who has no idea what the last two months of hospital and doctor bills will amount to but is sure the sum for her daughter's care will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. A Megan Nichols Benefit Fund has been set up at the Hawkeye Bank in Onawa. Also, donations may be sent to Judy Fredrickson, Turin, Iowa 51059. "It's unbelievable the support we've gotten from home.

I didn't realize that so many people cared," Elaine says. Megan, the daughter of Elaine and She just remained stable. Now she is going to physical therapy twice a day and her arms and hands are stronger, but her legs are still weak," says her mother, who has remained with Megan since they first arrived in St. Louis March 21 to await a new heart. No longer attached to the ventilator or dialysis equipment, Megan has regained full use of her lungs and kidneys.

And she has made another major improvement. "I had been waiting and waiting. Then she gave a big smile that lit up her whole face. She has that mischievous look back in her eyes," says her mother. Last December Megan became ill when a virus attacked her heart.

She was hospitalized at Childrens Hospital in Omaha on five separate occasions before finally being flown to In order to help the Nichols family offset the financial burden of Megan's care, the Turin and Onawa United Methodist churches are conducting a fund-raiser today. George King and anyone else willing to help or donate food will be serving a roast beef dinner at the Onawa church, 1 3th and Diamond, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 1 0 and under A Megan Nichols Benefit Fund has been set up at the Hawkeye Bank in Onawa. Also, donations may be sent to Judy Fredrickson, Turin, Iowa 51 059. Arrest in Gosch case not true I Iff fi I -A.

i I 1 I 1- West Des Moines Police Department. Sgt. Bernie Taylor is one of the officers who has worked on the case. He agreed with Campbell's comments. "There is nothing anybody is trying to hide from anybody," he said.

"Nobody has been arrested." Taylor said police continue to follow the case closely. Recently, they went to Madison, to conduct an interview in the case and he said rumors may have been started there as well. "It's a frustrating situation," Taylor said. "Half the stuff we hear (from the media) is news to us. But we are still investigating." Taylor said he felt he was more certain of what had happened a decade ago and said some of the speculation about the case may have added to confusion rather than actually assisted in increasing knowledge.

He added that he is not being critical of the family's efforts in locating their son. Taylor said if it were his own child who was missing, he would have done many of the things the family has to find their son and to draw attention to the case. "Any parentwould," he said. By Kate Thompson Journal staff writer Reports of a Siouxland arrest or any arrest in the Johnny Gosch case are false, authorities said Friday. Johnny Gosch, a 12-year-old West Des Moines boy, was kidnapped Sept.

5, 1982, while delivering the Des Moines Register. After more than a decade, the case has received national media attention but remains unsolved. Apparently, a solution is not near, authorities said. "The FBI has not made an arrest in this case and we have no basis for suggesting we will be making an arrest in this case," said John Campbell, assistant special agent in charge of the Omaha office of the FBI. He said no real strong evidence has turned up recently, even with all of the publicity the case has received.

Campbell said the attention the case has received on "America's Most Wanted" and in various news reports has been misleading. "So much of that is information that has no substance or is information lacking in credibility," Campbell said. The lead law enforcement agency in investigating the case has been the -s I I 7 I The Orange City Tulip Festival attracted 75,000 people over the first two days of the festival. Clockwise from left, Greg Roos, an Orange City high school student, carves wooden Dutch shoes in the Straatmarkt, Dutch for street market, which is open all day today as part of the festival; Art Van Riesen, an Orange City grocer, hawks grocery produce items from a Groente Boer, Dutch for vegetable cart; a Tulip Festival visitor looks at one of the many tulip beds which can be found in Orange City. The traditional scrubbing of the street takes place prior to the beginning of the parade each day of the festival.

The street inspection and scrubbing takes place at 2 p.m. today, followed by the parade. Photos by Journal correspondent Cindy DeGlopper mm Branstad will help open new Wells plant LE MARS, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will join Le Mars dignitaries and Wells' Dairy officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Wells' new South Ice Cream Plant at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The plant, located at 1191 18th St S.W., presently contains 11 production lines, producing more than half of the plant's 40 million-gallon capacity. Plans for expansion began in the spring of 1991 and has not only increased production but also has SIMPCO helps cities deal with nuisances she people receive due process," created approximately 225 additional jobs, according to Wells' officials. The plant is Wells' Dairy's fourth production plant. Today Wells' operates two ice cream plants and a milk plant in Le Mars, in addition to a milk plant in Omaha. The nation's Iargst family-owned dairy employs more than 1,300 employees, producing Wells' Blue Bunny dairy products, ice cream and frozen treats for distribution in 32 states, Japan and Mexico.

Brushy Creek foes give up 17-year fight FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) A group opposed to the construction of a dam at Brushy Creek State Park said its 17-year fight is over because it ran out of money. "We're disappointed and frustrated. Sometimes when you are fighting a big government agency, it's hard to match their resources," said Wallace Taylor, a lawyer representing the Committee for the Preservation of Brushy Creek Valley Inc. Tom Tierney, a member of the committee, said Thursday that the group is unable to pay lawyers' and witnesses' fees. The group dropped the lawsuit Thursday, just days before a trial date in Webster County District Court.

rli It's a dirty job and sometimes it's not getting done. Smaller cities will be better able to enforce their own nuisance ordinances with the assistance of a new program of the Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council. SIMPCO announced a new nuisance code enforcement program at its 28th annual meeting. The program will help area cities and counties remove dilapidated buildings, abandoned vehicles and junk. The service will also include inspection services for new buildings.

A state grant will fund part of the cost of the service, Syliva Oothoudt, member services coordinator, said. Many smaller cities have been unable to enforce their ordinances in the past. "Smaller cities don't have the technical expertise and it is a lengthy process that involves making sure said. In addition, SIMPCO will have someone available who has experience in inspection and can identify code violations such as electrical problems. The inspector will also be capable of determining whether a building should be demolished, Oothoudt said.

She said the inspector will not be out looking for problems, but will respond when contacted by a city. This assistance is one of the needs identified by the Woodbury County Mayors Association and is aimed at smaller cities which don't have their own inspection teams or legal services to handle the work. "Sometimes it's not the most attractive job, to hang a red tag on somebody's house," Oothoudt said. "It may not be politically Breeders sue over puppy mill charge Two former dog breeders are suing KCAU-TV for news reports which alleged the breeders were runni ng a puppy mill Leroy Richardson and Evelyn Pauline Richardson formerly raised purebred American Kennel Club registered Alaskan Husky dogs, according to documents filed in district court. "-The Richardsons claimed that between May 14, 1991, and October 1991, KCAU-TV broadcast news reports which alleged that the couple were violating the law by running a "puppy mill" business.

Besides KCAU-TV, 13 individuals we're named as defendents in the suit. These news reports caused the failure of the Richardson's business, loss, of their home, and bankruptcy, documents said. The Richardsons also claimed that these reports, with the exception of KCAU-TV, were done with malice. Ray Cole, general manager with KCAU-TV, said that while he recalled the news reports, he was not aware of any litigation. "We'll respond to it in due course," Cole said.

Motorist charged with assault A 25-year-old Merrill, Iowa, man was arrested Thursday after Allegedly pointing a loaded gun at another motorist in Sioux City. William Jay Gagnon allegedly got into a verbal altercation with a 3C-year-old motorist Thursday afternoon when they were both driving 75 near 41st St. During the argument, police said, Gannon 'allegedly pointed a semi-automatic .45 at the man. Gagnon was charged ilh aggravated assault. Sting nets five men Sioux City police officers conducted a sting operation Thursday "rught, arresting men who solicited an an undercover police officer pos- jngas a prostitute.

During the evening, five men were arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute. A sixth man was charged with simple assault. Man arrested on weapon charge A Sioux City man was arrested at 2 a.m. Friday on felony weapons charges, authorities said. Monty Ray Thorson, 42, 201 1 Pierce was taken into custody in the 500 block of Market Street on charges of going armed with intent, a felony, and unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon, Sioux City police said.

Serious assault suspect arrested A 21 -year-old Sioux City man was arrested Friday and charged with child endangerment and serious assault. Marcus Emanuel Williams, of 1211 Nebraska allegedly threw a one-year-old child against a wall and onto a bed, police said. Drugs seized after delivery PAY WITH YOUR CHARGE CARD! I inf HTJillliHflHBl VS4 Christy Borchers Truckers group chooses queen Lt. Brad Carlson of the Woodbury County Sheriff's Department said Rodriguez is alleged to have been using the postal system for delivery of the drugs. When agents executed the search warrant, about 12 pounds of marijuana was seized with a total street value of $16,000, agents said.

Francisco Rodriguez, 42, 4101 Gordon Drive, was arrested and taken into custody. Rodriguez is being held at the Woodbury County Jail on charges of possession with intent to deliver and violation of Iowa's drug tax stamp law. Investigators said other arrests are pending. Shortly after 12:30 Friday afternoon, law enforcement agencies raided a trailer home on Gordon Drive where one man was arrested and about 12 pounds of marijuana was seized, authorities said. Agents of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, deputies of the Woodbury County Sheriff's Department and U.S.

Postal inspectors served a search warrant at 4101 Gordon Drive, lot 158, in the Regency Trailer Court. As the result of an on-going investigation with the U.S. Postal inspectors, agents delivered about 10 pounds of marijuana to the residence in what agents called a "controlled delivery." Place your want ad by phone or in person CALL 279-5092 OR CALL TOLL FREE 1.800-397-3530 Christy Borchers of Le Mars, Iowa, was crowned Trucker Day Queen during the 47th annual salute to truckers Friday night. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Dean Borchers..