Community Corner

Weird News Rewind: Surly Santa, Missing Tanner, 'Entire' Library Stolen, Freeway Fight and Whoa, Baby!

If you missed it, here's some weird news from the weekend.

If you missed it, here's some weird news from the weekend Dec. 8.

 

Santa Claus is coming to ... jail?

Find out what's happening in Marionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That's the kind of weird week that was in our beloved weird Iowa. Let's see if we can tie all the weirdness to the holidays, shall we? 

The first item is easy:

Find out what's happening in Marionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Forget the lumps of coal from Santa; make him mad and this particular Claus is likely to provide a lump on the head. A woman told West Des Moines police that two men, one wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes shirt and the other wearing a white thermal-type shirt, Santa pants and a Santa hat, hit her husband in the face and then took off running.

The couple reportedly had been waiting at the convenience store for more than hour for a taxi. When the cab arrived, the alleged assailants tried to get in the car. The victim confronted them, an argument ensued and her husband was hit.

It's looking like a white Christmas -- or at least a very pale one -- in Ames. 
Electric Beach Tanning appears to have gone out of business at both of its Ames locations. There are no signs on the windows, but a small stack of yellowed newspapers sat outside the door in the Northern Lights Center location. The doors are locked though its posted hours said the salons should be open. The listed owner, Luella Gustafson, could not be reached for comment.

The Grinch has apparently struck in Marion. One of the city's two "Little Free Libraries" is missing. It disappeared within the past week from Thomas Park, said Jo Pearson, assistant director of Marion's "big" free library. Little Free Libraries are like mailboxes for people to take or leave a book. It is part of a national literacy project intended to promote reading through the free exchange of books.

People handle the transition from Thanksgiving to the Christmas in different ways. West Des Moines police found a Waukee woman laying on Interstate 235 early Thanksgiving morning after a cab driver allegedly ejected her and her husband from his vehicle after their fight in the back seat resulted in him being hit.

Officer Jeremy Kemmer was dispatched to the 200 block of Interstate 235 to assist his colleague, Officer Anthony Giampolo, who reportedly found a woman laying in the roadway.

The cab driver alleged the female half of the couple began to physically fight her husband in the back seat, then punched him in the back of the head. He stopped the cab and called police. The driver said he didn’t want to press charges, according to the report, but apparently didn’t want to deal with the pair, either.

OK. That was a Christmas stretch. Let's try this another.

One little bundle of joy just couldn't wait for Christmas to be delivered.  in Ankeny. His mother’s labor lasted just two hours from beginning to end.

Dad Steven Hovick was speeding out of Ames, where he and wife Rebecca live, down Interstate 35 as she was going into labor. Rebecca told the television station she felt the contractions really speed up just as they were barreling past exit 102 near Huxley.

“And then I could feel the baby just start to push out. I am like, “He is coming, he's coming and I need to push,” Rebecca said.

She pushed. He arrived.

Now to Cedar Falls where, for all that Russell Wasendorf snatched, buyers have snatched back -- at holiday clearance prices.

Over 3,000 bottles of wine, several cars, office furnishings, computers, restaurant equipment, photography equipment and the personal home furnishings of Russell Wasendorf Sr. were just a few of the items that went on the auction block Wednesday. Wasendorf, the founder of the now defunct Peregrine Financial Group, also known as PFG, is awaiting trial on charges he embezzled over $200 million using falsified bank records.

Happy Holidays, Russ!

And a weirdly early happy holidays to all.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Marion