Posted: 1/17/06
Heaney sentenced to year in jail
Joseph Steven Heaney of Caledonia was sentenced to a year in the Houston County jail on January 11 for crimes resulting from an accident more than four years ago.
Heaney pled guilty on November 28 to criminal vehicular operation resulting in death and criminal vehicular operation resulting in substantial bodily harm.
Judge James Fabian stayed a total of 61 months of state prison time for the two crimes. The jail sentence was part of Heaneyís probation. He will serve two thirds of the sentence if he complies with good behavior rules.
The probation also includes that Heaney write a letter of apology to the mother and girlfriend of Jesse M. Worsley, who died in the accident. Heaney must also give a school presentation to the junior and senior class one month prior to Prom in 2006, 2008, and 2010, with consent of school administration and with the assistance of his attorney.
Heaney was the driver of a truck that rolled over in the early morning of November 18, 2001 on County Road 249, a mile east of Freeburg. Worsley died in the rollover, and two other people were injured.
Charges were filed on May 1, 2002. The case then went through several appeals over whether Heaneyís blood alcohol content could be used in court. The Minnesota Supreme Court finally ruled on December 2, 2004 that it could.
Dent trial date set
The trial date for Richard Allen Dent, 40, has been set for January 26.
Dent plead not guilty on December 14 to two felony counts of receiving stolen property. He requested a jury trial with a speedy trial demand, meaning the case must be heard within 60 days.
Dent was charged on October 31 after police searched his home in Caledonia and found items that had been taken in local burglaries. He is currently in the Houston County Jail.
Janse Randall Bjergum, 24, of Spring Grove was charged in the case on November 3 with two felony counts of receiving stolen property. Authorities recovered stolen property from various burglaries and thefts at his house in Spring Grove. He was released from the Houston County Jail on a $25,000 bail bond. An omnibus hearing for him that was scheduled to take place on January 4 has been moved to February 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Charges of methamphetamine possession and receiving stolen property were also filed on November 1 against Robert Dean Ellis, 49, Mabel.
Deputies recovered stolen property from burglaries that occurred in all three counties. Tools, guns, food, and hunting and trapping equipment were confiscated. Other search warrants of houses thought to be connected with the burglaries were executed in Mabel and Harpers Ferry, IA.
Hearing for Klinski postponed
Jacob Daniel Klinski, 24, Caledonia, had his omnibus hearing date postponed on January 9. It was also cancelled on December 14 and January 4. No new date had been set as of January 16.
Klinski was charged with felony theft on October 25. He is accused of stealing money from Good Times Restaurant and Bar where he was employed in Caledonia from April 24-October 24.
Klinski admitted to investigators that he took at least $500 and possibly more. The restaurant owner said the loss exceeded $1,000.
Caledonia Argus
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