Three abandoned and neglected kittens are living in new homes today, thanks to a report made to the Mower County Sheriff’s Department by Amy Hinz of Austin.

Thursday, January 11, 2001

Three abandoned and neglected kittens are living in new homes today, thanks to a report made to the Mower County Sheriff’s Department by Amy Hinz of Austin.

On Jan. 4, Hinz saw a woman take a kitten out of the back of the trunk of a blue Ford Taurus and throw the kitten onto the rural Austin street. After witnessing the act, Hinz noticed that two kittens were already on the road. Ironically, she also noticed that a sticker on the left rear bumper of the Taurus read "WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)?" She also copied down the license number of the vehicle.

When deputies responded to the call, they found three kittens huddled together in the ditch. The kittens ran to the officers and were brought to the station.

"Before the deputy was back to the station, people had already called saying ‘We’ll take one’," said Sheriff Barry Simonson. One kitten was was adopted by a dispatcher at the Sheriff’s office and the other two were adopted by a woman from rural Austin. At least one of the kittens was treated for frostbite.

Using the license plate information, deputies called the suspect’s residents and spoke to a woman who was unwilling to answer questions. Later after contacting the parties in person and confirming that the description of the resident matched that of the woman described by Hinz, deputies ticketed her and the man who allegedly was driving the vehicle on the day in question. Charges of neglect and abandonment of animals against the two individuals are scheduled for a Jan. 18 appearance in Mower County court.

Child injured in school parking lot

A six-year-old child from Brownsdale, Blake William Johnson, was run over by a vehicle at 4:15 p.m. on Jan. 9.

Johnson was walking from school to daycare with his brother and friend when he slipped on some ice and fell in the school parking lot. A large white vehicle, which Johnson described as either a van or sport utility vehicle, ran over his left arm as he was laying on the ground, and then drove away.

Johnson walked to daycare and was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a broken arm.

Authorities believe that the driver was not aware that they had driven over the youngster’s arm.