Former Coleridge Fire Chief charged in S.D. sexual assault case

COLERIDGE – A well-known Coleridge man is behind bars, accused of a sexual crime against a child.

Jeff Hansen, 47, was arrested and extradited to South Dakota where he is being charged with sexual contact with a child and sexual contact without consent – one felony and one misdemeanor.

According to South Dakota court records, Hansen was indicted by a grand jury on June 27 and a warrant was issued for his arrest a few days later.

He was arrested and held in the Cedar County Jail until he waived extradition July 10.

He appeared in South Dakota’s Circuit Court in the Third Judicial District Friday where he pleaded not guilty. His next court dates have been set for September. A bond hearing was set for Friday morning.

Hansen has previously held positions of power in Coleridge, including former fire chief and rescue president. He’s the current chairman of the Coleridge Area Fund.

In other court cases: - Theresa Obermeyer, 24, Wakefield, has been accused of making harassing phone calls and text messages to a man, sometimes more than 100 phone calls per day, using a spoofing system to disguise her real phone number. She also allegedly made threats about burning the man’s pickup and his parents’ home.

The Cedar County Sheriff’s Office issued a search warrant and recovered Obermeyer’s cellphone as part of the investigation. She’s charged with attempted third-degree arson, intimidation by electronic communication, stalking and tampering with a witness for allegedly asking someone to testify falsely.

- Rance Diede, 37, Yankton, S.D., faces charges of domestic assault after an incident July 10 near the Meridian Bridge. A report indicated Diede and a woman were in a domestic disturbance and that Diede was using a pitbull to charge bystanders. Witnesses said Diede held the woman down in the sand by her neck and threw a cooler at her. The woman had an injury on her chest.

- Kandice Cooke, 53, Randolph, has been cited for three infractions of harboring a dangerous dog. Her court date was set for Aug. 15 in Cedar County Court.

Cooke has sued the City of Randolph in U.S. District Court of Nebraska for not allowing her to keep her pitbull within city limits. City code identifies pitbulls as a dangerous dog breed.