A drinking party of well over 100 juveniles west of Pella was broken up Friday night in an effort coordinated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Ron Goemaat tells KNIA/KRLS News that approximately 30-40 juveniles were arrested or received juvenile referrals by a variety of area law enforcement agencies involved. Several adults were also charged.

Goemaat tells KNIA/KRLS that the Sheriff’s Office received a tip yesterday that the party would occur later in the day, and the coordinated effort was set into motion. Assisting were the Pella Police Department, the DNR, Marion County Conservation, and the Iowa State Patrol. Final numbers of arrests and citations are still being compiled, given that charges were made through several agencies. Juveniles who clearly had not been drinking were released to their parents. The area where the party occurred west of Pella is known locally as “Whispering Pines.”

Sheriff Ron Goemaat would like to thank citizens supplying information which resulted in the charges and referrals, as well as the agencies who participated. He states that his office and other area agencies take underage drinking very seriously, as there are many inherent dangers associated with it. He also cautions juveniles and adults who supply alcohol to juveniles to think twice about hosting such parties, as local law enforcement will be quick to respond to any information received about such events.

KNIA/KRLS News will provide more information as soon as it becomes official.