Home News KLEM News Update May 30, 2011

KLEM News Update May 30, 2011

(LE MARS)–Services to remember are planned in KLEMland today.

Wasmer Post 241 of the American Legion in Le Mars presents the “Avenue of Flags” Memorial Day program at 10 this morning on the Courthouse grounds. More than two dozen flags will be added to the 1,127 already dedicated for deceased veterans.

The parade is at 9:30 this morning and begins at the corner of Central Avenue and Second Street Northeast. The route is south on Central Avenue and east to Third Street Southeast ending at the Courthouse.

The Legion will recognize 50 years of continuous membership by Stanley Kessenich and Roger Athens, both of Le Mars.

Kingsley Memorial Day services begin at 9 a.m. at the Catholic Cemetery followed by services at the Kingsley City Cemetery at 10 a.m.

In Merrill, Council member Bruce Norgaard is the guest speaker for the 10 a.m. Memorial day Ceremony at the Civic Center grounds. Oleson-Halweg Post 125 Commander Merlin Schipper is the Master of Ceremonies. There will be 240 flags posted with seven new flags in Merrill.

The Remsen Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion Color Guard present the Memorial Day program in Remsen at 10 this morning at the Memorial site in the cemetery. The main speaker is Rev. Craig Miller of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Remsen.

More than 60 flags will be displayed at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Oyens and new flags will be dedicated. Oyens “Avenue of Flags” begins at 11 this morning.

Pressman Kosters Post 329 in Orange City presents the Memorial Day Service at West Lawn Cemetery. The speaker is Rev. Tim Breen.

The service at 10 this morning in Alton is provided by American Legion Post 200 at the band shell park in Alton.

The Memorial Day program at the Akron City Park is at 10:30 followed by lunch at 11:30 by the American Legion Auxiliary.

Happy Siesta in Remsen will host a Memorial Day program at 1:30 this afternoon. Lieutenant Jerry Hansen will deliver the keynote address. Rev. Dennis Martens of Christ Lutheran Church will also be a speaker. This is open to all.

Graveside plant hangers are popular display in city cemeteries

(LE MARS)–Graveside displays are changing at cemeteries maintained by the City of Le Mars.

Brad Eppling is assistant superintendent for the Le Mars Public Works Department.

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Eppling has seen a big increase in decorative flag and plant hangers.

Loved ones graves at Memorial or Resthaven may have everything from coins, to pet rocks, toys, beverages, and even tomatoes planted beside burial sites.

On special holidays and, on a small scale, Eppling says they’re fine.

He does suggest removing them after that because they may be stolen or damaged by maintenance work such as mowing or snow removal.

Burials of cremated remains are up about 30 percent from five to six years ago. Some monuments now include the ashes with the monument and not buried in the ground.

Improvements at both the city-owned cemeteries have included asphalt surfaces on a few of the roads. Budget permitting, more paving is planned in the future.

Mission trip creates “beautiful business”

(SIOUX CENTER) — Vi Bella means “beautiful life” in Haitian-Creole. Vi Bella is also the name a new jewelry business venture based in Sioux Center. Owner Julie Hulstein explains the idea and the mission behind the jewelry.

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The idea came when Julie was visiting Haiti last fall.

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She is definitely in the middle of it. By December Julie had put together an idea, called it “Trash-2-Treasure,” and started working with local women to come up with the prototypes for the jewelry. The jewelry was originally just beads, but has branched out to encompass more elaborate pieces made from the recycled plastic.

Since December the business name has changed to Vi Bella, two Haitian locations have been set up and begin production in June and another one is slated to start this July in Mexico.

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Starting out, each production location will employ a handful of women, giving them a safe work environment with a fair wage and a meal each day they work. In addition, most of the profits will be re-invested into the communities where the women live.

Right now you can find the Vi Bella jewelry made by area women at Holland House Interiors in Orange City and Hands Around the Plain in Sioux Center. You’ll also see them at upcoming music festivals like RiseFest and LifeLight. The long-term goal for Vi Bella is to have all the items made by women in Haiti and Mexico, and distributed out of Sioux Center to retail business and through an upcoming internet site.

One charged in theft investigation

(ALTON)–An Alton man is charged with felony theft by the Sioux County Sheriff’s office.

According to information released by the sheriff’s office, 50-year-old Thomas Pottebaum was charged last Wednesday (May 25th) after an investigation of a burglary.

A Dixon lawnmower, a 22-caliber rifle, chainsaw, foosball table, log chains, weed eater, two bicycles and coolers were reported stolen from a residence two miles south of Orange City in February.

An anonymous tip led authorities to execute a search warrant at Pottebaum’s residence. The sheriff’s office reports Items that were reported stolen were found at Pottebaum’s residence.

Pottebaum is charged with theft in the second degree.

Red Cross prepares for possible flooding in Siouxland

(Sioux City)–In preparation for possible flooding and possible evacuations throughout the Siouxland Area, the American Red Cross has begun preparing by identifying shelter locations and assisting during sandbagging. Red Cross volunteers will be in flood prone neighborhoods with water and snacks to assist in flood mitigation efforts along the Missouri River.

Executive Director, Tammy Lee said, “We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best during this flood event. We have supplies and volunteers on stand-by and are ready to respond when and if we are needed.”

The Red Cross will continue to monitor ongoing weather conditions with our emergency management partners to anticipate any need for sheltering. If Red Cross assistance is needed, flooded residents are urged to call 800-340-4081.

Dakota Dunes and Yankton to see impact of dam releases

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) Gov. Dennis Daugaard says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to release more water from Missouri River dams will not only cause additional problems for Pierre and Fort Pierre, but also for the downstream cities of Yankton and Dakota Dunes.

The corps has decided to boost releases from the dams above previously announced levels to deal with expected heavy rains upstream.

Levees already under construction to protect residents of low-lying areas in Pierre and Fort Pierre will now be built higher to try to protect against the higher releases.

The governor says increased releases will also cause significant flooding in Yankton and Dakota Dunes. He says people in those cities should begin to plan for an evacuation and take steps to protect themselves and their property.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Sewage being released in Missouri River in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Untreated wastewater is being released from an Omaha water station into the Missouri River.

The city announced Sunday that it was closing isolation gates at the Monroe Street Lift Station as the river surged. The move will allow the release of some untreated wastewater.

Omaha’s Public Works department urges people to avoid wading or swimming in the river near the Veterans Memorial Bridge in south Omaha and for several miles downstream until further notice.

Officials in Nebraska and Iowa have been monitoring the swollen river as it continues to rise.

Woman killed at Iowa campground when tree falls

SOLON, Iowa (AP) A woman has died after a tree fell on her tent at Lake MacBride State Park in eastern Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said that the woman was camping with her sister and some friends when a storm hit Sunday morning. A tree on private property adjacent to the park’s campground in Solon fell on the woman’s tent. She was the only one inside.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her name has not been released.

1 man killed, another arrested after Iowa crash

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) One man has died and another has been arrested after a motorcycle collided with a van at a Des Moines intersection.

Des Moines police say 48-year-old James Brown, of Des Moines, was found lying in the street about 1 a.m. Sunday and died a short time later at a hospital.

Police say Brown’s motorcycle hit a van that had pulled in front of him.

The van driver was identified as 47-year-old Rex Pettinger Senior, of Des Moines. Police say Pettinger fled the scene but was arrested a short time later on suspicion of vehicular homicide by intoxication and failure to render aid resulting in death.

Pettinger was being held Sunday in the Polk County jail on $31,000 bond.

1 person dead, 2 others hurt in central Iowa crash

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) An elderly woman has died and two others have suffered minor injuries in a crash north of Marshalltown.

The Iowa State Patrol told KJAN-AM that a pickup didn’t stop at a stop sign and collided head-on with a car about 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

A passenger in the pickup, identified by the patrol as 92-year-old Kate Pinney of Marshalltown, died at the scene.

The patrol says the driver of the pickup, 65-year-old Donald Pinney, and the car driver, 20-year-old Christina Coltrain, both of Marshalltown, were taken to a hospital for treatment. They were later released.

Former Iowa treasurer Baringer passes away at 89

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Former Iowa treasurer Maurice “Mo” Baringer has passed away at age 89.

Baringer’s family told the Des Moines Register he died Wednesday at a Des Moines hospital of an infection. His death was confirmed by the Overton Funeral Home in Indianola.

The Republican served as state representative from Oelwein from 1961 to 1968 and was speaker of the House in 1967. He was state treasurer from 1968 to 1983 and then became head of the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System until 1991.

A memorial service is scheduled for Friday morning at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Indianola.

Man rescued after boat capsizes on Iowa lake

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) A Mason City man has been pulled from Clear Lake after his boat capsized.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 42-year-old Brent Radcliffe was on his 16-foot boat when it capsized about 5 p.m. Saturday. He was in the 60-degree water for about 15 minutes before being rescued by a man on a jet ski. A water patrol boat arrived about the same time.

Conservation officer Ben Bergman says Radcliffe wasn’t wearing a life vest and was about to sink when the operator of the jet ski, 28-year-old Dustin Cassady of Clear Lake, pulled him to safety.

Radcliffe was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Survivors of naval tragedy plan rescuers reunion

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) Survivors of a shipwreck during the Vietnam War are inviting their rescuers to a reunion in Iowa this fall.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the survivors from the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Evans will gather in Waterloo for a reunion on Sept. 15-17, and they are inviting those who saved them to come.

Organizers say they chose Waterloo because it was the hometown of the five Sullivan brothers, who all died when the ship they were on was sunk during World War II. The organizers say that like the Sullivans’ ship, family members died together aboard the Evans.

The Evans was cut in half by the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne when their paths crossed during zig-zag maneuvers in the South China Sea in 1969.

Visitor to Arkansas diamond park finds 1.97-carat gem

MURFREESBORO, Ark. (AP) A visitor to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas has found a 1.97-carat gem, which he’s named after his daughter.

Park officials say Troy Smith of Des Moines, Iowa, visited the park Saturday and searched for less than 30 minutes before finding the white diamond in a search area where patrons can dig for gems and keep what they find.

Smith says he was confident he’d found a diamond but still was surprised when staff members at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center confirmed the stone’s identity. Park officials say the oval-shaped crystal is about the size of a pencil eraser with an icy white color and a sparkling shine.

Smith named the diamond “Jamie’s Heart” after his daughter. It’s the fourth-largest diamond found this year at the park.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Submit your news release, photo, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm or by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.