Tuesday Fairgrounds Schedule
(Le Mars) — Today at the fairgrounds, the judging of the 4-H static exhibits begins at 8:00 a.m. in the Century Hall. Reduced gated passes will be sold to 4-H and FFA members between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. If you get hungry while on the fairgrounds, the 4-H foodstand will be open for lunch between 11:00 and 1:30 p.m. Clover Kid judging will take place at the 4-H Exhibit building at 11:30 a.m. and the Open Class entries, including art show, horticulture, food and preservation, creative hobbies, antiques and collectables can be entered this evening between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the Open Class Building.
4-Her’s Enter Static Displays For Plymouth County Fair
(Le Mars) — Yesterday, 4-H members were bringing their static exhibits to the fairgrounds including first year member Kennedy Schilmoeller of the Stanton Lucky Clovers 4-H club. The 13 year old decided to make a wooden bench as one of his projects. He says he used recycled wood from used pallets to create his bench, and his uncle gave him some inspiration.
Listen to
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The 13 year old says it took over 20 hours to complete his pinewood bench, with the hardest part was the sanding.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/July 2013/Schilmoeller2.mp3{/audio}
Schilmoeller showed pictures of himself step by step, creating his wood working project as he cut the wood, assembled the bench, sanding, and finally staining and finishing his bench. The bench itself is a love-seat bench. Schilmoeller also used a router to inscribe his favorite football teams, a paw print representing the Le Mars Bulldogs and the three diamond logo of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to his bench, Schilmoeller is exhibiting some photos.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/July 2013/Schilmoeller3.mp3{/audio}
Supervisors Scheduled to Meet On Tuesday
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have a short agenda for today’s meeting. The county governing board is expected to approve a contract with Plains Area Mental Health Services for fiscal year 2013-2014. County Engineer, Tom Rohe will offer an update on construction projects, and the supervisors will review the proposed harvesting of grass from roadside ditches policy.
Le Mars Man Injured In Motorcycle Accident
(Le Mars) — A motorcycle accident that happened near the Bo-Dean’s waffle factory at about 1:20 a.m. early Sunday morning has left a Le Mars man injured. According to a police report, there were four motorcycles riding in a group heading southbound on Lake Avenue southwest in the 2000 block. The third motorcycle in the group was being driven by 20 year old Ryan Kuiken of Le Mars. As the group approached a slight turn or bend in the roadway, Kuiken, without warning left the roadway. He continued through the ditch until striking a tree. Kuiken was thrown from his motorcycle, sustaining a head trauma. He was transported to the Floyd Valley Hospital. The other three motorcyle drivers were not involved with the incident.
Police Identify The Body Found In The Missouri River
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Police have identified a body found in the Missouri River near Sioux City as a 28-year-old man.
Sioux City police says the body was that of Mario Medina, of Sioux City.
The body was found just south of Sioux City.
Lieutenant Mark Kirkpatrick says Monday that police are awaiting autopsy results before discussing the case.
This was the third body found in the Missouri River near Sioux City since mid-June.
Electrical Explosion Still Being Investigated
SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – Officials are still investigating the cause of an explosion that injured five men performing electrical work at a manufacturing plant in northwest Iowa.
TimeWell Drainage officials were still hunting for answers at the Sibley plant on Monday.
The accident was reported shortly before noon on Saturday. It happened while workers were switching power lines to a new transformer, according to the Osceola County sheriff’s office.
Authorities say the unidentified victims have varying degrees of burns. Two of the men work for TimeWell, which makes field drainage products, and the other three work for Current Electric.
All five were taken to a hospital in Sibley. One was released, two were airlifted to a Sioux Falls, S.D., hospital, and two were taken to a Minneapolis hospital.
Crop Conditions Go From Too Wet To Too Dry
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – After a very wet start to this planting season, Iowa crop conditions are quickly reversing from too wet to too dry.
The USDA says topsoil with adequate or surplus moisture declined 22 percentage points last week from the week before with 43 percent of the state’s topsoil now adequate or in surplus.
Temperatures statewide averaged 4.8 degrees above normal and average precipitation was barely measurable while normal for the week is just over an inch.
Corn and soybeans remain behind schedule with just 35 percent of the corn crop tasseled, behind the five-year average of 70 percent. Overall, corn is about 10 days behind normal in development.
Thirty-six percent of the soybean crop is blooming, behind the normal 70 percent.
Vilsack Announces Conservation Reserve Program
AMES, Iowa (AP) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the government will accept 1.7 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program under the general sign-up for the current year.
Speaking in Ames at the Iowa Farm Bureau’s 2013 Economic Summit Monday, Vilsack says USDA has more than 26.9 million acres enrolled nationally. That’s down from a high of more than 36 million acres
in 2007. The decline is partially due to the increased value of corn and soybeans. It many instances it’s more lucrative to rent out land for crops that to collect the CRP payment.
Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, says the USDA received 28,000 offers from farmers willing to voluntarily set aside land for soil, water, and wildlife conservation.
The USDA pays landowners about $2 billion a year for the program.
