Fire Department Responds To Grass Fire Along Highway 60
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars and Oyens Fire Departments were called to a grass fire that was located along highway 60 about seven miles northeast of Le Mars. The fire was reported shortly before 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. An area of several hundred feet had burnt along the highway, and between the railroad tracks. At times the smoke from the grass fire had impeded the vision for travelers heading northbound on highway 60. Fire fighters were able to extinguish the blaze within 20 minutes.
Sheriff’s Office Employees Submit Contract Proposal To County Supervisors
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office Employee Bargaining Unit met with the County Board of Supervisors to present the initial proposal for a new three-year contract. The contract would be from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019. Kirk Hatting, director of the Plymouth County Communications Division and Sheriff’s Deputy Sergeant Rick Singer appeared before the county supervisors. In their contract proposal, the employees of the sheriff’s office is seeking a five percent increase in salary wages for each year of the contract. The bargaining unit has proposed that employees will pay up to 12.5 percent of insurance coverage. Currently the level is at ten percent. The employees are also seeking a ten-cents per hour shift differential increase for each year of the contract. The current rate is at 60 cents per hour. Other requests submitted is to add deputies salary schedule to the contract, add food service employees to the contract, and also to add the office clerk to the contract. The supervisors have two weeks to submit a counter-proposal to the bargaining unit, before negotiations can occur.
Sioux County Authorities Investigate Farm Related Accident
(Orange City) — Sioux County authorities are investigating an accident that happened Tuesday morning at about 6:20 a.m. involving an individual that fell from riding on farm equipment. The accident occurred at 1725 310th St, or seven miles west of Rock Valley.
27 year old Eduardo Martinez, of Rock Valley was driving a Bobcat CT445 farm tractor pulling a trailer. Yansel Martinez, age 26, of Rock Valley was riding on the front of the trailer when he fell off and was struck by a
wheel on the trailer. Yansel Martinez was transported by the Rock Valley Ambulance to Hegg Memorial Hospital in Rock Valley for treatment of serious injuries. He was later flown by Sanford Hospital helicopter to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Rock Valley Police Department.
Man Killed From Train Accident Now Identified
SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – Investigators have identified the person killed in an apparent fall from a train in northwest Iowa as a 29-year-old man.
The Department of Public Safety says Tuesday that a pedestrian found the body of Brandon Joseph Sage Gould on Monday near Sibley, just south of the Minnesota border.
Investigators believe Gould fell and then was run over by the train. It’s unclear how or why he fell.
Authorities say he was traveling with his wife, Yvette Gould, on a Union Pacific car carrying grain. She reported him missing to railroad police when the train arrived in Mankato, Minnesota, about 100 miles northeast of Sibley.
After an autopsy, Gould’s death was ruled accidental.
Authorities haven’t determined Gould’s hometown.
Trial Begins For Former Lottery Official
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Trial has begun for a former lottery security officer accused of fixing a computer to get a winning Hot Lotto ticket worth millions.
Opening statements in the trial of 52-year-old Eddie Tipton, of Norwalk, began Tuesday in a Polk County courtroom.
Tipton faces two counts of fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
State prosecutors claim he fixed random-number generating computers to pick numbers for the Dec. 23, 2010, Hot Lotto drawing, bought a ticket with those numbers and unsuccessfully tried to get others to cash it without disclosing the buyer.
Assistant Iowa Attorney General Rob Sand described the case as an “inside job.”
Defense attorney Dean Stowers told jurors video of the ticket purchase was blurry. Tipton has denied the accusations.
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Corn Growers In Washington To Develop Policy And Visit With Government Officials
(Washington) — Corn growers from across the nation are visiting our nation’s capital this week to have lawmakers listen to their concerns. The number one issue that corn growers are most concerned about is the future of ethanol. Corn growers are in Washington D.C. this week for their annual National Corn Growers Congress and Bruce Rohwer (Roar), the past president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, and a farmer from Paullina, says corn growers hope to influence government officials to increase the renewable fuels standard.
(sot) Rowher1 :38 cue:”…those inclusion rates.”
Rowher (Roar) says farmers have struggled recently with corn demand on the decline.
(sot) Rowher2 :47 cue:”…required by the statute”.
Rowher says Midwest congressional members have generally been sympathetic to the plight of the corn grower, but he says many urban legislators have turned a deaf ear when corn-based ethanol is being discussed.
Audit Shows Correctional Facility Overspent Funding
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state audit shows an Iowa correctional district linked to improper spending has misspent nearly $1.2 million in additional money.
State Auditor Mary Mosiman says the improper disbursements from the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services had a significant financial impact on the district over the years.
The report released Tuesday says the bulk of improper disbursements came from payroll costs. That includes more than $170,000 in vacation payouts to former employees and more than $40,000 in vacation used before it was earned.
The new report was an addendum to an audit released in January 2014 that found nearly $776,000 in improper spending.
The district faces layoffs amid a budget shortfall. A corrections spokesman says the department is still reviewing the report.
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