Several Hundred People Attend Dairy Farm Open House
Tree Disposal Site To Be Open During The Weekend
(Le Mars) — City officials have announced the grass, twig, and tree disposal site
located on the western side of town near the Gehlen ballparks, will be open both
days this weekend. On Saturday, the tree disposal will remain open from 9:00 a.m.
until 2:00 p.m. and on Sunday, Le Mars residents will have the opportunity to
dispose of their tree limbs between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. City crews and
private contractors are still trying to clean up the tree debris left behind from
last Friday’s storm.
Library Remains Open Despite Construction
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Public Library wants the public to know that even though
construction is taking place outside the front entrance doors of the library, the
library remains open. Shirley Taylor, the librarian for the Le Mars Public Library
asks that people use the back door while construction crews work on the curbs and
the cement in the front.
City Officials To Shut Off Water On Business Hwy 75 On Monday
(Le Mars) — The city water department and Vander Pol construction will be shutting
down the water main on 5th Ave SW, Hawkeye or Business higheay 75 on Monday, June
27th. The water will be shut down south of Casey’s General Store to 3rd street SW.
We will be shutting the water down around 10:00 AM. Depending on complications the
water could be off for up to 4 hours. Flyers will be dropped off to the affected
homes and businesses. This will be the first of many connection points on our water
main replacement upgrade project. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Questions should be directed to the Le Mars city hall or the Le Mars Water
Department.
Orange City Police Investigate Attempted Abduction
(Orange City) — Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly attempted to
abduct a 10 year old girl at a park in Orange City on Wednesday. The attempted
abduction occurred just before 2:00 p.m. in Kinderspelland Park. Orange City Police
Investigator Duane Hulstein explains the incident.
The man told the girl his name was Bill Benson, and stated that her mother sent him
to pick her up. Hulstein says the family has incorporated a password system anytime
the children are away from their parents.
The girl ran away after the man did not know the family password.
The Orange City Police officer says following the attempted abduction the mother of
the child notified police.
The alert said the man did not attempt to grab the girl. Hulstein says police have
not been able to locate the suspect.
The man is reported to be white, between 55 and 65 years old, wearing a brown
shirt, brown John Deere hat, brown shorts, blue shoes, and had a white beard.
He was last seen walking south from the park. The suspect may be carrying a bag of
some type. There was no vehicle description. Anyone with more information is asked
to call either the Sioux County Sheriff’s office or the Orange City Police.
Akron Fire Department Responds To Child Care Center Fire
(Akron) — Akron fire fighters responded to a fire call Tuesday evening at about
8:00 p.m. from a child daycare center. Akron Fire Chief Shane Coyle says there
wasn’t any flames visible upon arrival, but smoke could be seen.
Coyle says a fan equipped on a furnace was the cause of the fire. He says fire
fighters were on the scene of that child daycare center for nearly two hours
ventilating the premises.
Branstad Visits With Ethanol Officials
(Merrill) — Governor Terry Branstad visited the Plymouth Energy ethanol production
facility at Merrill Wednesday afternoon. Branstad met with plant officials and
area legislators. He says part of the discussion focused on a bill that was passed
during the legislative session, that will hopefully offer more tax breaks and
incentives for ethanol producing facilities to look at expanding into other
products besides ethanol.
Branstad also spoke about the Environmental Protection Agency needs to establish
the Renewable Fuels Standard at the level Congress had approved.
Recently, Branstad’s son Eric Branstad has joined the Don Trump’s campaign. Eric
Branstad had been working with America’s Renewables Future, a pro-ethanol advocacy
group. Branstad believes his son Eric will be able to show Donald Trump the
importance of the ethanol to Iowa’s economy.
Iowa leads the nation in renewable energy production in ethanol, bio-diesel, and
with wind energy.
Governor Branstad Visits Dairy Open House
(Maurice) — Following his ethanol visit, the Iowa governor then traveled north to
a dairy farm near Maurice. Branstad praised the efforts of the Western Iowa Dairy
Alliance and Midland Dairy Association, along with the Maassen family for hosting
the open house dairy tour. Branstad says he is concerned that as people get
generations removed from production agriculture, they may take their food for
granted, as well as have wrong ideas as to the production methods of modern
agriculture.
Governor Branstad says agriculture has changed, and people need to realize those
changes have been made to make certain the world has enough abundant food supply.
Dairy Farm Family Hosts Open House To 1200+ Visitors
(Maurice) — Calling it a reason to celebrate the dairy industry, Lee Maassen of
Maassen Dairy of Maurice explains why he and his family agreed to hold an open
house on Wednesday allowing the public to come and view his milking operation.
Maassen says he wants people to understand where their dairy products originate,
and to show people that his dairy cow herd is well cared for
The dairy producer says his is a fifth generation farm with his three sons also involved with the family dairy business. Maassen says they expanded the operation in 2013 to double the size, so now they milk 1350 cows three times a day. The Maassen family sells their milk to Associated Milk Processors Incorporated, or AMPI in Sanborn, which goes to Hull to be made into cheese. Maassen says despite a large supply of milk and dairy products that are having a negative impact on the price paid to dairy farmers, he says there are reasons to remain optimistic.
Maassen says one area of improvement is for the first time in several years, the consumption of whole milk is on the increase.
Authorities Investigate Found Body
MONTGOMERY, Iowa (AP) – Dickinson County authorities are investigating after the
body of a driver involved in a crash into a western Iowa ditch was pulled from the
water.
The body of 65- year-old Dale Peters, of Lake Park, was found in the water near a submerged wrecked vehicle Tuesday morning.
The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office says deputies received a report of a
partially submerged SUV in water north of Montgomery in the Diamond Lake Township.
After finding the owner of the vehicle was not home, authorities searched the water
and discovered Peters’ body.
Investigators believe Peters lost control of the vehicle on the gravel road
and entered the west ditch, where the vehicle overturned.
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Chinese Man To Serve Life Sentence After Killing Girlfriend In Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Chinese man who fled home after killing
his girlfriend in Iowa will serve a life sentence in China.
Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said Wednesday that the U.S. State
Department informed her office and Iowa City police that 24-year-old Xiangnan Li
(zee-UNG’-nuhn lee) was sentenced earlier this week in the Chinese city of Wenzhou
(WEHN’-joo).
In March the former University of Iowa student told a Chinese court that he’d
killed 20-year-old Iowa State student Tong Shao (tong show) in September 2014.
Iowa authorities wanted Li to be returned for trial, but the United States and
China don’t have an extradition treaty. The Criminal Investigation Bureau of China
has said that Chinese citizens are subject to Chinese prosecution for any crimes
they commit abroad.
Man Pleads Guilty For Failure To Pay Employment Taxes
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A Forest City businessman has pleaded guilty to failing
to pay federal employment taxes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the North District of Iowa says 60-year-old
Darrell Smith entered the guilty plea Wednesday in a Cedar Rapids federal
courtroom. Smith was indicted in January on counts of failing to collect,
truthfully account for and pay federal employment taxes withheld from the wages of
employees of Permeate Refining Inc., an ethanol-production business in Hopkinton,
Iowa.
On Wednesday, Smith admitted to willfully failing to pay to the IRS more than
$85,000 in employment taxes collected from the wages of workers for the second
quarter of 2012. A sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces up to five years
in prison and fines.
