Home News Tuesday News, June 28

Tuesday News, June 28

Kiwanis To Hold Cow Splash Tonight

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Kiwanis Incredible Cow Splash, which was post-poned during
Ice Cream Days, due to the heavy rains from the storm, has now been re-scheduled to
occur this evening. JoLynn Goodchild serves as the president of the local Kiwanis
organization. She says the floating cows will enter Willow Creek at Municipal Park
at 6:30 p.m.

Goodchild estimates the contest will be concluded in about a half-hour’s time. She
says people who may have missed the opportunity to purchase a chance during Ice
Cream Days, can still purchase a ticket.

The Kiwanis president says cash prizes will be awarded to those people that have a
cow that finishes among the top four places.

One chance ticket can be purchased for $5 and five for $20. Goodchild says
spectators can watch the event from the bridge.

This marks the first time the Le Mars Kiwanis Club has hosted this event.
Goodchild says the event is to serve as a fun way to raise money. She says the
local civic organization will take money from this event and invest it into the
community.

Again, the cow splash will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m. from the Municipal
Park-Golf Course at Willow Creek.

 

Supervisors To Convene For Weekly Meeting

(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will gather for a meeting
this morning. However, the county governing board has a light agenda. County
engineer Tom Rohe will appear before the supervisors. He will submit a tile
crossing permit for Stanton Township, as well as submit a permit form Frontier
Communications to lay down cable in Grant, Washington, and Preston townships. The
supervisors will again be discussing a paving request from Anthony Trucking firm to
pave a portion of Lake Avenue from county road C-38 and continuing south for
approximately 470 feet.

 

School Principals Report On Student Annual Achievement

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education heard from Middle School
principal Steve Shanks as well as the Elementary principals Floyd Athey and Scott
Parry as they presented a report regarding the annual student’s achievement report.
The principals reported that Le Mars Community students are strong in the math and
science categories for all grade levels, but more improvement is needed in the
reading.

Steve Shanks

The principals indicated there were no incidents of weapons violations in either
the Middle School or with the elementary schools. Likewise, there were no reported
incidents of bullying in either the elementary grades, or with the Middle School.
Daily attendance for the Middle School was at 95.4 percent, and for the elementary
grades it was listed at 97 percent.
Branstad Says He Will Not Be Trump’s Running Mate

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad says he has no intention of
becoming Donald Trump’s running mate.
When asked at his weekly news conference whether he’d consider joining a Trump
ticket he declined to answer with an emphatic no, but said he didn’t want to get
into that type of speculation. He says he’s honored to serve the people of Iowa and
“not intending to be a candidate for national office.”
Branstad says he’s offered to advise Trump on renewable fuels including
ethanol and wind energy and the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee has
indicated an interest in working with Branstad on those issues.
Branstad’s 40-year-old son, Eric, is the Trump campaign’s state director in
Iowa.
Branstad, who has endorsed Trump, doesn’t complete his current term as
governor until 2019.

branstad

 

Reynolds To Participate On South American Trade Mission

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds is planning a trade mission to
Argentina and Uruguay in October, a trip designed to expand trade and investment
opportunities for Iowa businesses.
Reynolds said Monday that Argentina has recently reopened trade and is
accepting imports again after four years of closed markets. She says there’s a new
demand for technology and equipment that Iowa companies can explore.
The trip also will target Uruguay’s open trade policy in an economy that has
been growing.
Reynolds says Iowa exported a record $15.1 billion in goods in 2014 showing
the state is prospering from international trade.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority is helping organize the trip and
setting up one-on-one appointments for Iowa business owners who want to meet with
government officials in the South American countries.

Kim Reynolds

 

Judge Orders Second Trial For Lottery Official

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ordered the second trial for a former lottery
official accused of fixing jackpots in several states to be held outside of central
Iowa because of extensive media coverage.
A trial date and location for Eddie Tipton will be set later.
Tipton, formerly an information security director for the Multi-State Lottery
Association, was convicted last year of fraud stemming from an attempt to rig a
2010 Iowa Hot Lotto drawing. He’s appealed that verdict.
After his conviction he was charged with new counts of ongoing criminal
conduct and money laundering tied to drawings in several other states.
Judge Bradley McCall cites defense lawyers’ concerns about media coverage that
could taint a jury against Tipton including nearly 500 pages of news reports.

 

Guns Stolen From Police Vehicle

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – Mason City police say someone stole a rifle and shotgun
from an unmarked police vehicle.
Police Chief Jeff Brinkley says the weapons were stolen over the weekend from
the back seat of a police vehicle parked on a Mason City street. An officer had
placed the weapons on the back seat while dealing with a maintenance issue related
to the trunk, and one of the doors may have been unlocked.
Brinkley says the weapons are a Colt M-16 A1 rifle and a Remington 12-guage
shotgun. Rounds of ammunition also were stolen.
Police learned about the thefts Monday morning.

 

Man Charged For Murder For Hire

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 36-year-old North Liberty man tried to
hire someone to kill a business associate and his family.
North Liberty police say Justin DeWitt was arrested around 7:15 p.m. Monday to
face four counts of attempted murder and four counts of solicitation to commit
murder.
Police say DeWitt offered payment to a person who turned out to be an
undercover state agent. Police didn’t provide any other details about DeWitt or
what led to the charges.

 

Escaped Inmate Captured

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have caught an inmate who escaped from the Newton Correctional Release Center.
The Iowa Corrections Department said in a news release Tuesday that Timothy Formaro Jr. was back in custody at the facility.
He was not present during a routine count around 9:20 p.m. Monday. Security staffers determined that Formaro had escaped from the minimum-security facility. The department did not say how Formaro got out.
He’s been serving a 25-year sentence on Clarke County convictions for domestic abuse assault and prohibited acts.