Kingsley Dog Breeder Sentenced To Prison
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Kingsley dog breeder, fined by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture for maintaining unsanitary and unsafe conditions for animals has
pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements in an effort to avoid
paying the fines.
Court documents show 61-year-old Gary Felts entered the plea July 13. He faces
up to five years in prison.
The USDA fined Felts nearly $19,000 in 2012 after inspectors found repeated
Animal Welfare Act violations over a five-year period at his kennels in Kingsley.
Felts never paid the fine and he was ordered to file yearly financial
disclosure statements and negotiate payments.
Prosecutors say he failed to disclose bank accounts and a $25,000 workers’
compensation settlement.
Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Sioux City Man For Marijuana Possession
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday night, arrested 25
year old Nicholas Bertrand, of Sioux City, for possession of marijuana with a 1st
offense. Bertrand was stopped by a Plymouth County deputy at Frelon Drive and
340th Street for operating a motor vehicle with no registration. Bertrand was
found to have a suspended Iowa driver’s license. He was also found to be in
possession of marijuana. The defendant was cited into court and released for
driving suspended and possession of marijuana 1st offense (serious misdemeanor).
Iowa State University Extension Hold “Weed Week” Seminars
(Le Mars) — Farmers have noticed that the herbicides they have been using for
their crops have not been as effective as was the case in years past. The reason,
is because many of the targeted weeds found in fields have been able to build up
resistance to those herbicides. Iowa State University Extension crops specialist
Joel DeJong says crop protection chemical companies have not been able to introduce
a new line of herbicides since the 1980’s.
DeJong says Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are hosting a series of
“Weeds Week” seminars at locations through out the state this week. The seminar
scheduled for Northwest Iowa is scheduled for Wednesday and will be held at the
Western Iowa Tech Community College auditorium at Cherokee. DeJong and fellow Iowa
State University Extension crops specialist Paul Kassel of Spencer are leading the
discussion of what farmers can do to help reduce the resistance level of weeds.
DeJong says even if crop protection companies were able to develop a new line of
herbicide, it would still be several years before the product could be introduced
to the marketplace.
That “Weeds Week” seminar to be held Wednesday will begin at 10:00 a.m. Interested
farmers should register online by Tuesday, or contact either Joel DeJong or Paul
Kassel, so they will have an accurate meal count.
Board Of Regents Approve Tuition Increase
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Board of Regents is approving a $250 tuition
increase for tens of thousands of students at Iowa’s public universities in the
upcoming school year. The board cut its $300 proposed increase for students from
Iowa by $50 after the earlier plan was criticized as too high. But regents said
they needed to keep most of the increase in tact to offset lower than requested
funding levels approved by lawmakers.
Renewable Energy Director Resigns
AMES, Iowa (AP) – The director of Iowa’s renewable energy research center is
resigning after 3 1/2 years on the job. Iowa Energy Center director Mark Petri
submitted his resignation last month and is stepping down effective July 29.
Lawmakers created the Iowa Energy Center in 1990 to encourage the use of
alternative energy sources and energy efficiency.
Clive Man Wins $2 Million Power Ball Lottery
CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Lottery officials say someone has won $2 million in the
Powerball drawing.
The lottery says in a news release that the ticket was bought at a Hawkeye
convenience store in Cedar Rapids. The ticket matched five of the numbers drawn
Saturday evening but missed the Powerball number. The buyer won $1 million, but
because the buyer also bought the Power Play option, the prize was multiplied to $2
million.
No one matched all six numbers. Officials expect the prize to reach at least
$361 million by Wednesday’s drawing in the multistate lottery game.
