Two People Arrested While Protesting At Senator Grassley’s Office
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two people participating in a sit-in at U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office have been arrested.
A news release by the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund says the arrests followed a four-hour sit-in Friday at Grassley’s office in Des Moines to protest the nomination of fellow Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions as the
next attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump.
The group says Hugh Espey, executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund, and Reddit Hudson, regional director for the NAACP, were arrested.
Nearly 100 people showed up at the office and pledged not to leave until Grassley agreed to block Sessions’ appointment. The action fund says the protesters were forcibly removed around 4:30 p.m.
Sessions’ opponents have accused him of being anti-immigration and insensitive to civil rights. The group of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement want Senator Grassley to cease the Senate hearings on Sessions.
Grassley says during the hearings, Sessions vowed to uphold the law as the nation’s Attorney General.
The Iowa Republican U-S Senator says all anyone can ever ask, is for someone to uphold all the laws.
Hy Vee Recalling Candy
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Hy-Vee food store chain has recalled store branded candy distributed to 242 stores in eight states after learning an ingredient from another company could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee says a milk powder ingredient used in chocolate coating has the potential for contamination and the candy’s manufacturer, Palmer Candy Co., announced a recall of some of its products.
The candy is in a clear plastic container with sell-by dates between Jan. 26 and Feb. 23. It includes chocolate almond bark, chocolate almond pretzels, dazzled peanut brittle, holiday candy trays and others fully listed on the FDA recall website .
The candy was distributed to Hy-Vee’s eight-state region, including Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
No illnesses have been reported.
Glenwood Resource Center Under Investigation
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state regulatory agency has fined a southwestern Iowa disability treatment center $40,000 and notified Iowa Medicaid officials they should terminate the center’s federal certification if improvements aren’t made by April.
The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals on Friday released a report on its abuse investigation at the Glenwood State Resource Center.
It details incidents of patients struck on the head with spoons, knives and taunted with explicit sexual conversations that made them cower in discomfort.
Glenwood serves 230 people with behavioral challenges or severe medical conditions.
The Iowa Department of Human Services, which runs the center, announced Jan. 4 that six workers were fired, six resigned and five others were disciplined after finding seven patients were physically abused and 13 others were subjected to verbal abuse or neglect.
Vilsack Leaves The USDA Top Post
(Washington) — At 11 o’clock Iowa time Friday, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack announced this it was his FINAL day as U-S Ag Secretary. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
Vilsack posted a “farewell message” on the U-S-D-A website. Vilsack thanked the department’s 90-thousand employees. Vilsack said their work “allows America to have the most productive farmers, ranchers, and producers in the world.” Go to www.radioiowa.com to read Vilsack’s four paragraph message. Vilsack is the only member of President Obama’s cabinet who had remained in the same job for both terms. Agri-Pulse reported earlier this month that Vilsack would become the president and C-E-O of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. During appearances in Iowa in early December, Vilsack said he intended to “run through the tape” as his tenure at the U-S-D-A drew to a close. Vilsack, who is 66, told reporters he did not intend to retire, but in early December Vilsack said he had no firm plans for the future.
“I want to be involved in one way, shape or form of advocating for agriculture, for rural America,” Vilsack said. He told reporters it was hard to identify his proudest achievement as U-S ag secretary.
“It’s just been a great run,” Vilsack said, “so I’m proud of the people at USDA and I’m confident the career folks will team up with the political team and continue the progress.” President-elect Trump has yet to name the leader of the political team that will take over at the U-S-D-A. Vilsack’s departure highlights the lone opening in Trump’s cabinet. Trump has not yet revealed who he will nominate to be U-S Ag Secretary.
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Farmers Set Record Yields For Corn And Soybean Production
(Des Moines) — Corn and soybean growers in Iowa and across the country set new records in 2016. That’s according to a report from the USDA Ag Statistics Service. Doug Hartwig, deputy director for the Upper Midwest region, says the corn yield in Iowa is estimated at 2.74 billion bushels.
Iowa’s average corn yield topped 200 bushels per acre for the first time ever.
Iowa has now led the nation in corn production for 23 consecutive years and 38 of the last 39 years. Soybean production in Iowa in 2016 is estimated at 572 million bushels.
The average soybean yield last year was 60.5 bushels per acre, also topping the previous record of 56.5 in 2015.
Nationally, 2016 corn production totaled 15.1 billion bushels with an average yield of 174.4 bushels per acre. Those are both all-time highs, besting previous records set in 2014. U.S. soybean production totaled 4.3 billion bushels with an average yield of 52.1 bushels per acre, also new records.
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Le Mars Community School District Honors Two Office Assistants
(Le Mars) — Two staff members that oversee the front office of the Le Mars Community High School were named today as the school’s “Employees of the Month”. Amy Davis and Beth Collins serve as the High School secretaries. Assistant Principal Neil Utesch submitted the nomination for the two office assistants saying: “Both of these ladies take on any task that they are asked to do. If they do not know how to do something, then they figure it our with no questions asked. They are the face of the building that welcomes all community members, students, and staff on a daily basis. They are dedicated to the students and to the school and bring a comfort to all who come into the office. Not only are they great at their jobs, but they work well together. They compliment each other greatly as they work together to make sure that the day runs as smoothly as possible. They are hardworking, fun to be around, and make the day better with their winning smiles and positive attitudes. Congratulations to Amy Davis and Beth Collins for being named the Le Mars Community School District’s “Employees of the Month”.
Assistant High School Principal Neil Utesch stands beside Beth Collins (center) and Amy Davis (far right). Utesch nominated the two high school office assistants as “Employees Of The Year”
Le Mars Man Arrested In Sioux County After Car Catches On Fire
(Orange City) — Sioux County authorities have arrested a Le Mars man following an incident involving a car that caught on fire. The event happened early Wednesday morning at about 3:20 a.m. on Highway 60 near Hospers. 26 year old David DeBoer was driving his Pontiac Grand Prix northbound when his car started on fire. The Pontiac sustained approximately $2,000 in damage. Upon further investigation, the deputy suspected that De Boer was under the influence of alcohol. DeBoer was arrested for a fourth offense of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a barred driver’s license, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked driver’s license, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license, and failure to have insurance. The Hospers Fire Department and the Hospers Ambulance also responded to the scene.
