Gehlen High School To Feature Musical “Annie”
(Le Mars) — Gehlen Catholic High School Fine Arts Department will present the musical “Annie” beginning on Thursday evening starting at 7:00 p.m. and again on Saturday evening. The story is about an orphan girl who is able to turn a staunchly, wealthy, gentleman into a man with a heart of gold when he adopts the
little girl. In the meantime, Oliver Warbucks offers a financial reward if the real parents of Annie can be found. Junior, Carlyn Bretey, the daughter of Keith and Terri Bretey has the lead role playing Orphan Annie. She talks about the character.
There are several familiar songs associated with the musical Annie such as “Tomorrow”, and “Its a Hard Life” but for Bretey she favors the opening musical number.
Kathrin Ripley, the daughter of Jay and Ingrid Ripley plays Miss Hannigan, the role popularized by Carol Burnett during the movie version of Annie. Ripley explains that Miss Hannigan supervises the orphanage, but doesn’t particularly care for the children, and especially doesn’t want to see Annie be happy.
Ripley says rehearsals have been challenging at times, but she has enjoyed the experience.
The part of Miss Farrow, the private secretary of Oliver Warbucks, is played by Junior Kaitlyn Norfolk the daughter of Robert and Lisa Norfolk. She explains her role has an integral part with the story-line’s plot.
As a junior, Norfolk is already experienced with the theater. She was in the spring musical “Anything Goes” and a year ago traveled to Orange City for the Tulip Festival to be in the musical “West Side Story.” Norfolk says she is working hard on perfecting her role featured in “Annie.”
Another young, but experienced actor, is Sebastian Buman. Buman has the role of Oliver Warbucks. The junior is the son of Richard and Angie Buman. He has previously been involved with plays featured at the Le Mars Postal Playhouse, and at the Orange City Tulip Festival.
Buman sums up his character as being a stolic businessman at the beginning of the play, but soon becomes a big old softie after meeting Annie. Buman says he tries to communicate in a conversational manner when rehearsing his lines.
Mark Morehead is directing the student cast musical. The curtain will rise at 7:00 p.m. at the Jason Puetz Memorial Gymnasium, and tickets can be purchased for $5.00
Merrill To Make Repairs On Downtown Streets
(Le Mars) — Traffic in downtown Merrill will be detoured starting Thursday, May 4th. The Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department has announced that 5th Street in Merrill will be closed in order to repair some concrete pavement north of Main Street. A detour will direct traffic west of Merrill on County
Road C-44 to K-30, north on K-30 to C-38, and east on C-38 to K-42. It is expected the repairs will be completed by Monday morning, May 8th.
Judge Asks For $10 Million Bond On Escaped Inmate
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska judge has set bail at $10 million for a man accused of shooting two Iowa deputies, one fatally, while escaping from jail earlier this week.
Wesley Correa-Carmenaty was surrounded by six officers Wednesday as the Omaha judge read off the Nebraska charges against him, including kidnapping, which carries a potential life sentence. Prosecutors allege that the 24-year-old carjacked a woman after escaping from the jail across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and didn’t let her go until he drove to Omaha.
Correa-Carmenaty was being transported to the Council Bluffs jail Monday when officials say he managed to grab one of the deputies’ guns and shoot them both, killing Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Burbridge.
He faces several other charges in Iowa, including murder and attempted murder.
Another Health Insurance Company Contemplates Whether To Leave Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The last carrier of individual health insurance policies in most of Iowa might stop offering them to residents.
Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Medica announced Wednesday that its ability to stay in the Iowa insurance market “is in question at this point.”
The company echoed statements by two larger carriers that already have announced their intentions to leave the market: Aetna and Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield. All three cited instability in the market because of concerns about the Affordable Care Act.
The Des Moines Register reports that the carriers’ exits would not affect Iowans who obtain insurance through their employers or through a government program. But the exits could leave more than 70,000 Iowans who buy their own coverage without any options for next year.
—
Eastern Iowa State Legislator To Run For Congressional Seat
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – State Rep. Abby Finkenauer says she’ll be a Democratic candidate to replace Rod Blum in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Finkenauer told the Telegraph Herald on Tuesday that she’s holding several events Wednesday to begin her campaign for the 1st District seat. She filed a statement of candidacy last month with the Federal Election Commission.
Finkenauer is in her second term representing District 99 in eastern Iowa. Blum is a two-term incumbent Republican. On Tuesday he told the newspaper before Finkenauer’s announcement that it was “way too early to be talking about the next election.”
The primary election is set for June 5, 2018. Finkenauer and Blum are from Dubuque.
—
Dallas County Voters Approve Bond Measures
ADEL, Iowa (AP) – Voters in Ankeny and in Dallas County have approved bonds for major construction projects.
More than 77 percent of Dallas County voters said yes Tuesday to building a $22.9 million jail.
Voters rejected plans to build a replacement jail three times since 2013 as county officials struggle with jail overcrowding. The new facility will have 130 beds and room for expansion and be built on the east side of Adel. There also will be space for jail administration, sheriff’s office staff and inmates’ initial court appearances.
Ankeny voters Tuesday approved an $8.5 million bond measure for a library and a $2.55 million bond measure for the city’s third fire station.
Officials have said the projects will not raise taxes.
