Road Closed For Bridge Repair
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department will be closing 190th Street between Hickory Avenue and Impala Avenue beginning today. The road will is expected to remain closed through Wednesday, July 26th. Construction crews
will be replacing a wooden bridge with a culvert pipe.
Sioux County Youth Fair Continues Through Weekend
(Sioux Center) — The Sioux County Youth Fair continues through the weekend, and Jackie Jiskoot, Assistant 4-H and Youth Director says today’s activities focus on the children.
Yesterday, we had cooler temperatures which made for a much more comfortable day at the fair. However, earlier in the week, both the temperatures and humidity levels were climbing. Jiskoot explains how it affected the animal entries.
Jiskoot says many of the animals have fans near their pens and stalls circulating the air, as well as sprinklers spraying a fine mist on to the animals in order to keep them cool and comfortable. Today is the 4-H swine show and Saturday will feature the 4-H Market Beef show.
Five Iowans Charged With Healthcare Fraud
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Five people in Iowa are among more than 400 people charged with taking part in health care fraud and opioid scams that federal prosecutors say totaled $1.3 billion in false billing across the country.
U.S. Attorney Kevin VanderSchel in the Southern District of Iowa says the five were indicted in two schemes involving the distribution of opioids. He says 47-year-old Shawne Marie Widener, of Hamburg, is charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Charged with conspiracy and distribution of the drugs are 31-year-old Mark Edward May; 32-year-old Chiann May Jones; 37-year-old Clara Ann Milks; and 40- year-old Jeremiah Jones, all of Missouri Valley.
Federal public defender Michael Lee Smart said Thursday that it’s too early to comment on how the Iowa defendants will plead.
Bear Sighted In Southeast Iowa
OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) – State officials are testing fur found at the site of a black bear sighting in southeastern Iowa.
The Oskaloosa Herald reports (https://bit.ly/2t8LqxD ) that the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a black bear strolling through a soybean field on Wednesday.
Officials were not able to find a bear, but officials with the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources collected fur samples believed to belong to a black bear for testing.
Officials say there have been multiple bear sightings reported in the area in recent weeks.
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International Student Enrollment Down At Iowa Universities
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Officials from Iowa’s three public universities say international student enrollment has fallen this year, which some believe is due to immigration concerns raised during the presidential election.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa are expecting a dip of a few hundred students spread among them. Officials say a prolonged decline would negatively affect the universities culturally and financially.
Lee Seedorff is a senior associate director of UI International Student and Scholar Services. She says immigration concerns happened around the same time as when many students were filling out college applications.
University of Northern Iowa spokesman Scott Ketelsen says the school’s overall acceptance numbers are down because of increased competition from other universities and “global uncertainty.”
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