Home News Friday News, July 28th

Friday News, July 28th

Fair Attendance Hits 19,500 For Second Day

(Le Mars) — Fair officials are reporting the attendance for the second day of the Plymouth County Fair was about two thousand people more than on the opening day. An estimated 19,500 people attended the Plymouth County Fair on Thursday.
Cooler temperatures, and the rains from Wednesday are two reasons being credited for the up-tick in attendance. The tough truck competition at the grandstand, as well as the musical entertainment at Pioneer Village also are reasons for the
nice attendance levels.

 

 

Livestock Entries Holding Steady At Plymouth County Fair

(Le Mars) — Livestock entries at this year’s Plymouth County Fair are holding steady to slightly higher according to Ann Schoenrock, Plymouth County Extension
and Outreach co-program coordinator.  Schoenrock says many of the increases has occurred with smaller animal projects.  Poultry projects made a jump over last year, but according to Schoenrock, 4-H members are trying to build back up their individual flocks after the bird flu from two years ago.

Schoenrock says there are about 50 more entries in the poultry division over last year. Today is the market beef judging show and Schoenrock says those numbers have been holding steady.

The swine judging show is scheduled for Saturday, and Schoenrock says a couple of new classes were added this year, which helped build the overall hog numbers for the Plymouth County Fair.

Schoenrock explains the procedure and criteria behind the new “Adopt a Pig” program.

 

 

Cooking Demonstration Seminar Scheduled For Friday Evening

(Le Mars) — Later this evening, inside the Century Hall will be the annual cooking seminar. Sandy Schnepf is the coordinator for the cooking demonstration show.  She explains how the popular program got its start.

 

 

John and Deb Ahlers Selected To State 4-H Hall of Fame

(Le Mars) — It was announced during the Farm Olympics competition at the Plymouth County Fair Thursday evening that John and Deb Ahlers of Le Mars have been selected to represent Plymouth County 4-H and will be inducted into the State 4-H Hall of Fame.  The Ahlers will be formally recognized during a ceremony scheduled for Sunday, August 20th at the Iowa State Fair.

 

 

Schaller, Iowa Trucking Firm Still Answering Questions About Smuggling Aliens Into Country

 IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A trucking company linked to a recent deadly human smuggling case in Texas had long promoted itself as a family firm whose hard-working drivers helped keep the U.S. economy running. But according to public records and interviews with former drivers, Pyle Transportation, of Schaller, Iowa was a cutthroat business that flouted laws, yet managed to stay afloat despite financial troubles and tangles with the government. One of the company’s contract drivers was charged Monday in the deaths of 10 immigrants found in a sweltering Pyle trailer in San Antonio. The firm says it knew nothing about the human smuggling operation. Federal regulators have launched an investigation into the company’s safety record.

 

 

Drought Conditions Worsen

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Drought conditions are getting worse in several states, and extreme heat and weeks with little rain have begun to stress corn, soybeans, wheat and livestock in some areas. The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says nearly 11 percent of the continental United States is in moderate drought or worse. The most severe drought area is centered on portions of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The United States Department of Agriculture has designated several counties in those states as areas of natural disaster, paving the way for
emergency loans for producers. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas also are seeing stressed crops and farm animals. About half of U.S. spring wheat, 15 percent of corn and 14 percent of soybeans are in drought.

 

 

Midwest Economy Lagging Behind Other States

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A report from a federal commerce bureau says the economies of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota logged the worst performance in the U.S. in the beginning of 2017, with economic output declining in all three states. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that from January through March this year, Nebraska’s economic output declined by 4 percent when compared to the final quarter of the previous year, making it the worst of any state. South Dakota ranked second-worst with a 3.8 percent decline, followed by Iowa with a 3.2 percent decline. The Omaha World-Herald  reports that the bureau is a federal agency from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It measures a state’s “real” gross domestic
product, which is the market value of goods and services produced in-state.