185th Refueling Wing Set For Deployment
(Sioux City) — Nearly 300 members of Sioux City’s Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refueling Wing will be deployed overseas beginning in October.
Colonel Larry Christensen, the base commander, says it’s one of the largest deployments in recent history of the unit and involves two separate entities:
The airmen will depart for six-month-long deployments from October through January, 2018.
Senior Master Sgt. Ron Bennett says they will be stationed in countries like Qatar (cutter), the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Members from of the 133rd Test Squadron in Fort Dodge are also part of the deployment.
Sgt. Bennett says another 100 airmen from the 185th Operations and Maintenance groups will deploy for 30 to 120 day deployments to similar locations in the Persian Gulf and to support the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
Colonel Christensen says he greatly appreciates the Siouxland community who employ and support the guard members and knows they will be impacted along
with the families of those airmen for the next several months:
The 185th will continue to fly domestic missions as well involving
refueling, medical missions and troop transports while their contingent is serving overseas.
Forbes Ranks Northwestern College As One Of Nation’s Best Colleges
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Northwestern College of Orange City, is again ranked among the nation’s 650 best colleges and universities by Forbes.com. Northwestern is ranked 475th
overall in the 2017 “America’s Top Colleges” ranking, having made the list every year since Forbes began publishing it in 2008.
The ranking focuses on the direct benefits colleges and universities provide students, according to Forbes’ website. “Before you become a college student, you need to think like a graduate. Our goal is to showcase the colleges and
universities that deliver the best return on your education investment dollars: low student debt, on-time graduation, quality academics, high earning potential and career success,” said Caroline Howard, digital managing editor of Forbes Media.
The rankings are based on five general categories: post-graduate success, which evaluates alumni pay and prominence; the student experience, which includes freshman-to-sophomore-year retention rates; student debt, which penalizes schools for high student debt loads and default rates; graduation rate; and
academic success, which rewards schools whose students go on to earn doctoral degrees or win prestigious scholarships and fellowships. Data are from sources such as the Department of Education and Pay scale.
Plymouth County Authorities Release Additional Information On Accident
(Le Mars) — We now know more information regarding an accident that occurred Wednesday evening at about 5:50 p.m. at the junction of county road C-70 and Nature Avenue. Two vehicles were involved with the accident. 17 year old Matthew Faith of Hinton was driving a 1998 Subaru Forester and 59 year old Jay Barto of Kingsley was driving a 2007 Nissan Frontier when the two vehicles collided at the intersection. Witnesses were on the scene and statements were gathered. Faith says he was traveling northbound on Nature Avenue. Faith says
he stopped at the stop sign and looked both ways and continued through the intersection. Faith says he did not see anything. The passenger in Faith’s vehicle informed Faith that there was a vehicle approaching heading westbound on County road C-70. Faith’s vehicle was in the middle of the intersection at the
time and was struck by the Barto vehicle. Barto says when he saw the Faith vehicle, he tried to swerve to the south to avoid the Faith vehicle, but made contact with the rear passenger side of the vehicle, causing both vehicles to go into the north ditch. Both vehicles rolled and came to a rest on their wheels.
Faith, and his passenger, 15 year old Justin Faith, had both suffered injuries, as did Barto. All three were transported by ambulance to Unity Healthcare -St. Luke’s in Sioux City. Matthew Faith was cited for driving while license is suspended and failure to yield right of way. The Faith vehicle sustained $5,000
in damages, and the Barto vehicle’s estimated damage is at $10,000. Responding to the accident were the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Kingsley Police Department, Kingsley Fire Department, and both the Kingsley and Hinton Ambulances.
Friday and Saturday Are Iowa Tax Free Days
(Des Moines) — For the 18th straight year, Iowans can take advantage of tax-free shopping on certain items today (Friday) and Saturday. Nicole Watson, at the Iowa Department of Revenue, says the annual Sales Tax Holiday is a time to
save cash, especially for parents who are stocking up on their kids’ school clothes.
“It’s a very limited opportunity for folks as they get ready to head back to school to save paying sales tax on clothing items,” Watson says. “They’re intended to be any article of clothing or apparel and footwear that is worn and is under $100.” Watson says the tax-free shopping period is popular with shoppers and merchants statewide.
“We measure success on the number of taxpayers that take advantage of it,” she says. “The most recent information dates from August of 2015 where an estimated $60-million in sales were exempted during the sales tax holiday, so quite a lot.” The Iowa Department of Revenue website details what items will be
tax-free — and what ones aren’t — during the two day period.
“What clothing items, like shoes, pants, t-shirts, your general
back-to-school clothing items are covered,” Watson says. “Things that aren’t covered are going to be accessories, backpacks, things that aren’t actually clothing.” Other tax exempt items include: caps and hats, socks, underclothing,
uniforms for work and school, coats, bathing suits, leotards and tights, costumes and diapers. Other items that WILL still be taxed include: computers, school supplies, jewelry, fabric, athletic clothing and athletic footwear not usually for everyday wear. The holiday runs from 12:01 A-M on Friday though
11:59 P-M on Saturday. For more information, visit tax.iowa.gov
No One Voted In McIntire Ballot Issues
MCINTIRE, Iowa (AP) – Apparently it was a not-so-special election in the tiny town of McIntire, Iowa, where none of its 70 registered voters showed up to cast ballots. Tuesday’s ballot asked two questions: Should the term of the mayor be
raised to four years from two, and should the terms of council members be raised to four years, staggered, from two years. A Mitchell County deputy auditor, Barbara Baldwin, told the Mason City Globe Gazette that the poll workers didn’t even vote. None of them live in McIntire. McIntire, population 110, sits near the state line with Minnesota, 137 miles (221 kilometers) north-northeast of Des Moines. Baldwin says she’s seen low turnouts over her 28 years with the county auditor, but, “This is definitely a first.”
