BPI vs. ABC News Lawsuit Settlement Disclosed
(Elk Point) — We now have somewhat of an idea as to the amount of money that ABC news paid to settle the nearly two billion dollar lawsuit filed against the news network and its reporter Jim Avila by B-P-I. In the quarterly financial
statement filed by Disney, the parent company of ABC News, it was disclosed that Disney paid $177 million dollars plus insurance recoveries, to settle the defamation case with BPI.
Disney’s financial tables do not specify the BPI lawsuit, however the BPI litigation is the only case Disney refers to in their report.
A statement from Dan Webb, who led the BPI legal team, says “As Disney disclosed, $177 Million is not the total settlement amount.
Based on Disney’s disclosure, it appears that Disney is funding $177 million of the settlement and its insurers are paying the rest.”
BPI sued ABC and Avila in 2012 saying they defamed the company by referring to its lean finely textured beef as “pink slime”.
The company claimed it lost business after those reports and was forced to close manufacturing plants and layoff hundreds of workers.
18th Street Rail Crossing To Be Closed Today (Thursday)
(Le Mars) –– Le Mars city officials are reporting that the railroad crossing at 18th Street southwest will be closed today, (Thursday) beginning at 8:30 and continuing until 5:00 p.m. The CN and Union Pacific railroad companies will be repairing the train signal mast and arm on the south side of 18th street.
Iowa State Fair Begins Today
(Des Moines) — The Iowa State Fair begins its eleven-day run today, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey says it is a great way to showcase Iowa’s agriculture.
Northey says fairs offer an excellent opportunity for agriculture to tell its story.
Northwestern College On-line Nursing Ranked Among Best
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Northwestern College’s online RN to BSN degree program has been ranked 31st on a list of the nation’s top 50 programs by valuecolleges.com.
Northwestern is the only Iowa college on the list and one of just six faith-based institutions.
Valuecolleges.com based its rankings on the programs’ affordability and return on investment. Northwestern’s Graduate School & Adult Learning division recently reduced the tuition for the online RN to BSN degree program from $410 per credit
to $325 per credit. The new rate is lower than the average cost of comparable programs ($519 per credit) and makes Northwestern’s online RN to BSN program the most affordable in Iowa.
Northwestern’s RN to BSN degree program is designed to be convenient for working nurses. Courses are entirely online, and students can complete the program in two years or less, taking just one eight-week class at a time. The curriculum is characterized by a high degree of personal attention from nurse educators who foster students’ ability to deliver holistic healing and serve in healthcare leadership roles.
Valuecolleges.com also features Northwestern College in sixth place on its list of the Top 10 Best Online Colleges in Iowa
Fire Fighters and Insurance Officials Attend Fire Inspection Seminar
(Orange City) — Fire officials and insurance inspectors attended a fire investigation seminar held Wednesday at Orange City. The program was put on by Grinnell Mutual Insurance, and its purpose was to help fire fighters and insurance claims officials get a better idea of how fire may start, as well as a burn pattern of fires, and to look at ways homeowners and businesses may be able to incorporate fire prevention measures to better protect their property against fire-related losses. (Orange City) — Fire officials and insurance inspectors attended a fire investigation seminar held Wednesday at Orange City. The program was put on by Grinnell Mutual Insurance, and its purpose was to help fire fighters and insurance claims officials get a better idea of how fire may start, as well as a burn pattern of fires, and to look at ways homeowners and businesses may be able to incorporate fire prevention measures to better protect their property against fire-related losses. Trace Lawless helped direct the program. He is a fire investigation specialist with Grinnell Mutual and has more than 30 years of experience. Lawless says Grinnell Mutual featured six simulated rooms from a home which were set on fire. Lawless says they had set up two identical living rooms, with the only difference was one was equipped with a sprinkler system.
Iowa State University Interim President Proposes Tuition Hike
AMES, Iowa (AP) – The interim president of Iowa State University is proposing resident undergraduate tuition increases of 7 percent in each of the next five years. President Ben Allen told an Iowa Board of Regents task force Wednesday
that the university’s enrollment has risen by 37 percent since 2009, but state appropriations for operations have declined by 30 percent. Resident undergraduates are scheduled to pay nearly $7,500 in tuition for the upcoming academic year. A 7 percent increase would raise costs by $522 for the 2018-19 academic year, and the tuition total would reach nearly $10,500
for the 2022-23 academic year. The task force took no action Wednesday. The regents created the task force in response to more than $30 million in state funding cuts.
Escaped Prisoner To Plead Guilty To Killing Deputy
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors say a man charged with killing a sheriff’s deputy and wounding another while escaping from an Iowa jail will plead guilty. The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office says an attorney for Wesley Correa-Carmenaty informed officials of the change Wednesday. A news release from the prosecutor’s office says no plea bargain was made and that Correa-Carmenaty still faces charges of murder, attempted murder, escape, kidnapping and other crimes. Correa-Carmenaty’s trial had been set to begin Tuesday. Now, a change of plea hearing will take place Tuesday morning in Council Bluffs. Authorities say Correa-Carmenaty had just been sentenced on May 1 to 45 years in prison in an unrelated murder case when he grabbed one of the deputies’ guns while being transferred to the county jail. He shot them both and used the jail van to escape. He was recaptured that day in Omaha, Nebraska, after carjacking a woman at gunpoint.
Man Arrested For Setting Fire That Killed Two Girls
GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa (AP) – Law enforcement officials have charged an Ames man in a May house fire at Guthrie Center that killed two young girls. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office said in a news conference Wednesday that 26-year-old Patrick Ryan Thompson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson. It was not clear whether he yet has an attorney. Investigators had already determined that arson caused the May 15 fire that killed 16-year-old Shakiah Cockerham and 12-year-old Melanie “Paige” Exline and injured their uncle, 54-year-old William Long III, and grandmother, 74-year-old Shirley Exline. Investigators say Thompson is the stepson and stepbrother of men charged in a sexual abuse case in which at least one of the girls was a victim.
