Le Mars YMCA To Host Sprint Tri-athon On Saturday
(Le Mars) — Competitors from several states will converge on Le Mars Saturday morning for the eleventh annual Sprint Tri-athon consisting of a 300 yard swim, a 15 mile out and back bicycle ride and a 5k run. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. at
the Le Mars YMCA with the swimming portion kicking off the competition at the outdoor pool, followed by the bicycle ride, and finishing with the run through the southern residential neighborhood. The competition is a timed event.
photos from 2016 Sprint Tri-athon event.
Clay County Fair To Celebrate 100 Years
(Le Mars) — The Clay County Fair in Spencer will be celebrating its 100th year this year when the “World’s Greatest Fair” begins on Saturday and continues through Sunday, September 17th. Earlier this morning we visited with Jeremy Parsons, the CEO and Fair Manager of the Clay County Fair.
Farmers With Land Near Deep Creek Should Consider Participating In The Cost-share Conservation and Water Quality Programs
(Le Mars) — Farmers and landowners with land located along the Deep Creek may want to look at some cost-share programs being offered as a way to cut back on the nitrates and phosphorus run-off and help improve water quality. Bob Puetz
farms near the Deep Creek watershed and is a board member of the Deep Creek Water Quality Initiative Project. He says the Deep Creek Watershed Project has expanded from its original 28,000 plus acres area located in northeast Plymouth County
to now include more than 50,000 plus acres with portions of Sioux, O’Brien, and Cherokee counties. Puetz says farmers should participate in the water quality program because “if we want safe water for the rest of our lives, we need to take
care of it now.” Puetz has implemented several environmental and conservation measures on his farm to help reduce run-off and assist with the water quality efforts.
Bob Puetz, (far right), with wife Lisa, (left) visiting with Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad in the spring of 2015 when Branstad proclaimed Soil and Water Conservation week from the Puetz farm.
The use of cover crops is still a fairly new concept to help with water quality efforts. Puetz says he plants wheat and radishes, and believes it helps the soil’s nutrient value.
Puetz believes having a cover crop helps keep needed moisture in the top-soil levels for the following spring’s main crops.
Puetz says additional education about conservation and water quality efforts are still needed, but he has seen more farmers take notice.
Spencer Authorities Release Information On Fatal Shooting
SPENCER, Iowa (AP) – Authorities suspect a man fatally shot in Spencer was trying to break into a home.
Thirty-year-old Nicolas Bandomo was shot early on Sept. 1, and police said Thursday they think he was trying to reach people in the home whom he’d been barred by protection orders from contacting.
Bandomo fled to a nearby residence after he was shot. Police say he was taken to Spencer Hospital and then died after he was transferred to a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hospital. He lived in Albert City.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is aiding Spencer Police with the case.
Sioux City Boys and Girls Home Makes Plans For New Campus
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An organization that offers mental health services for children has announced plans for a new $6 million behavioral health campus in western Iowa.
Officials with the Boys and Girls Home and Family Services announced the plans Thursday. The organization says the new site in Sioux City will be completed in three phases over the next four years.
The nonprofit has struggled to maintain and upgrade aging infrastructure on its main campus, where some portions were built in 1913.
The organization’s CEO, Art Silva, says leaders wanted a new location that would be more cost effective and offer a more “campus-like” setting.
About $3 million has been raised, including a $350,000 grant from Tyson Foods.
