Home News Saturday News, September 16th

Saturday News, September 16th

Le Mars Community Homecoming King and Queen

(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community celebrated Homecoming on Friday.  This year’s honor for king and queen was presented to Morgan Boehme, the son of John and Heidi Boehme and Gretchen Adams, daughter of Gary and Rebecca Adams . Following the ceremonies, both were asked if they ever had imagined they would be selected as the Le Mars Community Homecoming King and Queen.

 

 

MenuMasters Scheduled For Saturday Evening

(Le Mars) — The sixth annual MenuMasters is scheduled for this evening beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Century Hall at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds.  Amanda Susemihl says there will be 28 teams of men will compete for the best food, as
well as the best theme.

The MenuMasters event is sponsored by the LEEP organization, with the proceeds to help benefit the Le Mars Community School District with the purchase of textbooks, computers, tablets, and etc.  More than $39,800 was raised through the MenuMasters event last year, and the total from the five years of MenuMasters has exceeded $136,600.

 

 

Akron Scarecrow Festival Scheduled 

(Akron) — Akron will hold its annual Great Scarecrow Festival at the Akron city park today.  The event, will not only feature several creative scarecrows that will be judged, but as LeAnn Philips explains the festival has evolved to include many other things.

 

 

Anderson To Resign From State Senate

(Des Moines) — The Sioux City Journal is reporting that a State Senator Bill Anderson, a Republican, plans to resign from the state senate to take a job in Cherokee County.
Forty-year-old Bill Anderson of Pierson was an aide to Senator Chuck Grassley for eight years and he’s currently a policy adviser on Congressman Steve King’s staff. Anderson has been a state senator since January of 2011. Anderson told The Sioux City Journal he will resign from the senate to become the executive
director of the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation.


Earlier this year, Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix removed Anderson from his role as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Neither Dix nor Anderson have commented on the demotion. Anderson’s senate district covers Plymouth and
Woodbury Counties and includes his hometown of Sioux City. The governor will set the date for a special election to fill Anderson’s seat in the state senate, once
Anderson submits his resignation letter. The latest voter registration data indicates there are more than twice as many Republicans as Democrats in the district.

 

 

Republican Legislative Aide Resigns

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A top Republican legislative aide confirms that an Iowa Senate staff member at the center of a discrimination lawsuit that resulted in a $2.2 million jury award has resigned.
Ed Failor Jr., a senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, tells The Des Moines Register that Iowa Senate GOP Caucus analyst Jim Friedrich resigned Wednesday. Failor declined to tell the Register whether Friedrich was asked to resign. A phone listing for Friedrich rang busy Friday afternoon.
In July, a jury awarded $2.2 million to 39-year-old Kirsten Anderson. During trial, Anderson testified that Friedrich often teased women in the office about their sex lives and referred to women using an obscenity.
Anderson was fired in 2013 after complaining of rampant sexual harassment in the caucus office.
Republican officials have said Anderson was fired for poor job performance.

 

 

State Unemployment Edges Upward

(Des Moines) — The state unemployment rate edged up to three-point-three percent in August after sitting at three-point-two percent the last two months. Iowa Workforce Development spokesman, Cory Kelly, says the state saw it’s fourth straight increase in non-farm employment even though the unemployment rate went up.

Several areas saw increases in jobs.

Some of the gains in jobs were offset by loses.

The construction industry lost 900 jobs and has seen a drop
in five straight months.

The unemployment rate one year ago in August was three-point-seven percent. The U-S unemployment rate rose to four-point-four (4.4) percent in August.

 

 

Des Moines To Develop Neighborhood

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Plans are underway to redevelop a virtually abandoned area near downtown Des Moines that used to be home to industrial buildings and railroad tracks into a modern neighborhood.
Television station KCCI reports that Hubbell Realty Company announced Friday it has bought the land between Gray’s Lake and downtown Des Moines to develop Gray’s Station.
Hubbell president and CEO Rick Tollakson announced detailed plans for the $250 million project in July. He says the development could bring around 5,000 people to live and work in the area.
The company expects to begin cleanup of the more than 75-acre site by mid-next week.
The development will offer apartment communities, homes and condominiums, as well as trendy storefronts, bike paths and parks.

 

 

10 Year Old Boy And Mother Arrested For Marijuana Possession

RED OAK, Iowa (AP) – Police in southwestern Iowa have arrested a 10-year-old boy and the boy’s mother after offices say the boy tried to sell marijuana to a classmate.
Shenandoah radio station KMA-AM reports that officers were called Monday to an elementary school in Red Oak, leading officers to search the boy’s home.
The boy’s 34-year-old mother was later arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Her bond was set at $1,000. The boy’s case is being handled in juvenile court.
The Associated Press is not naming the mother to protect the identity of the boy.
Police say the boy had learned where his mother had hidden the marijuana and took it.

 

 

Police Officer On Administrative Leave For Shooting At Suspect

ELDRIDGE, Iowa (AP) – An eastern Iowa police officer has been place on administrative leave after firing a service weapon while chasing a suspect.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation into the early Friday morning shooting in Eldridge.
Officials say the incident began around 1 a.m. during a traffic stop. Police say the stopped driver took off running, and officers gave chase. During the chase, the officer fired a weapon. No one was hit or injured in the chase.
Officials have not released the officer’s name.
The woman, 29-year-old Stevey Graves of Davenport, was captured and arrested. She’s been charged with eluding, operating while intoxicated, driving while barred, speeding and stoplight violations.
She remained jailed Friday on $10,000 bail.