Home News Tuesday Afternoon News, October 24th

Tuesday Afternoon News, October 24th

Two Former Gehlen Catholic Students Organize Meal Packaging Event At University of South Dakota

(Vermillion) — Two former Gehlen students have organized a meal packaging program at the University of South Dakota. The two students, Josie Gallas of Le Mars and Krayton Schempf of Granville, who now attend the University of South Dakota recently set up a “Then Feed Just One” campus organization.
The girls worked hard over the summer of 2017 to plan fundraising & packaging events for the upcoming semester. The first fall event was an Ice Cream fundraiser in which ice cream was sold for $1. The last few weeks, the executive team has been working hard to plan their fall packing event. Students could sign up to package meals for $15 or an organization could sponsor a table for $300.
On October 18, USD’s TFJO hosted their first annual fall packing event. 120 students, staff, & community members participated & 15,366 meals were packaged. Some of the USD students who participated in the packaging event included Britany Schmit (’15, of Hospers) & Kaylee Schmit (’17, of Hospers), as well as
alumni of St. Mary’s High School, Remsen.
Once again the executive board was overwhelmed! An astounded Krayton added, “It is pretty amazing to see an idea you came up with while sitting in your dorm room come to life. Without my experience of service at Gehlen & Spalding Catholic I would not have known how to make a difference in the world!”

 

 

Sioux City Man Pleas Not Guilty To Arson Charges

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A man accused of setting fire to a Sioux City house has pleaded not guilty.
Court records say Jesse Bigeagle entered written pleas Friday to charges of arson, criminal mischief and burglary.
The records say Bigeagle entered the home early on Sept. 19, went to the basement and started a fire there before leaving.
No injuries have been reported. The house is considered a total loss. The records say Bigeagle had lived at the house.

 

 

Eight Fire Departments Respond To Chicken Barn Fire

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say firefighters from at least eight departments responded to a blaze that heavily damaged a building at an egg facility on the west side of Charles City in northern Iowa.
Firetrucks were dispatched a little before 5 p.m. Monday, and their crews remained at the Zoetis (zoh-EH’-tis) facility until nearly 11 p.m. Charles City firefighters returned around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to handle a flare-up and some
hot spots.
One firefighter suffered a minor leg injury. Zoetis spokesman Bill Price said Tuesday from the company headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, that no employees of the animal health company were injured.
He says several thousand chickens that produced eggs for vaccine manufacture were killed.
Charles City Fire Chief Eric Whipple says an arcing electrical wire started the fire.

 

 

State Center Man Accused Of Attempting To Kill Father

STATE CENTER, Iowa (AP) – A central Iowa man has been accused of trying to kill his father.
Marshall County Court records say Brian Wengert is charged with attempted murder, obstruction of emergency communications, domestic assault with a weapon and possession of methamphetamine. Authorities say the 44-year-old Wengert was
arrested after a brief struggle Saturday evening at the home he shared with his parent in State Center.
He remained in custody Tuesday, pending $25,000 bail. The court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.
Authorities say a deputy sent to the home found Wengert’s father, 70-year-old Randy Wengert, outside in a yard, suffering from several stab wounds. He’s been taken to a Des Moines hospital.

 

 

South O’Brien FFA Member Among National Finalists

(Paullina) — The 90th annual National FFA Convention begins on Wednesday at Indianapolis, and it is expected to draw more than 60,000 youth from across the nation to the central Indiana city, including delegations from Le Mars, Akron-Westfield, and MMC-RU.  A student who graduated from the South O’Brien Community School (Primghar) is one of four finalists for the National FFA Stars Over America in Agri-Placement.  Kellie Einck is a female mechanic with the ICON Ag and Turf John Deere dealership in Paullina.  She works on tractors, combines,
and other farm equipment.  Einck says she is often on the receiving end of strange looks when farmers bring their equipment to be repaired, and they notice a female working in the shop.  Einck did not grow up on a farm, but has an
interest in agriculture. Einck says FFA helped lead her to her career position as a farm equipment mechanic.

The National FFA Stars Over America is the highest honor within the FFA organization. It is recognized as the best of the best.  Einck is a finalist in the Agri-Placement category.  She won the state competition a couple of years back, and was selected as the National FFA proficiency winner in Agricultural Mechanics last year.  Einck has been employed with the John Deere dealership for the last three years.  She’s honored to be recognized as a finalist, and says the judging and interview session scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday may prove to be intense.

Einck says being considered for a National FFA Star Finalist requires a lot of record keeping.

The FFA finalist will know her fate Thursday evening during the general session, when the FFA Stars Over America are announced. (The National FFA Convention will be broadcast live on the satellite television RFD-TV channel).