Cousins Win Oktoberfest Prince and Princess Title
(Remsen) — The people of Remsen celebrated their German/Luxemborg heritage for the 44th time when they hosted Oktoberfest on Saturday at the St. Mary’s High School. This year’s Little Prince and Princess are cousins, and are the
grandchildren of a founding couple for the Oktoberfest celebration. 8-year old Mia Matgen, the daughter of Michael and Kristen Matgen was awarded the title of 2017 Oktoberfest Princess, while her 6-year old cousin, Mason Matgen, the son of
Brian and Kayla Matgen was crowned the Little Luxemborg Prince. Both are the grandchildren of Jinx and Audry Matgen of Remsen, who helped start the annual Remsen festival 44 years ago.
Hull Fire Department Deal With Anhydrous Ammonia Leak Incident
(Hull) — The Hull Fire Department responded to a report of an anhydrous ammonia leak that occurred in a farm field near the intersection of Highway 75 and 340th Street, about three miles southwest of Hull. The leak had occurred Saturday morning at about 8:17 a.m. Nicholas Tentinger, age 36, of Remsen was driving a John Deere 8335R farm tractor pulling a John Deere 2410 applicator with two 4,000 pound anhydrous ammonia tanks in the field when a connecting hose ruptured and began discharging anhydrous ammonia. Upon arriving at the location, the Hull Fire Department relayed instructions through Sioux County Communications, who was able to relay information to Tentinger about how to park and exit the tractor safely to avoid exposure. No injuries were reported. The Hull Fire Department was assisted by the Sioux Center Fire Department, Hull Ambulance, Iowa State Patrol, and the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.
Rock Valley Man Dies In Home Fire
ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say the body of an 84-year-old man was found in a northwest Iowa house that was heavily damaged by fire.
Firefighters sent to the home in Rock Valley after 2:20 a.m. Sunday found it engulfed in flames. They found the body after extinguishing the blaze.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Luis Leuvanos, who lived in the home.
The fire cause is being investigated.
Ashton Man Dies In Kansas Accident
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An 18-year-old Iowa man who had been reported missing died in a crash in Kansas.
Jake Roos of Ashton, Iowa, was reported missing early Friday morning while he was on the way to pick up a load of cattle.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says Roos’ vehicle crossed the center line and crashed on US-36 about four miles east of Phillipsburg around 2 a.m. Friday.
Roos had been driving to Stockton, Kansas, to pick up the cattle. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
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Federal Program Helps Refugees Become Farmers
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A program that helps refugees in Iowa become farmers is growing, thanks in part to a federal funding boost. Organizers with Des Moines-based Lutheran Services in Iowa will use a new $24,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to offer training to refugees about food safety, organic production and crop planning. The program, known as Global Greens, launched in 2011 by providing
refugees with community garden plots near their neighborhoods around Des Moines.
It later expanded by offering a training farm in West Des Moines. There’s now an aim for more independence and improving production. The grant expands beyond previous USDA awards for the program. It solidifies a yearslong effort to evolve the program from one that only offers some community garden plots to one that also provides intense training to help
participants start businesses.
ICCI Opposes Expansion In Pork Industry
(Des Moines) — Iowa Falls-based Iowa Select Farms has submitted 19 applications for new hog confinement facilities in eight Iowa counties. Jess Mazour (mah-ZHURE), a farm and environmental organizer with Iowa Citizens for Community
Improvement, says the group’s members are none too happy with the proposed facilities.
Iowa C-C-I is working to rally opponents of the various projects to speak out.
Jen Sorensen, a spokeswoman for Iowa Select Farms, says the facilities are to be located in Hamilton, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Humboldt, Franklin, Palo Alto and Bremer counties. She says the 19 proposed sites will add nearly 90,000 hogs to their operations. Sorenson says it’s an “exciting time” in the pork industry.
Sorensen says the hog confinement sites in north-central Iowa will not have an impact with the Prestage Foods plant under construction in southern Wright County. She disputes claims from Iowa C-C-I about manure spills at the company’s
facilities in Iowa.
She says the company takes great pride in the daily work of its environmental services team to ensure environmental stewardship.
Knoxville Wants VA To Take Care of Abandon Facilities
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Residents of an Iowa city are growing frustrated with the federal government’s inaction on a long-closed Veterans Affairs hospital that has been allowed to fall into ruin. The Des Moines Register reports that the Knoxville hospital closed in 2004 when the VA decided to move most of its services to a location in Des Moines. The Knoxville hospital has 39 buildings, some of which date back to 1905. Residents say many of the buildings have mold, asbestos, leaking roofs and
peeling paint. Gail Graham is the central Iowa director of the VA health system. She says the VA is working to improve the grounds and plans to hire a private security firm to stop vandalism. The federal government hopes to sell the property to private developers within a year. —
Miller Says He Will Run Again For Attorney General Position
(Des Moines) — Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says he will seek a 10th term next year.
The 73-year-old Miller, a Democrat, was initially elected to the statewide
office in 1978.
Except for a four-year stretch in the early 1990s after he made an unsuccessful
run for governor, Miller has been the state’s top prosecutor since, making him
the longest serving state attorney general in the country.
Miller is a Dubuque native and Harvard Law School graduate.
He says he wants to keep serving because “there is a lot of unfinished business
for us to work on: opioids, for-profit colleges, and other areas.”
