Home News Friday News, March 2nd

Friday News, March 2nd

Reynolds Appoints Naig As Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

(Des Moines) — Governor Kim Reynolds has appointed Micheal Naig as the Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Iowa. Naig had been serving as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture since 2013. Naig takes over the top post after Bill Northey was confirmed by the U-S Senate to assume an Under-Secretary
position with the U-S Department of Agriculture. Naig was raised on an Iowa farm near Cylinder at Palo Alto County. Reynolds says Naig has the “experience, knowledge and staff connections necessary” for the post.
Naig says he plans to build “on the momentum that has been created on water quality and accelerating our adoption of conservation practices.”
Some people may recall Naig was the speaker at last year’s Chamber of Commerce Ag Luncheon.

 

 

Holz Comments On House Passed Bills

(Des Moines) — The Iowa legislature is working dilegently trying to pass legislation. State Representative Chuck Holz of Le Mars says week eight of the general session saw many bills come to the House floor.

Holz says the Iowa House of Representatives also worked on a bill to address the growing opioid issue.

Holz says the Iowa House is now waiting for the Senate passed tax bill to be introduced in the House chamber. He says the House of Representatives also worked on a bill dealing with home-schooled children.

The Iowa legislature is half way completed its scheduled general session.

 

 

Ernst Staff Members To Visit With Constituents At Le Mars Library

(Le Mars) — Staff members of U-S Senator Joni Ernst will be at the Le Mars Public Library this morning beginning at 10:00 a.m. The purpose is to meet with local constituents that may have encountered problems with a federal government
agency. Ernst staff is prepared to assist veterans, the elderly, and anyone with federal benefits.

 

 

Auditions Scheduled For “Drinking Habits”

(Le Mars) — Auditions for the next Postal Playhouse production, “Drinking Habits” are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 5th and 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Accusations, mistaken identities, and romances run wild in this traditional, laugh-out-loud farce. Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent’s doors open, but Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancees, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a
nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves…. Auditions will begin at
7:00 p.m. at the Postal Playhouse Theater located at 105 1st Street Northeast.
Rehearsals are scheduled to begin on March 22nd with performance dates running between May 4th through the 10th. The cast involves five females and 3 males.
Margaret Britton will be directing the play with Curt Sitzmann serving as the producer.

 

 

Le Mars Library and Community Theater Team Up For An Evening With Dr. Suess

 

 

O’Brien County Jury Awards Family For Death Of Man Succumbed By Gases From Hog Barn

PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) – A man felled by toxic gas inside a northwest Iowa hog confinement barn has won nearly $1.2 million for his injuries.
An O’Brien County jury hearing the lawsuit trial found property owner Patrick Probst negligent for the 2014 incident and Tuesday awarded Thomas Mook the money.
Probst had been pumping manure from a pit under the barn Mook was power washing Oct. 16, 2014. The pumping caused hydrogen sulfide to be released. Mook contended the barn had not been adequately ventilated before he arrived the next
morning to continue the work.
Mook was overcome when he entered the barn office. He subsequently was hospitalized and underwent two years of physical therapy. His attorney says Mook suffered two strokes resulting in brain damage that left him with partial short-term memory loss.

 

 

MidAmerican Energy Announces They Will Stop Using Ash Ponds

SALIX, Iowa (AP) – MidAmerican Energy Co. intends to stop using ash ponds to dispose of ash from its coal-fired power plants, including the Neal North and Neal South Energy Centers near Salix in northwest Iowa.
The Sioux City Journal reports that MidAmerican said Thursday that its ash ponds and landfills are compliant with federal regulation, but recent tests results require MidAmerican to take action. The company says no drinking water sources have been contaminated.
An ash pond is an engineered structure for the ash disposal. MidAmerican says it will find a better way to dispose of the ash.
Federal regulators say coal ash contains contaminants such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic and pose a threat to public health if not properly disposed.