Merrill and Le Mars Fire Departments Respond To House Fire
(Merrill) — Shortly before 5:00 p.m. Friday afternoon, both the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department and the Merrill Fire Department responded to a call involving a house that was on fire. The house is located at 23069 county road K-22 or near the junction of county road K-22 and C-44 about seven miles west of Merrill. A passerby spotted smoke coming from the structure and called in the alarm. Steve Hemmelman, the Assistant Fire Chief for Merrill Fire Department
explains what had happened.
Damage to the house was confined the an area about five feet square on the corner of the ranch-style home.
Also responding to the blaze were the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office and the Merrill Police Department, and the Merrill Ambulance. There were no injuries associated with the fire. Hemmelman did not place an estimate to the damage
that had occurred. Fire crews were on the scene for approximately an hour, and they were fortunate to have stopped the fire early since there were strong winds, along with icy road conditions.
Le Mars Police Investigate Theft At Auto Dealership
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police is investigating a theft that occurred at Jensen Motors of Le Mars. The theft of two HID headlights is thought to have happened sometime between March 10th and March 12th. The headlights were taken from a
Ford F-150 pickup truck and were worth $2,800. The dealership also reported two spare tires and additional headlights taken from a couple of other vehicles.
The police department ask if anyone has knowledge of these, or other crimes, to contact the Le Mars Police.
Okoboji Woman Arrested For Credit Card Fraud
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — An Okoboji resident has been arrested and charged with nineteen(19) felony charges: Six (6) counts of Forgery, six (6) counts of Credit Card Fraud, six (6) counts of Identity Theft, and one (1) count of Commission of
Specified Unlawful Activity.
Michele Renee Zeisler, Age 48, was arrested on 03/16/2018 in Arnold’s Park, following a lengthy investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The charges will be filed in Woodbury County.
Reynolds Talks About “Best State” Ranking, Taxes, and Future Ready Iowa Initiative
(Le Mars) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is making a western Iowa swing through the weekend to launch her gubernatorial campaign. She stopped at the KLEM offices Friday afternoon. Reynolds talked about the importance for the state
that recently Iowa was named as the “Best State” by the news magazine U-S News and World Report.
Reynolds says the ranking will serve as a great recruiting tool for businesses and employees. She says every other governor is looking at the list, and trying to figure out what they need to do to help elevate their state’s status.
Earlier this week, the Iowa House passed one of Governor Reynold’s proposed bills entitled the Future Iowa Ready Initiative. Reynolds explains how the
bill will assist Iowa businesses and schools.
You can listen to the entire interview session with Governor Kim Reynolds by visiting the KLEM website at www.klem1410.com.
Siouxland Youth For Christ To Hold Fundraiser Banquet
(Le Mars) — Siouxland Youth For Christ will hold a fund raising benefit banquet scheduled for Monday, March 26th. Jim Rahn, who serves as the Area Director for the youth organization talks about the evening’s events.
Rahn says the Siouxland Youth for Christ organization assists “at risk” students between the ages of 11 and 19 to help them make right choices for life.
Rahn talks about the number of students that participate as well as the various projects and activities that happen at the Siouxland Youth For Christ facility.
Registration is due by March 19th. Rahn encourages all people to visit the facility and the spring banquet to have a better idea of the organization and it’s mission.
Supreme Court Says Mobile Home Trailer Park Can Stay
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court says a Des Moines mobile home park may continue to operate handing the owner a legal victory over the city which tried to shut the park down claiming it violated safety codes.
The city has allowed the Oak Hill Mobile Home Park to operate since 1955 and began attempts to shut it down in October 2014 when it filed court action against owner Mark Ogden.
The city convinced a judge and the Iowa Court of Appeals that trash bins, vehicles, gardens, fencing and “crudely constructed additions” were sufficient enough changes to declare the 30-home park out of compliance with its permit.
Supreme Court justices on Friday said the city failed to prove the
changes were enough to warrant revoking the permit and ordered the case dismissed.
Waterloo Fire Claims Third Fatality Victim
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Officials say the injured mother of two children killed in a Waterloo house fire has also died.
The Courier reports that 33-year-old Amber Dawn Everman died shortly before noon Friday at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where she had been taken after being pulled from the burning home Thursday morning by firefighters.
Two of her children also pulled from the fire – 9-year-old Amari Burkett and 6-year-old Ava Everman – were pronounced dead Thursday at a Waterloo hospital. A third child, a girl, was able to escape by crawling through her bedroom window.
Authorities have not yet determined how the fire started.
Firefighters say several dogs and a cat also were killed in the fire.
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Trump’s Daughter To Visit Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Ivanka Trump is headed to Iowa to promote workforce development.
The daughter of President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit a learning center in the Des Moines suburb of Waukee on Monday.
The Waukee Innovation and Learning Center is part of the local school district and houses a program aimed at partnering students with businesses.
Ivanka Trump, a senior adviser to her father, says she’s visiting the facility to promote the Trump administration’s infrastructure plan, which includes a focus on workforce development. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to join her.
Ivanka Trump will be in Iowa the same day her father and first lady Melania Trump are in New Hampshire to discuss combating the nation’s opioid crisis.
USDA Rejects Animal Rights Petition For Humane Killing Of Chickens for Processing
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has rejected a petition from an animal rights group that sought more humane treatment for turkeys and chickens sent to slaughter.
California-based Mercy For Animals filed a petition in November asking the USDA to include poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, a 1958 law that makes it a crime to abuse or neglect pigs and cows during slaughter.
The head of the USDA’s Office of Food Safety said in denying the
petition that other regulations ensure humane poultry treatment.
Mercy for Animals says it has proof chickens are abused or scalded to death in tanks of hot water and sometimes have legs and wings cut off while still conscious.
The group’s attorney said Friday legal options to overturning the
decision are under consideration.
Officials Find More Than Two Dozen Cats In Home
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – At least two dozen cats and some cat carcasses have been removed from a Des Moines home that authorities say had several inches of feces and garbage on the floor.
Police officers and Animal Rescue League of Iowa workers responded Wednesday to odor complaints about the house. Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek (puh’-REE’-zihk) says charges are pending against the resident. The city maximum is six dogs and cats per household, and not more than three can be dogs.
Parizek says the Rescue League identified eight dead cats and kittens, but there may be more because several carcasses were so decomposed they weren’t readily identifiable as cats.
The Rescue League set out traps to catch and rescue an estimated 10 more cats hiding in air ducts or the house walls.
