Home News Saturday News, April 21st

Saturday News, April 21st

“NIGHT AT THE MASTER’S” GEHLEN BALL SET TO START TONIGHT 

(Le Mars) — With the theme “A Night at the Masters” the Friends of Gehlen Catholic will hold its annual fundraiser ball tonight at the Le Mars Convention Center.

This year’s fundraiser will take on a golf theme.

Last year, the Friends of Gehlen Ball were able to raise $265,858.40 for the local Catholic school during the 30th year for the special event.

The Gehlen Ball serves to help lower the tuition costs for students.

The Friends of the Gehlen Ball chair says the evening will also feature entertainment with a disc jockey upstairs, and the Johnny Holm band performing downstairs.

OPIOID DRUG USE PROBLEM CONCERNS SIOUX CITY LAW ENFORCEMENT

SIOUX CITY POLICE AND STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IOWA HAS HAD A INCREASE IN CASES OF OPIOID DRUG OVERDOSES.

BUT LT. BRAD BOLLINGER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE PROBLEM IS NOT AT THE CRITICAL LEVEL LOCALLY THAT IT IS IN EASTERN STATES OR EVEN OTHER PARTS OF IOWA.

THAT WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THURSDAY NIGHT’S TOWN HALL MEETING AT THE PUBLIC MUSEUM.

LOCAL POLICE STATISTICS SHOW THERE WERE 29 DRUG OVERDOSES IN 2016 IN SIOUX CITY AND 31 IN 2017.

THERE HAVE BEEN 12 ALREADY THIS YEAR AS OF APRIL 17TH WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE INCIDENTS INTENTION AND WITH FEMALE VICTIMS.

THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE VICTIMS IS AROUND 31 YEARS OLD.

KEVIN GABBERT OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DISCUSSED THE OPIOID DRUG PROBLEM AT THE MEETING THAT WAS ATTENDED BY AROUND 75 PEOPLE AND WATCHED BY A FEW HUNDRED MORE ONLINE.

BOLLINGER SAYS THE POLICE TOWN HALLS HELP BRING CRITICAL ISSUES TO THE PUBLIC’S ATTENTION:

IF YOU MISSED THE MEETING YOU CAN WATCH KEVIN GABBERT’S PRESENTATION ON THE SIOUX CITY POLICE FACEBOOK PAGE.

DRIVER OF IOWA TRUCK THAT SMUGGLED IMMIGRANTS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

The driver of a semi trailer rig involved in the deaths of 10 smuggled immigrants in Texas last year was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

James Matthew Bradley Jr. pleaded guilty in October to a count of transporting the immigrants resulting in death and a conspiracy count.

The truck Bradley drove containing the victims was registered to Pyle Transportation of Schaller, Iowa.

That company was shut down by federal regulators last October.

If Bradley had gone to trial and been convicted, he could have faced the death penalty.

The life term Bradley received does not include the possibility of parole.

At least 39 immigrants, most from Mexico and Guatemala, were inside the sweltering trailer found by San Antonio police last July in a Walmart parking lot.

Its refrigeration system wasn’t working and outside temperatures that day reached 101 degrees.

Eight people died inside the trailer and two others died after being hospitalized.

KING AGAIN SEEKS TO KNOCK DOWN STATE-LEVEL REGULATIONS ON FARM PRACTICES NATIONWIDE

Republicans on the U.S. House Ag Committee have approved their preferred version of the next Farm Bill. It includes a proposal from Iowa Congressman Steve King that attempts to stop state-level regulations on food grown or raised in another state.

King says states have every right to impose regulations on how farmers within their borders may farm, but he says having officials in one state dictate farming regulations in another state is wrong.

King says the Farm Bill can help clarify that congress has the sole authority to regulate inter-state commerce, including agricultural commodities and food products.

King says without action, Iowa’s farmers will be “held hostage to the demands of California’s vegan lobby” and regulations adopted by California’s state government. King authored a similar proposal for the last Farm Bill, but it was not included in the final version.

Critics of King’s proposal say it will “preempt states’ ability to enact laws that protect public health, the environment, and consumers.”

Others argue laws in Arizona, California and Minnesota that prohibit the false advertising of foods as kosher could be jeopardized.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA VP AMONG FINALISTS FOR PRESIDENT

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) – The South Dakota Board of Regents says a vice president at the University of South Dakota is among four finalists to become the school’s president.

Sheila Gestring is vice president of finance and chief financial officer at the Vermillion college. She and the other three finalists will be on campus next week to meet with faculty, students, staff, alumni and regents.

The other finalists are Kellie McCormack Brown, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Georgia College & State University; Christopher Callahan, dean, vice provost, and professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication at Arizona State University; and Philip K. Way, interim president at Slippery Rock University.