Vehicle Hits Motorcycle Causing Accident and Injuries
(Le Mars) — Early Thursday afternoon at about 12:42 p.m. an accident involving a motorcycle happened at the intersection of 6th Avenue S.W. and 6th Street S.W. and Business Highway 75 near the Dairy Queen restaurant.
According to the Le Mars Police, apparently, a car had struck a Harley Davidson motorcycle from behind causing the motorcycle rider to lose control.
Skid marks on the Business Highway 75 show the motorcycle had slid on the pavement for a distance of approximately 50 to 75 feet. The investigation also shows the motorcycle, after being struck from behind, then ricocheted and struck some cars. The accident happened at the intersection’s stoplight.
The motorcyclist incurred some injuries, but they were not thought to be life-threatening. The accident victim was transported to the Floyd Valley
Healthcare by the Le Mars Ambulance. Traffic was reduced to one lane each way for nearly a half hour while authorities investigated the accident scene.
Responding to the scene were the Le Mars Police Department, Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, Le Mars Ambulance, and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. The identity of the motorcycle driver, or the drivers from the involved cars, have not yet been released.
Gehlen Catholic Announces Valedictorians and Salutatorian
(Le Mars) — Gehlen Catholic School has announced its 2018 class Valedictorians and Salutatorian for this year’s graduating seniors. The Salutatorian is Lucas McCarty, the son of Mark and Judi McCarty of Le Mars.
There are three Valedictorians that include: Carlyn Bretey,
daughter of Dr. Keith and Teri Bretey of Le Mars, Abbie Dickman,
the daughter of Stuart and Donna Dickman of Le Mars, and Kayla Mayer,
the daughter of Kevin and Becky Mayer of Le Mars. Commencement is scheduled for Sunday, May 20th beginning
at 12:30 p.m., and the Gehlen Graduation ceremony will be broadcast on KLEM radio. Later, at 3:00 p.m. KLEM radio will broadcast the Le Mars Community graduation ceremony.
Tulips in Full Bloom For Orange City Tulip Festival
(Orange City) — Its Tulip Time at Orange City. Today is the second day of the three-day festival when the folks at Orange City celebrate their Dutch Heritage. Jenon Scallon serves as chairman for the Orange City Tulip Festival Promotion Committee. She says this year marks the 78th anniversary
for the festival. Scallon says the tulips are in full bloom.
Scallon believes the recent cool and wet spring helped the tulips.
You can visit the KLEM radio website at www.klem1410.com to see a complete schedule of events. The Orange City Tulip Festival Committee has announced the theatrical production of “Beauty and the Beast” will make a return for
the 2019 Tulip Festival. The show’s popularity sold out each of the performances for this year, and committee representatives felt it would be appropriate to again offer the production for next year.
Democratic Congressional Candidates Debate Issues
(Sioux Center) — The three Democratic candidates seeking the nomination to represent the northwest Iowa U-S Congressional District faced off last evening during a debate held at Dordt College in Sioux Center. The candidates included J.D. Scholten of Sioux City, Dr. John Pascion of Ames, and Leann Jacobson of Spencer. The three answered a wide variety of questions ranging from healthcare and abortion, to agriculture trade and
tariffs, to U-S financial assistance to foreign nations, and the Mideast situation. The three Democrats seem to agree with one another on many of the issues, and instead of noting differences, they instead directed their opposition to Republican incumbent Congressman Steve King. Dordt College’s Political Science professor and political analyst Jeff Taylor says the debate was a
successful event.
Taylor says the candidates were cordial and respectful to each other.
Northwest Iowa, and Sioux County in particular, are noted Republican dominated regions. The event did draw more than 50 people and Taylor says debate served the purpose of featuring the three candidates running for
Congress.
During our 10:00 o’clock news update, we will hear the comments from the candidates.
Zumbach To Appear In Le Mars
(Le Mars) — Republican State Senator Dan Zumbach is scheduled to make an appearance this afternoon in Le Mars as he crosses the state for his campaign. Zumbach, is one of five republicans seeking the office of Secretary of Agriculture. Zumbach is scheduled to be at the Habitue Coffeehouse at 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. Zumbach serves as the chairman of
the State Senate Agriculture Committee.
The other republican candidates seeking the Iowa Agriculture Secretary position include: current Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, past president of the Iowa and American Soybean Association Ray Gaesser, past president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Craig Lang, and northeast Iowa farmer Chad Ingels. Only one Democrat is running for the agriculture position, and that is Tim Gannon.
Cost-share Conservation Programs Available For Farmers
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today the 2018 sign-up period is open for statewide cost share funds to help farmers install nutrient reduction practices. Practices eligible for this funding are cover
crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when
applying fertilizer.
“This program has been very popular with farmers interested in adding water quality focused practices on their farm. We continue to see farmers and landowners taking on the challenge of improving water quality and this is a great way for them to get started with a new practice,” Naig said.
The cost share rate for farmers new to planting cover crops is $25 per acre ($15 per acre for past cover crop users) and for farmers trying no-till or strip till is $10 per acre. Farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.
Farmers interested in cover crops that have already used this practice on their farm are also eligible for this funding, but at a reduced rate of $15 per acre. Farmers are only eligible for cost share on up to 160 acres. The funds will be made available in July, but farmers can immediately start submitting applications through their local Soil and Water Conservation District office.
Farmers are also encouraged to visit their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to inquire about additional opportunities for cost share funding through other programs offered at their local SWCDs.
Business Survey Shows Economy Is Improving
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly survey of bankers shows that the economy is slowly improving in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says that while commodity prices have improved recently, they remain below breakeven for a large share of grain farmers.
The overall Rural Mainstreet index slipped slightly to 56.3 in May,
up from 53.5 in April. It’s the highest level since July 2013. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.
Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
More than one-third of bank CEOs identified rising regulatory costs as the top economic challenge to their operations over the next five years.
