Home News Sunday News, June 17th

Sunday News, June 17th

Rexwinkel Wins Kiwanis Incredible Cow Splash

(Le Mars) — The Kiwanis held its annual Incredible Kow Splash at Willow Creek at the Le Mars Municipal Park and Golf Course. Nearly 500 little floating cows were dropped in the creek at 11:00 a.m. Cow #57 belonging to Le Mars City Councilman John Rexwinkle was the first cow to cross the finish line, earning Rexwinkle $250. Plymouth County Supervisor Don Kass had cow
#375 which finished second for $150. A person from Boise, Idaho had the third place cow, and Bill Reshek of 1216 3rd Street S.E. of Le Mars had the fourth place finishing cow with cow #4. Third and Fourth place finishers also earn cash prizes.

 

 

 

Democrats and Republicans Hold State Political Party Conventions

(Des Moines) — Both the Democrats and the Republicans held their respective state party conventions on Saturday at Des Moines.  Fred Hubbell, the Democratic nominee for governor announced his running mate.  State Senator Rita Hart from Wheatland, Iowa.  Hart has served in the State Senate for two terms and represents the people of Clinton and northern Scott Counties.  Hart is the ranking member of the State Senate Agriculture Committee.

The Republican state delegates had to vote for their nominee for the position of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.  The delegates voted four rounds before deciding that current Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig would be the official Republican nominee.  In the final round, Naig secured 54 percent of the vote to Ray Gaesser’s 46 percent.  Naig had served as the Deputy Agriculture Secretary with Bill Northey.  When Northey left Iowa for a post in the U-S-D-A, Governor Reynolds selected Naig for the post to fill out Northey’s term.

The Republican party also officially nominated Lt. Governor Adam Gregg as the running mate for Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.  You may recall when Governor Branstad became the Ambassador of China, State Attorney General Tom Miller ruled that Gregg could serve as Lt. Governor, but would not be able to succeed Reynolds, if something were to happen to Reynolds preventing her from completing the term.  Delegates from both parties voted on their platform consisting of issues they want to pursue as legislation.

 

 

Minnesota Man Drowns At Lake Red Rock

PELLA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Minnesota man has drowned trying to save his 7-year-old niece at Lake Red Rock at the Des Moines River in central Iowa.
Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the incident happened around 3 p.m. Friday.
Authorities say the girl had been playing on the water’s edge and ventured into deeper water. Her uncle, 42-year-old Cha Charles Lee, of St. Paul, tried to help the girl, but also went under the water.

 

 

Supreme Court Rules Against Motorist

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Cities, counties and the state of Iowa are less liable for injuries caused by road maintenance issues after a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling that upheld a longstanding but controversial legal doctrine.
The court in a June 8 ruling said a northern Iowa woman cannot sue Humboldt County for failing to remove a concrete wall a farmer had installed in a roadside ditch to keep cows from escaping.
Kaitlyn Johnson was injured in March 2013 when the pickup truck she was riding in left the road southwest of Humboldt and struck the concrete structure.
She sued the farmer for installing the barrier and the county for failure to remove it.
The Supreme Court has upheld a judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit, saying Iowa maintains the public-duty doctrine, a legal concept that says governments cannot be held liable for breaching a duty owed to the general public.
Four justices held the doctrine remains the law in Iowa but three disagreed, saying it is at odds with the legislature’s clear intent to limit government immunity.

 

 

Southern Iowa Man Suspected Of Killing A Hunter Is Found Guilty For Separate Burglary Case

CORYDON, Iowa (AP) – A man accused of killing a deer hunter in south-central Iowa has been found guilty of misdemeanor charges in a separate burglary case.
The Daily Iowegian reports 27-year-old Ethan Davis was acquitted of first-degree burglary Friday, but found guilty of misdemeanor counts of assault causing bodily injury and child endangerment.
Police said Davis was armed when he burst into a Seymour home on Nov. 24 where his ex-fiance and her boyfriend were. Police say he pistol-whipped the boyfriend and fired a shot into the ceiling before trying to leave with is 1-year-old son. Davis maintained he was worried about his son’s safety.
Police say later that day, Davis shot and killed 31-year-old Curtis Ross, of Cedar Falls, whose body was found Dec. 2 in a remote area of Appanoose County. An autopsy report says Ross suffered several stabbing and gunshot wounds.
Davis is set to stand trial later this year for first-degree murder in that case.

 

 

Reynolds Declares Two Counties As Disaster Areas

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation in two Iowa counties suffering recent severe weather and flooding.
The proclamation covers Hamilton County in central Iowa and O’Brien County in northwestern Iowa.
The only state resources currently requested with the proclamation is the activation of the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant and Disaster Case Management programs.
The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The money can be used for such things as home and car repairs, temporary housing expenses or replacement of clothing or food.
Disaster Case Management offers case managers to work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource.

 

 

Iowa DNR Investigates Mason City Sewer Line Break

MASON CITY, Iowa — A sewer line collapse in the 300 block of South Rhode Island Ave. is causing the City of Mason City to pump untreated wastewater into the Winnebago River.

The City and their contractor, McKiness Excavating, were unable to complete the repairs to the sewer on Friday and plan to resume working on the repairs on Monday. The affected neighborhood extends east from S. Virginia Ave to S. Kentucky Avenue and south from Highway 122 to 15th Street SE; an area approximately three blocks wide and eleven blocks long.

The sewage is being discharged to a storm sewer that outlets in the Winnebago River near the softball complex on 2nd Street SE.

The DNR asks people to keep children and pets away from the riverbanks near the discharge until 24 hours after repairs are completed.

DNR will continue to monitor the situation and will consider appropriate enforcement action.