Koch and Olhrich Named As Plymouth County Fair Royalty
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Fair crowned its royalty during a ceremony held last evening. KLEM’s own Dave Grosenheider once again served as the emcee for the 18th year.
That left the naming of this year’s king candidate.
With Christen Koch (Cook) winning the king position, it meant that he was a double winner for the evening. Winning the Mr. Congeniality award, and being named the Plymouth County Fair King.
A total of 17 women were vying for the title of 2018 Plymouth County Fair Queen. We again go back to last evening at the Pioneer Village stage to
listen to Dave Grosenheider as he makes the awaited announcement for the fair princesses and the fair queen.
15 young women were standing in a line, with fingers crossed, and all hoping that Dave Grosenheider would announce their name as the next Plymouth County Fair Queen.
17 year old Claire Ohlrichs, the daughter of Gary and Charletta Ohlrichs of Merrill was selected as this year’s fair queen. Ohlrichs was representing the Portland Preston Pillars 4-H club. She is also a member of FFA. Part of the responsibilities of being honored as the fair queen is Ohlrichs will represent Plymouth County during the Iowa State Fair Queen Competition.
Something, she says she is looking forward to.
Ohlrichs sees her role as the fair queen as an ambassador for the county fair.
Koch (Cook) says he is humbled to be named as the Plymouth County Fair king, and he simply wants to represent the fair in the best manner.
Good Weather Provides For Good Fair Attendance On Opening Day
(Le Mars) — Wednesday’s nice weather conditions certainly helped attribute to the good attendance for the opening day of the fair. Fair officials are reporting the attendance for Wednesday was at 17,750 people.
Bietelsphachers Named To Plymouth County Fair Hall of Fame
(Le Mars) — Prior to the crowning of the Plymouth County Fair royalty last evening, Rich Benson, the president of the Plymouth County Fair announced the latest inductees to the fair’s Hall of Fame. This year, the honor was extended to Wayne and Julie Bietelspacher. The Bietelspacher’s have been great long-time supporters of the fair. Wayne is a past fair board director,
and Julie, has for several years conducted interviews with the king and queen candidates, as well as with hundreds of 4-H members as they describe their projects during radio interviews from the fair. Both have been 4-H leaders.
The Bietelspachers are also sponsors of the “aROUND the farm in the BARN” agricultural educational exhibit displayed inside the round barn.
Congratulations go to Wayne and Julie Bietelspacher for being named the 2018 Plymouth County Fair Hall of Fame inductees.
Naig To Visit Plymouth County Fair
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Fair will have a special visitor attending the fair’s festivities this afternoon. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced he will come to Le Mars to see the fair that promotes itself as “the best five days of summer.” Naig assumed the role of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture after Bill Northey accepted a position with the U-S
Department of Agriculture this past May.
Day Two Of Bibler Murder Trial Has Le Mars Police Testifying
(Le Mars) — Day two of testimony regarding the Thomas Bibler murder trial took place yesterday at the Plymouth County Courthouse. Bibler is accused of fatally stabbing his sister, Shannon Bogh, in June of 2016. Le Mars Police
officers Jay King and Justin Daale both took the witness stand. King and Daale testified to the investigation that occurred after the stabbing incident had taken place. King indicated a search warrant was issued for the arrest of Thomas Bibler. King presented a timeline indicating Bibler’s whereabouts during the Saturday evening of June 2016. He said Bibler had
finished working at Lally’s Eastside restaurant, then placed a phone call, before being seen at the Bogh residence. King took Bibler to the Plymouth County Jail to be booked and processed. Defense attorney Sharese Whitecell asked King why the police focused their attention on Thomas Bibler?
Whitecell pressed King asking if the police ever investigated other suspects other than Bibler?
King says he investigated the inheritance left by Shannon’s father to both Shannon and to Thomas Bibler, as well as with Philip Bogh.
King says through his investigation he did not see anything that would tie Philip Bogh. Senior Police Officer Justin Daale took the stand and said the initial investigation found droplets of blood at the crime scene. Daale saida search warrant was conducted by the Special Response Team of Bibler’s residence, and several knives were found.
Officer Daale says there were several knives that seem to be out of place. He says the S-R-T team also found a pocket knife located in the bathroom.
Daale says police officers found some evidence of blood near the driver’s side door of Bibler’s pickup truck when they processed the truck for additional evidence.
THEFT CHARGE-ATTORNEY
Attorney accused of stealing more than $35,000 from estate
CRESCO, Iowa (AP) – A northeast Iowa attorney has been accused of looting the estate of a woman who died in 2009.
Howard County court records say 56-year-old Todd Kowalke (koh-WAHL’-kee) is charged with theft. He didn’t immediately return a call Thursday from The Associated Press. His next court hearing is set for Aug. 10.
The criminal complaint filed against him says he took more than $35,000 from the estate and used it for gambling and for business and personal expenses. The complaint also says he’s promised to repay all the money.
MISSING STUDENT-IOWA
Investigators use digital info in search for Iowa student
BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) – Federal and state investigators are poring through data related to a missing University of Iowa student’s digital footprint in an effort to track her whereabouts and online activities in the hours before her disappearance.
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said Wednesday that investigators believe they’ve “put together a pretty solid timeline” of what 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts was doing before she was last seen jogging in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, the evening of July 18. Mortvedt says he can’t give details of those activities.
Mortvedt says the data comes from several search warrants issued to social media and fitness tracking companies, including Fitbit. Friends and family say Tibbetts, an avid runner, was usually wearing her Fitbit.
VOTER ID-IOWA-THE LATEST
The Latest: Iowa official to appeal ruling on voter ID law
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says he will challenge a temporary injunction placed on parts of the state’s new voter ID law.
Pate says in a statement released Wednesday night that he’s “disappointed” in the decision by Polk County Judge Karen Romano. Pate says he’ll appeal it to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Pate defended the law, which was approved last year in the Republican-controlled Legislature. It goes into full effect in 2019, though voters were asked to show valid ID this year as part of a soft rollout. Those without valid ID were still able to cast regular ballots.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs are the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa and an Iowa State University student. The injunction will stop the state from implementing some components of the law around absentee voting. Other parts of the law remain in effect.
MARSHALLTOWN’S HOPE
Iowa baseball team back on the field after EF-3 tornado
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Last Wednesday, the high school baseball team in Marshalltown, Iowa, was busy celebrating an unlikely berth in the state tournament.
Less than 24 hours later, the Bobcats, their families, neighbors and friends were ducking for cover as an EF-3 tornado ravaged their town of nearly 30,000 about an hour northeast of Des Moines.
It’s been an extraordinarily hectic time ever since for the Bobcats, whose lives have alternated between helping the town clean up and preparing for their first trip to states in nine years.
But Marshalltown (20-18) finally got back to baseball again on Wednesday night in a state quarterfinal against powerhouse Urbandale, in hopes of extending a season overshadowed by a devastating twister.
POLARIS INDUSTRIES-TARIFFS
Polaris to increase production in Poland after EU tariffs
A U.S. motorcycle manufacturer says it plans to increase production in Poland after President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on steel and aluminum and the European Union retaliated with tariffs on motorcycles, but the company said the move will not reduce jobs at its U.S. plants.
Last month, Minnesota-based Polaris Industries said it was considering moving production of its Indian Motorcycles brand from the plant in Iowa to one in Poland as a way to deal with the retaliatory tariffs.
On Wednesday, Polaris CEO Scott Wine said the higher production in Opole, Poland, next year had been planned “for quite some time,” but avoiding tariffs was an added benefit. His spoke as the company released second-quarter earnings , which were better than expected.
OIL PIPELINE-STATE LAWSUIT
Dakota Access pipeline builder wants state lawsuit dismissed
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – The company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline says its ownership of agricultural land in North Dakota doesn’t violate state law, and that the law is unconstitutional anyway.
Dakota Access attorneys want a judge to dismiss a complaint North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem (STEHN’-juhm) filed July 3. They also want Stenehjem prevented from enforcing state law that bars companies from owning farmland.
Dakota Access bought the ranchland in 2016 in an area where thousands of pipeline opponents gathered to protest, to protect workers and help law officers. But a deal with the state allowing the purchase expired, and Stenehjem sued.
Dakota Access argues the land is leased for farming, the company didn’t break the law with the purchase, and the law violates several clauses of the U.S. Constitution.
