Juniper Avenue Closed Due To Bridge Repair
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department has closed Juniper Avenue, between Highway 3 and going south to 190th Street. The closed road begins today, and is expected to remain closed until September 7th. Work crews are replacing a bridge with a box culvert.
Collins Resigns From Le Mars Community School Board
(Le Mars) — During the last Le Mars Community Board of Education meeting, Chis Collins, a director with the school board for the past 20 years, offered a letter of resignation from the school board, effectively immediately.
School Superintendent Dr. Steve Webner says the procedure now is for the school board to appoint a replacement for the position being vacated by Collins. Webner says the public will have the opportunity to submit a petition within 30 days indicating whether a public election should occur.
Webner says an individual has been identified as a possible replacement for the school board position.
McNaughtons To Be Inducted Into Iowa 4-H Hall Of Fame
(Kingsley) — On Sunday afternoon, a rural Kingsley couple will be honored as inductees to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. Brett and Hallie McNaughton are the latest of a long and distinguished list of people that have served Plymouth County 4-H members. McNaughton tells of his feelings when he first learned
of the pending honor.
McNaughton was a 4-H member during his youth, and later served as a fair board member for 25 years with the Plymouth County Fair Board. He says his years of 4-H definitely helped him with his life.
The Plymouth County 4-H and Youth Committee nominated the McNaughton’s for the Hall of Fame honor. McNaughton says he was involved with 4-H because both of his parents, Ray and Janet, were in 4-H, as was his older brother and sister, Clay and Roxanne. He tells of some of his experiences as a 4-H member.
McNaughton recently retired from serving on the Plymouth County Fair Board, but he and his wife still help at the fair. The couple are responsible for maintaining the landscape and flowers seen on the fairgrounds.
The McNaughton’s will be inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a 3:30 p.m. ceremony held at the 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Iowa State Fair.
Sioux City Woman Charged With Insurance Fraud
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City woman has been charged with insurance fraud, accused of lying to her insurer about the date of an accident.
Woodbury County District Court records say 42-year-old Jennifer Fuentes is charged with felony insurance fraud for a false submission.
A criminal complaint says Fuentes’ vehicle struck another vehicle on Feb. 16 when she backed out of a parking stall at work. The complaint says she applied that evening for insurance to cover her vehicle. Then, the complaint says, she filed a claim Feb. 19 with her new insurer. She reported that the accident had occurred that day, instead of Feb. 16, before she applied for coverage.
Sioux Preme Company Receives Economic Development Grant
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Economic Development Board approved funding a grant for the expansion of the Sioux-Preme facility based at Sioux Center. Sioux- Preme Packing, Co. plans to expand its pork harvest operation in Sioux County
with a 50,000 square-foot addition to help meet demand for its specialty pork products. The Sioux Center facility was acquired by Perdue Farms in 2015 as part of its acquisition of Natural Food Holdings and its brands. The expansion will include installation of high tech automated pork cutting
equipment and water jet cutting technologies. The project represents a $29 million investment by Sioux-Preme and will create 50 new jobs, of which 10 are incented at a qualifying wage of $20.41 per hour. Sioux-Preme was awarded
tax incentives from the High Quality Jobs Program.
Webster City To Drop Birth Center From Hospital – Move Surprises Donor
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) – A man whose name is on a public hospital in Iowa says he’s shocked to learn that it will be closing its birth center.
The Messenger reports that the Van Diest Medical Center announced Wednesday that it’ll close The Family Birth Place this fall. The hospital cited a declining number of births and the proximity of other obstetrical providers in the area.
Bob Van Diest says he was shocked by the news and hopes the hospital will reconsider.
Van Diest and his wife, Mary Van Diest, gave $10 million to the Webster City hospital that was then Hamilton Hospital in 2008. The donation went toward building the hospital that bears the Van Diest name.
Lisa Ridge is the hospital’s chief executive officer. She says the
center will close Oct. 12.
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Witnesses Say Wrong Man In Prison For Council Bluffs Woman’s Death Dating Back To 1986
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – More witnesses are suggesting the wrong man may be in prison for 31 years for an Iowa girl’s 1986 homicide.
The testimony is a boost for inmate Daniel Harris, who maintains his innocence in the death of 16-year-old Kristina Nelson in Council Bluffs and wants a new trial.
Earlier this year, a man who was at a party with Nelson’s boyfriend on the night she was killed came forward. He reported that Nelson’s boyfriend and friend went to pick up Nelson, returned covered in blood, said they might have killed someone, talked of disposing a body and burnt their overalls in a
barrel.
Three other party attendees have now signed affidavits consistent with these claims. One reported seeing Nelson’s boyfriend struggling with a body in the trunk of a car. Another recalled seeing him upset and covered in
blood.
Harris offered proof at trial that he worked at Burger King that
evening, but was convicted based on an informant’s since-recanted testimony.
Prosecutors oppose any relief for Harris.
State Employee Says Supervisor Ignored Her Complaints Of Harassment
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – More witnesses are suggesting the wrong man may be in prison for 31 years for an Iowa girl’s 1986 homicide.
The testimony is a boost for inmate Daniel Harris, who maintains his innocence in the death of 16-year-old Kristina Nelson in Council Bluffs and wants a new trial.
Earlier this year, a man who was at a party with Nelson’s boyfriend on the night she was killed came forward. He reported that Nelson’s boyfriend and friend went to pick up Nelson, returned covered in blood, said they might have killed someone, talked of disposing a body and burnt their overalls in a
barrel.
Three other party attendees have now signed affidavits consistent with these claims. One reported seeing Nelson’s boyfriend struggling with a body in the trunk of a car. Another recalled seeing him upset and covered in blood.
Harris offered proof at trial that he worked at Burger King that
evening, but was convicted based on an informant’s since-recanted testimony.
Prosecutors oppose any relief for Harris.
