Home News Friday News, August 17th

Friday News, August 17th

Midwest Bankers Have Concerns About Rural Economy

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The economy is expected to continue growing slowly in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states, but the ongoing trade disputes remain a concern.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says grain prices have
fallen even lower since the trade disputes erupted.
The overall economic index for the region increased slightly to 54.8 in August from July’s 53.8.
That score still suggests growth because it is above 50, while any
score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.
Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.The bankers remain concerned about the economy. The confidence index remained in negative territory but climbed to 46.5 in August from July’s 42.7.

 

 

Sioux City To Set Up Detoxification Center For Native Americans

(Sioux City) — Community activists in northwest Iowa are working with police and health experts to bring a detoxification center to Sioux City to serve Native Americans and homeless people with drug and alcohol addictions. Matt Ohman (OH-men), a spokesman for the advocacy group Siouxland Human Investment Partnership, says there’s a large need for a detox center in the community.
*
[mkdetox1] :13 “our resources”
*
Ohman says hospitals aren’t meant to be detox facilities, so community members are hoping to get a temporary center open by the end of the year which could eventually evolve into a stand-alone service. Native American activist Frank LaMere (lah-MEER) says many homeless people on Sioux City’s streets are Native Americans who want to get well, but can’t.
*
[mkdetox2] :11 “waiting for them”
*
Jackson Recovery is an addiction treatment center with facilities in Sioux City, Le Mars and Denison that offers detox, among other services. The center’s president says they can work to admit patients to Jackson for ongoing rehabilitation after they detox at the planned center.

 

 

Judge Orders Dog To Be Freed

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ordered the release of four dogs in Jasper County, saying the county’s ordinance regarding vicious animals is unconstitutional.
The Des Moines Register reports that the case began in August 2016 and that Judge Martha Mertz had previously upheld the ordinance. But she wrote in Monday’s ruling that an April decision by the Iowa Appeals Court caused her to reconsider her previous ruling.
The appellate court ruled that Des Moines’ ordinance was
unconstitutionally vague. Mertz concluded that because Des Moines’ ordinance was more explicit than Jasper County’s, the Jasper County ordinance also was unconstitutionally vague.
Jasper County’s ordinance defines a vicious animal as “any animal that demonstrates a propensity without provocation to attack or bite human beings or domestic animals.”
The four dogs Mertz freed had been deemed vicious.

 

 

Human Remains Thought To Be Missing Autistic Boy Are Found In Creek 

LA PORTE CITY, Iowa (AP) – Investigators have recovered human remains believed to be those of a 16-year-old autistic boy who vanished from his small Iowa hometown in April.
Jake Wilson’s disappearance prompted a search involving the FBI, state and local police officers and hundreds of volunteers in La Porte City, a town of 2,300 in northeastern Iowa.
Wilson was last seen April 7, when he went for a walk blocks from his home along Wolf Creek, which winds through La Porte City. His family said he didn’t have his glasses, and that he has the mental capacity of a 9-year-old boy.
La Porte City Police Chief Chris Brecher said at a news conference that human remains were discovered in the creek this week by kayakers. He said testing shows they are consistent with “what we’re looking for.”

 

 

Montana Democratic Governor Visits Iowa To Explore Possibility of Presidential Run

(Des Moines) — Montana’s Democratic governor is in Iowa talking up his ability to win in Trump country, but he is still deflecting questions about a 2020 presidential run.
Gov. Steve Bullock spoke Thursday at the Des Moines Register’s
Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair as he explores a potential presidential campaign.
Bullock told the audience that he won as a Democrat in 2016 in a
state that President Donald Trump won by 20 percentage points because he engages and listens to people.
One person asked when he’ll decide whether to run for president.
Bullock answered that he has a story to tell about how to bring
people together, but added: “Right now what I’m doing is listening and, honestly, that’s as far as it goes.”
He is scheduled to visit another early voting state, New Hampshire, next weekend.

 

 

Doctor Being Sued For Removing Wrong Kidney

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – An Iowa woman is suing a South Dakota surgeon and his practice for wrongly removing one of her kidneys.
The lawsuit filed by Dena Knapp alleges that Dr. Scott Baker
erroneously removed her healthy right kidney instead of removing an adrenal gland and a mass on the gland during a surgery in Sioux Falls in 2016.
The Argus Leader reports the lawsuit alleges the erroneous surgery resulted in an incurable and progressive kidney disease in Knapp’s remaining kidney that has caused pain and mental distress.
Knapp eventually had a second surgery at the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota, to remove the gland and mass.
Baker did not immediately return a call for comment.
The federal lawsuit also names The Surgical Institute of South
Dakota, where Baker is partner. The institute declined comment.