Home News Thursday News, September 20th

Thursday News, September 20th

Open House Scheduled For Floyd Valley’s Newest Doctor

(Le Mars) — Le Mars’ latest doctor will be honored at an open house scheduled for this afternoon at Floyd Valley Healthcare. Dr. Ashley Powell, formerly Ashley Sitzmann, will be officially welcomed back to Le Mars. The open house is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will take place in the west lobby of Floyd Valley Healthcare.

 

 

Former Tyson Foods Plant In Cherokee Has New Company To Operate Value-Added Meat Processing Business

(Cherokee) — There has been some good news in terms of economic development coming out of Cherokee lately. On September 11th voters in Cherokee approved a new bond issue for a new elementary school. Then this week, Cherokee was given a state certification for an industrial site, and on
Wednesday, it was announced a new food company will begin operations in the former Wilson/Tyson facility. Bill Anderson, the executive director for the Cherokee Area Economic Development says in the near future there will be even more good economic development news to come from Cherokee. Anderson, the former state senator, says the designation by Iowa’s Economic
Development Authority will mean Cherokee will be placed on top of the list for prospective businesses.

Anderson says the state designation will also mean additional benefits to the community of Cherokee. He says the designation has established several business partnerships.

The Cherokee Area Economic Development official says after four years of being vacated, the former Tyson meat processing facility will have a new food company take over the building.

Anderson says the new company called Iowa Food Group, which is an Iowa-based business, will be operating a value-added processing business in the facility.

Anderson says the Iowa Food Group plans to employ at least 100 people at the start of operations. Later this week, Anderson says more good economic news will come from Cherokee.

 

 

Northwestern College To Offer New Physician Assistant Master’s Program 

(ORANGE CITY)  —Northwestern College of Orange City is starting a Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies and expects to enroll the first cohort of up to 30 students in May 2020.

Northwestern is currently approved as an applicant program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Certified physician assistant Christina Hanson joined the Northwestern faculty this fall and will spend the next two years shepherding the new program through the ARC-PA’s intensive provisional accreditation process, which is the status granted to all new programs. The program will
be eligible for continuing accreditation after the first class graduates.
Hanson has been a physician assistant since 2008, providing care at family practice, orthopedic, urology and urgent care clinics in four Midwestern communities. Before coming to Northwestern, Hanson was a physician assistant professor at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., helping launch that
program and participating in a successful accreditation process.

 

 

Sioux City Police Involved In Pursuit That Ends With An Accident 

(Sioux City) — A pursuit of a suspect that began in the Morningside neighborhood of Sioux City around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday ended in a crash.  Officers attempted to take 41-year old William Schoen of Sioux City into custody for felony arrests warrants.  Schoen allegedly got into a stolen vehicle and eluded police officers through Morningside, down Fairmount, and ended at 6th and Hoeven with the vehicle crashing.   Schoen reportedly tried to ram several vehicles, including police vehicles in the pursuit, and at least one other vehicle was run off the road.  He was taken to a local hospital for injuries sustained in the collision and faces multiple felony and traffic charges.  The driver of the vehicle struck was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

photo courtesy of KSCJ radio.

 

 

Scholten To Hold 39-County Town Hall Meeting Tour 

(Sioux City) — The Democratic candidate seeking the position to represent Iowa’s 4th Congressional District has announced a 39-county town hall tour.
J.D. Scholten is running against Republican Steve King. Scholten says the 4th Congressional District haven’t had a representative who has taken the time to do public meetings or town hall meetings in years. Scholten says the job title is representative, and he doesn’t see how you can represent the people if you refuse to have a dialogue with your constituents. Scholten
says Steve King has not had a town hall meeting in each county for years.
Scholten will bring his campaign to Plymouth County, next Thursday evening, September 27th at the Le Mars Public Library between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

 

 

Former Campaign Staff Member Accused Of Stealing Funds From Legislator’s Campaign

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former campaign treasurer for a Des Moines legislator has been charged with stealing more than $7,000 in campaign donations.
Polk County court records say 47-year-old Falecia Mtayari, of Des Moines, is charged with theft, fraudulent practice and unlawful transfer of campaign funds. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Mtayari.
The records say Mtayari admitted writing checks and withdrawing cash from the account of Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, a Democrat who represents north- central Des Moines’ District 32 in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Gaines reported the theft in November.

 

 

Democrats Critical Of Reynolds Accepting Campaign Contribution From Medicaid Provider

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The head of the Iowa Democratic Party has criticized Gov. Kim Reynolds for taking campaign contributions from a company that provides Medicaid services under the state’s privatized health care system, but records show two Democratic leaders in the Legislature also
accepted money from such companies.
The Des Moines Register reports Wednesday that campaign disclosure records show Rep. Mark Smith of Marshalltown accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution last month from Anthem, the parent company of Amerigroup, which
has a Medicaid contract with the state. He also received $1,000 from the company in 2017 and 2016, and in 2016 he received a $1,300 contribution from UnitedHealthcare, which also has a Medicaid contract.
Records show Sen. Janet Petersen of Des Moines also took a $1,000 contribution from Anthem last year and $500 in 2016.
Smith and Petersen told the Register that regardless of
contributions, they had voted to return the Medicaid system to state management.
Reynolds campaign spokesman Pat Garrett called the Democratic
criticisms of Reynolds “as false as they were hypocritical.”

 

 

Vigil Held For Killed Iowa State University Student Golfer

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Teammates and others who knew an Iowa State University student-athlete who was killed this week while playing golf near the campus shared stories about her and lit candles in her memory.
The vigil Wednesday evening to remember 22-year-old Celia Barquin Arozamena drew a large crowd north of the Campanile, a bell tower on the Ames campus. Several speakers, including women’s golf coach Christie Martens, talked about the star golfer from Spain.
Barquin, an engineering student, was the Big 12 women’s golf
champion this year.
Those who attended the vigil also signed cards for Barquin’s family.
Barquin’s body was found Monday at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames.
Police charged a 22-year-old homeless man who had been staying in an encampment near the golf course with first-degree murder in her stabbing death.