Firefighters Respond To Barn Fire
(Oyens) — Firefighters from Oyens, Le Mars and Merrill responded to a barn fire that was reported Monday afternoon at about 4:30 p.m. The fire was at a farm 38284 County road C-44, about ten miles southeast of Le Mars. Smoke from the barn fire could be seen for several miles. The barn was filled with hay. Oyens fire chief Tim Bolton says the structure was a complete
loss.
Bolton says the fire was perhaps started because of the skid loader was located inside the barn, and the owner was conducting mechanical work on the skid loader.
The Oyens fire chief says there wasn’t any livestock inside the burning facility, so no animals were perished during the fire. However, the fire did spread to an aluminum livestock trailer that was parked near burning barn.
Bolton says the barn did have about 100 square bales of either hay or straw that was stored inside that was destroyed as a result of the fire. Bolton says the fire was primarily confined to the major barn structure, however, a couple of other nearby structures was also lost.
Firefighters were on the scene for a little more than two hours. There were no injuries with the fire.
County Supervisors To Hold Meeting On Wednesday
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will not be meeting today, but instead they will convene for their weekly meeting scheduled for Wednesday at the Plymouth County Courthouse Boardroom.
Harvest Bee Organized For Airplane Crash Victim Family
(Le Mars) — Friends and neighbors will be assisting the family of Del Kellen with his harvest today. Del Kellen is the father of 36 year old Patrick Kellen who lost his life due to that tragic weekend airplane crash in Guthrie County.
A harvesting bee has been organized for today, consisting of
at least six combines, and six grain carts, and 16 semi trucks and trailers will be in the southeast area of Plymouth County helping the Kellen family harvest the remaining 600 acres of corn left in the fields. A friend of the family says they hope to finish the harvest before the wake service scheduled for Thursday and the funeral which is scheduled for Friday. That harvest bee will take place on a cornfield near Polk Avenue and 280th
Street.
Haverdink Crowned As 2019 Tulip Festival Queen
ORANGE CITY, IA. –Last evening the Orange City Tulip Festival Queen was crowned. Allison Haverdink was crowned the 2019 Tulip Festival Queen.
Haverdink will reign over the 79th annual Tulip Festival, set for May 16, 17, and 18, 2019.
A senior at MOC-Floyd Valley High School in Orange City, Allison Haverdink, is the daughter of Mark and Suzanne Haverdink.
Allison is joined on the 2019 Tulip Court by court members Aarika Van Gelder, daughter of Larry and Phyllis Van Gelder, Emma De Groot, daughter of Don and Michelle Vaas, Jadeyn Schutt, daughter of Bruce and Amy Schutt, Jadeyn Veltkamp, daughter of Susan Veltkamp and Brad Veltkamp.
Allison Haverdink and her court members spent Monday afternoon interviewing with judges Matt Breen, Andrea (Smits) Hydeen, and Jan Snyder.
A pageant was held for the public in the evening. Each of the candidates answered questions on various topics and gave an individual presentation.
Allison was crowned queen as a conclusion to the evening.
Allison and her court will serve as ambassadors for the Orange City Tulip Festival as they travel in the spring, making several media and public appearances.
Puppy Mill Siezed
NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) – Officials say nearly 170 dogs showing signs of neglect in filthy kennels have been seized from an overcrowded puppy mill in northern Iowa.
A news release on the Worth County Sheriff’s Office website says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took the animals away for medical and other care after deputies served a warrant Monday. It described the dogs – all Samoyeds – as “fearful and undersocialized.”
Sheriff Dan Fank says investigators are still scouring the scene and that animal neglect charges are pending against the owner.
Officials say the dogs were kept in kennels that provided minimal
protection from the elements and that they had no access to clean water.
MidAmerican To Set Up Battery System
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) – MidAmerican Energy says it’s installing a battery system that could store enough power to serve around 900 Iowa homes for four hours.
The Des Moines Register reports that Chicago-based Invenergy will install the system, housed in two truck-size steel containers, at a MidAmerican Energy substation in Knoxville. The lithium-iron phosphate system is expected to begin operating by the end of December.
Officials say it will let MidAmerican store for later use energy
produced when the winds are blowing and the sun is shining.
Mike Fehr is MidAmerican Energy vice president of resource
development, and he says large scale energy storage has the potential to provide several benefits. It is still in the development stage, “and the economic feasibility on a larger scale is being assessed as well.”
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Northeast Iowa Woman Falls To Her Death
EARLVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating the death of a northeast Iowa woman who fell at her farm.
First responders were sent around noon Saturday to the farm about 4 miles (7 kilometers) northwest of Earlville. They found 39-year-old Amy Mullis injured. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office says Mullis was taken to a hospital in Manchester, where she died.
Details about the fall have not been released.
