Home News Monday News, February 4th

Monday News, February 4th

Emergency Rescue Units Respond To Saturday Morning Accident

(Le Mars) — Shortly before 10:00 am Saturday morning, the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, along with the Le Mars Ambulance Services were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident located on county road C-38, just west of Nature
Avenue, about three miles southeast of Le Mars. A pickup truck was tolling a van when it lost control, sending both vehicles to the north ditch. The pickup truck landed on its side, while the
van was on its top. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says there were two men inside the pickup, but fortunately, only minor injuries were reported. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident.

 

 

Fire Department Responds To Gas Line Leak

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a natural gas leak at Armel Acres Mobile Home Trailer Court Friday evening at about 5:48 p.m. Apparently, residents of the mobile home, located at 10 Birch Street were able to smell gas odors inside their home. When firefighters
arrived on the scene and began investigating the origin of the leak they found the gas line beneath the mobile home had a small rupture. Fire Chief Dave Schipper says when firefighters used their meters, it indicated the gas leak was at 540 parts per million, or at highly explosive levels. Schipper says firefighters removed the trailer home’s skirting and ventilated the gas
from beneath the trailer home. He says the gas leak was between the gas meter and the intake for the furnace. MidAmerican Energy was also called to the scene. A plumbing and heating contractor was contacted in order to replace the ruptured gas line.

 

 

County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Side-swipe Accident

(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office investigated a 2 vehicle accident that occurred last Wednesday at Hwy 3 and county road K-18 east of Akron. At about 11:11 am, the Plymouth County Communications Center received a call of a semi and a passenger car that were involved in an opposite direction sideswipe accident. The semi was a 2010 Peterbilt semi- tractor owned by VanderKooi Trucking pulling a loaded grain trailer. It was driven by Doug Rolling, age 60, of Merrill. Rolling stopped at the scene, but the other vehicle continued eastbound on Hwy 3. The passenger car was a 2013 Buick LaCrosse driven by Tracy Allen Klave, age 47 of Baraboo, WI.
Klave was later located near LeMars on Hwy 3 traveling in a funeral procession. Klave was later stopped near the Rest Haven cemetery. Klave was upset that vehicles were not respecting the funeral procession and intentionally drove over the center line in an attempt to slow down and move over the oncoming traffic. Klave was cited for driving on the wrong side of a two way highway (simple misdemeanor $200 fine).
VanderKooi’s semi sustained minor damage to the front driver’s side estimated under $100. Klave’s vehicle sustained damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle estimated at approximately $2,000.

 

 

Fundraiser Dance Being Organized To Benefit Cancer Patients

(Le Mars) — Its been 60 years since the death of musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J.P. Richardson, after they performed at the Clear Lake, Iowa, Surf Ballroom and died as a result of the tragic plane
crash only a few miles from the Clear Lake airport. What people may not know is those musicians were scheduled to perform in Sioux City, Iowa, only a few days after the Clear Lake performance. Dar Huls of Le Mars is a music historian. He talks about what happen after the plane crash that killed the
three popular musicians.

That Shore Acres Ballroom located in the Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City is today the home of the Sioux City Community Theater. Huls says the tour continued with additional well-know musicians coming on board to conclude the tour.

Huls says a group of people with a shared interest in the music of the times have organized a fundraising event featuring music of the era.

Huls says the organizers will feature an evening of 50’s and 60’s music at the Marquee in Sioux City scheduled for April 6th and performed by a band that has been inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Huls says more details of the music fundraiser for cancer patients will be shared in the near future.

 

 

Jeneary Offers Legislative Update

(Le Mars) — The Iowa Legislature has concluded its third week of the General Session, and House Representative Tom Jeneary says so far, there have been few bills that have moved from the committee to the floor level.
The one issue the Iowa House has acted upon was the contentious House District 55 election in which the Republican Candidate won the election by only nine votes. However, there were 29 absentee ballots that did not get counted. A judge ruled the action would need to be settled by the Iowa House. Jeneary explains the actions of the Iowa House.

Jeneary says the issue came down to whether the Iowa House would acknowledge a postal bar code found on the 29 absentee ballots.

Jeneary says in the end, the House voted not to count the extra 29 absentee ballots. He says the House needs to follow the law, and cannot change things in mid-stream.

 

 

Ribbon-cutting Ceremonies Held For New Hair Style Salon

(Le Mars) — Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held Friday afternoon for Glow Hair Style Salon, a new hair styling salon that is located at 124 Plymouth Street S.W.

 

 

Three People Died From Accident In Southeast Iowa

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say three people have been killed after a minivan and a car crashed into an overturned semitractor-trailer on a southeastern Iowa highway.
The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa State Patrol spokesman Nathan Ludwig says dense fog is believed to have been a factor in the crashes early Sunday just west of Mount Pleasant.
The newspaper, citing a State Patrol crash report, says the three
people killed were the 74-year-old minivan driver Vicki Morrow of Ottumwa, and 44-year-old Daniel Yutzy and 44-year-old Kathryn Yutzy, both of Bloomfield.
Authorities say five other people were hurt. They say one is in
critical condition and four others, including the semi driver, were treated at hospitals and released.
The patrol crash report says the semi was eastbound on Highway 34 when it jackknifed and overturned. Then the van and car crashed into it.

 

 

New Trial Date Set For Farmhand Accused Of Killing University of Iowa Female Student

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) – A new trial date has been set for a former farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the abduction and stabbing death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in Iowa.
The Des Moines Register reports that a judge on Friday set trial for 24-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera on Sept. 3 in the Poweshiek County courthouse in Montezuma. Trial had been set for April 16. Defense attorneys said they needed more time to go through a massive investigation file from prosecutors.
Rivera is charged in the killing of Tibbetts, a University of Iowa
student who disappeared while out for a run July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa.
Investigators recovered her body a month later in a cornfield. A medical examiner has said Tibbetts was stabbed to death.
Rivera is a Mexican national who has been accused of being in the country illegally. He worked at a dairy farm a few miles from where Tibbetts disappeared.

 

 

Recent Cold Spell May Kill Some Insect Pests

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – The recent extreme cold weather will kill some but not all of the insects in the area.
The Quad-City Times reports area residents will still have to deal
with Japanese beetles and emerald ash borers next summer.
Iowa State University entomologist Donald Lewis says the cold
temperatures always kill some insects, but enough survive to repopulate the area in the next breeding cycle.
Lewis says the Japanese beetles known for their voracious appetites already have grubs about 4-to-6 inches underground, so those won’t be affected by the cold air temperatures.
Lee Frelich with the University of Minnesota has done research to
show that Emerald ash borers are unlikely to die off in extreme cold, but their numbers might be reduced.

 

 

Escaped Inmate Re-captured

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say officers have captured an inmate who assaulted a jailer before fleeing custody in northwest Iowa.
The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office says the 19-year-old attacked the jailer around 7:20 p.m. Friday and then fled out a door the jailer had just opened at the jail in Estherville.
The inmate was apprehended 45 minutes later by an Estherville officer and a K-9.
The inmate has been identified as Divine Watkins. He’s been charged with escape and assaulting the jailer. County court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him. He’d been jailed while awaiting prosecution on burglary and other charges.