Home News Wednesday Afternoon News, May 15th

Wednesday Afternoon News, May 15th

Orange City Tulip Festival Scheduled To Begin On Thursday

(Orange City) — Thursday begins the 79th annual Orange City Tulip Festival which runs through Saturday. Mike Hoffman is the executive director for the Orange City Chamber of Commerce and says despite the recent cool weather, the tulips are expected to be in full bloom for the annual festival.

Many of the townsfolk can be seen dressed in traditional Dutch costumes as they celebrate their Dutch heritage. Hoffman explains how and why the annual festival got its start.

Part of the traditional Dutch outfit is the wearing of wooden shoes.

Some of the highlights of the Tulip Festival include several food vendors, a carnival, a flower show, a craft show, and art show, the Dutch Dozen singers, windmill tour, and the Night Show Broadway musical of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Of course, the Orange City Tulip Festival wouldn’t be complete without the traditional street scrubbing followed by the twice daily parades. Hoffman says the street scrubbing starts at 1:00 p.m. each day, with the parade to follow, and the evening parade begins at 6:00 p.m. Next year, Hoffman says
the northwest Iowa Dutch community will not only celebrate the 80th edition of the Tulip Festival, but it will also be Orange City’s 150th Sesquicentennial celebration.

 

 

Democratic Legislators File Lawsuit Against Judge Selection Process

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Eight legislators and a lawyer have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a law giving the governor more control over the commission that nominates candidates for positions on the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals.
KCCI-TV reports the Democratic lawmakers and Cedar Rapids lawyer Bob Rush filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Polk County District Court and asked a judge to temporarily halt implementation of the law.
Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill giving her the authority to appoint nine commissioners to the 17-member state commission. Lawyers will elect eight. Previously, the governor and lawyers each chose eight state members and the 17th member was the senior justice on the Iowa Supreme Court
who wasn’t the chief justice.
Republican lawmakers had insisted on changing the earlier process, which was established by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1962.
The lawsuit claims the bill violated the state constitution by including unrelated provisions in a single bill and that the measure’s title didn’t accurately describe the proposal. The suit also says the bill violates the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches.

 

 

Attorneys General Ask Reynolds To Veto Recent Bill Requiring Iowa Attorney General To Seek Permission Before Joining Out-of-state Lawsuits

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Current and past attorneys general from both major political parties from several states are imploring Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to veto a measure that would force Iowa’s attorney general to seek permission to
file out-of-state lawsuits.
They think the move designed by Republicans to keep Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller from joining lawsuits against the Donald Trump administration violates basic checks and balances.
Iowa would be the only state with such limits on an attorney general.
Reynolds is considering the measure passed in the final days of the legislative session.
It would require the attorney general to get the permission of the governor, the Legislature or the state executive council, which includes the governor and other statewide elected officials, to file any out-of-state court action.

 

 

Senator Ernst Hopes For Bi-partisan Support On Disaster Relief Bill To Be Voted Next Week

(Washington) — The Senate’s Republican leader has promised a vote will be held next week on a disaster relief package and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, says she’s encouraged by progress toward a final deal.


Congress has been deadlocked over disaster funding since December and Democrats now in majority control of the U.S. House are insisting Puerto Rico get additional aid to recover from 2017 hurricanes. Funding for this spring’s flooding in Iowa has been included in recent proposals.
Ernst toured flood damage in Davenport and Buffalo, Iowa, this past weekend.

The Democrat-led House passed a disaster aid package last week. The Senate’s G-O-P leader wants to include provisions to ensure hemp farmers can buy federal crop insurance. President Trump is asking that the disaster aid package include extra money for border security to deal with a surge of immigrants at the southern border.
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Missouri River Communities Could Face Additional Flooding

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Communities that were flooded when levees failed along the Missouri River this spring will likely remain exposed to high water for months. Many displaced residents have been left wondering when, or if, they
can return and rebuild their homes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been assessing the levees that were crippled in March when the river and its tributaries to overflowed in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. But repairs are hindered by the extensive damage and lingering floodwaters.

 

 

Truck Accident Causes Chickens To Die

WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) – Thousands of chickens were killed when a truck crashed in northeast Iowa. KCRG-TV reports the truck hauling about 5,000 chickens crashed early Tuesday on Highway 18, about a mile west of West Union. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says the 44-year-old driver was
heading west when he crashed into a ditch. He and a child passenger were treated for minor injuries.