Home News Saturday News, July 6th

Saturday News, July 6th

School Board To Review Specifications For New Passenger Vehicle

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will convene Monday evening for its bi-monthly meeting. The school board has a short agenda, but they are expected to hear a report from School Superintendent, Dr. Steven Webner regarding preliminary information about the upcoming school board
elections. This year, instead of having the school board elections scheduled in September as has been the case in past elections, officials have decided to combine the school board elections and city council and mayor elections to be held in November. The school board will appoint a member to serve as the Iowa Association of School Boards legislative action network for the 2019-2020 school year. The Board of Education will consider approval of specifications and bidding procedures for securing a 9-10 passenger van or SUV vehicle. Curriculum director, Rachel Leavitt will present information to the school board’s attention pertaining to Little Rascals Preschool’s desire to become an Iowa Quality Preschool Community Partner with Le Mars Community
Schools.

 

 

DeJong Says Recent Heavy Rains May Have Done More Harm Than Good

(Le Mars) — Farmers in northwest Iowa are facing familiar challenges after this week’s heavy rains, especially with the looming threat of more drenching storms. I-S-U Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong says some areas reported up to four inches of rain in just a matter of hours late Monday and early Tuesday.

“DeJong, Joel”

DeJong says most fields that were already planted had enough moisture in the soil profile, so any heavy amounts don’t help.

DeJong says many farmers in northwest Iowa were able to plant a lot of corn, especially during the first week in June.

DeJong says heavy rains this week also created runoff problems for livestock feedlots in the region.

 

 

Fireworks Mishap At Muscatine Injures Three

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) – Officials in eastern Iowa say a man has lost his hand in a fireworks mishap that also seriously injured two others.
The city of Muscatine says in a news release that one of the three men lit a mortar while holding it in his hand and attempted to throw it, but it exploded before he could. Firefighters say the man lost his hand in the explosion, while a second man suffered injuries to his face, eyes and ears. The third man lost several fingers.
Two of the men were taken by ambulance to a hospital. The other drove himself to the hospital. All three were later taken to an Iowa City hospital and are expected to survive their injuries.
Assistant Fire Chief Michael Hartman says it’s the city’s most
serious fireworks incident since the state legalized fireworks two years ago.

 

 

More Details Released Relating To Police Shooting And Accident

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa police shooting that paralyzed a black man in 2016 also threatened the life of the city’s deputy chief when the injured man’s speeding truck smashed into his patrol SUV.
Cedar Rapids has released police reports related to an incident in
which Officer Lucas Jones struggled with and shot Jerime Mitchell, an unarmed black man who was pulled over in November 2016. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in April that the reports were public records.
They shed little new light on the shooting, which was captured on dash camera video made public in 2016. But they add new detail to what happened afterward.
Authorities had said that after he was shot, Mitchell was paralyzed and unable to control his truck as it struck a police SUV whose driver was extricated.
The records reveal that the SUV’s occupant was Deputy Cedar Rapids Police Chief Thomas Jonker, who was responding to Jones’ call for backup.
Mitchell’s truck was traveling 60 miles per hour when it smashed into Jonker’s driver’s side, trapping him inside. Jonker reported pain to his neck, jaw and knee and chipped teeth but returned to work days later.

 

 

Knoxville Man Drowns At Lake Red Rock

PELLA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in central Iowa say a 27-year-old Knoxville, Iowa, man has drowned at Lake Red Rock just west of Pella.
The Des Moines Register reports that Marion County Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the lake just after 6 p.m. Thursday for reports that a man had gone under the water and not resurfaced.
Officials say about 20 minutes later, Tyson Marshall was brought to shore, where medics sought to revive him. Marshall was taken to a Pella hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Lake Red Rock is a reservoir on the Des Moines River about 41 miles southeast of Des Moines.

 

 

Iowa Lottery To Show Higher Profit Than Expected

(Des Moines) — Iowa Lottery C-E-O Mattt Strawn says the fiscal year that ended June 30th was a good one for the organization. Strawn declined to give an actual figure, as
he says the numbers aren’t yet final.

The lottery reported total sales of 371 million dollars in the previous fiscal year and the second highest amount ever returned to the state at 87-point-one million dollars. The Iowa Lottery had projected in budget discussions a 70-million dollars in profit that would go to the state. Strawn says the
projection can be impacted by big jackpots that drive up sales.

The big jackpots do impact the bottom line at the end of the fiscal year, but the original scratch ticket is still the top seller.

Strawn was appointed by the governor in January to take over leadership at the Iowa Lottery following the retirement of previous C-E-O Terry Rich.
…….