Floyd Valley Healthcare To Host Former Vice President Joe Biden
(Le Mars) — Democratic presidential hopeful, Joe Biden is scheduled to appear in Le Mars this afternoon and discuss rural health issues with officials of the Floyd Valley Healthcare. Dustin Wright serves as the C-E-O and Administrator of Floyd Valley and says the staff is anxious to visit with the former vice president.
Biden is announcing a health care plan that would expand on the Affordable Care Act, or sometimes referred to as “Obamacare.” Wright says he wants to share with the former vice president about some of the challenges facing small rural healthcare facilities.
The Floyd Valley Healthcare official is hopeful to offer a tour to Biden of the local hospital facility.
Wright says he wants to impress upon Biden, and any political candidate, the importance of rural healthcare and its economic impact to local communities.
Biden campaign officials have indicated the Le Mars visit is not a public event. However, Biden’s stop at Sioux City at the Country Connection Event Center is open to the public.
County Supervisors To Hear From SIMPCO Official
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have a short agenda for today’s meeting at the County Courthouse Board Room. The county governing board will hear a report from Amanda Harper of SIMPCO as she discusses the 2019 Lead Housing Urban Development Hazard Reduction Grant. The supervisors are expected to take action following the discussion. County Engineer, Tom Rohe will meet with the board to offer a construction permit from Frontier Communications in Grant township. Rohe will offer to the supervisor’s attention quotes from companies that will be to used to put a seal coat on
the county paved roads. Rohe will discuss with the county supervisors the Weed Commissioner position, proposed road vacation and bicycle signing.
City Council To Approve Waste Water Treatment Facility Study
(Le Mars) — During today’s city council meeting, the town’s leaders will hear a report from City Water Department Superintendent Rich Sudtelge about the water tower update. The council has only one action item to discuss.
They will act upon a wastewater treatment facility study as conducted by Bolton and Menk, consulting firm. The city council is expected to enter into closed session to discuss the purchase or sale of real estate.
Fair Passes Can Be Purchased At Local Banks
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Fair Board has decided to sell advanced car passes to this year’s fair at area county banks. Jim Jauer of Hinton says the fair board is hoping that people will want to purchase the advance car passes, in order to help reduce the line at the fair gate.
Jauer says the price of admission for a car pass remains the same as it has been for the last couple of years.
The fair board director says advanced tickets to be sold at area banks are available only during this week of Monday, July 15th through Friday, July 19th.
Jauer says the fair board will sell advanced car passes, as well as
individual passes Saturday morning, at the south gate.
Jury Awards Former State Worker $1.5 Million From Discrimination Lawsuit
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A jury has awarded a former state workers’ compensation commissioner $1.5 million, concluding the state and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad discriminated against him because he’s gay and that a pay cut was retaliation for refusing to quit.
Jurors in the civil trial found Monday that Chris Godfrey proved
Branstad’s attempts to get him to quit and cut his pay in 2011 were discriminatory and deprived him of his rights.
Godfrey’s attorney, Roxanne Conlin, says jurors awarded $1.5 million for discrimination based on sexual orientation, retaliation and violation of his constitutional rights.
Branstad, the U.S. ambassador to China, denied knowing Godfrey was gay when he asked for his resignation.
Branstad’s attorney directed reporters to the governor’s office for
comment.
Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’s disappointed and is consulting with
attorneys.
The verdict in Godfrey’s favor could mean Iowa taxpayers will be
responsible for millions of dollars in attorney fees for Branstad and Godfrey.
Des Moines City Council Delays Vote On Banning Gun Trigger Devices
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Des Moines City Council has delayed action on banning high-capacity magazines and trigger devices that can make guns even more deadly.
The council voted Monday to put off action and to have city staffers work with the Iowa Legislature and other city and county governments to “form a consensus for statewide implementation of sound and effective regulations concerning firearm accessories.”
Several gun owners attended the meeting to share their objections to the gun gear proposals.
The council voted in June to have ordinances prepared that would ban extended magazines that hold more bullets than is standard and trigger activators such as bump stocks. The devices have been used in high-profile attacks across the nation.
Authorities Determine Bancroft Deaths Are A Homicide and Suicide Incident
BANCROFT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say two people found dead at a home in the small northern Iowa community of Bancroft last week were homicide victims and that a third person also found there had killed himself.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety on Monday identified the bodies found Friday in a home as 22-year-old Mason Alrik Cederwall, 30-year-old Amy Lynn Manna and 30-year-old Austin James Bernhard.
Someone called the Kossuth County sheriff’s office on Friday morning to report finding two bodies. Bancroft police officers went to a residence and also found a third body.
The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Cederwall and Manna were shot to death and classified their deaths as homicides.
Bernhard’s died due to a single gunshot and was classified a suicide.
Authorities determined Bernhard was Manna’s ex-boyfriend.
On July 4, Bernhard was arrested on assault and burglary charges in an incident that involved the two victims.
12 Year Old Killed In Accident Now Identified
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have identified a 12-year-old boy who died after being thrown from an off-road vehicle in eastern Iowa.
The crash occurred Saturday afternoon outside Bellevue. Authorities say Gavin Milder was riding in a Chevrolet Suburban driven by a 15-year-old when the crash happened. Milder was ejected when the modified sport utility vehicle rolled, and he became pinned underneath it. Three other people in the
SUV were not hurt.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says the boy was a student at Clinton Middle School in Clinton.
