Train Collides With Semi Truck And Trailer At Le Mars
(Le Mars) — A CN train collided with a semi truck and trailer at the crossing of 18th Street and Business Highway 75. The accident happened at about 11:40 a.m. this (Friday) morning. The semi truck and trailer is operated by Decker Trucking of Fort Dodge, Iowa, when apparently, the truck was wanting to merge onto traffic on Highway 75, and the back portion of the semi-
trailer was still on the rail tracks when the train hit the trailer. The semi-trailer was an insulated trailer, but was empty at the time of the collision. The driver of the truck was able to escape without injuries.
Extensive damage happened to the semi-trailer, and to the rail crossing guards.
City Closes Central Avenue To Repair Storm Sewer
(Le Mars) — City crews have closed the north bound lane on Central Ave. today, August 16th, between Prospect St. and 12th St. to do some street and storm sewer repairs. The street is closed down by the intersection of Central Ave. and 12th St.
The city plans to have this section opened back up on Wednesday , Aug. 21st. Signs have been posted on Prospect St. for the road being closed with detour signs.
Shriners To Gather In Sioux City For Summer Convention
(Sioux City) — Abu Bekr Shrine Temple is proud to host the Central States Shrine Association Summer Session in Siouxland, August 21-24, 2019. The Central States Shrine Association, “CSSA”, is composed of 22 Shrine Temples from seven states. Shriners will be traveling to Siouxland for three days of fun, fellowship, competitions, and parades. According to Todd Saunders, the Potentate of the Abu Bekr Shrine of Sioux City, he says the convention will attract more than 2000 Shriners.
To showcase the Shriners love of parading and promoting awareness of Shriners International, there will be two parades. The first parade will be in Downtown Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday evening, August 22, at 6:30 pm, on 3rd Street, heading west to Pierce Street, and ending at the Tyson Events
Center. The second parade will be in South Sioux City, Nebraska on Saturday, August 24, at 9:30 am, on Dakota Avenue. The parade will run south on Dakota Avenue from 12th Street to 27th Street. Saunders says all different types of Shriner entries will be featured at both parades. He says Sioux City is probably best known for its White Horse Mounted Patrol.
Saunders says the convention will consist of competition among all the Shrine Temple units.
Besides appearing at community parades, the Shriners are most known for their hospitals and work with children needing medical attention.
Saunders says the closest Shrine Hospital to Sioux City is based at the twin-cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
This marks the first time in over 80 years that Sioux City will be the host to the Central States Shrine Association Summer Session. Saunders says “Abu Bekr Shrine’s turn to host CSSA only comes around once every 22 years.
Armed Robbery Suspect Forces Police To Shut Down Adventureland Amusement Park and Prairie Meadows Casino
(Altoona) — Some tense moments occurred earlier this morning around the Adventureland Amusement Park and Prairie Meadows Casino and Racetrack at Altoona, Iowa. Altoona police placed a lockdown on the area after an armed robbery took place at the Spectator’s Bar and Grill, near the two tourists destinations. Altoona is a suburb of Des Moines and is located just east of
the metro area. Altoona police and other law enforcement agencies converged on the area. Police were asking the public to stay away from Adventureland Amusement Park and Prairie Meadows. Since that time, KCCI television of Des Moines say that both entities have re-opened their gates after police tactical units swept the area. The incident happened at around 7:35 a.m. Friday morning. Altoona Police Sergeant Alyssa Wilson says they are looking for an African-American male that is approximately 5 feet-five inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds. The suspect was seen on surveillance video wearing a white button shirt, blue pants, and a dark hat.
The suspect was seen carrying a hand gun. Sergeant Wilson says there were no injuries, and she says police are actively looking for the suspect. No arrests have been made, but police are still searching for the suspect.
Police say it was an isolated incident, and they don’t believe the public is in any general danger.
Grassley Says Farmers “Got Screwed” By EPA On Ethanol Waivers
(Des Moines) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is using some blunt language to describe the E-P-A’s decision last Friday to grant waivers to big oil companies, reducing the amount of ethanol that must be blended into gasoline.
Grassley says the waivers were intended for small refineries,
but are now being granted to the likes of Exxon and Chevron
Last year the E-P-A granted 38 ethanol waivers to oil companies and this year has granted 31,but Grassley says there’s “no victory” here for farmers.
Grassleysays he’s lobbied President Trump and Ivanka Trump on the issue — and Trumpheard from farmers when the president visited a western Iowa ethanol plantearlier this summer.
But Grassley says officials in Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency are blocking ethanol’s progress. Grassley made his comments Friday morning during taping of the Iowa Press
program that airs Friday night on Iowa Public Television.
Pork Queen Helps Sow With Birthing Process At State Fair
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A piglet born at the Iowa State Fair has been touched by royalty.
The 2019 pork queen for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Gracie Greiner, kept her tiara atop her head as she reached inside a laboring sow Tuesday and removed the piglet at the fair’s Animal Learning Center.
The 18-year-old lives a few miles outside Washington, a small eastern Iowa town, where her family breeds pigs to show at the county and state levels. She told The Des Moines Register that “helping pull pigs has come to be one of my favorite parts of the process.”
This piglet was big and one of the last ones the sow delivered, which Greiner says meant the sow already was pretty tired.
Her dad, Shaun Greiner, told The Associated Press on Friday that his daughter is about to start classes at Iowa State University in Ames and intends to major in animal science, with an eye toward going to veterinary school someday.
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(Photo contributed.)
Authorities Locate Counterfeit Money Lab
CLERMONT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say they’ve found a home lab being used to make counterfeit cash in northeast Iowa.
Fayette County deputies serving a search warrant at a Clermont
residence say they found computers, printers, special paper and thousands of counterfeit bills in denominations of $5, $10, $20 and $50. They say they also found drug paraphernalia and prepaid credit cards.
Records say 33-year-old Jason Massman lives at the home and has been charged with ongoing criminal conduct, falsifying public documents and with other crimes. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.
The sheriff’s office says counterfeit cash has shown up recently in several Fayette County communities.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Shows Slight Increase
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate climbed slightly in July to 2.5% but remains among the lowest in the nation.
Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday that the unemployment rate rose from 2.4% in June. The rate had been stuck at that level since July 2018.
Although the unemployment rate increased, the number of residents with jobs also rose by about 4,000 compared to June. The number of unemployed residents increased by about 1,400.
Iowa’s unemployment rate was third-lowest in the nation, behind Vermont and North Dakota and tied with New Hampshire.
The national unemployment rate in July was 3.7%.
