Dean Foods Employee Awarded “Boss Of The Quarter” Honors
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce honored a long-time Wells and Dean Foods employee as its 4th Quarter Boss of the Quarter during a presentation held this morning. After 42 years, Loren Johnson is retiring from his position as the Quality Assurance Manager. Loren Johnson was nominated by Kathy Albert. She states in her nomination: Loren Johnson
started his career as a lab technician in the Wells Dairy milk plant. He was promoted to Quality Assurance Supervisor and then to Quality Assurance manager. Loren has managed quality standards, government regulatory compliance, food safety standards and trained our employees in good manufacturing practices with the highest level of proficiency and
professionalism. These are just a few of his many responsibilities to our plant. We are very grateful and appreciative of his many years of dedicated service to our company. Our congratulations go to Loren Johnson for being named the Chamber of Commerce’s “Boss of the Quarter.”
Loren Johnson, right, accepts congratulations for the Chamber of Commerce “Boss of the Quarter” by Kevin Eekhoff.
Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department To Hold Pancake Breakfast To Acknowledge Fire Prevention Week
(Le Mars) — Next week is Fire Prevention Week and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department will kick off the week with their annual pancake and sausage breakfast scheduled for Sunday, October 6th to be held at Fire House #1 which is across from the Eagles Club, and diagonally across from the Le Mars Public Library. Fire Chief Dave Schipper says serving will begin at 8:00 a.m. He says it will be a free will offering, with proceeds
to help with the purchase of new equipment.
In addition to purchasing needed equipment, some of the money raised through the breakfast also helps finance additional training and educational opportunities for firefighters. The fire prevention breakfast usually attracts around 500 people. This year, a raffle for a quilt, created by Geri Dreckman, will also take place during the pancake breakfast.
This year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week is “Not every hero wears a cape, practice and plan your escape.”
The breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will continue through 12:00 noon.
Officials Concerned About Deer Population With Chronic Wasting Disease
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Iowa game officials and deer hunters are taking extra precautions this season in the wake of an emerging threat of a chronic fatal disease affecting deer.
The Telegraph Herald reports that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to collect as many deer samples in northeastern Iowa as it can this hunting season to test for chronic wasting disease after the first case in Dubuque County was confirmed in January. Samples also will be
collected from surrounding eastern Iowa counties.
The disease attacks the brains of deer and elk and is always fatal. No human cases have ever been recorded, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to not eat meat from infected animals.
The disease has become increasingly prevalent in parts of the Midwest, including Wisconsin and Minnesota.
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Nurse Takes Plea Agreement Against Charges Of Stealing Painkillers
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A nurse accused of fraudulently obtaining painkillers from her patients in eastern Iowa has taken a plea deal.
The Telegraph Herald reports that 31-year-old Katie Boll, of
Manchester, pleaded guilty last month. She pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product resulting in injury and acquiring the painkiller oxycodone by deception. Federal prosecutors dropped 12 other counts in exchange for her pleas.
Authorities say Boll was a nurse for the Good Neighbor Society in
Manchester when she schemed to acquire hydrocodone, morphine and other painkillers from at least 14 patients in her care. Prosecutors say she used mouthwash to dilute liquid morphine, resulting in injury to a patient.
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Democratic Senator Harris Restructures Presidential Campaign
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Kamala Harris is staking her presidential campaign’s hopes on Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Two weeks ago, she said she planned to be there every week in October and would double the size of her staff there after spending the summer crisscrossing the country to raise money.
With roughly four months to go until the caucuses, Harris now faces questions as to whether she’s making a play for the state too late, as many other Democrats similarly hope that Iowa can be their launch pad in a crowded field.
Her team is also trying to beat back the notion that she has an
unstable campaign after reports that she recalibrated some senior staff roles in an attempt to eliminate bottlenecks in decision-making that had affected the entire operation.
