Home News Friday Afternoon News, October 11th

Friday Afternoon News, October 11th

Hinton Fire Department Responds To Truck Fire

(Hinton) — The Hinton and Merrill Fire Departments were called early this morning to extinguish a truck that had caught on fire. Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beck says the fire department were alerted to the situation at around 6:30 a.m. this morning.

(photo contributed.)

Beck says the trailer that was on fire contained scrap metal and shredded auto parts.

The Hinton Fire Chief believes some piece of metal, from the grinding process, was hot when it was placed in the trailer, then ignited other flammable items.

Beck says Merrill Fire Department was called to the scene for additional manpower and water. He says firefighters were on the scene for nearly two hours. He says the truck had unhitched  from the trailer and pulled away, so the truck escaped any damage. He says the trailer’s contents were destroyed,
but the trailer may be salvageable.

 

 

Le Mars Arts Center Hires New Director

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Arts Center has hired a new director. Mark Kochen of Sioux City will assume the responsibilities of overseeing the Le Mars Arts Center. Kochen is a talented artist who has had his work on display at the Arts Center recently. He has been a professional artist for over 15 years, and is also a muralist having created the Rocklin Manufacturing Company three-story mural in downtown Sioux City. Kochen has a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Iowa State University of Design and Drawing and Painting.

 

 

Flood Victims May Need To Leave State Park Refuge

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) – Some people forced from their homes by Missouri River floodwaters will be leaving their refuge at an Iowa state park.

Waubonsie State Park sits dry a few miles north of the southwest Iowa community of Hamburg, which was hit hard after two nearby river levees failed. Park manager Matt Moles told Omaha, Nebraska, station KETV the park had about 80 flood refugees staying there during peak occupancy this past spring. But that’s dwindled as people returned to their homes or found other
accommodations.

Other flood victims found temporary quarters elsewhere in Iowa and even across the river in Nebraska.

But now winter approaches, and Iowa officials say park water service must be turned off because of the impending freeze and the need for repairs.
Electricity still will be available, and off-season camping will be allowed.

 

 

State Legislator Arrested For Drunk Driving At Cherokee

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) – A southern Iowa lawmaker has been charged again with drunken driving.
Cherokee County court records say 60-year-old Scott Ourth was
arrested Saturday night in Cherokee after he failed breath tests and other field sobriety tests. He’d been pulled over for driving without turning on his pickup truck’s headlights.
Ourth, from Ackworth, is a Democrat who represents District 26 in the Iowa House. He was first elected in 2012.
Wapello County court records say Ourth pleaded guilty in 2000 to operating while intoxicated, second offense, and served seven days in jail.
He’s released a statement in which he acknowledges making “a
terrible mistake” of driving Saturday after an evening out with friends and says he’s “profoundly embarrassed” by his actions.

 

 

Boarding School Official Will Have Another Trial

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The founder of a boarding school for troubled youth could get another chance to discredit a student whose testimony helped convict him of abuse.
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ordered a hearing to determine whether the student made false allegations of sexual abuse against her adoptive or foster parents. The court says 41-year-old Ben Trane should get a new trial on three sexual abuse and child endangerment charges if a judge determines she lied.
Trane was the owner of Midwest Academy in Keokuk, which was closed in 2016.
Trane was convicted last year of assault with intent to commit
sexual abuse, sexual exploitation by a counselor and child endangerment. He was accused of sexually assaulting the 17-year-old female student and confining two male students.
Trane is free on bond.

 

 

Worker’s Compensation Attorney Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Against Tyson Foods

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former workers’ compensation attorney for a Tyson Foods meatpacking division has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Iowa that accuses company officials of making anti-gay slurs, filing false information in workers’ compensation cases and discriminating based on sex
and age.

Todd Beresford filed the lawsuit Oct. 1 in state district court in Des Moines against Tyson Fresh Meats, based in South Dakota, and its parent Arkansas-based Tyson Foods, the nation’s second-largest meat processor. The suit seeks damages after his dismissal last year.

Beresford argues he was fired in part because he complained the company was providing inaccurate information in workers’ compensation cases in Iowa to deny payments to injured workers.

He claims a former company vice president used slurs in referring to former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey, who is gay.

Beresford, of the Cleveland area, also claims Tyson discriminated
against employees on the basis of sex and age by firing several middle age men in 2017 and 2018, replacing them with younger women.

A Tyson spokesman declined to comment.