Home News Monday News, November 18th

Monday News, November 18th

Fire Department Responds To Apartment Complex Fire

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to an apartment that was on fire Saturday afternoon. The alarm came in at about 3:25 p.m.
According to Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper, initially, a wrong address was given as to the location of the fire.

Schipper says despite given the wrong address, firefighters were able to get to the scene fairly quickly and were able to contain the blaze before it had an opportunity to do much extensive damage to the apartment complex.

Schipper says the amount of damage to the apartment complex may be estimated at around $2,000.

The Le Mars fire chief says the cause of the fire was improper disposal of smoking material.

There were no injuries associated with the fire, and firefighters were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes.

 

 

Bomgaars Donates Veteran Display To American Legion

(Le Mars) — Bomgaars farm supply store last week honored local veterans by having an inflatable display showing an American flag, along with a silhouette of veterans.  Bomgaars encouraged their customers to sign the inflatable exhibit and express their appreciation to the military and veterans.  Bomgaars is donating the display to the Wasmer Post #241 American Legion.

Tom Sauer, Bomgaars store manager (left) is pictured with Dan Plueger, (right).  Plueger serves as the Commander of the Wasmer Post #241 American Legion of Le Mars.  Bomgaars donated the display to the local American Legion.

 

 

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice, Mark Cady Dies

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The family of Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady says he has died of a heart attack at age 66.
Cady’s family says in a statement posted on the court’s website that he died unexpectedly on Friday. In the statement, the Iowa Judicial Branch statement says Cady’s “passing is a great loss to the court and the state he so loyally served.” A spokesman says Cady was in Des Moines when he died.
Cady, of Ft. Dodge, was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1998 and named chief justice in 2011.


He was a key vote in decisions that rankled social conservatives.
Cady wrote the 2009 unanimous opinion that made Iowa the third state to permit same-sex marriages and he wrote last year’s decision upholding a woman’s right to an abortion under the Iowa Constitution.  A public celebration of life is set for Wednesday in Des Moines to honor Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady.
The memorial will be held at the Drake University Knapp Center Wednesday beginning at 10:00 a-m.
Members of the public are invited to attend, and the family will greet the public after the service. The family will hold a private service later.  Governor Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to
be lowered to half-staff through Wednesday evening to honor Justice Cady.

 

 

Reynolds Says Japanese Trade Tour Was Successful

(Hawarden) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds returned Thursday evening from a trade mission to Japan. Reynolds was accompanied on the trade tour with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Iowa Economic Development
Director, Debbie Duram. Reynolds attended an announcement ceremony at a Sioux County farm Friday morning and was asked about the Japanese trade tour?

As a result of the foreign visit, Reynolds says Japanese officials showed some positive interest in purchasing additional Iowa agricultural products.

Reynolds says in addition to encourage Japanese retailers to purchase more Iowa beef and pork products, the trade mission also focused on those Japanese companies that have invested in Iowa and have businesses located within the Hawkeye state.

The Iowa governor says the delegation was able to make several pitch presentations as to why Japan would want to consider investing in Iowa. She says the U-S, and specifically Iowa, may be able to capture some of the lost market share and expand on our exports to Japan.

 

 

Flu Is Blamed For Two Iowa Deaths

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa health officials say two people in the state have died from complications of the flu in recent weeks.
The Iowa Department of Public Health says the deaths occurred in a woman between the ages of 61 and 80 in central Iowa and in a woman older than 81 in northwest Iowa.
Officials say both women had underlying conditions or other
contributing factors in their deaths.
Health officials say flu cases have recently increased in Iowa
communities.
The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over 6 months old get the flu vaccine. The very young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of
complications from the respiratory illness.

 

 

Fatal Accident Involving Industrial Worker Now Identified

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have identified a worker killed in an industrial accident at a biofuels plant in central Iowa.
Police tell television station WOI that Carlos Mauricio Partillo
Montufar was pinned under equipment Thursday at Verbio North America’s Biorefinery in Nevada, which is about 40 miles north of Des Moines. Rescue workers arrived to free him, but he died at the scene.
Police say his last known address was South West City, Missouri, but co-workers said he is from Honduras. He was an employee of Midwest Tank Company, not Verbio.
An autopsy has been ordered.

 

 

Des Moines Police Arrest Suspect After Four-Hour Standoff 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a man arrested after a nearly four-hour standoff at an apartment complex in eastern Des Moines.
Police say 25-year-old Troy Ruggles is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Ruggles, who lives in Des Moines.
Police say officers responding to reports of gunfire shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday found a man later identified as Ruggles on a second-floor balcony. Police say he fired at officers, and two officers returned fire before he retreated inside an apartment.
Ruggles was arrested without incident nearly four hours after police arrived. He was alone in the apartment.
No injuries have been reported.

 

 

Man Faces Animal Neglect Charges

NEW PROVIDENCE, Iowa (AP) – A 26-year-old man is facing animal neglect charges after authorities found several malnourished and dead goats on his property in north-central Iowa.
The Hardin County Sheriff’s department found two dead goats and a malnourished goat in an outdoor shed without bedding or food when they visited the man’s property on Oct. 30. A veterinarian determined that the malnourished goat needed to be euthanized because of its condition.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that authorities also found three dead goats on the property that had been dead for more than a week.
The man has been charged with three counts of animal neglect and three counts of failing to dispose of dead animals.