Rejoice Community Church To Offer Community Thanksgiving Meal
(Le Mars) — Preparations are being made for the Community Thanksgiving Banquet to be held Thursday at the Rejoice Community Church in Le Mars.
Adri Ruisch is again organizing the holiday meal which is expected to feed over 600 people. Ruisch, who says she isn’t certain as to how many years she has volunteered to help with the meal, says the annual event got started more than 25 years ago because of a challenge given to Rejoice Community
Church’s congregation.
Ruisch says the first Community Thanksgiving was held to offer a holiday meal to the elderly, and under privileged, who may not have family, or unable to visit with family members. She says the mission remains the same for today, but over the years, the Community Thanksgiving has grown, and now anybody is welcomed and encouraged to attend. She says families now gather at Rejoice Community Church to celebrate Thanksgiving.
How much food is needed to feed more than 600 people?
Ruisch says all the food is prepared on site at the Rejoice Community Church.
Serving takes place at the Rejoice Community Church beginning at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until 1:00 p.m. She says deliveries of the Thanksgiving meal starts at 10:30 a.m. Ruisch says about 300 meals are delivered at people’s homes. The entire meal is free.
The Community Thanksgiving organizer and long-time volunteer explains what foods will be featured on the menu.
She says the Rejoice Community Church relies upon the services of many volunteers and businesses for donations in order to have a successful Thanksgiving for the community. Ruisch says the group is inspired by a biblical verse.
Traditional Thanksgiving Meal Increased A Penny Over Last Year
(Des Moines) — The average price of the traditional Thanksgiving meal has increased, but only by a penny over the cost from last year’s meal. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, along with its parent organization, the American Farm Bureau Federation conducted a survey across 38 states to determine the cost of preparing the Thanksgiving meal for ten people. The
average cost for the annual feast comes in this year at $48.91 an increase of one cent from last year. Dr. Sam Funk, the director of ag analytics and research and senior economist with Iowa Farm Bureau says, “Despite the sixth consecutive year of a down-turned ag economy with lower commodity prices,
consumers are getting a deal while farmers are getting eight cents of each dollar the consumer spends on food.” The average Thanksgiving dinner has been stable since 2011, averaging around $50 for a family of ten people.
Funk says that is great news for Iowans who love real meat and dairy and are shopping on a budget. Funk says 95 percent of Americans will enjoy turkey with their meal during this Thanksgiving. Iowa ranks among the top ten states in production of turkey. According to John Newton, chief economist
with the American Farm Bureau Federation, the price for turkey this year has come down.
Turkey serves as a mainstay for many Thanksgiving meals. It is low in fat, and packed with protein, providing up to 30 grams per serving. With a four-percent retail drop in the cost of turkey this year over 2018, turkey is an inexpensive source of iron, zinc, potassium and Vitamin B. A total of 264 volunteer shoppers checked grocery store prices and have purchased the
same items since 1986. Newton says the food items that make up the Farm Bureau Thanksgiving meal survey includes the turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie mix, pie shells, green beans, peas, stuffing, bread rolls, butter, coffee and milk. Farm Bureau has also looked at the price of ham as another entree
item for the Thanksgiving meal.
Native Americans Hold March Remembering When Children Were Taken From Homes And Put Up For Adoption
(Sioux City) — Members of the Siouxland Native American community today (Wednesday) took part in the 17th annual march which calls attention to Native American children who were taken from their homes and put up for adoption. Sandra
White Hawk is a child welfare advocate who was one of those children removed from her home. A documentary “Blood Memory”, details what she went through
White Hawk was 18 months old when she was taken away.
White Hawk says. She says she was so young she couldn’t
remember her mother’s voice or what she looked like — but remembers the shock of being taken from her family.
White Hawk says the Native American community in the Sioux City has had an incredible impact the removal of children.
Those who took part in the memorial march shared a meal
together at a ceremony at its conclusion.
Appeals Court Upholds Lawsuit Against Marriott Hotel For Fall
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld a $4.9 million jury verdict awarded to a Texas woman after she fell outside a hotel on an icy sidewalk.
The court in its ruling Wednesday rejected arguments by Marriott
International that the jury’s 2018 verdict was excessive and the result of jury prejudice against the corporation.
Brenda Alcala, a software consultant for Genesis Health Systems,
filed the lawsuit. She was staying at the Bettendorf Courtyard by Marriott in January 2010 when she slipped on ice and broke an ankle.
In 2016 the Iowa Supreme Court threw out a $1.2 million verdict from the first trial in 2014 and ordered a new trial over errors in jury instructions. The latest ruling upholds the 2018 verdict.
Marriott’s attorneys didn’t immediately reply to a message.
Reynolds Appoints Appeals Court Judge
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she has appointed a northwest Iowa judge to the Iowa Court of Appeals.
Reynolds says in a statement released Wednesday that Paul Ahlers, of Fort Dodge, will succeed Judge Amanda Potterfield, who is retiring from the bench on December 25. She was appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver in 2008.
Ahlers is Reynolds’ fourth appointment to the nine-member court.
He is a currently a district associate judge and previously
practiced law with private firms in Spencer, Fort Dodge, and Webster City.
From 2008 to 2011 he worked for Travelers Insurance Companies in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Care Provider Sentenced For 10 Years In Prison
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A former care provider in Sioux City has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing from her clients.
The Sioux City Journal reports that 50-year-old Lisa Sembach-Preston was sentenced Tuesday. She’d pleaded guilty to two counts of dependent adult abuse and two counts of theft. The judge also ordered her to repay nearly $85,000 to Crossroads of Western Iowa, a Council Bluffs-based nonprofit that provides services to adults with disabilities and mental illnesses.
The records say Sembach-Preston was responsible for each victim’s bank accounts and financial matters. The thefts occurred from February 2015 through April 2017.
Authorities say she used the money to pay for furniture, clothes and a trip to Las Vegas.
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Man Arrested For Murder 40 Years Following Incident
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A man accused of killing an Iowa high school student almost 40 years ago wants his trial moved out of Linn County.
The attorney for 65-year-old Jerry Burns, of Manchester, said in a filing Monday that pretrial publicity made it unlikely Burns could receive a fair trial in Linn County. The trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 10.
Police arrested Burns Dec. 19, 39 years to the day after 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed. Her body was found the next day inside her family’s car at a Cedar Rapids mall. She had been stabbed in the face and chest.
