(LE MARS)–A Plymouth County family dairy celebrates June “Dairy Month” with an open house Wednesday.
Kurt Wierda is general manager of Plymouth Dairy Farms.
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Thirty fulltime employees work at the dairy where 2,700 cows are milked, producing about 230-thousand pounds of milk daily. The dairy milks three times a day.
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The economic impact is estimated at $13,000 to 17,000 for each of the 2,700 cows. Wierda explains the business connections.
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Guided tours will be given at Plymouth Dairy Farms, four miles south of Le Mars at 23505 K-49. The hours are 4-7 p-m. Guests will have a free meal.
(LE MARS)–“The Year of the Study Hall” is celebrated at the Plymouth County Historical Museum during Fourth of July festivities ON Monday, July 5th.
Opening the day at the Museum will be an antique flea market at “Old Central” gym at 9 a.m. Vendors will offer their wares through 5 p-m.
The traditional watermelon feed by Timmy’s Catering is Monday afternoon at three on the Museum lawn.
According to the Museum administrator Judy Bowman, throughout the Fourth of July weekend, Le Mars High School alumni will be gathering for their second all-school reunion. A large alumni exhibit by Margaret Henrich is featured in the Museum’s Home Room and the Hall of Champions.
A quilt show will be presented by Le Mars Alumni in the Museum’s newly renovated Study Hall from 1-5 p-m, both Saturday and Sunday
(CHEROKEE)–Highways in Cherokee and Woodbury County remain closed by flooding.
The Iowa Department of Transportation reports Highway 59 and Highway 3, both in Cherokee County, are closed at the Little Sioux River and a detour is marked.
In Woodbury County, Highway 31 is closed between county road D-22 and Highway 20, near Correctionville. Traffic is being detoured.
(SIOUX CITY)–A Sioux City man faces eight charges of producing, transporting and possessing child pornography.
The U-S attorney’s office today issued written information about the charges against 44-year-old Kevin McManaman of Sioux City. An August 2nd trial date is set.
According to an indictment in federal court, between 1997 and 2008 McManaman is accused of using minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual images. The indictment also alleges that between 2005 and 2008 he transported and possessed child pornography.
McManaman is being held without bond after a court date last Friday.
If he is convicted, he could spend up to 120 years in prison and or be required to pay up a two-million dollar fine.
NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) Authorities say a driver was burned when his car exploded during a demolition derby at the Worth County fairgrounds in Northwood.
The Worth County sheriff’s office says the car caught on fire and exploded Sunday evening.
The driver was pulled out of the car and taken to a hospital. The sheriff’s office say he was burned, but officials didn’t immediately know just how serious.
The sheriff’s office says Monday that the man’s name has not been released.
Witnesses say the explosion happened when the man’s car hit another car head-on.
INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) Indianola police say a deadly shooting involving two teenagers in Indianola happened after an argument.
A 14-year-old boy is accused of shooting a 16-year-old boy early Sunday. Police say James Doyle was shot at the younger boy’s home. He died at the scene.
The 14-year-old is charged with first-degree murder and is in custody.
Police Chief Steve Bonnett says the teens were up all night messing with a gun and “there were some angry words” and Doyle was shot.
Bonnett says the killing was motivated, but he declined to release specific details.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) An Iowa National Guard agriculture team is getting ready for duty in Afghanistan.
A send-off ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday at Camp Dodge in Johnston for the 734th Agribusiness Development Team. It’s the first joint Iowa Army and Air National Guard unit to be deployed overseas. The unit’s 60 members all have backgrounds in various sectors of farming.
Their mission is to help rebuild Afghanistan’s farm-based economy and increase production of legitimate crops instead of poppies used to make opium.
The unit will report to Camp Atterbury, Ind., for addition training before departing for Afghanistan.
URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Egg Council is again sponsoring its Iowa State Fair Egg decorating contest.
The council says the contest is a “great opportunity to feature artistic abilities and pride for the state of Iowa.” Entrants must use a standard large-size chicken egg and the egg’s design and decoration must reflect an Iowa theme. Entrants can use any art medium.
The award for first place is $500. There is a $400 prize for second place and a $300 prize for third place. The entered eggs will be displayed in Iowa libraries throughout the year after the contest.
Entry forms and rules are available on the Iowa Egg Council’s website.
AMES, Iowa (AP) The Fourth of July holiday will mean office closings for the Iowa Department of Transportation.
The department says all of the state’s driver’s license stations will be open on Friday, July 2, and closed on Saturday, July 3. Stations are normally closed on Mondays, so the stations will reopen Tuesday, July 6.
The holiday will affect the department’s Motor Carrier Permit Center in Ankeny. The center will close at 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 2, and reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 6. Transportation experts urge commercial vehicle operators to plan ahead.
This also means that the department won’t allow any movement of oversized loads in Iowa from 12 p.m. on Friday, July 2, until 30 minutes prior to sunrise on Tuesday, July 6.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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