(LE MARS)–Office space in Le Mars will put money into Plymouth County’s treasury.
Sharon Nieman coordinates mental health and general relief services for Plymouth County from an office in the county’s downtown office building which housed state Human Services staff. Many of the state services are only available by appointment or phone due to a decision to cut and relocate staff due to state budget problems.
Nieman this week reported to the Board of Supervisors that other human services-related groups have rented spaces vacated by the state.
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Nieman’s efforts were recognized by supervisors, including Craig Anderson.
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Vocational Rehabilitation and Parent Partners are new tenants for the county building.
(LE MARS)–A yearly mammogram is considered as a defense against breast cancer. The radiology department at Floyd Valley Hospital now offers digital mammography.
Radiology manager Denee Hardyk says the equipment and computer system cost about 350-thousand dollars. According to Hardyk, the hospital’s radiology staff also trained in the system which replaces film images.
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The enhancement of mammography service brings a new designation to Floyd Valley which provides 15-hundred mammograms a year.
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Appointments for the digital service are available by contacting the Radiology Department at 546-3394.
Fair food flavors fill “the best 5 days of summer”
(LE MARS)– It’s time to pig out…
…at the Plymouth County Fair! For many people their favorite part of any fair is the food, and the crowds at the Plymouth County Fair definitely have their favorites.
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Those chili cheese dogs can be found at the Girl Scout Booth. Like many other community organizations, the Girl Scouts use selling food at the fair to raise funds for their cause. Jill Hansen, a leader with Brownie Troop 91, said that the Girls Scouts also use it as a teaching tool.
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Food is also important at the fair when it comes to exhibiting. Baked goods, fruits and vegetables are judged based on how delicious they look and taste. Kristen Foley of the Johnson Juniors 4-H Club won multiple blue ribbons this year for her baked items and vegetables . Baking is her specialty and she has been entering things in this category for the last 6 years.
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Megan Conner, a fifth grader with the Classy Clovers Club, said potatoes are her favorite food item to bring to the fair.
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This year’s spuds earned Megan blue ribbon status.
Whether it’s for judging or just pigging out…food is important to the fair. You can taste your favorites at the Plymouth County Fair this weekend. (KLEM News report by Angela Drake)
Third day fair crowd mirrors previous years
(LE MARS)–The third day of the 2010 Plymouth County Fair drew an estimated 19-thousand people to the fairgrounds on the east side of Le Mars.
The attendance is the same as the Friday estimate for the two previous fairs.
Today’s activities include the 4-H and FFA Swine, Poultry and Cat shows. The Demolition Derby is the action event in the Grandstand tonight at six. This is also Kids’ Day at the Fair.
More than 70 quilts will be auctioned by Bruce Brock and Randy Stabe beginning at 2 p.m. Wall hangings, baby quilts and full-sized quilts were donated by groups, individuals and churches for the Life Skills Training Center Foundation’s annual quilt auction at the fair.
Saturday, July 31
(Kroese & Kroese PC, CPA and
Primebank Day)
8:30 a.m. 4-H & FFA Swine Show – Covered Arena
9:00 a.m. Open Draft Horse & Mule Show – Horse Arena
9:00 a.m. 4-H Exhibit Building Open
9:00 a.m. 4-H & FFA Poultry Show – North of Poultry
Building, Followed by Clover Buddies Poultry
Show
10:00 a.m. Open Class Exhibits Open
10:00 a.m. Antique Appraisals – Pioneer Village
10:30 a.m. Kids’ Day – Century Hall
11:00 a.m. Commercial Exhibit Buildings & Round
Barn Open
12:00 p.m. Blair House Open
12:00 – 8:00 p.m. Lego Booth – Building West of Pioneer
Village Stage
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Reduced Midway Rides
1:00 p.m. Chain Saw Artist – A.J. Lutter – West
Commercial Area
1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Antique Tractor Show – West of Grandstand
2:00 p.m. 4-H & FFA Cat Show – Open Class Building
(South End)
2:00 p.m. Life Skills Quilt Auction – Century Hall
6:00 p.m. Demo Derby – Grandstand
6:00 p.m. 4-H & FFA Share the Fun- Century Hall
6:00 p.m. Deadline for Rabbit, Poultry, Meat Goat, Swine,
Sheep & Beef Ribbon Auction sign up
10:00 p.m. Open Class, 4-H Exhibit Building and Blair
House Close
10:00 p.m. Commercial Exhibit Buildings and Round
Barn Close
Pioneer Village
- 10:00 a.m.
- Antique Appraisals
- 5:00 p.m.
- Rob Leckband, Hypnotist – Sponsored by NW Iowa Credit Union
- & Sioux Fertilizer
- 6:30 p.m.
- River Billy Band – Sponsored by Primebank
- 8:00 p.m.
- Rob Leckband, Hypnotist – Sponsored by Ag Partners & Siouxland Propane
- 9:30 p.m.
- River Billy Band – Sponsored by Kroese & Kroese PC CPA
Smith dies in Lyon County accident
(GEORGE)–A Lyon County man died after his motorcycle collided with a cow four miles southeast of George around 11:30 Friday night.
The Iowa State Patrol reports 51-year-old Theodore Ray Smith of George was driving his motorcycle north on L-22. Smith’s Harley-Davidson struck a cow that was standing on the road.
The Patrol was assisted by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department.
Chariton boy admits to killing stepfather
CHARITON, Iowa (AP) A 13-year-old boy from southern Iowa admits fatally shooting his stepfather and will spend five years in juvenile detention.
The Des Moines Register reports the boy admitted in court Friday that he shot his stepfather on Feb. 10 in their home near Chariton. He acknowledged also firing shots at his mother and half-sister.
He made the admissions as part of an agreement to reduce charges to second-degree murder, reckless use of a firearm and intimidation with a deadly weapon.
Lucas County Attorney Paul Goldsmith previously sought to try the boy as a youthful offender, making him eligible for punishment after age 18, but reduced charges after deciding the boy could be sentenced to five years in prison at most.
The Associated Press generally doesn’t identify juveniles accused of a crime or their family.
RAGBRAI bike tour rider dies of crash injuries
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) A Waverly man who suffered a head injury during the RAGBRAI bicycle tour has died.
Stephen Briggs was 68. Hospital officials confirm he died Friday at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.
Briggs was riding in a group Thursday morning south of Charles City when he clipped the tire of the bicyclist in front of him and was thrown off.
His daughter, Sharon Moore, says doctors attempted surgery but there was too much swelling around his brain. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
She says Briggs loved riding his bike, loved RAGBRAI, and was an experienced rider. He’d ridden the entire RAGBRAI route across Iowa five times and parts of the route at least five more.
Briggs had retired from 40 years in the printing industry.
Postal clerk from Indianola gets year in prison
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A postal clerk from Indianola has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $240,000.
The U.S. attorney says 47-year-old Kimberly Sue Nordhagen was sentenced Friday after admitting to converting Postal Service money orders and cash transactions to her own use.
Nordhagen, who worked at the West Suburban Station in Clive, admitted to stealing the money between January 2004 and March 2009.
In addition to her sentence, she was ordered to make full restitution to the Postal Service.
Injured worker rescued from roof of UNI-Dome
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) A construction worker was injured while repairing the roof at the UNI-Dome.
Cedar Falls Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Roger Stensland says a crew was removing part of the roof when the man slipped, fell and slid some distance down the roof Friday morning. He landed on a wide platform around the outside edge of the Dome. Firefighters used a platform aerial ladder boom truck to get him down.
University of Northern Iowa spokesman Jim O’Connor says the worker wrenched his back and was taken to a Waterloo hospital for examination.
Crews are replacing and repairing the UNI-Dome roof, which was seriously damaged by a storm a year ago.
O’Connor says the injured man worked for Schwickert Co. of Mankato, Minn., the general contractor. His name was not immediately released.
Iowa teacher cleared of charges of sex with teen
BELMOND, Iowa (AP) A teacher at Belmond-Klemme High School has been found not guilty of charges that she had a sexual relationship an 18-year-old male student.
A Wright County District Court jury took less than an hour Friday to return its verdict clearing Jodi Barrus, a high school teacher and softball coach. She was charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee.
Barrus’ attorney made her accuser’s history of making up stories a key part of the defense. In closing arguments, defense attorney Derek Johnson pointed out 50 inconsistencies in the teen’s statements to police, friends and testimony in court.
Barrus says she now plans to file multiple civil lawsuits, adding that possible legal targets could include school employees.
Hundreds say goodbye to Iowa guard unit
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) Forty Iowa National Guard soldiers have left Eagle Grove as they prepare to be deployed to Afghanistan.
The members of the 1st Battalion 194th Field Artillery unit boarded a bus Friday for Mississippi following a send-off ceremony that drew nearly 300 friends, family and supporters to the armory in the small northern Iowa town.
The soldiers are among nearly 3,000 Iowa National Guard members being deployed to Afghanistan this summer. It’s the largest deployment of Guard troops in Iowa since World War II. The unit will serve a year in Afghanistan, training Afghan forces.
It’s the fifth deployment for Sgt. Thomas Heller of Mason City but his first as a husband. His tearful wife, Bethany, says she and her husband tried not to think about the deployment too much.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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