(LE MARS)–Mowing and painting are priorities for city of Le Mars Public Works Staff this summer.
City administrator Scott Langel says seeding of projectS that disturbed soil is ahead.
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In between rains, Langel says city crews try to keep up with street sweeping and filling holes in pavements.
Marriage rally in Sioux City
(SIOUX CITY)–Sioux City is the destination for a 23-city, 19-state tour to show support for traditional marriage today (Tuesday).
The National Organization for Marriage’s, “Summer for Marriage, One Man – One Woman Tour hosts a free, public event.
The Morningside Assembly of God Church is the rally location. The President of the National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown will speak during the noon event today.
Traffic can’t cross crossing Wednesday
(JAMES)–There’s a change planned tomorrow (Wednesday) for traffic in the Hinton area.
Drivers will not be able to cross the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks on County Road C-70, between Highway 75 and Imperial Road.
According to Engineer Tom Rohe, the crossing repair at James will begin about eight tomorrow (Wednesday morning) and be completed by 5 Wednesday afternoon.
Two sentenced for identity crimes in Sioux County
(ORANGE CITY)–Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed holds on two people prosecuted in Sioux County for identity crimes.
According to County Attorney Coleman McAllister, a native of Mexico, 21-year-old Eric Bautista-Zurita was arrested in May by Sioux Center Police. Bautista-Zurita was accused of having a false and fraudulent Social Security card and forged permanent Resident card. He pleaded guilty to two forgery charges.
McAllister reports a judge suspended Bautista-Zurita’s two-year prison term for one forgery conviction but ordered him to serve a 55-day jail term for the other conviction.
Twenty-two-year-old Waldemar Lopez-Gonzalez, of native of Guatemala, was charged with using another man’s identity to get a job at Golden Crisp in Sioux Center. Lopez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to identity theft and forgery.McAllister reports a judge suspended the two-year prison term for identity theft but ordered him to serve 51-days in jail for the forgery conviction.
Dean Foods issues 2nd quarter report
DALLAS, TEXAS)–Consumer spending is a factor in lower earnings for a company with operations in Le Mars.
Dean Foods Company today (Tuesday) announced second quarter diluted earnings of 25 cents a share. That’s down 13 cents a share from one year ago.
In a news release, Dean Foods Chairman Gregg Engles said, “Our results in the quarter remain well below year ago levels, but represent a step forward from the difficult start to 2010. While the challenges in the fluid milk category continue to negatively impact results, we remain focused on significantly lowering our cost structure to position us to win over the longer term.”
Dean Foods outlook for the business is unchanged from the first quarter. The C-E-O described working class consumers as remaining underemployed and over leveraged with an economic anxiety. Engles says “Their economic anxiety is reflected in a highly promotional retail environment for private label milk that is driving negative private label versus branded mix for our Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar business.”
The company is seeing the more value-added business at WhiteWave-Alpro producing strong volume and revenue.
All-State hopefuls prepare at Briar Cliff University
(SIOUX CITY)–A three-day camp at Briar Cliff University is about auditions and not athletics.
More than 250 students are on the campus of the private Sioux City university preparing for vocal excellence at Iowa All-State Chorus auditions.
Briar Cliff University assistant professor of music and director of choral activities Dr. Sean Burton serves as musical director for the Pre-All-State Choral Music campus.
High Schools represented include Le Mars Community, Gehlen Catholic, Remsen St. Mary’s, West Sioux and Sioux Center Community along with Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn.
Tomorrow night (Aug. 4), the Briar Cliff Pre-All-State Choral Music Camp concludes with a concert at 7 p-m at the Grandview Park Bandshell. The concert is open to the public.
State offering loans to small businesses
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A new state loan program designed help entrepreneurs and small businesses is now accepting applications.
Iowa businesses with less than 35 employees can get a loan up to $50,000 from the Iowa Small Business Loan program.
The program is limited to businesses owned and actively managed by Iowans.
State officials say the loans will be for upgrading or modernizing equipment, transportation, energy efficiency and other purposes.
Gov. Chet Culver’s staff says the Iowa Department of Economic Development has contracted with the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Vitality to help with the credit review process and provide recommendations regarding loan decisions.
Police seek material witness in park shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Des Moines police say they’re searching for a man wanted as a material witness after a shooting death in a park.
Thirty-year-old Daryl Kinchelow, of Des Moines, was shot in the chest last week at Evelyn Davis Park and pronounced dead at a hospital. Eighteen-year-old Jacolby Wright, also of Des Moines, was shot in the leg. He was treated and released.
Authorities say they’re looking for 35-year-old Michael Wells. They’re asking anyone with information about him to call 911.
Police say 20-year-old Derrick Smith was arrested last week as a material witness and has been questioned by detectives.
No charges have been filed in the shootings.
Police accuse woman of trying to run down man
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) Police have arrested a Davenport woman accused of trying to run down a man with her van with two children in the back.
Police say 19-year-old Shidona Jetter drove at a person she’s had a relationship with in a Von Maur parking lot on Saturday. An arrest affidavit says the man jumped on the hood of a parked vehicle to avoid getting hit.
The affidavit say Jetter had two children under 3 years old with her, and neither were secured in a child safety seat or safety belt.
Jetter faces several misdemeanor charges. They include domestic assault with intent, simple assault, reckless driving and two counts of child endangerment.
ISU, Ames officials hope to expand new transit hub
AMES, Iowa (AP) Iowa State and Ames transit officials are asking the Federal Transportation Administration for more than $10.4 million to build the next phase of a new transit hub.
Officials hope the project will bolster redevelopment of the Campustown area in Ames.
The second phase of the project will expand on a facility scheduled to open in June 2012. It’s expected to cost about $13 million and include two hybrid buses, a parking garage and improved streets and traffic signs.
Engineering consultant Bill Troe says the project could create 300 construction jobs and 200 spin-off jobs while it’s being built. He says a revitalized Campustown could create up to 500 long-term positions.
Possible future projects in Campustown could include a hotel, convenience store, grocery store and movie theater.
Delta to offer more seats from Des Moines Airport
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Des Moines Airport officials say Delta Airlines is adding over 600 seats a week on flights to Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.
Officials says Delta will offer additional seats from Des Moines to Washington-Reagan International Airport starting Sept. 7.
Delta will offer a new daily flight from Des Moines to Atlanta in November.
Airport spokesman Roy Criss says Des Moines has generated enough demand to justify the added seats. Criss also says more seats offer customers the chance for lower fares.
Local investors plan to buy Glen Oaks
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A group of Des Moines-area investors has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Glen Oaks Country Club.
The golf course is home to the Iowa’s lone PGA tournament, the Principal Charity Classic. But Glen Oaks was $8.4 million in debt, and West Bank foreclosed on the club in June 2009.
West Bank hired a management firm owned by golfer D.A. Weibring to run Glen Oaks in February and formally bought the club at a sheriff’s sale in April.
The investment group says it hopes to complete the purchase by Sept. 15 and says it will invest the resources to make Glen Oaks a first-class club and championship course.
The course opened it 1994. More than 70,000 fans attended the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event, in early June. IOWA-VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME
Video game hall to hold first induction
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) The International Video Game Hall of Fame in Ottumwa is set to hold its first induction ceremony.
The gaming museum is holding a four-day celebration known as the “Big Bang” starting on Thursday. Organizers hope to draw up to 5,000 people for the event.
The hall will induct 29 video-game creators, developers, high-score champions and the iconic game Pac-Man.
The hall has formed a nonprofit corporation and assembled a board of directors that includes the chamber of commerce and city and state officials. The committee is hoping to collect over 4,000 coin-operated arcade game titles to be the centerpiece of an interactive museum.
Ottumwa Mayor Dale Uehling says the city wants to become the Cooperstown of video games.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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