(LE MARS)–An intersection in southwest Le Mars is expected to reopen next week.
City administrator Scott Langel explained a concrete slab was underneath the asphalt surface at the intersection of 12th Street and Business Highway 75. Langel said a test is being made to compare two types of construction.
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During his interview with KLEM Thursday, Langel said the hope is to reopen the intersection next Monday.
County race is for Conservation Commissioner
(LE MARS)–There’s one race for a Plymouth County office in November.
According to Plymouth County Deputy auditor Cheri Nitzschke, there are three candidates for two openings as District Commissioner for Soil and Water Conservation.
The candidates include incumbent Patricia Winter of Le Mars, and Jeff Petersen of rural Merrill and Sandra Fravel of rural Sioux City. Nancy Anderson of rural Merrill did not seek re-election.
The five candidates for five Plymouth County Extension Council openings are Jim Jauer of rural Hinton; Julie Madden of rural Akron; Chad Banks of rural Westfield: Glen Hayworth of Kingsley: and Jill Utesch of Remsen. None of the candidates are members of the Council.
Fredonia Township officers seeking re-election include Clerk Tom Pick and Trustees Michael Detloff and Mike Schnepf, all of rural Le Mars.
During the November 2nd General Election, Fredonia Township residents will decide whether the County Board of Supervisors should fill future vacancies in Fredonia Township by appointment. That is the method the 23 other townships in the county use when vacancies occur for township officers.
Incumbent county officeholders who are unopposed in November include Treasurer Linda Dobson; Recorder Jolynn Goodchild; Attorney Darin Raymond, all of Le Mars; and Supervisors Don Kass of rural Remsen and Craig Anderson of rural Merrill. Le Mars businessman Jack Guenthner is the candidate for the open District 1 Supervisor seat. Guenthner is unopposed in his bid for the seat held by Gordon Greene of Le Mars who is not seeking re-election. All are Republicans.
Farm Bureau meeting moves to fairgrounds
(LE MARS)–The 92nd annual meeting of Plymouth County’s Farm Bureau is next month.
The guest speaker at the meeting will be Iowa Farm Bureau Director of Research and Commodity Service Dave Miller.
The meeting agenda includes adoption of the 2010 resolutions on local, state and national issues.
The 92nd annual meeting is scheduled for September 7th at Century Hall at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars.
King hosts Nunes in Le Mars
(LE MARS)–Two Congressman will be in Le Mars this afternoon to host a Town Hall meeting.
Congressman Steve King will be joined by California Congressman Devin Nunes (noo-nehz) at the Le Mars Convention Center from 2:15-3:30 this afternoon.
Nunes has served in the House since 2003 and is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee as well as the House Budget Committee.
King invites Plymouth County area residents to attend the public town hall meeting.
Campbell plans debate
(SIOUX CITY)–Democratic Congressional candidate Matt Campbell is announcing a debate with Republican Congressman Steve King.
Campbell, an attorney, issued a written statement saying he agreed to debate Steve King in a live on-air interview October 23rd at 7 p-m. He says the debate will be broadcast from K-T-I-V in Sioux City and carried live on the N-B-C television station.
Dog bite investigation underway
(SIOUX CITY)–SIOUX CITY POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE NAME OF THE SIOUX CITY CHILD INJURED WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN A DOG BITE INCIDENT. POLICE CAPTAIN MARTI REILLY SAYS AT 7:05, POLICE WERE CALLED TO 2315 DOUGLAS STREET FOR A REPORT OF 19 MONTH OLD SAMUEL VANDONSLEAR WANDERING INTO A NEIGHBOR’S YARD AND BEING BIT BY A DOG.
REILLY SAYS WHEN AN OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER APPROACHED, THE DOG PUT THE CHILD DOWN. THE INFANT WAS TAKEN TO ST. LUKE’S REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN SIOUX CITY. REILLY SAYS THE DOG WAS NOT RUNNING LOOSE IN THE YARD.
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REILLY SAYS DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF INJURIES, THE CASE WILL BE INVESTIGATED BY THE SIOUX CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES BUREAU.
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A CALL TO ST. LUKE’S WAS TRANSFERRED TO THEIR PEDIATRIC’S UNIT, ALTHOUGH THE CHILD’S CONDITION WAS NOT RELEASED. (News report by Josie Cooper – KSCJ Radio, Powell Broadcasting, Sioux City)
Salmonella find links 2 Iowa egg farms to recall
WASHINGTON (AP) Food and Drug Administration officials say they have found positive samples of salmonella that link two Iowa farms to a massive egg recall.
The officials said investigators found salmonella in chicken feed that was sold to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms. More than 550 million eggs from the two farms were recalled this month after they were linked to as many as 1,300 cases of salmonella poisoning.
Sherri McGarry of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition said the tests indicate that contaminated feed is a source of the outbreak but possibly not the only source.
Also Thursday, the federal Centers for Disease Control said that there could now be as many as 1,470 illnesses linked to the outbreak.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold hearings on the recall in September.
DNR: Lacona ammonia leak runoff killed game fish
LACONA, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says numerous game fish were found dead after last week’s anhydrous ammonia leak near Lacona.
DNR fisheries staff reports nearly 2,800 fish were killed. Most of the fish were shiners, minnows and gizzard shad, but the DNR says game fish such as channel catfish, sunfish, white bass and drum also were found dead.
A leaking pipe spewed anhydrous ammonia and forced most of the small central Iowa town of Lacona to evacuate on Aug. 19.
When firefighters sprayed down the ammonia plume, the DNR says the runoff had high ammonia levels and caused a fish kill when it reached Mill Branch Creek.
The fish kill proceeded downstream as the polluted water flowed into Cotton Creek, then into White Breast Creek east of Lacona.
DNR investigating fish kill near Thornton
THORNTON, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill in north-central Iowa that’s killed minnows, suckers and game fish like northern pike.
The kill happened along Bailey Creek southeast of Thornton.
While the DNR works to identify the cause, the kill has spread at least three miles downstream.
Bailey Creek is a tributary of the West Fork Cedar River. The DNR has collected water samples and will conduct a fish count on Friday. BOY FOUND-IOWA
Iowa boy, 2, found safe after missing in cornfield
DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) A 2-year-old boy lost in an eastern Iowa cornfield has been found safe thanks to the family dog.
Jack Kluesner was lost for nearly an hour Thursday in tall corn at a farm between Dyersville and Farley. But searchers found him after hearing barks from the family’s dog Margo, who was with the boy.
Jack’s mother, Janel, says she was playing in the yard with her son when she went into the house. She was peeking out the window to keep an eye on her son, but the last time she looked, she couldn’t see him.
Janel Kluesner called 911 and her husband. Searchers began scouring the fields when they heard the dog barking.
Kluesner’s husband found Jack and the dog about a quarter-mile from the house.
Iowa gets $84M fed grant for disaster prevention
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding Iowa an $84 million grant aimed at helping protect homes, businesses and infrastructure against damage from future flooding.
The federal money is part of a larger package of $312 million in HUD grants to 13 states for disaster preparedness and prevention. Iowa is getting the single biggest chunk of the money. HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims says it reflects the seriouesness of Iowa’s political leaders and citizens in planning and prioritizing projects that will help spare widespread damage in future floods.
Gov. Chet Culver says the federal money will be combined with about $30 million in state funds earmarked for disaster prevention and flood mitigation.
Swimming advisories posted at 8 Iowa park beaches
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Beaches at Iowa state parks continue to deal with high fecal bacteria levels this summer.
Safety warnings have been posted at more than a half-dozen beaches.
Bacterial readings higher than the swimming limit turned up this week in samples at eight beaches.
The beaches are Backbone, Big Creek, Clear Lake, Emerson Bay, Lake Anita, Lake Keomah, Pine Lake and Prairie Rose.
Those postings could change Friday after follow-up samples.
High fecal bacteria readings typically mean the presence of organisms that can give people diarrhea, stomach aches or skin infections.
Iowa health officials advise swimmers to avoid swallowing lake water and to bathe immediately after swimming.
DNR warns of high nitrite in Iowa water district
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is warning residents in part of a central Iowa rural water district not to give water from the system to infants, because of high nitrite levels.
The warning is for part of the Xenia Rural Water District north and west of Des Moines.
Water samples taken Wednesday indicated a nitrite level slightly higher than safe.
Residents in the warning area should not give the water to infants younger than 6 months. That includes juice or formula mixed with water from the tap.
The DNR says infants who drink water containing high nitrite could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and “blue baby syndrome,” indicated by blue skin.
Water with high nitrite cannot be treated by boiling.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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