(AKRON)–A death east of Akron is being investigated by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s ofice.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s office and Akron Fire responded to a report of a tree falling on a man about 7:30 last night.
The location of the report was Ruble which is a ghost town between Akron and Brunsville.
Other information is not yet available
Truck-train accident claims the life of a Remsen man
(OYENS)–A Remsen man was killed when a truck he was driving was struck by a train west of Oyens late Monday morning.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of the dump truck was 37-year-old Richard Patrick Martin.
The sheriff’s office preliminary investigation indicates Martin was driving north on a gravel road, Otter Avenue, and did not yield to an eastbound Canadian National train with five cars.
The truck owned by Walker Excavating of Le Mars was struck on the driver’s side, pushed over the railing and came to rest on a crane used to repair the railroad bridge. Martin was ejected from the truck and died.
The accident happened at a railroad crossing controlled by crossbuck and yield signs and was reported to the sheriff’s office around 11:40.
Plymouth County Medical Examiner Dr. Sheila Holcomb pronounced Martin dead at the scene. Oyens Fire and Ambulance, Remsen Fire, Ambulance and Police and the Iowa State Patrol responded to the accident.
Library partners with ISU Extension on investing class
(LE MARS)–A Smart Investing Class will begin on September 27th at the Le Mars Public library. Librarian Sue Kroesche said that the class is free because of a grant.
Listen here
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Staff and professors from Iowa State University Extension will be teaching the class. ISU Extension Family Resource Management Specialist Jan Burk, explains why the grants were given.
Listen here
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The lessons will be geared toward three different groups:
Young people who are working and want to get a head start on investing, people preparing to retire, and seniors who have already retired.
Burk said now is a better time than ever to start learning about investments.
Listen here
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Dr. Patricia Swanson from ISU will be teaching the online sessions, but not all the classes are online. The first will be held at the library on Monday, September 27th, with Burk in attendance to get you started. Sessions 2 through 4 will be done entirely online and session 5 will again be face-to-face at the library.
Twenty-five (25) spots are available for the Smart Investing Training at the Le Mars Public Library. Free books and pamphlets will be provided. Call the library to register… 546-5004. (News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)
Branstad campaigns in northwest Iowa today
(DES MOINES)–The Republican candidate for governor brings his jobs message to four northwest Iowa counties today (Tuesday).
Terry Branstad, a former Iowa governor, hosts Woodbury County “Ready to Create Jobs,” at Western Iowa Tech Community College at 11 a-m today. Branstad’s presentation on his jobs program is in the Advanced Sciences Building room L-417.
Plymouth County “Ready to Create Jobs” is at the Wells’ Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor beginning at 12:30 this afternoon.
The Republican travels to the Corporate Center in Sioux Center for a 2 p-m Sioux County “Ready to Create Jobs” presentation.
An O’Brien County stop at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon begins at 3:30 this afternoon. The location is in Building A, Room 117.
Girl Scouts rally for camp
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) Members of the Girl Scouts are rallying to save one of their camps.
On Sunday, scouts, parents and troop leaders held a rally outside the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City to protest the potential change in ownership at Camp Joy Hollow in Westfield.
The girls chanted and waved signs.
The Des Moines-based Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa is considering selling or finding a partner in the 360-acre camp, which needs some updating, including a new tornado shelter.
Troop leader Janelle Perrin says even if the Girl Scouts find a partner, visits to the camp could be restricted.
To keep the camp, the girls are pushing for public support.
Noelle Rasmussen of Troop 93 says she hopes “people can help us.”
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Federal judge orders man living in Sioux County to serve prison term
(SIOUX CITY)–A man living in Sioux County has been sentenced to serve more than one year in federal prison.
Twenty-eight-year-old Luis Villanueva -Juandiego from Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Sioux City to illegal re-entry.
During a court hearing, prosecutors say Villanueva-Juandiego admitted he had been deported in July of 2008. He was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after an arrest for interfering with official acts and operating while under the influence in April in Sioux County.
He was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the re-entry conviction and is being held for the U-S Marshal’s service until he can be taken to a federal prison.
Representative King says Dem hasn’t “earned” debate
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) The Democratic challenger in Iowa’s 5th Congressional District has crashed a town hall meeting held by Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King.
Challenger Matt Campbell says he attended the meeting Monday morning and stood near King because he was frustrated that King has refused to debate him.
The confrontation was caught on a video recording by the Sioux City Journal.
In the exchange, Campbell asked why King wouldn’t debate him.
King responds, “Judging from the fashion you have conducted yourself, you haven’t earned it.”
Campbell shot back: “You owe it to the voters to debate the issues.”
King, of Kiron, is seeking his fifth term representing the western Iowa district. Since winning election, he hasn’t debated any of his congressional opponents.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Listen to the newscast here
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Rodents, other violations found at 2 egg farms
WASHINGTON (AP) Food and Drug Administration investigators have found rodents, seeping manure and even maggots at the Iowa egg farms believed to be responsible for as many as 1,500 cases of salmonella poisoning.
FDA officials released their initial observations of the ongoing investigations at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms on Monday. The two farms recalled more than half a billion eggs after salmonella illnesses were linked to their products earlier this month.
Reports released by the FDA show numerous violations at both farms, including rodent, bug and wild bird infestation, uncontained manure, holes in walls and other problems that could have caused the outbreak.
Several positive samples of salmonella have been found at both farms.
Iowa school districts dismiss early due to heat
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Hot weather has prompted more than a dozen Iowa school districts to let students go home early.
At least 16 districts in central and northern Iowa dismissed classes early on Monday as temperatures soared past 90 degrees.
Slightly cooler weather is forecast for the rest of the week.
Des Moines schools deal with mold
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Students at two Des Moines schools have been temporarily moved out of some mobile classrooms after mold was discovered.
The mold was found last week in mobile classrooms at River Woods Elementary School and East High School.
Officials attribute the mold to the large amounts of rain over the summer, which caused excessive moisture.
Chief operations officer Bill Good says the units are separate from the main school buildings and stand about three feet off the ground. Good says that allowed the moisture to build underneath and seep into the insulation and flooring.
At East High School, the mobile unit houses four classrooms only one of which was affected by the mold. Air testing was done and classes remained in the other three classrooms.
Dry, mild weather helps Iowa crops
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa corn and soybeans made rapid progress, thanks to a week of dry and mild weather.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that corn is starting to turn color in many areas, and the grain harvest could start in a few weeks.
Corn development remains ahead of last year and the five-year average. Corn condition also improved slightly.
The report says pods have set on nearly all the soybean acres. But some soybean acres are being lost to “sudden-death syndrome.”
Last week saw 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork, the highest reported this year.
Thornton fish kill investigated
THORNTON, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is still trying to determine what caused a fish kill that left thousands of fish dead in north-central Iowa.
The DNR said more than 8,000 fish were killed along a five-mile stretch of Bailey Creek near Thornton.
The dead fish include northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, sunfish, bullheads and carp.
DNR environmental specialists discovered the fish kill last week.
The DNR says water samples from the stream are still being analyzed.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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