(MERRILL)–One hundred fifty years of faith are celebrated today (Sunday) by the oldest church in Plymouth County.
A former minister of Merrill-Melbourne United Methodist Church, Reverend Dale Stone, will be the guest speaker at the program at rural Merrill beginning at 1:30 this afternoon. Musical selections and Ice Cream Social follow for the celebration.
With meetings in homes and a traveling minister, the rural Merrill church was organized September 24th in 1860. The first church building was constructed in 1866. Outgrowing its place of worship, the congregation dedicated a new church in October of 1874.
Watson is Siouxland community chorus director
(LE MARS)–A Siouxland community chorus is being directed by a Le Mars man.
Morningside College assistant professor of music and director of choral activities Tim Watson of Le Mars is the new director of the Siouxland Master Chorale.
Siouxland Master Chorale president Connie Webber says the group is a community chorus for men and women.
Watson served as vocal music director and director of music for the Le Mars Community School district prior to joining the Morningside faculty in 2003. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and Luther College in Decorah.
Watson will direct the Morningside College Choir in Carnegie Hall in New York City next year. Watson and the choir toured and performed in China in 2008.
The Siouxland Master Chorale rehearses at Morningside College on Tuesday evenings. Concerts are planned in October and December.
Webber says Watson is the third chorale director who is a choral director at Morningside. Others were Harry Moon and James Wood.
More information is available on the Siouxland Master Chorale web site www.siouxlandmasterchorale. com.
CROP walk is September 26th
(ORANGE CITY)–A trail between Orange City and Alton is a path to help end hunger one step at a time next Sunday (September 26).
Congregations from American Reformed, Alton Reformed, Alton Presbyterian, Trinity Reformed, Immanuel Christian Reformed Church, Church of the Savior, Faith Lutheran and Northwestern College students will be part of the area CROP Hunger Walk.
The annual walk raises money and awareness to help stop hunger and poverty in the community and the world. This year’s theme is “Ending Hunger One Step at a Time.” The walk is from Alton and Orange City to the Puddlejumper Trail shelterhouse. A short program is planned at the shelterhouse at about 11:45 next Sunday morning.
Anyone who is not one of the congregations, may join the walk by meeting at one of the churches at about 11:15 in the morning or at the Northwestern College Theatre building.
Schullers receive conservation award
(DES MOINES)–A northwest Iowa couple is being honored for soil conservation efforts.
The Iowa Farm Bureau’s State Soil Conservation award recognizes the top soil-saving farmers in the state for 2010. The honors were presented at the annual meeting of the Conservation Districts of Iowa.
Regional winners for northwest Iowa are Larry and Paula Schuller of Ireton. The Schullers farm about 400 acres west of Ireton. Their conservation practices include terraces, contour farming, and rotational grazing . Their beef operation has a solids settling system.
Everly man prosecuted for health care fraud
(SIOUX CITY)–A Clay County pharmacist will be sentenced in federal court in Sioux City for health care fraud.
According to the U-S Attorney’s office, 57-year-old David Easton of Everly was convicted of two charges of health care fraud as well as money laundering and identity theft.
Prosecutors issued written information indicating Easton admitted at a plea hearing that he defrauded Medicaid and Coventry Health Care of more than 200-thousand dollars by submitting false claims for prescriptions. He formerly owned and operated Medicap Pharmacy in Spencer.
The U-S Attorney’s office reports he used the identities and I-D numbers of Medicaid patients when he submitted false prescription claims. He was accused of using one check for more than 44-thousand dollars to buy a sport utility vehicle.
A sentencing date has not been set. Easton is free on bond.
White House says Obama will visit Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The White House says President Barack Obama will visit Iowa and two other states in late September as part of his effort to focus attention on what the administration is doing for middle class families.
Obama is expected to hold an event Sept. 29 in Des Moines, with a stop the same day in Richmond, Va. He is to visit Albuquerque, N.M., the day before.
An aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the trip haven’t been announced, says the Des Moines event will likely have an informal backyard setting, similar to an event Obama held last week in Virginia.
In returning to Iowa, Obama will again touch base with the state where he won the nation’s first caucus, giving him a big boost in his campaign for the White House.
Casey’s General Stores buys ShortStop chain
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The owner of a West Des Moines-based convenience store company has agreed to sell his six locations to Casey’s General Stores.
ShortStop owner Dave Carpenter says the deal will be finalized in October. The purchase price wasn’t announced.
Carpenter says there was limited potential for growth for a chain his size in the area.
He opened the first ShortStop in Ankeny in 2001 and added five more in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Coralville and Marion.
Casey’s plans to rebrand the stores after the purchase. The company, which is based in Ankeny, recently penned deals to buy 52 stores by the end of the year.
The chain also plans to expand into Arkansas.
Carpenter says he plans to stay in the business. He’ll retain his rights to the ShortStop name.
Teen hit by shotgun pellets while duck hunting
CONESVILLE, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says a 17-year-old is recovering after being hit with shotgun pellets while duck hunting.
Nicholas Wilson of Muscatine was hunting early Saturday at Cone Marsh when he was hit in the lip and neck.
He was taken to a Muscatine hospital, where he was treated and released.
Authorities say it appears that Wilson was hit when hunters in another group were shooting at flying ducks. It’s unknown who fired the shot that sent the pellets at Wilson.
DNR Conservation Officer Tom Campbell says the incident underscores the importance of safety while hunting.
He cautioned hunters to always know where other hunters are located in the field before firing.
Catholic schools will give laptops to students
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) The Cedar Valley Catholic School system plans to provide laptop computers to every student in sixth through 12th grade starting next fall.
Director of Education Jeff Frost says students will be able to take the computers home and keep them year-round to use for everything from homework to downloading music.
He says the computers will allow for better collaboration between students and teachers.
Sacred Heart school principal Amy Sandvold tells the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier that the technology opens the door to a new way of engaging students and allows teachers to better personalize instruction to a student’s needs.
Frost says the goal is to provide the computers at little to no cost to students. He says the school system is looking for corporate sponsors and federal funds to help with the cost.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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