(LE MARS)–A new service at Floyd Valley Hospital will be featured at a Breast Cancer Awareness month event in Le Mars.
The Le Mars hospital hosts “Pink Ribbon Night” at the Willow Creek Country Club October 28 with social hour at 5:30 in the afternoon.
Radiology Manager at Floyd Valley Denee Hardyk will discuss the latest technology offered at the Le Mars hospital, digital mammography. The new service was added in July.
The keynote speaker is Jeanette Zortmann who is a two-time breast cancer survivor. In October of last year, Zortmann was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. Zortmann will talk about the importance of being proactive emphasizing early detection as the best defense against breast cancer.
Reservations may be made by calling the hospital’s Education Department at 546-3401.
Pawlenty makes Sioux City stop Friday
(SIOUX CITY)–The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition will host Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty Friday night in Sioux City.
Pawlenty, a Republican, has hired a full time staffer in Iowa and is the first 2012 Presidential contender to do that.
The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition is a non-profit group hosting events in Iowa before the November 2nd election. The group issued written information that it’s focusing on what is happening both here in Iowa as well as on the national level with the goal of informing and motivating Iowans to action in the last month before the general elections.
Pawlenty will be hosted by the iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition at the Sioux City Country Club Friday night from 7:30 to nine.
Bridge replacement will close roadway near Seney
(LE MARS)–A Plymouth County road will be closed near Seney when a bridge is replaced starting Thursday.
Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe says the road that will be closed is 130th Street, from Highway 75 to Mahogany Avenue. According to Rohe, the gravel road will be closed near the east end of the mile due to a bridge replacement. Local traffic will be allowed west of the bridge within the mile.
Weather conditions permitting, the road will be closed until November 19th.
Woman dies after crash near Yankton
HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) A Siouxland woman has died after her vehicle veered off the highway and collided with a tree in the northeast corner of the state.
The Cedar County Sheriff’s office says 65-year-old Caroline Heimes of Hartington, Neb., died Tuesday at a Yankton, S.D., hospital.
The sheriff’s office says Heimes’ vehicle struck the tree along U.S. Highway 81 Tuesday afternoon. The accident happened about four miles south of Yankton.
Heimes was the only person in the vehicle, and she was wearing her seat belt.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Judge denies bond reduction for fatal crash driver
(Undated)–A western Iowa judge is refusing to cut the bail for a 21-year old Nebraska man who’s charged in connection with the deaths of four motorcyclists on Interstate 29 in August.
Harrison County District Court Judge Greg Steensland Monday refused to reduce a $200,000 bail set in the case of Andrew Schlichtemeier, but he did agree to allow a surety bond.
Essentially, that means for a fee, usually 10 percent, a bail bondsman will post the bond for Schlichtemeier which will allow him to leave the Harrison County Jail and return to his home in Nebraska, at least for the time being. Steensland said that if Schlichtemeier does post bail he needs to live with his parents at their farm. He is also not allowed to drive, drink or use illegal drugs.
The Iowa State Patrol says Schlichtemeier’s blood-alcohol level measured .373 percent after the August 9th accident near Little Sioux, that took the lives of motorcyclists Dale Aspedon, Steven Benscoter, Jay Bock and Dennis Chaney. His trial is scheduled to begin December 7. Schlichtemeier faces up to 25 years in jail on each charge.(News report by Radio Iowa)
Culver: Flood recovery defines governor’s race
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Iowa Gov. Chet Culver says the high point of his administration has been helping the state through difficult times, including flood recovery.
Culver told the editorial board of The Gazette newspaper in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday that he would lobby the Army Corps of Engineers to design fair flood control measures for the Cedar River. He cited working with FEMA to reverse the agency’s decision on funding the Cedar Rapids library.
Culver told the newspaper that flood recovery is a defining issue in his race with Republican challenger and former Iowa governor Terry Branstad. Culver says he wants to work “shoulder-to-shoulder” with local leaders.
He also addressed state government spending, saying the state is “being very conservative.”
Egg recall is key issue in ag secretary race
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Republican Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey and Democratic challenger Francis Thicke are taking opposing sides on the national food safety debate.
Food safety has become a key issue in the Nov. 2 election since eggs produced at two Iowa farms were recalled after more than 1,600 people became sick after eating eggs contaminated with salmonella.
Northey argues the federal government should retain oversight of egg farms to avoid inconsistencies that could occur if each state adopted its own rules. Thicke wants Iowa to adopt it’s own food safety rules.
Thicke also supports expanding wind energy and biofuel production on farms and increased local production of fruits and vegetables.
Northey wants to expand programs to protect Iowa’s waterways. He also supports renewal of an ethanol tax credit, which Thicke does not.
Iowa man pleads not guilty to murder
BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (AP) A Davis County man accused of killing another man in rural Bloomfield in southern Iowa has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and burglary charges.
Larry Steen is charged in the Sept. 24 death of Randy Saner. Authorities say Saner was shot at the home of Steen’s ex-wife.
The Ottumwa Courier reports Steen filed a written plea of not guilty on Monday in Davis County District Court. Online records do not list any additional court dates.
Steen was arrested about 2 hours after the slaying in Missouri. Authorities say he was asleep in a truck in a cemetery.
Steen did not fight extradition and was returned to Iowa.
Cedar Rapids to help renters affected by flood
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Cedar Rapids is considering providing up to $4,000 to renters who lost personal property in the 2008 flood.
The Gazette reports a City Council committee decided the aid on Tuesday, saying renters shouldn’t get as much as homeowners, who may get up to $10,000.
The committee’s proposal is subject to full council approval next week.
The committee also set a Nov. 15 deadline for homeowners seeking aid through the city program.
With the renters’ assistance, Cedar Rapids will distribute about $17 million in aid.
The Cedar River poured out of its banks in June 2008, swamping about 10 miles of the city.
High river causes sewer damage in Council Bluffs
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) Council Bluffs officials say consistently high water on the Missouri River is taking a toll on the city’s sewer system.
The Missouri has been up since May because of heavy rains and the release of water from dams up north.
Public Works Director Greg Reeder told The Daily Nonpareil that the longer the river stays up, the more if affects the ground water, which is trying to migrate to the river. He says if the river is too high, ground water can’t drain.
That has led to emergency sewer repairs because of unstable soil. Reeder says six sewage lines have collapsed so far this year.
The repairs could cost a total of $2 million.
Iowans could see increased security on Amtrak
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Passengers boarding Amtrak trains in Iowa could see more uniformed law officers as part of a national “RailSafe” exercise.
The surge in passenger train security includes local, state, federal and railroad agencies.
Friday’s exercise coincides with a security alert in Europe in response to fears of a terrorist attack. Amtrak spokesman told Steve Kulm told The Des Moines Register that the drills are done periodically and this week’s exercise was previously scheduled.
Iowa has two trains on Amtrak’s national system the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief, which run daily between Chicago and the West Coast.
In Iowa, Amtrak has stations at Burlington, Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa, Osceola and Creston.
Statue to Iowa brothers installed in Waterloo
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) A statue honoring Waterloo’s five Sullivan brothers killed during World War II will be installed in its new location this week.
The religious statue honors George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan. They died after their ship, the USS Juneau, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and exploded on Nov. 13, 1942. Only 13 sailors of the Juneau’s crew of 700 survived.
The marble statue was erected in 1956 on the site of now-closed St. Mary’s Catholic Church. It was removed in July for restoration and will be relocated to the Waterloo Knights of Columbus Council 700 Hall.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the statue will be installed on Friday. It will be formally dedicated on Nov. 13, the 68th anniversary of the sinking of the Juneau.
Iowa county sees big bill from bird droppings
WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) Madison County faces a big bill for bird droppings.
Work is under way to repair the bell tower atop the historic Madison County Courthouse in Winterset, but first crews must clean up bird and bat droppings that have collected over the years.
Associated Press reports the mess would fit inside a 5-gallon bucket, but because the droppings are considered hazardous waste, special crews outfitted in protective clothing must be hired. Cleanup costs could reach $30,000.
Courthouse manager Denny Peterson says they’re concerned about Histoplasmosis, an infection caused by breathing contaminated airborne particles.
The cleanup will take weeks.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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