(LE MARS)–Open burning could be restricted in Plymouth County this fall.
Volunteer fire fighters in Plymouth County spent many hours over the weekend fighting field fires. The Sheriff’s Office Communication Center fire logs lists field fires or calls to assist other departments with field fires for Remsen, Kingsley, Oyens, and Merrill Departments.
Dry conditions have fueled the fall harvest-time fires. According to KLEM Radio weather records, the last rainfall was September 25th when six-tenths of an inch was recorded.
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors tomorrow (Tuesday) is slated to discuss possible county burn restrictions due to dry conditions. The new business is on the agenda for the board’s meeting at 9:30 tomorrow morning.
I-29 meeting set for Tuesday
(SIOUX CITY)–Plans to reconstruct Interstate 29 in downtown Sioux City will be discussed at an informational meeting tomorrow (Tuesday).
The area on I-29 to be improved begins just south of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Bridger over the Missouri River. The change on I-29 continues north and west to about three-fourths of a mile west of the existing Hamilton Boulevard interchange.
As proposed, the Interstate would be three, 12-foot lanes in each direction with a 14-foot wide shoulder and a 12-foot wide outside shoulder. A concrete barrier within the median is planned.
The traffic count last year averaged between about 36,000 and 44,000 vehicles per day. The number is expected to grow by 2030 to nearly 59,000 vehicles per day.
Information about the project will be presented informally at the Sioux City Convention Center beginning at five tomorrow afternoon and continuing until seven tomorrow night.
Two girls injured in ATV accident near Maurice
(MAURICE)–Two girls were injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident four miles southwest of Maurice Saturday morning.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s office reports 11-year-old Ali Bos of Maurice was taken to McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls by air ambulance. Twelve-year-old McKayla Hoffman of Orange City was taken to the Orange City Area Health System for injuries.
Bos was a passenger on a four-wheeler being driven south on private property at a residence. The driver was Hoffman. The A-T-V struck a utility pole.
The sheriff’s office reports Hoffman and Bos were not wearing helmets.
Pickup truck rolls and burns east of Le Mars Saturday night
(LE MARS)–A Le Mars woman was taken to Floyd Valley Hospital after a pickup truck rolled on its side Saturday night east of Le Mars.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office reports 22-year-old Cody Langel of rural Le Mars was driving north of county road C-30 in a bean field doing 360-degree turns.
The report states Langel lost control and the pickup rolled onto its side and began burning. Le Mars Fire-Rescue responded to the fire.
Eighteen-year-old Paige Otterson of Le Mars was taken to Floyd Valley Hospital by Le Mars Ambulance for possible injuries.
Langel was not injured.
Missing child found with a friend
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) Sioux City police say a 6-year-old boy reported missing has been found safe at a friend’s home.
Associate Press says Gerado Aguilar was reported missing Friday night by his family after searching for several hours. They had last seen him about 5:30 p.m. at a neighborhood park.
Authorities found the boy early Saturday at a friend’s house after a 6-hour search. The boy was returned to his family.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Former assistant principal reaches plea agreement
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) A former Iowa assistant high school principal charged with having sex with a student has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Monday that 40-year-old Shane Oswald entered an Alford plea, not admitting guilt but agreeing evidence likely exists for a conviction. He entered the plea in Dubuque County court to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Prosecutors say they dropped charges of providing alcohol and drugs to a minor.
The former Hempstead High School assistant principal was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student. The school board accepted his resignation in April. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 20.
Pink bands given to texting violators in Iowa
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) Drivers caught texting behind the wheel in Cerro Gordo County now have a reminder that it’s against the law in Iowa.
The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports deputies are giving those drivers pink thumb bands with “Txtng kills” imprinted on them.
The bracelets were provided through the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
Sheriff Kevin Pals says deputies been handing out the bands with a warning. He says it’s a great awareness tool since most people text with their thumbs.
No tickets are being written for violating the texting law in its first year.
Information Equipment blamed for sewage bypass in Burlington
BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) State environmental officials say an equipment malfunction caused about 11,000 gallons on untreated sewage to flow into the Mississippi River in Burlington over the weekend.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says weekly testing of equipment was being done at the city’s treatment plant on Saturday when the malfunction occurred. The agency says untreated sewage from the system backed up and bypassed into the river.
Officials say once the problem was discovered, the bypass was stopped.
The department says the wastewater treatment plant is trying to determine what caused the problem.
Flood tab at ISU could reach $50 million
AMES, Iowa (AP) The cost of cleaning up damage from summer flooding at Iowa State University could reach $50 million.
The Des Moines Register on Monday reports that ISU officials say three of the 17 flood-damage buildings account for more than half the tab Hilton Coliseum, Scheman Building and Lied Recreation Athletic Center.
Iowa State will spend about $5 million to fix Hilton Coliseum, and hope to have the basketball arena ready for the season’s first game in November. In August, floodwaters rose 14 feet above the court level.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the federal government will probably pay for 75 percent of cleanup and repair costs, with 25 percent paid by the university and state.
More patients cause more hiring at Iowa hospital
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City is hiring more nurses because of a jump in patients.
The Gazette says the hospital has implemented an incident command system, a designation for emergencies that allows it to hire and get nurses on the job quicker.
By the end of the month, University Hospitals expects it will hire 142 nurses since July 1, the start of the fiscal year. That compares to 19 nurses hired during the same period last year and 116 nurses in all of fiscal 2010.
Officials say the increase in patients began during the summer, due in part to declining unemployment, which is typically followed by more hospital visits.
Chief Nursing Officer Ann Williamson says the daily in-patient census is up about 50 to 70 patients so far this year.
Iowans urged to get flu shot
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) State public health officials are reminding Iowans to get a flu shot with a pitch aimed at prevention.
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Monday announced the “The Flu Ends With U” campaign.
Don Callaghan is the department’s Immunization Bureau director. He says the most effective way to stop the spread of the flu is to get the vaccine.
This year’s vaccine includes two seasonal strains and the swine flu. It’s widely available by flu shot and flu spray.
Officials say about 300,000 Iowans get the flu every year. Ottumwa considers gun ordinance
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) Ottumwa is considering an ordinance to keep firearms off city property in the wake of the state’s new concealed weapons rule.
The Ottumwa Courier says the ordinance would prohibit firearms from being carried in city-owned or leased buildings parks, the Wapello County Courthouse and city events like soccer games.
The City Council will consider the ordinance Tuesday.
Iowa’s new law makes it more difficult for sheriffs to reject concealed weapons permits. Sheriffs can only deny applications for specific reasons, such as a prior criminal record or drug and alcohol addiction.
Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark says he expects a large number of people will acquire a concealed weapon permit, including a “number of people who should not be allowed to do so.”
Texas runner buses to Iowa, breaks marathon record
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A Kenyan living in Texas had to hop a bus to make it to Iowa, where he shattered the record at the Des Moines Marathon by more than 8 minutes.
The Des Moines Register says James Kirwa, of El Paso, ran the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 20 seconds in his marathon debut Sunday.
Kirwa flew into Kansas City, where a friend was supposed to drive him to Des Moines. The friend never showed, so Kirwa paid $45 for a bus ticket and reached Des Moines late Saturday.
Because of heavy traffic Sunday morning, Kirwa arrived downtown about 10 minutes before the race started.
Alena Vinitskya, of Belarus, ran 2:41:23, trimming 9 seconds off the women’s record set in 2009.
In last year’s marathon, the two leaders were stopped by a freight train only a quarter mile from the finish. After waiting a minute, Kenyan Simon Sawe won the sprint to the finish.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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