(LE MARS)–A Michigan man has been fined for convictions on charges filed after a seven-vehicle accident injured nine people near Struble in October.
According to court records, 44-year-old David Anderson of Yale, Michigan was fined a total of $300 for failing to stop in an assured clear distance and failing to comply with safety regulation rules.
Anderson was driving a semi that the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office reported failed to stop in a construction zone on Highway 75.
Anderson had pleaded not guilty. The case was no longer contested as of the trial date Monday. District Associate Judge Robert Dull found Anderson guilty of the two charges and dismissed a third charge of maximum hours of service violation. Anderson was also ordered to pay court costs.
Hazard planning contract on county agenda today
(LE MARS)–A contract to update planning to reduce the impact of hazards such as severe weather will be considered by Plymouth County Supervisors today (Tuesday).
The agreement is between Plymouth County and the Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council known as SIMPCO.
Expenses for two economic development areas designated as Tax Increment Financing Districts known as TIFS will be considered to be certified to the county auditor by December first.
A division of land for a minor subdivision known as Wess Farms will be presented by Jim Wess.
The board also considers a detour agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for Highway 140.
The weekly meeting begins at 9:30 this morning.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 Agenda
9:30 AMJim Henrich – Plymouth County Board Chairman
1.Call meeting to order
2.Approve this agenda (Action)
3.Approval of prior Board meeting minutes (Action)
4.Approval of claims and payroll (Signatures)
5. Committee Reports (Discussion)
6. Old Business
A. Approve the contract between Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council and
Plymouth County for the professional services for the completion of the Local Hazard
Mitigation Multi Jurisdictional Plan.
7. New Business
A. Approve county expenses in the Jt. Urban Renewal TIF and Ethanol Urban TIF for Debt
certification on Dec. 1 (Action)
B. Plymouth County Annex change proposals (Action)
C. Open and review mail/correspondence (Discussion)
D. Open public forum (Informational)
10:00 AMJim Wess, Approval of Wess Farms, a Minor Subdivision (Action)
10:15 AMTom Rohe, County Engineer
(Action Items)
1.Permit-Tile Crossing- On 320th St bet Sec 24/25 Elkhorn Twp
2.Permits-Southern Sioux Rural Water -Sec 13 Liberty Twp/Sec 18 Ply Twp Sec 14/23 Elgin Twp on 130th St.
3.Detour Agreement with IDOT on Hwy 140
(Discussion Items)
(Informational Items)
Update on construction projects
Source: www.co.plymouth.ia.us
Council makes lighting decisions
(LE MARS)–Decisions to add lighting in Le Mars are made by the Le Mars City Council.
The possibility of increasing lighting along Highway Three East, near the Plymouth Life residential care facility, was discussed at the Board of Supervisors meeting last week.
A Plymouth Life care facility resident died after walking into traffic and being struck by two vehicles. Lighting was one issue discussed with supervisors.
City Administrator Scott Langel says the city relies on property owners to request lighting.
Listen here
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Langel says the city has commercial and residential lighting practices.
Listen here
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According to Langel, the MidAmerican Energy and North West REC furnish materials, hardware, connectors and the power for lighting in Le Mars. The city pays a monthly rental fee for street lighting.
Missing plane located near Norfolk
STANTON, Neb. (AP) Officials are trying to determine why a single-engine airplane crashed in northeast Nebraska and killed the two men aboard.
The wreckage of the plane was discovered Monday afternoon in Stanton County, and emergency management officials confirmed two people were killed in the crash.
Authorities say the Piper Comanche left the Chamberlain airport in South Dakota around 5 p.m. Sunday and did not arrive at its destination, the Millard Airport near Omaha, Neb.
Officials in South Dakota and Nebraska had been searching for the plane.
The Civil Air Patrol said the pilot was about 60 years old and the passenger about 50, but did not immediately provide any other details.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Jurors do not need to report today
(LE MARS)–Plymouth County jurors do not need to report for jury duty today (Tuesday). Jurors are asked to call the clerk of court’s office Monday, November 29th after 3 p.m. to find out whether to report on Tuesday, November 30.
Tyson turns profit for fourth quarter
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) Tyson Foods Inc. returned to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter, partly helped by higher prices and improved pork and prepared foods sales.
Tyson Foods has operations in Cherokee and Storm Lake as well as Dakota City, Nebraska.
The meat producer said Monday that it earned $213 million, or 57 cents per share, for the three months ended Oct. 2. That compares with a loss of $457 million, or $1.23 per share, a year ago.
Removing an impairment charge related to Tyson’s Brazilian poultry operations, earnings were 64 cents per share.
The results beat the 56 cents per share analysts expected.
Revenue climbed 3 percent to $7.44 billion from $7.21 billion, but fell short of Wall Street’s $7.75 billion.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Head-on collision claims the life of a Laurens man
(LAURENS)–A head-on collision on an ice-covered highway claimed the life of a Laurens man two miles east of Laurens.
The Iowa State Patrol reports a westbound pickup truck crossed the center line of Highway Three and collided head on with a semi.
The driver of the pickup, 31-year-old Francisco Reyes De Jesus of Laurens died. The semi driver, 43-year-old Douglas Eugene Steimel of Alta was injured.
The Patrol reports roadways were ice-covered and freezing drizzle was falling at the time of the accident which was around 6:30 Monday morning.
Man denies persuading Wyoming girl to produce porn
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) A northwest Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he persuaded a Wyoming girl to send him sexually explicit images of herself over the Internet.
A federal indictment unsealed Monday accuses 29-year-old Gabriel Simmons of Onawa with production of child pornography, online enticement of a child and two counts of interstate shipment of child pornography.
A federal magistrate ordered Simmons detained and scheduled his trial for January.
A 15-year-old Cheyenne girl contacted police in July and told them she had sent explicit videos and other materials to a person she understood was an employee of a modeling agency. A federal agent has stated he identified Simmons as the person who solicited and received the videos.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Freezing rain, tornado watches affect Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Light freezing rain caused some schools in northern Iowa to close early, while in parts of eastern Iowa it felt more like late spring or early summer with a tornado watch being issued.
Temperatures in northern Iowa reached into the low 30s Monday but in eastern Iowa, upper 60s could be found in many areas.
Jacob Beitlich, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, says it’s unusual to have such weather extremes this time of year.
He says a rain-snow mix is forecast for Wednesday across much of Iowa followed by much colder weather on Thursday.
Beitlich says the heaviest snow on Wednesday will likely stay in the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Charles City teen sentenced to life in prison
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) A Charles City teenager has been sentenced to two life prison terms for his 3-year-old cousin’s 2009 death.
Fifteen-year-old Edgar Concepcion Jr. was sentenced Monday. He was convicted in June on first-degree murder and first-degree sexual abuse charges for the July 2009 death of Krystel Banes, also of Charles City.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Concepcion also was sentenced to 25 years in prison on a second-degree sexual abuse charge and up to five years in prison on a charge of child endangerment.
The teen didn’t look at his parents or other family members when being led away from the courtroom in handcuffs and shackles after sentencing.
Mourners say goodbye to slain store clerks
HUMBOLDT, Iowa (AP) Mourners have said their final goodbyes to two Iowa store clerks killed last week in separate shootings.
Funerals for Sheila Myers and Vicky Bowman-Hall were held Monday.
Myers was shot and killed Nov. 15 at the Kum and Go convenience store in Humboldt. Bowman-Hall was shot at the Crossroads gas station in Algona about an hour earlier and died at a hospital.
Seventeen-year-old Michael Swanson of St. Louis Park, Minn., is charged in both slayings. Authorities say he shot both women to keep them from calling police after they gave him the cash and cigarettes he demanded.
Swanson is being held on $1 million cash bond.
Ottumwa woman charged with having too many animals
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) An Ottumwa woman has been charged with having too many cats and dogs.
Sue Davis was charged with one count of violation of animals restricted and violation of sanitation of premises after police discovered as many as 84 cats and nine dogs at her home.
The Ottumwa Courier reports that police found 64 cats in cages and pens in Davis’ garage last week. Up to 20 more were found inside her home with nine dogs.
Many of the animals were placed with people or shelters. Many of the cats were sick and at least 13 had to be euthanized.
Davis was released on her own recognizance. A telephone call placed to her home Monday went unanswered.
UI: New tailgating rules helped cut binge drinking
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) University of Iowa police officials say a controversial campaign to crack down on rowdy tailgating before football games has helped reduce excessive drinking.
Associate Director of Public Safety David Visin said Monday officers made fewer public intoxication arrests, and transported a smaller number of fans to the Johnson County jail this football season.
The reduced arrest statistics were released after Iowa’s final home game of the year at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.
Under the “Think Before You Drink” campaign, the university increased police presence in parking lots, discouraged drinking games and boosted enforcement of drunken driving and open container laws.
Many fans say they felt harassed, but Visin says others credited officers with creating a better atmosphere.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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