(LE MARS)–The president of a Le Mars industry is the speaker for the morning program at the Le Mars Agri-Business Luncheon next month.
The Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee coordinates the 17th annual Agri-Business Luncheon March 16th at the Convention Center.
KLEM 1410 AM and 96.9 FM Radio Operations Director Dave Ruden is the Master of Ceremonies.
Greg Brandt, President of Nor-Am Cold Storage and Pro-Vision Packing, speaks at 10:30 in the morning.
The “Outstanding Service to Agriculture” award will be presented.
The featured speaker at noon is Steve Kopperud, Senior Vice President of Policy Directions Incorporated. Kopperud founded an alliance dedicated to telling the public the reality of modern livestock and poultry production.
The meal will be served around 11:30. Reservations may be made by contacting Sue Butcher at the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce, 546-8821.
(KINGSLEY)–Kingsley-Pierson Juniors and Seniors are exploring new heights from their English classroom.
Jayne Vondrak is teaching the non-fiction course that includes reading mountaineering stories and the book “Forget me Not,” by an author whose first husband died while climbing.
Listen here
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Vondrak has tied the English education into life skills.
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The author, Jennifer Lowe-Anker, will be in Kingsley next month to talk with students.
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She’ll also sign copies of her book and make a public presentation at 7 the evening Friday, March 4th at Kingsley-Pierson School in Kingsley. Books will be available. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
(KINGSLEY)–Fire destroyed a garage at rural Kingsley Tuesday night.
loss. Bohle says there were no vehicles in the garage which was a detached, wooden structure.
According to the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Communication Center fire log, Kingsley fire fighters were out on the call for about an hour.
Kingsley Fire Chief Scott Bohle says the fire in the garage owned by Gary Felts at 38383 C-60 was reported by a passerby about eight o’clock.
By the time firefighters were called, the garage was about a total
(SIOUX CITY)–A Siouxland health care provide is adding new technology for Mercy Lifeline clients.
Mercy Medical Center of Sioux City and Philips Lifeline are adding the service for Mercy medical alert devices.
Lifeline with AutoAlert features a pendant style help button that can automatically call for help if a fall is detected and a senior is unable to push his or her help button.
Mercy has offered an emergency medical device service since 1981.
(AMES)–Northbound Interstate 29 will be closed briefly Thursday at Missouri Valley.
The Iowa Department of Transportation plans to work on the snow gate on I-29 at the Highway 30 exit. This will close the northbound lanes beginning at 11 Thursday morning. The closing will last no more than one hour.
Interstate 29 traffic will be rerouted using the entrance and exit ramps at Highway 30.
Transportation officials say brief delays can be expected.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A House committee is getting its first look at Gov. Terry Branstad’s proposal to change and reduce spending on Iowa’s preschool program.
Under Branstad’s plan released Wednesday, teachers wouldn’t need to be certified, but they would have to get four-year degrees within three years.
The measure lets state education officials set standards for scholarships to parents, but it would provide some assistance to families of four making up to $67,000 annually.
Macedonia Rep. Greg Forristall, who heads the House Education Committee, says his panel will approve the $43 million measure by the end of the week. He predicted House approval by next week.
Ames Sen. Herman Quirmbach (KWERM’-bahk), who heads the Senate Education Committee, says he’ll work to prevent Branstad from cutting preschool, a program now costing $70 million a year.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Several hundred Cedar Rapids businesses that received flood assistance checks from the city have been told they need to sign more agreements and provide paperwork or they have to pay back the money.
The JumpStart I and JumpStart I Rental Assistance payments were aimed at helping them recover more quickly from the June 2008 flood.
Jennifer Pratt of the Cedar Rapids Planning Department told The Gazette of Cedar Rapids that the need for the documents was noted in an audit of the JumpStart program.
Pratt says paperwork demands were few in the JumpStart I program so money could get to businesses more quickly.
She says the same documentation being required of the JumpStart I recipients was required before checks were issued in the subsequent JumpStart II business recovery grant program.
WASHINGTON, Iowa (AP) A 71-year-old Washington man who smothered his wife has been given 50 years in prison.
James Blum was convicted in January of second-degree murder in the slaying of his wife, Patricia Blum, on Jan. 11, 2010. The Washington Evening Journal says James Blum was sentenced on Monday.
Blum also is required to pay $150,000 restitution, about $7,500 in funeral expenses and $3,600 to Washington County for medical expenses.
Prosecutors say Blum smothered his wife on a couch in their home.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A 36-year-old man wanted by police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha was arrested at a hotel in west Omaha.
A news release from Omaha police says the Metro Fugitive Task Force learned Tuesday that robbery suspect Anthony Adams was at the Carol Hotel.
When officers arrived, they saw Adams in a hallway.
Police say Adams went into a utility room, locked the door and barricaded it. Officers eventually forced their way into the room and took Adams into custody after a brief struggle.
He remains in jail. Nebraska and Iowa court records don’t list the name of his attorney.
MONTROSE, Iowa (AP) Two people were checked for minor injuries after a house fire badly damaged a house in Montrose.
Fire crews were dispatched around noon on Monday.
Montrose Fire Chief Jim Briggs told the Daily Gate City of Keokuk that his firefighters had the flames knocked down in about 30 minutes.
Briggs says a space heater toward the rear of the home is suspected as the cause, but the investigation is continuing.
The resident and another person were taken by private vehicle to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) The Cedar Rapids City Council has approved a convention complex construction contract despite a threat that its project labor contract jeopardizes a $15 million I-JOBS grant.
The council voted 6-3 on Tuesday to approve the first of several contracts for the $75.6 million project.
Gov. Terry Branstad has said he intends to enforce his order barring state funds from going to construction projects that have project labor agreements. The agreements give preference to contractors who spell out workers’ pay and benefits.
The Gazette of Cedar Rapids says the city put the labor agreement in place on Dec. 14, well before Branstad took office. Mayor Ron Corbett says the project was far enough along in January when the governor issued his order that the order doesn’t apply to it.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A Des Moines-area baby doctor is offering couples a little encouragement: He says he’ll donate his fee to any bundle of joy he delivers on Nov. 11.
Dr. Ross Valone told The Des Moines Register that the money would go into a bank account and be given to the child when he or she turns 21.
His motive? He’s looking forward to writing down a little history. The date 11/11/11 won’t happen again for a hundred years.
Valone says the most promising date of conception to hit the target of Nov. 11 was last Saturday. But children conceived in the next week or so have a shot at the money.
He says his fees range from around $900 to $2,000.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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