(ROCK RAPIDS) A northwest Iowa man who was injured in a traffic accident near Rock Rapids died Sunday afternoon.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s office issued written information that 31-year-old Benjamin Perry of Ocheyedan died at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Perry had been taken to the Sioux Falls hospital by air ambulance after he was ejected from his vehicle near Rock Rapids.
The sheriff’s office had reported Perry lost control of his vehicle on a gravel road late Thursday afternoon. and it rolled several times coming to rest on its roof.
(Le Mars)– It’s National Library Week and the Public Library in Le Mars is doing plenty to celebrate and raise awareness. Library Director Sue Kroesche says that she feels people don’t use libraries as much as they used to and Library Week is a great chance to get people through the doors, and signed up for a library card, maybe even for the first time. Kroesche says one of the reasons people don’t use libraries like they used to has a lot to do with websites like “Google.”
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Kroesche adds that libraries, including Le Mars Public, continue to change with technology.
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Those databases can be accessed online at the libraries website www.lemars.lib.ia.us. Some can be accessed directly, and some require a library card number.
As National Library Week continues, I’ll talk more with Sue throughout our newscasts and share some facts about products and programs that the Le Mars Public Library offers. Some of them might surprise you! (News report by Angela Drake of KLEM News)
MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) The tornado that swept through Mapleton left a path of destruction three and a half miles long.
(Image from Iowa National Guard)
A team from the National Weather Service has surveyed damage of Saturday evening’s storm to confirm its size. The weather service says that in addition to the path, its team measured the tornado at three-quarters of a mile wide at one point.
The twister was measured to be on the lower end of an EF3, which packs wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph.
The Monona County sheriff says the storm damaged 12 to 15 blocks of the town’s southwest corner. He says two people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The weather service says it has gotten reports of 12 to 14 injuries, the most severe a broken leg.
MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) Mapleton will be without utilities for the next two weeks.
Monona County sheriff Jeff Pratt says gas was turned off in Mapleton after Saturday evening’s storm destroyed 12 to 15 blocks of the town’s southwest corner. He says the gas will remain off for two weeks but power should be restored in the next day or so.
Residents in the town of 1,200 were returning to their homes Sunday to assess damage.
(Image from Iowa National Guard)
Jamy Garden wandered through her back yard in a blood-splattered hooded sweat shirt, her right hand and left knee wrapped in gauze. She says everything in her house was tossed around. Her two dogs are safe, but she hasn’t yet found her cat.
POCAHONTAS, Iowa (AP) The National Weather Service has confirmed four tornadoes in northwest Iowa, in addition to the one that ravaged the town of Mapleton.
The tornadoes swept through the area Saturday evening. The weather service says twisters have been confirmed in Sac County and its staff will continue to view damage Monday.
The weather service says one tornado touched down northeast of Odebolt and was on the ground for nine miles, ending near Early. A second one took a similar path and was on the ground for 11 miles. The third began a mile southwest of Nemaha and headed toward Newell. The fourth confirmed twister also started near Nemaha and was on the ground for 12 miles, ending at Buena Vista.
The twisters damaged several homes but no major injuries were reported.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa governor has declared a disaster emergency in Pocahontas County in the wake of a weekend storm.
Gov. Terry Branstad’s office says a tornado touched down in Varina Saturday evening. The disaster proclamation will allow state resource to be used in cleanup efforts.
The National Weather Service has not yet confirmed the tornado. It has confirmed four tornadoes in Sac County, in addition to one that ravaged the town of Mapleton in Monona County.
The service says it will continue to assess storm damage on Monday
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
YANKTON, S.D. (AP) Yankton police say a woman is dead and a man injured in what they believe was a murder-attempted suicide.
Police Chief Brian Paulsen said 25-year-old Brianna Knoll died of a gunshot wound. She was found in her car in Yankton around 3:15 a.m. Saturday.
Police said they later found 28-year-old Nicholas Hines at a different location injured from what they believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Paulsen said the two lived together before the shooting.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
PIERCE, Neb. (AP) A Norfolk man has died after an alleged accidental shooting at a friend’s house in Pierce.
A release from the Pierce County attorney’s office says 18-year-old Wesley Kuester died early Sunday of a gunshot suffered in Saturday evening.
Kuester used to live in Pierce and was visiting a friend there. The release says the friend told authorities Kuester shot accidentally shot himself.
The shooting is under investigation.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
NEVADA, Iowa (AP) A Nevada police officer has been placed on paid leave after authorities say he shot and killed a man while responding to a domestic dispute.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Sunday at a private residence. The victim was identified as 39-year-old Kevin Johnson, who was shot by officer David Johnson. The two men are not related.
David Johnson has been with the Nevada police force for two years.
The state declined to release further information, pending an investigation.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa legislative leaders say they hope to finish their work by the end of April but acknowledge that major budget differences stand in the way of adjournment.
The Republican-controlled House, Democratic-controlled Senate and Gov. Terry Branstad have all set different spending targets. They also have sometimes opposing views on proposals to change and reduce spending on the state’s universal preschool program, fund primary education and cut taxes.
The House could approve all its budget bills this week, but reaching agreement on those matters with the Senate and Branstad, a Republican, could take considerably longer.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says there is no “road map” to adjournment.
House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer says the divided control of government has slowed the passage of bills, but legislators will eventually reach agreement.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Submit your news release, photo, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm or by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.
