Barn Fire Near Kingsley
(Kingsley) — Kingsley Fire Department was called to a barn fire last evening at about 8:30 p.m. The fire was at 35779 340th Street. The fire started as a brush fire but quickly got out of control when the winds had shifted and ignited the barn. The barn was listed as a total loss. No injuries were reported at the fire. Fire officials were on the scene for about two hours.
Gehlen to Prepare Meals for Honduras
(Le Mars) — The Then Feed Just One Program will be assembling meals at Gehlen Catholic today. The meals are destined for Honduras. Dick Sievert is the coordinator of the event. He says Gehlen has been involved with the program for at least the past seven years. The program has now expanded beyond Le Mars and includes other Catholic schools within the diocese, as well as other Christian-based churches and organizations.
The local organization hopes to assemble 130,000 meals. Sievert says each meal consists of rice, soy, freeze-dried vegetables and also a chicken flavored packet containing vitamins and minerals. Sievert says Honduras is the second poorest nation in the western hempishere often earning less than $2.35 a day and that is why attention is focused on the Central American nation.
Gehlen Catholic Schools have partnered with Opportunities Unlimited to market Jumpy Monkey coffee, and many clients of Opportunities Unlimited will offer their assistance in creating the meals for the hungry in Honduras.
Sievert says they welcome anyone from the communtiy to volunteer and help with the meals. The shifts are for an hour and a half beginning at 8:30 a.m. and continuing until 5:30 p.m. For more information about the program you can contact the Gehlen Catholic Schools at 546-4181.
Famous Pilot Returns to Sioux City
(Sioux City) — The pilot of United Airlines Flight 232 (two-thirty-two) is returning to Sioux City this weekend. Captain Al Haynes and his crew were praised for their actions on July 19, 1989 when the passenger plane, bound from Denver to Chicago, crashed in a corn field near the Sioux Gateway Airport. Although 112 people were killed, the flight crew’s actions helped 184 people survive the crash. Haynes says the event changed the way emergency personnel respond and prepare for disasters.
Haynes lost all flight controls when 232’s tail-mounted engine failed. He’s returning to Sioux City to help Mercy Air Care celebrate 25 years of service. Haynes says five factors helped 184 people survive the crash of Flight 232. Since retiring as a commercial pilot, Haynes travels and gives motivational speeches about the crash and his experiences. Haynes will speak at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City at 6 p.m. Saturday. He’ll be flown to the Marina Inn in Mercy’s E-C 135 helicopter. One of the other guests on board with be Dr. David Greco, who founded Mercy Air Care and was one of the emergency responders to Flight 232. Dr. Greco now resides in California.
DNR Monitors Hornick Fertilizer Fire Clean up
HORNICK, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is monitoring the cleanup after a fertilizer fire at a co-op in Hornick in western Iowa.
The fire at the Western Iowa Cooperative broke out Tuesday. The Woodbury County sheriff’s office urged residents to evacuate because of concerns about air quality and residents’ safety.
The DNR says a small dam built by firefighters prevented water runoff contaminated with fertilizer and herbicide from reaching a ditch, which drains into the west fork of the Little Sioux River.
The dam and additional sand barriers also prevented runoff for storms that hit Tuesday night.
Officials say the fire was caused by a malfunctioning loader.
No one was injured. The DNR doesn’t plan to take any enforcement actions.
Branstad Approves Public Information Board
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governor Terry Branstad has approved a measure to create a state Public Information Board to ensure Iowa’s open records and meetings laws are enforced.
Branstad signed the bill into law Thursday at a signing ceremony. The event capped a six-year effort to improve access to government meetings and records.
The nine-member board will oversee enforcement of open meetings and records laws, and investigate claims that those laws have been violated. Three members will be nominated by media associations, and the other six will be appointed by the governor and approved by
the Senate.
The new system will let residents seek help from the board if they believe an open records law has been violated. It would investigate claims and take cases to court.
