Akron Fire Department Responds To Two Calls
(Akron) — Akron’s Fire Department had to respond to two calls over the weekend. The first fire was a ditch grass fire that happened at about 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning. The fire was located at 23908 Highway 12. The second fire was called in at about 1:45 a.m. this morning. Akron assisted the Ireton Fire Department with a grain bin fire. Fire officials were on the scene for about an hour.
Successful Chalk Art Festival
(Le Mars) — Several hundred chalk drawings can be seen at the Olson Cultural Events Center as numerous people participated in the weekend’s successful Chalk Art Festival, sponsored by the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce. There are drawings depicting comic book heroes, cartoon characters, exotic animals, as well as one drawing that depicts Harry Carey, the once famous Chicago Cubs baseball announcer.
Americorps Assisting Plymouth County Conservation Board
(Hinton) — An Americorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) team is working with the Plymouth County Conservation Board from now to November 1st. The NCCC team is helping to conserve and provide an educational environment to the public. The NCCC team is treating 450 acres of land with prescribed burns to enhance prairie remnants and repairing and replacing a bison fence to enclose 2500 acres. They are also cleaning and removing invasive species on park land as well as helping construct a warming hut for winter sledding and tubing. The Plymouth County Conservation Board manages more than 2200 acres of recreational and natural lands including native and restored prairies, upland forests and river bottom woodland. The conservation board provides to the public areas for picnics, camping, fishing, hunting, winter sports, bird watching, hiking, and equestrian trails.
More Fruits and Vegetables Required For School Lunches
(Le Mars) — In an effort to fight child obesity, the U-S Department of Agriculture has stipulated more fruits and vegetables need to be included as part of a student’s school lunch plan. Judy Lubben, the Food Service Director for the Le Mars Community School District says the new rules have made a difference in how she prepares meals.
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Lubben says the calorie target for Kindergarten through 5th grade is between 550 to 650 calories, 6th through 8th grades is 600 to 700 calories, and the high school is 750 to 850 calories. She says students are offered more fruits and vegetables than in past years.
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Is the food that is offered enough to satisfy a growing student’s apetite? Lubben believes it is enough food, if the student chooses to consume all the food that is offered.
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The Le Mars Community School District serves approximately 1400 meals each day. Lubben says since the students are given a choice, there isn’t as much food that is wasted.
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The food service director offers a fruit bar every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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Lubben says she sees different schools have different tastes for favorite fruits. She says the price for lunch meals has increased due to the requirement for fresh fruits and vegetables. Each lunch meal costs $1.80.
Maryland Governor Attends Harkin’s Steak Fry
INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley is walking an early – and tricky path – into presidential proving ground Iowa on Sunday, less than 60 days before the 2012 election.
The chairman of the Democratic Governors Association says he is focused on helping Iowans elect a Democratic governor in 2014, not sowing seeds for his own presidential ambition.
O’Mally tells reporters before speaking to hundreds of Iowa Democratic activists that he’s attending the fundraiser because his friend, Senator Tom Harkin, who asked him come to Harkin’s annual
fall fundraiser.
The steak fry has been a common stop for early White House aspirants in Iowa, where the presidential caucuses are scheduled to begin the 2016 Democratic nominating process.
ISU Veterinary Technician Steals Painkillers
AMES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa State veterinary technician has been accused of stealing painkilling drugs from the College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames.
Iowa State police say 35-year-old Kari Boyer, of Boone, stole the medication several times, starting in December.
Story County jail records say Boyer isn’t in custody. A public phone listing for her can’t be found. Online court records don’t list the name of her attorney.
The felony charge against her carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
New Veteran Patients Denied Medicare and Medicaid
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) – The federal government says it won’t pay Medicare or Medicaid bills for new admissions to the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.
The home has been fined $7,500 for violations of care standards and other deficiencies in two recent inspections.
The federal moratorium begins Saturday on new admissions for residents whose care is billed to Medicare or Medicaid.
The home’s commandant, David Worley, doesn’t dispute the inspection reports and says he and his staff “need to keep working hard and getting better at what we do.”
The Iowa Veterans Home is run by the state.
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