Wagner Selected To Chair Business Improvement Committee
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Main Street program is pleased to announce that Lisa Wagner of Property Pros LLC will serve as the Chair for the Main Street Business Improvement Committee. Wagner is broker/owner of Property Pros. The Main Street Business Improvement committee works to retain, strengthen and recruit businesses, develop financial incentives for business development and building rehabilitation, stimulate the adaptive use of underutilized space and collect, interpret and use data from marketing studies.
Committee members are: Kevin Eekhoff, Matt Ahlers, Paul Jacobson, Jim Gergeni, John Koley, John Schneider, Jan Wagner, Alysa Van Rooyan, Misty Szczech, Shane Sitzmann, Scott Eastman and Mary Reynolds.
Pork Producers Concerned About Country of Origin Labeling Rules
(Des Moines) — The state’s pork producers are in Des Moines for the annual Iowa Pork Congress… a trade show featuring more than 275 exhibits, and educational seminars. Bill Tentinger of Le Mars has just completed his term as president of the pork organization. He says producers are talking about the country of origin labeling requirement, and how it may have the potential to disrupt pork exports. The pork official says the new rule violates the terms of the World Trade Organization, and he says the U-S currently exports up to 28 percent of its pork product.
Listen to
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It is estimated the pork industry contributes nearly $5 billion annually to Iowa’s economy.
Iowa State to Host Crop Advantage Meeting
(Le Mars) — Area farmers wanting to get a glimpse of what the next crop year will feature will want to attend the Crop Advantage Seminar scheduled for Tuesday. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting the day-long seminar that will be held at the Le Mars Convention Center. Joel DeJong, Extension Crops Specialist, says farmers will learn about the two topics of general agricultural interests…markets and weather.
Listen to
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DeJong says northwest Iowa is still very short on moisture levels.
Listen to
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Many farmers are concerned about the lack of moisture and some are adjusting their crop production and selection of hybrids and varieties in anticipation of another dry year.
Listen to
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DeJong says the afternoon sessions will focus on corn rootworm management, nutrient reduction strategy, and cover crops. He says the registration fee is $45 and that covers materials plus lunch.
Woodbury County Courthouse Cleaning Up After Water Pipe Break
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Restoration workers have been cleaning up the mess left behind when a steam pipe burst and water poured into basement offices at the Woodbury County Courthouse in
northwest Iowa’s Sioux City.
The problem was discovered Tuesday in the space used by the county Social Services Department. Workstations, carpet and some paperwork got soaked.
A restoration company was called in to help restore the area so the office work can resume.
South Dakota Supreme Court Rules On Hyperion Air Quality Permit
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld the approval of an air quality permit that would allow a Texas company to begin construction on a proposed $10 billion oil
refinery.
Opponents sued the Board of Minerals and Environment, saying the board erred when it approved the Hyperion Energy Center permit because its study did not include a full-blown environmental impact
statement.
Attorneys for Dallas-based Hyperion and the board countered that an environmental impact statement was not required and board members took into account all relevant environmental issues.
The high court also ruled that the state did not err in extending a construction deadline for the plant.
Hyperion’s proposed refinery north of Elk Point would process 400,000 barrels of Canadian tar sands crude oil each day.
Ethics Board Wants To Increase Oversight On Gifts
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The head of Iowa’s state ethics board wants to increase the oversight of gifts made to some state employees.
Megan Tooker, executive director of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, on Thursday told a Senate panel she supported requiring that employees in the executive branch of government
report gifts worth more than $100.
State law sets limits on the gifts that public workers can accept, such as allowing travel reimbursement for a conference or a $3 lunch. But there is no requirement that employees report those gifts to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board for review.
Tooker says the information would make the process more transparent to the public. The Senate subcommittee approved the bill.
