City of Le Mars Reports On City Wide Clean Up Days
(Le Mars) — The city of Le Mars has released the results of the city-wide clean up from last week. 333 people disposed a total of 132,000 pounds of waste products to the landfill. That number is up from last year’s 123,460 by 264 people. 5,000 pounds of recycletronics which consists of discarded computers, electronic games, and etc. was disposed this year. That number is sharply lower than last year’s 16,500 pounds. The number of people who discarded tires and large appliances was higher than last year. This year, 75 people threw away those items compared to the 55 people that participated in last year’s program. A total of 116 tires were disposed, 26 dehumidifiers, 12 washers and dryers or dishwashers, 23 stoves and refrigerators, and 23 microwaves were discarded for recycling.
RISE Festival Scheduled For This Weekend
(Sheldon) — “It is not just music, it’s a mission”. That’s how organizers of the annual Christian music concert “Rise Fest” refer to the weekend celebration. Rob Roozeboom is the founder and president of the two-day event slated for Sheldon. He says this is the ninth year for the event, and it will be even more special.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/June 2014/Roozeboom1.mp3{/audio}
Roozeboom says the concert event also provides an opportunity for people to discover God.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/June 2014/Roozeboom2.mp3{/audio}
Tickets are still available, and the concert organizer offers an insight as to the performers scheduled for “Rise Fest”.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/June 2014/Roozeboom3.mp3{/audio}
To get to “Rise Fest” follow Hwy 60 and turn at the Hwy 18 exit at Sheldon, go west for three blocks, then turn north.
Iowa Supreme Court Throws Out Conviction Of Man With HIV
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of an Iowa man who pleaded guilty to criminal transmission of HIV.
Nick Rhoades, of Plainfield, appealed his 2009 conviction, claiming his attorney was ineffective by letting him plead guilty.
The court Friday found there was insufficient factual basis to support the plea and returned the case to district court.
Six of seven justices concluded intimate contact isn’t enough to prove that exchange of bodily fluid took place or that Rhoades intentionally exposed the man he had sex with in a way that could result in HIV transmission.
The state must prove a factual basis exists for the charge. If it cannot, Rhoades’ withdraws his plea.
Rhoades was initially sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was later released on probation.
High Court Says Pollution Lawsuit May Proceed
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – In a major environmental case, the Iowa Supreme Court says residents can bring a class-action lawsuit against a Muscatine manufacturer accused of damaging their homes and cars with harmful pollution.
The court reinstated the lawsuit Friday against Grain Processing Corp., which operates a plant that turns corn kernels into industrial products. Residents say the plant’s pollution routinely blankets their properties with soot.
The court says their legal claim that the plant is a nuisance is not pre-empted by the federal Clean Air Act. The decision overturns a ruling by a district judge, who’d thrown out the lawsuit before trial.
The company earlier this year agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine and convert its coal-fired boilers to natural gas to settle an environmental lawsuit filed by Attorney General Tom Miller.
Tyson Events Center’s Roof Leaks
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A mysterious leak could force officials in Sioux City to order repairs or replacement of the Tyson Events Center’s roof.
The Sioux City Journal reports leaks were first noticed in November, and the situation has worsened since then.
During a Monday rainstorm, water dampened dozens of arena seats and dripped onto the floor. Erika Newton, who heads the city’s Events Facilities Department, says water is seeping in from tiny holes that have opened up in the roof.
No one knows why the roof material is failing or what a fix will cost.
The roof hasn’t been updated since the arena was built in 2003. It’s covered by a 15-year warranty.
So far, the leaks haven’t caused major damage.
Newton Mother Says Man Should Have Been Arrested For Inappropriate Touching
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – The mother of a Newton teenager says police should have arrested a man who inappropriately touched her daughter while posing as an actor from the movie series “Twilight.”
David LaVera, of San Diego, was arrested Tuesday after Baxter police received a kidnapping report. LaVera is charged with enticing a minor and with carrying weapons. Jasper County Jail records say LaVera remained in custody on Friday. Court records don’t list the name of his attorney.
The mother of different girl told The Des Moines Register that LaVera had enticed her daughter to a Newton park on June 3 and touched her inappropriately. The mother says LaVera wasn’t immediately arrested after she reported the incident.
Newton police Lt. Bill Henninger says the initial report didn’t mention any inappropriate touching had occurred.
