Supervisors Set To Meet Tuesday Morning
(Le Mars) — After taking last week off, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will again convene today at 9:30 a.m. at the Courthouse Board Room. The Supervisors have a light agenda before them today. County Treasurer, Shelly Sitzmann will appear before the board to review and ask for approval of the semi-annual settlement of funds. Other business to be discussed by the county governing board will be the courthouse holiday schedule. The County Supervisors will also hear from County Engineer, Tom Rohe. Rohe will discuss with the supervisors a contract for a bridge project, as well as he will visit with the board about obtaining some right of way property for a culvert repair project.
City Council To Discuss Lowering Speed Limit
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will hold their meeting at the City Hall Council Chambers today. One item on the agenda for discussion, is whether the council should lower the speed limit on Business Highway 75. Several serious accidents have occured in recent months between 12th Street southwest and 24th Street Southwest where vehicles were wanting to make a left hand turn and were hit from behind. The Council will discuss re-zoning for Cresent Ridge. It is expected they will set a hearing date. The city council will hear from Roger and Betty Athens who are asking the city to take ownership of nearly an acre of waterway.
Le Mars Fire Department Responds To Gas Leak And Auto Accident
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was busy yesterday late afternoon. First, they were called to 7th Street Southwest and 1st Avenue Southwest for a gas leak. Contractors were digging in the area when they ruptured an underground gas line. The gas leak occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. Firefighters were able to stop the gas leak from the cut line in the ground. Air monitoring equipment was used to check the area and no dangerous levels of natural gas were detected so everyone was allowed to stay in the area and not be evacuated. Firefighters stood by until MidAmerican Energy Officials arrived to repair the line. Then at about 6:30 p.m., the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was called to an automobile accident at the junction of Highway 75 and County road C-38. Two vehicles had collided, one vehicle was a Mercury Sable, the other a GMC van. The accident at the intersection caused the van to be flipped on its side. There were no serious injuries as a result of the accident. The accident remains under investigation. The fire department assisted with the cleanup of debris and fluids.
Tall Corn Obscurs Vision At Intersection Which Leads To Accident
(Storm Lake) — Buena Vista authorities are reminding motorists to be alert and extra cautious when approaching an uncontrolled rural intersection. Early Monday morning, two pickup trucks collided with one another at an intersection that was uncontrolled and had tall corn from all four sides, obscurring the vision. The investigation into the accident determined the collision occured between a northbound pickup truck being driven by 41 year old Walter Morris of Newell, and an eastbound pickup truck driven by 61 year old Steven Williams of Storm Lake. It is thought the Morris vehicle hit the Williams vehicle. The Williams vehicle rolled numerous times, ejecting Williams from the vehicle. Both Williams and Morris were transported by ambulance to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center. Williams was then transported via Lifeflight helicopter to Mercy Medical Center in SiouxCity. The extent of the drivers’ injuries and conditions are unknown at this time. The accident remains under investigation.
Storm Lake Man Gets Probation After Admitting Stealing Pigs
STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man has been sentenced to about a month in jail after pleading guilty to selling 195 pigs that didn’t belong to him.
44-year-old Monty Grote pleaded guilty Friday in Buena Vista County District Court to three counts of third-degree theft. He received a 30-day jail sentence and was placed on two years of probation.
Grote also has to pay about $14,600 in restitution.
Court documents show Grote had been contracted to raise pigs from a Minnesota company. Authorities say he sold the animals, claiming he owned them, in August and October.
King Wants Eboa Virus Patients Treated In Africa
(Sioux City) — Concerns are rising among Iowans about the ebola virus after an infected American doctor was brought from western Africa to Atlanta over the weekend and another infected health care worker should arrive in the U-S Tuesday.
Iowa Congressman Steve King does not approve of bringing those infected with ebola to America:
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The 4th district Republican says he would prefer to see medical aid provided on site instead of treating victims in the United States:
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King says his heart goes out to those who have gone to Africa to help victims, but he says those who have gone there knew what the risk was:
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More than 880 people have died of ebola in three west African nations in recent months, making it the largest outbreak since the discovery of the virus.
Cost-share Funds Available For Conservation Measures
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says more than $6.75 million is available to help farmers and landowners prevent erosion and control field runoff through a state cost share program.
Farmers may qualify for up to half of the cost of projects which may include terraces, waterways, ponds, buffers, cover crops, and several other conservation measures.
Farmers who apply now may have approval to begin construction after crops are harvested this fall.
Soil and Water Conservation District offices are taking applications.
Money also is available for projects aimed at protecting 13 lakes in Iowa. The cost share for those projects is 75 percent.
Lakes include Big Creek, Lake Darling, Lake Geode, and Lake Macbride.
Former Worker’s Compensation Commissioner Finds New Job
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s workers’ compensation commissioner is resigning to take a top federal job, but his lawsuit against Gov. Terry Branstad and aides will continue.
Commissioner Christopher J. Godfrey told The Associated Press on Monday that he’s been appointed chief judge of the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board in Washington, which decides workers’ compensation claims filed by federal employees.
Godfrey was appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver in 2009 and confirmed by the Iowa Senate to a six-year term as state commissioner.
After Branstad won election in 2010, he asked for Godfrey’s resignation. Godfrey declined, saying his job is supposed to be independent. The governor ultimately slashed Godfrey’s salary from $112,000 to $73,000, the lowest allowed, and administration officials criticized his performance.
Godfrey, who is gay, is suing for discrimination, defamation, and extortion.
Des Moines Shopping Mall To Close Animal Exhibit
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines shopping mall has announced it will close its caged animal exhibits following public outcry.
The Merle Hay Mall’s chief operating officer says that the bears, wolves and other animals will be moved out of the mall by Oct. 31.
The Academy of Wildlife Education exhibit was met with public backlash in June. An online petition to “stop the zoo” has gathered 74,000 signatures.
The spokeswoman says the announcement isn’t connected to the backlash. She says a $14 million redevelopment of the mall will necessitate more room for larger storefronts.
