Our Lady Of Assumption Church To Hold Final Mass On Sunday
(Sioux City) — Sunday will mark the final mass services for the Our Lady of Assumption Parish located in Merrill. The church had served the people around Merrill for 122 years. Bishop Walker Nickless of the Sioux City Diocese will lead the final mass. He says it will be very emotional for the congregation and for himself.
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The Catholic Bishop says Sunday’s mass service will also be a way for the people to express gratitude to the parish for serving the community for so many years.
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Bishop Nickless says nearly five years ago, the diocese took a strategic look at all the parishes to determine their sustainability. Bishop Nickless says many rural churches have fallen victim to declining attendance, as well as the declining number of Catholic priests able to serve the parish.
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Bishop Nickless says the Catholic parish of Ellendale and St. Michael’s of Sioux City will be combining by sharing a priest, and he says St. Joseph Catholic Church in Struble will become a worship center, but will not necessarily have regular Sunday masses.
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Congressman King Is Disappointed In Supreme Court Ruling On Affordable Health Care
(Washington) — Iowa 4th District Congressman Steve King is upset over the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the subsidies being paid for the Affordable Health Care Act. Speaking yesterday following the decision, King says the Supreme Court has ruled against what the law reads. King says the Supreme Court’s ruling is another case where the law doesn’t mean what it says, and the Supreme Court will make it up as they go. King says it was a frustrating day, when Congress is in the business of writing laws, and the Supreme Court amends those laws at will, by using their judgment as to what public policy should be, as opposed to what Congress actually wrote by the will of the people.
38,000 Iowans Will Be Able To Continue To Have Health Insurance Based On Supreme Court Ruling
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding tax credits for the federal Affordable Care Act more than 38,000 Iowans will be able to continue insurance coverage with government support.
Had the court struck down the tax credits those Iowans would have lost subsidies and likely would have dropped coverage.
In Iowa, more than 45,000 Iowans use the federal insurance exchange to buy health care coverage and 86 percent of them receive tax credits to help pay premiums.
Iowa is among 34 states using a federally-facilitated model that allows state officials to maintain some management of the insurance program but allows citizens to sign up using the federal government exchange.
The challenge to the law focused on whether states without their own state exchange, like Iowa, could still offer subsidies to users.
Branstad Testifies For Renewable Fuels During EPA Hearing
(Kansas City) — The Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on Thursday regarding the renewable fuels standard. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad testified at that hearing on behalf of the renewable fuels industry. Branstad says Iowa has greatly benefited from the renewable fuels industry.
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Dykstra Dairy Open House Attracts Hundreds Of People
(Maurice) — Several hundred people attended an open house farm tour last evening at the Dykstra Dairy of Maurice. Darin Dykstra is a co-owner of the dairy farm. He says he hosts the farm tour to let people know what happens on a dairy farm.
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Landfill Says They Won’t Accept Any More Dead Birds From Bird Flu
MALVERN, Iowa (AP) – A southwestern Iowa landfill has stopped accepting dead birds and related waste from the recent bird flu outbreak.
Mills County spokeswoman Sheri Bowen says the Loess Hills Landfill stopped taking in more birds after Wednesday’s shipments.
Officials say the landfill might consider taking in more birds if another outbreak of avian flu were to occur. But at this point, Bowen says, “we’re unsure if we’ll take on more.”
As of Tuesday, trucks had hauled in 426 containers to the landfill, with each carrying seven to eight tons of dead birds, clean-up and protective equipment and other products for use during disposal.
Millions of turkeys and chickens have died or have been euthanized to prevent further spreading of the avian flu.
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Authorities Investigate Laser Beam Directed To Airplane
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating after the pilot of an inbound Delta Airlines flight said a laser was pointed at it about five miles northeast of the Des Moines International Airport.
According to a police report, the pilot told police the plane was about 2,000 feet above ground when he saw a green laser around 11 p.m. Tuesday. The pilot told police the laser was pointed at the aircraft for about 20 to 25 seconds, and did not appear to be on the ground or on top of any structure.
The pilot said he ducked behind a shield to avoid eye damage.
According to the report, the pilot believes his aircraft was intentionally targeted.
