Plymouth County C-16 Road To Be Resurfaced
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department has announced that county road C-16 from Highway 12 to county road K-22 will be closed, beginning today and continuing through August 28th. C-16 is scheduled to be resurfaced. A detour has been established. Motorists will be advised to follow highway 12 north to county road C-12, then follow C-12 east to county road K-22 and then south on K-22 to the east end of the project.
Museum Utilizes Grant For Historic Art
(Le Mars) — Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County, historic art can now be viewed in the Study Hall at the Plymouth County Historical Museum. The grant announced last November was for $3,900. Included in the grant are two categories: (1) $900 for art hanging supplies in order to display the Museum’s historic art; and (2) $3,000 for quilt stands and supplies.
Handling the grant supplies were Mary Holub, Museum registrar, and Margaret Henrich, a volunteer and former Museum registrar.
Judy Bowman, Museum administrator, explains how the grant developed: “One day last summer a visitor from Salisbury, North Carolina, toured the Plymouth County Historical Museum for the first time. When Linda and her husband reached the Study Hall, she began sharing her vision for the expansive room. By the time our visit had ended, she had planted the seed for a hanging of art in the grand 1905 room.”
Bowman continued, “We applied to the Community Foundation, and that very generous grant made it possible to develop the idea of historic art.”
King Comments On The Latest Of The Bird Flu
(Pierson) — Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King was in Pierson on Friday evening attending a political rally for Texas Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz. KLEM news visited with King about the latest developments regarding the bird flu. King says as of yet, the House Agriculture Committee has not held any public hearings regarding the devastating Avian bird flu.
(sot) King flu update1
King recaps the progression of the deadly poultry disease.
(sot) King flu update2
The Republican Congressman says the disease then came to Iowa and spread like a wildfire.
(sot) King flu update3
King tells of a personal account how the deadly disease, along with other factors, have hurt one Iowa poultry producer.
(sot) King flu update4
King continues to share the sad story.
(sot) King flu update5
King says he is pleased the USDA has shifted funds from other accounts and directed to the efforts of finding a vaccine for the bird flu.
Northey Attends Linn County Fair And Talks About Bird Flu
CENTRAL CITY, Iowa (AP) – The ongoing bird flu outbreak has forced competitors at the Linn County Fair and other poultry events in the state to prepare educational displays and leave their birds at home.
But the 79 participants in this weekend’s Linn County competition got to meet Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.
Northey visited the fair Saturday to speak about poultry health and the bird flu. He encouraged the young people who developed 4-H projects and told them he was glad they were interested in agriculture.
Iowa, Nebraska and many other states where bird flu has been found decided to prohibit poultry events this year to help limit the spread of the disease.
Regents Dismiss Attorney
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The governing board for Iowa’s three public universities is cutting ties with the man who has served as its top lawyer since 2004.
A June 16th memo obtained by The Associated Press shows general counsel Tom Evans will soon no longer be employed by the Iowa Board of Regents and his legal duties have been transferred to others.
Evans has been the board’s chief negotiator for contracts with labor unions and advises the regents and schools they govern on legal and human resources matters.
News of his departure has surprised some colleagues but the board has refused to explain the move.
The move comes amid other personnel changes at the board’s Urbandale office, where three long-time staff members recently took advantage of an early retirement program aimed at cutting costs.
Family Wanting Changes With Mental Health Patients That Are In Jail
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa family that lost a son to suicide in jail earlier this year is pushing for changes in the way people with mental illnesses are treated by authorities.
Jim Cornick tells the Des Moines Register that sick people shouldn’t be sent to jail when they clearly need treatment. Since his son’s death in January, Cornick has been meeting with officials and urging improvements to the system.
Family members say the events that led to Jeff Cornick’s suicide began in 2011 when he was arrested on suspicion of arson after threatening to set fire to gas cans in his Des Moines home.
Jim Cornick doesn’t make excuses for his son, Jeff Cornick, but he believes the system can be improved to better help people with mental illnesses.
Home Sells For A Million Dollars
URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) – A suburban Des Moines home complete with its own drawbridge and dance floor drew a price over $1 million at a weekend auction.
The 9,000-square-foot home in Urbandale was sold Saturday to a local doctor.
The final price of the home won’t be disclosed until the deal closes, but David Enriquez with Platinum Luxury Auctions says the seller had a reserve price of $1 million.
The four-bedroom home that sits on 3.6 acres has a six-car garage and room for 24 in the dining room. It was built in 1981.
Architect Ken Kendall, who designed the Ruan Center in Des Moines, designed the home.
Ohio Governor To Announce He Is Running For President
WASHINGTON (AP) – Ohio Governor John Kasich will formally announce his plans for the 2016 presidential race on July 21st.
He is expected to formally join the crowded Republican primary field at an announcement set for Ohio State University.
That’s according to senior advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to pre-empt the announcement.
There are more than a dozen Republicans already in the race.
Kasich isn’t as well-known as some of his likely Republican competitors, but he has been involved in national politics for more than three decades. The 63-year-old two-term governor previously served in Congress for 18 years.
He supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and often talks about the need to care for the mentally ill and drug addicts.
