Malfunctioning Air Conditioner Results In Fire Department Responding To Home
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to an alarm at 1423 4th Avenue Southwest Tuesday evening at about 6:10 p.m. When fire officials arrived at the scene they were quickly able to determine the air conditioner of the residence had burned out and creating some light smoke. Fire officials were able to use pressure fans to help push the smoke out of the residence. There were no injuries associated with the incident. Fire officials were on the scene for approximately a half an hour.
Supervisors Hear Proposal To Vacate A Road
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County engineer Tom Rohe proposed to the county board of supervisors to consider vacating a road. Rohe submitted the idea during the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting held on Tuesday. The road in question is a low maintenance dirt road located on the border of Plymouth and Woodbury counties, near Quartz Avenue. Rohe informed the supervisors that he was approached by a local land owner asking for the road to be vacated. Rohe says the land owner is concerned about the excessive soil erosion taking place on the embankments of the road. Before the road can be vacated, all surrounding land owners would need to be informed of the pending decision, and both the Plymouth County supervisors and the Woodbury County board of supervisors would need to agree to vacating the stretch of roadway.
City To Hold Open House For Railroad And Public Works Building
(Le Mars) — During the city council meeting held Tuesday, Mayor Dick Kirchoff announced the city will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Burlington Junction Short Line railroad scheduled for Wednesday, August 12th. Kirchoff says since early April, the Burlington Short Line rail has moved over 300 rail cars that have carried products to and from the Le Mars Industrial Park area. That same day, the city will hold an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Public Works building located on the southern edge of town on 18th street.
Coffee Wins Second Place At National Soap Box Derby Championships
(Le Mars) — Last week you may recall KLEM news told you about a local 13 year old boy, named Blaise Coffee, who was going to Cleveland, Ohio to compete in the National Soap Box Derby Racing. Coffee actually did very well at the national competition by finishing second in his age group and category.
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The trophy awarded to the young soap box racer stands taller than Coffee, and he says it was a bit difficult getting the trophy home.
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Turkey Farms Repopulating Barns After Bird Flu
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa agriculture officials say a majority of the quarantine zones set up around poultry farms infected with bird flu are being lifted.
When bird flu was confirmed on a farm, a six-mile zone was established to control traffic. State officials said Tuesday 77 zones were set up but they are in the process of lifting 69 now.
Once completed, officials say there will only be control zones remaining on six farms in Adair, Sioux and Wright counties.
Iowa lost 34 million birds to the bird flu outbreak.
Officials say one of the first infected turkey farms – Brad Moline’s family farm in Manson – has restocked with new birds and Moline will host state and federal officials at a news conference on Monday to discuss the recovery process.
Chinese Woman Accused Of Stealing Patented Corn Traits Now Back Home In China
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The wife of a Chinese billionaire who was charged more than a year ago with conspiring to steal trade secrets from U.S. seed companies but dropped from the case last week is back home in China.
Attorneys for Mo Yun say she left the United States Friday morning and flew to Beijing.
The government arrested the 43-year-old mother of two children July 1, 2014 in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors alleged that Mo helped her brother and five other Chinese nationals working for subsidiaries of Beijing-based DBN Group steal patented corn seed to reproduce its genetic traits.
The government dropped the charges last week after a judge said they couldn’t use instant messages found on her brother’s computer as evidence. The judge said the messages were incomplete and couldn’t be authenticated.
Meth Lab Discovered At Taco Bell Restaurant
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say two men have been arrested after the remnants of a methamphetamine lab were found inside a Taco Bell in eastern Iowa.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department says officers found two men outside the restaurant early Tuesday. One identified himself as a Taco Bell employee.
Officers entered the closed restaurant and found meth lab remnants in a utility area.
The men, identified as 31-year-old Christopher Adam Matous and 56-year-old Kent Jerome Duby, were arrested. Each has been charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Matous faces additional charges including meth possession. Court records do not list attorneys for the men.
Taco Bell says in a statement that one of the men was an employee who’s now fired. They say the restaurant will be sanitized before it reopens to the public.
