Fire Destroys Machine Shed
(Le Mars) — Thick, black smoke could be seen from miles away as the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a machine shed that had caught on fire Friday afternoon. The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m. at 24601 Otter Avenue, approximately eight miles southeast of Le Mars. Shortly after arrival on the scene, the Le Mars Fire Department called for assistance from the Oyens, Merrill, and Hinton Fire Departments. Oyens Fire Chief Tim Bolton describes the scene upon arrival.
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Bolton says although the machine shed is listed as a total loss, they were fortunate that the shed at the time was empty without farm equipment, or trucks.
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At one time, flames were seen shooting through the machine shed’s roof about 30 feet in the air. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department had to use one of their aerial ladder trucks to get above the roof in order to extinguish the flames. Fire fighters attacked the building from two different sides. A nearby propane gas tank, along with another large fuel tank gave fire fighters additional reasons to be concerned.
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Fire personnel were able to keep both tanks cool with water, and prevented any explosions from happening. Fire departments had to use their tankers to constantly shuttle water from Le Mars to the fire scene. It is estimated nearly 30,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the blaze. The machine shed, a metal building, with dimensions that are estimated at 80 feet long and 35 to 40 feet wide and 25 feet high is a total loss. The southern portion of the roof had collapsed due to the extreme heat. A farm home, and two other buildings were in close proximity to the machine shed fire, but fortunately, fire fighters were able to contain the blaze to the shed. Bolton says he is uncertain as to the cause of the fire, and is also uncertain as to the costs of damages. The Oyens fire chief says an excavator was brought in to tear down the remaining portion of the building.
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Fire fighters were on the scene for nearly seven hours.
Judge To Rule On Mental Competency Of Jonathon Neunaber
(Le Mars) — A mental competency hearing was held on Friday at the Plymouth County Courthouse in regards to Jonathon Neunaber of Akron who is accused of killing his mother in July of 2014. The hearing was closed to the public and to the media. Attorneys on both sides presented evidence to Judge Steven Andreasen. Andreasen will make a ruling in the coming weeks.
Pilot Identified From Plane Crash
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have identified the pilot who was killed in a plane crash on Interstate 29 in western Iowa.
The Pottawattamie County sheriff’s office says 65-year-old John W. Rogers of Omaha died when his single-engine plane crashed into the interstate median just north of Council Bluffs.
Authorities say Rogers experienced problems shortly after taking off from Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, and was trying to turn around. Witnesses told investigators the plane struck power lines, cartwheeled and crashed nose first. It came to rest on its top.
Rogers was alone in the plane. No other injuries were reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating.
Bernie Sanders Hopes For People New To Politics To Attend Caucus
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – For Bernie Sanders, victory in Iowa’s kickoff presidential caucuses hinges on a simple proposition: that his message of political revolution will inspire people who typically stay home on that deep-winter night.
Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Getting new people out to these party organizing events, which usually draw small numbers, remains the holy grail of Iowa politics. Sanders has been received with enthusiasm in the state, but still lags behind Hillary Clinton in Iowa polls.
A passionate force of paid and volunteer staffers is working all out for Sanders for caucus night February 1st.
Pete D’Alessandro is running the Iowa operation for the Vermont senator and Democratic contender. He says the campaign must “expand the definition of what the caucus goer is.”
Donald Trump Criticizes Ted Cruz
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has finally unleashed a verbal assault on the one rival he has so far spared.
Trump went after Texas Senator Ted Cruz at a town hall event in Iowa Friday evening after word leaked that Cruz had criticized Trump at a closed-door event.
Trump said Cruz largely agrees with him, but he criticized Cruz’s opposition to ethanol subsidies, which are deeply popular in Iowa.
He accused Cruz of being beholden to big oil.
Trump also took a veiled shot at Cruz’s family background. He said not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba, where Cruz’s father was born.
Trump and Cruz have declined to criticize each other in the race so far, even as they battle for support in Iowa.
