Home News Thursday Afternoon News, August 11th

Thursday Afternoon News, August 11th

State Fair Anticipates Good Attendance

(Des Moines) — Two years ago, the state legislature changed the start date for
Iowa schools. The Iowa State Fair was one of the entities pushing for a later
start date for schools claiming that its number of exhibits, 4-H and FFA
exhibitors, and even the annual attendance were down. State Fair officials pointed
the finger of blame to schools that began classes, in some cases as early as mid-
August. Last year, schools could not start classes until after the conclusion of
the Iowa State Fair, and Gary Slater the manager of the Iowa State Fair says it
made a difference.

Iowa State Fair Grand Ave

Over the years, the Iowa State Fair has caught the attention of the national news
media such as the New York Times, U-S News and World Report, USA Today, and most
recently the Today Show from NBC television. Much of the attention is because

political presidential candidates make the Iowa State Fair one of their early
campaign stops. However, many media outlets focusses its attention on the foods
and entertainment associated with the Iowa State Fair. Gary Slater offers his
opinion as to why the Iowa State Fair is so special, and captures the media’s
attention.

Today, is the start of the eleven-day Iowa State Fair held in Des Moines.

 

Airplane Crash Victims Identified

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have identified the second victim of a plane
crash in south-central Iowa’s Warren County.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 23-year-old Neil
Jackson, of Jerome, Idaho. He and 22-year-old Alex Winter, of Indianola, Iowa, died
when the Piper PA-11 crashed Friday just north of Indianola, near Laverty Field.
A Federal Aviation Administration report says Jackson was a licensed
commercial pilot for single-engine airplanes, and Winter was a student pilot. The
two were on a training flight when the plane went down. The crash cause is being
investigated.

 

Police Vehicles Damaged During High Speed Car Chase

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say at least four police vehicles have been
damaged during a chase of a stolen car that began in Marshall County.
Sgt. Nathan Ludwig of the Iowa State Patrol says the chase started around 6:15
a.m. Wednesday when a sheriff’s deputy spotted a stolen car. Other officers joined
the pursuit as the car headed south into Jasper County. Ludwig says the pursuing
police cruisers collided or were otherwise damaged when the car driver slammed on
his brakes. The officers suffered minor injuries.
Authorities say 29-year-old Kirk Williams was taken into custody. He’s charged
with theft, eluding and other crimes. Online court records don’t list the name of
an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

 

Gronstal Selected To Chair National Legislative Committee

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Senate Democratic leader Mike Gronstal has been named president of the National Conference of State Legislatures at the group’s annual legislative summit in Chicago.
Gronstal will provide leadership for the next year for the bipartisan organization that serves more than 7,000 state lawmakers and more than 20,000 legislative staff throughout the country. The group alternates its leadership annually between Democrats and Republicans. Gronstal succeeds Utah Republican Sen. Curtis Bramble.
The NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on pressing state issues.
Gronstal says the organization represents the interests of all states with a constructive and bipartisan approach.
National Park Service Surprised At Actions Involving Effigy Mounds

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A National Park Service report says the agency is “astonished” that superintendents at a sacred Native American burial site were able to break the law and damage its resources for two decades.
The agency released a 50-page review Thursday examining what went wrong in two high-profile debacles at Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa.
In the first, the superintendent in 1990 stole the monument’s entire collection of ancient human remains and hid them in his garage for two decades. In the second, another superintendent oversaw $3.4 million in illegal construction projects that put a system of boardwalks through the mounds.
The report says investigators found “breaks in the system of checks and balances and the line of authority, which allowed those who were culpable to prevail for so long.”