Home News Friday News, August 26

Friday News, August 26

Floyd Valley Surgical Center Now Taking Patients

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare’s new surgical center is now open and
receiving patients. Floyd Valley’s Administrator Mike Donlin says the first
procedure was performed yesterday (Thursday) morning.

Mike Donlin

The hospital administrator says the new surgical centers have been equipped with
new equipment, however, some of the instruments have been moved from the old
surgical centers.

An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, September
20th, and Donlin says all of the surgeons and medical staff have been invited to
participate.

Floyd Valley Healthcare North Addition

Donlin says the new surgical centers will attract not only patients, but doctors
and surgeons and other medical personnel.

 

 

Wells Enterprises To Conduct Training Session Next Week

(Le Mars) — Wells Enterprises, Inc. plans to utilize 27th Street southwest and
Industrial Road for an open air training exercise, weather permitting. The
training is scheduled to happened each day between Monday, August 29th through
Friday, September 2nd. Wells security staff will provide the necessary barricades
and will be present during the training exercise. Wells wanted to make the
community aware of the training exercises in case people were in the area, and
wondering what was happening. Officials say it is a great training opportunity
for Wells employees. On Monday and Tuesday, the training will be from 6:00 p.m.
to 9:00 p.m., then on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the training session will
occur between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

 

Chamber Receives Hotel/Motel Tax Receipts For Alley Art Brochures

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce is announcing funds the organization
received from the city’s hotel/motel tax will be used to print brochures
describing “Alley Art” projects. The Chamber received $316 in tax reciepts from
the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s advisory board last February, and was
approved by the Le Mars City Council on March 1st. The Le Mars Chamber of
Commerce was one of 13 applicants to receive funding this year.
Mary Reynolds, Main Street Manager, says the chamber is grateful for the
Convention and Visitors’ Bureau funding. Reynolds says tourists will find the
brochures helpful as they browse the many alley art paintings and photographs.

 

Second Victim Dies From Woodbury County Auto Accident

HORNICK, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say the wife of a 73-year-old man fatally injured in a Woodbury County collision also has died.
Iowa State Patrol Lt. Jay Smith says 70-year-old Kay Crowl died Thursday at Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City.
She and her husband, Mark Crowl, were driving east near Hornick around 8:15 p.m. Sunday when their vehicle collided with a westbound vehicle driven by 17-year-old Shayna Schelm.
The patrol says Mark Crowl was pronounced dead soon after reaching the hospital. Schelm was treated there for minor injuries.
Schelm lives in Hornick, as did the Crowls.

 

Utilities Board Votes To Approve Construction On Pipeline

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Utilities Board has denied landowners’ request to halt construction of an oil pipeline beyond this week. The three-member board voted Thursday afternoon against a lengthy stay of construction of the Dakota Access pipeline on parcels of 14 landowners while a court considers a lawsuit they’ve filed. Chairwoman Geri Huser says the board concluded landowners have little likelihood of success in court case and that Dakota Access would be financially harmed by construction delays.

 

Branstad Declares Flooded Counties As Disaster Area

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Five counties ravaged by storms and flooding in
northeastern Iowa will get disaster assistance.
Gov. Terry Branstad issued a disaster proclamation for Allamakee, Clayton,
Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties.
Under the declaration, the counties can use state resources to recover from
the disasters.
In addition, households that meet certain income requirements can apply for
grants to help pay for expenses related to storm and flood recovery. Eligible
residents have until Oct. 7 to apply for the assistance.
Those seeking the grants can get more information on the Iowa Department of
Human Services’ website.   Governor Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, and Iowa Homeland Security Director, Mark Schouten are scheduled to tour the flooded area today.

 

WinnaVegas Casino To Offer Non-Smoking Areas

(Sloan) — A Native American casino in northwest Iowa is now offering a “non-
smoking” gaming room. Travis Morgan is a spokesman for the WinnaVegas Casino in
Sloan.

WinnaVegas Casino logo

A state law that went into effect July 1st of 2008 bans smoking in public places,
but Iowa’s casino industry got an exemption that has allowed smoking to continue
on the gaming floors. Officials with the state-licensed casinos say banning
smoking would put them at a competitive disadvantage and they have opposed efforts
in the legislature to start enforcing the smoking ban inside the casinos. The
Native American casinos in Tama, Onawa and Sloan are not state licensed. The
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska operates the casino in Sloan.

Morgan says many customers consider the smokey casino floors to be a “downside”
to their gambling experience.

The casino is about 20 miles south of Sioux City. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
operates the Blackbird Bend Casino in Onawa, Iowa. The Meskwaki Tribe’s casino
near Tama opened in 1992.

 

Crop Scouts Tour Western Iowa Fields To Determine Crop Size

(Marcus) — Later today, (Friday) Pro-Farmer publication will release its anticipated
estimate for this year’s crop yield. This past week, scouts criss-crossed the
mid-west cornbelt states, stopping at various corn and soybean fields, measuring
and calculating, the number of corn ears and the number of soybean pods. Jarod
Creed lead a team of four people analyzing the potential crop yield. Creed
stopped at a field just east of Marcus for one of his field checks. He offers his
impressions of the crop in Cherokee county.

The crop scout says all of Iowa fields look to be in great shape, and barring any
late season disasters such as wind or hail, the fields should produce a great
harvest.

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As for the specific corn field located a mile east of Marcus, Creed and his team
believe from their calculations, the field may average a yield of 178 bushels per
acre.

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Polk County Considers Raising Minimum Wage, But Youth Wages To Be Lower

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The task force recommending a $10.75 minimum wage in Polk County also is recommending that employers would have to pay only 85 percent of that wage to workers younger than 18.
The task force voted for the recommendation Thursday. The plan now goes to the county Board of Supervisors.
The proposal would boost Polk County’s minimum wage to $8.75 in April. It would reach $10.75 by January 2019.
Some task force members sought the lower wage for young workers because of limitations placed on the teens’ duties and hours. Polk County Assistant Attorney Roger Kuhle had told task force members the separate youth wage would put the county’s ordinance on “thinner ice” legally, because state law applies the minimum wage for workers 14 and older.