School Board To Decide On Selection Of High School Algebra Textbook During Monday Meeting
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will gather this evening for their bi-monthly meeting. The local school board has a short agenda for this evening’s meeting. They will hear a report from Lori Carter regarding the selection of a new High School Algebra III textbook, and later during the meeting will consider adoption of the recommended textbook. The school board will also appoint a member of the board to serve as the Iowa Association of School Boards legislative action network representative.
Fireworks Exhibition Injures Three People
(Newell) — A fireworks exhibition at Newell over the weekend turned serious when a cannon used to shoot the fireworks had tipped over causing the fireworks mortar to go into the crowd. The incident caused three people to be injured. One of the three was transported to the Buena Vista County Regional hospital at Storm Lake, while the other two were airlifted to the
University of Iowa hospitals in Iowa City. No word as to the condition of the injured three people. Authorities are investigating that accident.
Law Enforcement Agencies Involved In High Speed Chase Into Two States
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) – An Iowa man faces charges in Nebraska and Iowa after officials say he led officers on a high-speed chase and rammed two law enforcement vehicles.
The Nebraska State Patrol says the incident happened Friday evening when a trooper tried to stop a pickup truck being pursued by South Sioux City police. Officials say the truck rammed the trooper’s car, which had maneuvered in front of it, from behind before crossing into Iowa.
The trooper and a Dakota County Sheriff’s Office following the truck onto Interstate 29 before it went out of control and became stuck in a median. Officials say the truck then rammed both the trooper’s car and the sheriff’s SUV before the driver was arrested.
The patrol says 43-year-old Larry Johnson II, of Sioux City, in being held in an Iowa jail. The officers were not seriously injured.
Interstate-29 Shut Down Due To Semi Trailer Leaking Hazardous Materials
MONDAMIN, Iowa (AP) – Chemicals leaking from a semitrailer forced authorities to close a portion of Interstate 29 in western Iowa.
The Iowa Public Safety Department says a motorist noticed the leak and flagged down the semi around 12:30 p.m. Sunday in Harrison County.
The leaking liquids were determined to be hazardous, so northbound and southbound lanes were closed and traffic diverted around the closed area. Hazmat teams were called in.
The liquids were later identified as hydrogen peroxide and other
chemicals.
A dispatcher says the lanes were reopened around 11 p.m.
Farmer’s Market Attracts Vendors and Customers
(Le Mars) — Looking for fresh produce? Perhaps some home-grown honey, or maybe you prefer some jams or jellies? All of that and much more can be located at the Le Mars Farmer’s Market located on Prospect Street near Cork-It. During Saturday morning’s Farmer’s Market more than 15 vendors were
selling their items. One of them was Rob Scheitler . He talks about Saturday morning’s activities.
Scheitler was offering several different types of bread loafs for sale.
Scheitler says there was a good deal of interest at Saturday’s Farmer’s Market, and he reviews the other products that were for sale at the Le Mars Farmer’s Market.
The Le Mars Farmer’s Market is open on Saturday mornings between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
Former Iowa Governor Robert Ray Dies
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Former longtime Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray, who helped thousands of Vietnam War refugees relocate to the state and defined Iowa’s GOP politics for years, has died. He was 89.
(photo contributed.)
Ray’s former chief of staff David Oman said Ray died Sunday at a
nursing home. He said Ray battled Parkinson’s disease for several years.
Ray was elected governor in 1968, after helping rebuild the Iowa
Republican Party following devastating national GOP losses in 1964. Ray never faced a serious election challenge during his 14 years as governor.
In 2011, Ray told The Associated Press he was especially proud of his work helping Vietnam refugees resettle in Iowa. That began in 1975, and Iowa became one of the largest resettlement locations in the U.S.Ray said his approach to governing was simple: decide what’s right, then figure out how to promote it.
Bullet Fragments Hit Two People Following Accidental Shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say bullet fragments struck two people after a handgun went off in one of a man’s pockets at the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene around 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the 27-year-old man was pulling something from the pocket when the gun fired.
The bullet bounced off the floor and fragmented. One fragment struck a 62-year-old woman in a leg and another hit a 9-year-old girl in a leg. Both people were hospitalized.
The Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released the names of those involved. No arrest or citations have been reported.
Proposal Suggests Using Inmates To Construct Homes For Low Income Residents
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa agency wants to use inmates to eventually build at least 100 homes a year for low-income individuals around the state, an unusual idea within the expansive prison labor industry.
The Iowa Department of Corrections said the program, which was quietly considered but ultimately rejected during the last legislative session, would give inmates work-training that could reduce their likelihood of returning to prison once they’re released. The agency believes it could help alleviate Iowa’s shortage of skilled workers while addressing its lack
of affordable housing.
Yet the effort has faced an uphill climb. A bill to create the
program failed to secure enough votes. It was later added to a pair of unrelated budget bills before getting cut.
Most states use prison labor to produce a range of goods and
services, but few for home building.
