Le Mars Police Investigate Semi Truck and Vehicle Accident
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has released additional information regarding Wednesday morning’s accident involving a semi truck and trailer and a vehicle that happened on Business Highway 75 near 24th street. When officers arrived on the scene, Awal Adam of Sioux City was trapped inside his 2001 Chrysler Sebring. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department and Le Mars Ambulance Services extracted him from his vehicle.
He was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare with serious injuries. The driver of the semi truck and trailer was Brett Van Noort of Akron. He was driving a 2005 Freightliner semi and was also transported to Floyd Valley by the Le Mars Ambulance Services. Van Noort suffered minor injuries. Through
investigation and witness statements, it appears the Chrysler Sebring driven by Awal Adam was traveling south bound on Business Highway 75 and veered into the north bound traffic. The Freightliner semi truck attempted to steer to the left to avoid the oncoming vehicle. Both vehicles collided head on. The Le Mars Police Department was assisted by the Plymouth County
Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Le Mars Ambulance Services, and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department. The investigation is on-going.
Sheriff’s Office Identifies Fatality Victim From Wednesday Accident – UPDATED
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a fatality that occurred Wednesday morning at about 10:40 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 16000 block of LeLand Drive, north of Le Mars, for an unresponsive male that had struck a tree. During the investigation, it was learned that the 76 year old male has been identified as Douglas Clay of Le Mars. Clay was traveling west on LeLand Drive in a 2005 Chevy Uplander.
The vehicle had left the roadway and struck a tree where the vehicle came to rest. Clay was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare where he was later pronounced dead. Initial investigation by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Plymouth County Medical Examiner indicates that Clay had a
medical condition prior to striking the tree which caused the death. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Le Mars Police Department, Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, and the Le Mars Ambulance Services.
Northwestern College Students Score Well With MCAT’s
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—For the second year in a row, Northwestern College students taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scored among the top 25 percent. The average score of Northwestern students on the 2018 exam
was in the 75th percentile. Two students scored in the 91st percentile.
Dr. Elizabeth Heeg, associate professor of biology, and faculty sponsor of Northwestern’s Future Physicians Club, says “Our faculty continue to do a high-quality job of teaching students relevant material. That… paired with students understanding how much work it takes and putting in the time, has
resulted in great scores on the MCAT. Heeg says she believes students saw their peers do well on the MCAT last year and realized it was possible.”
An additional factor is a voluntary, non-credit pre-MCAT course Heeg offers using the AdaptPrep software she developed with Dr. Tim Huffman, professor of mathematics at Northwestern. Meeting every other week, science students learn about the exam and then do practice questions with the AdaptPrep MCAT software, to which they receive free access.
Greg Christie, Northwestern College’s president says the new DeWitt Family Science Center that was recently dedicated will offer additional assistance for Northwestern College students pursuing a medical career.
Eighty percent of Northwestern’s science majors headed to medical school are accepted the first time they apply; the national matriculation rate for all medical school applicants is just 45 percent.
University of Iowa Suspends Nine Fraternities
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – University of Iowa officials say they’ve temporarily suspended nine fraternities for incidents with alcohol.
The chapters suspended Wednesday pending further investigation are accused of violating a university moratorium on alcohol at fraternity and sorority parties. The nine are: Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, Pi Kappi Phi, Acacia, Sigma Pi, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Chi.
University vice president Melissa Shivers says “the blatant and
systemic failure to curb holding dangerous open events with alcohol, including tailgates, will stop.” At a news conference Wednesday, Shivers didn’t describe any specific events or incidents that led to the suspensions.
The suspensions mean the chapters cannot participate in some
organization-sponsored meetings, programs, social events, intramural sports or homecoming activities.
Farmers Plead Guilty To “Organic Grain” Scam
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Three farmers have agreed to plead guilty to fraudulently marketing non-organic corn and soybeans as certified organic as part of a lengthy, multi-million-dollar scheme.
Documents filed in federal court in Iowa show that Tom Brennan,
James Brennan and Michael Potter each intend to plead guilty to wire fraud.
All three are identified in court papers as farmers from Nebraska,
but additional information about them wasn’t immediately available. Their attorneys didn’t immediately reply to phone messages.
Prosecutors allege that the three sold non-organic grains to an Iowa company that marketed them nationwide with an organic label. In particular, they allegedly used unapproved substances such as pesticides and nitrogen to grow the crops.
The scheme allegedly lasted from 2010 until 2017 and netted at least $10.8 million.
Northeast Iowa Man Sentenced To 50 Years For Stabbing Woman To Death
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – A man has been given 50 years in prison for stabbing to death a woman in her northeast Iowa home.
Court records say 54-year-old Garry James was sentenced Wednesday in Dubuque. Authorities say he killed 53-year-old Michelle Kinney on July 21.
Friends found her body two days later on the floor of her blood-spattered kitchen in Dubuque.
James pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after prosecutors
reduced the charge from first-degree murder.
County Supervisor Wants People To Take Selfie Photo To Win Paul McCartney Concert Tickets
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A county board of supervisors candidate in eastern Iowa is giving away Paul McCartney concert tickets to someone who participates in the candidate’s selfie contest.
The Quad-City Times reports that the Ken Croken campaign is hiding life-size cardboard cutouts of him around Scott County. People are encouraged to find one, take a selfie with it and then email the photo to Croken or post it on Facebook with the hashtag #CatchKenCroken.
A campaign Facebook posting Wednesday evening provided the addresses of the first two locations: one in Davenport, one in Bettendorf.
He says he wants the tactic to engage voters and doesn’t want to
plant hundreds of campaign signs that would spoil the county’s fall scenery.
Former Beatle McCartney is scheduled to play at the Taxslayer Center in nearby Moline, Illinois, in June. Croken will give away two tickets to a winner selected randomly from the pool of selfie senders.
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