Rejoice Community Church Gets Ready For Thanksgiving Meal
(Le Mars) — Preparations are being made for the Community Thanksgiving Banquet to be held Thursday at the Rejoice Community Church in Le Mars.
Adri Ruisch is again organizing the holiday meal which is expected to feed over 600 people. Ruisch, who says she isn’t certain as to how many years she has volunteered to help with the meal, says the annual event got started because of a challenge given to Rejoice Community Church’s congregation.
Ruisch says the first Community Thanksgiving was held to offer a holiday meal to the elderly, and under-privileged, who may not have family, or unable to visit with family members. She says the mission remains the same for today, but over the years, the Community Thanksgiving has grown, and now anybody is welcomed and encouraged to attend. She says families now gather at Rejoice Community Church to celebrate Thanksgiving.
How much food is needed to feed more than 600 people?
Ruisch says all the food is prepared on site at the Rejoice Community Church.
Serving takes place at the Rejoice Community Church beginning at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until 1:00 p.m. She says deliveries of the Thanksgiving meal starts at 10:30 a.m. Ruisch says about 300 meals are delivered at people’s homes. The entire meal is free.
The Community Thanksgiving organizer and long-time volunteer explains what foods will be featured on the menu.
She says the Rejoice Community Church relies upon the services of many volunteers and businesses for donations in order to have a successful Thanksgiving for the community. Ruisch says the group takes on a biblical quotation to help guide them for the banquet meal.
(photos are from 2018 event)
Average Cost For Traditional Thanksgiving Meal Is One Penny Higher
(Des Moines) — The average price of the traditional Thanksgiving meal has increased, but only by a penny over the cost from last year’s meal. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, along with its parent organization, the American Farm Bureau Federation conducted a survey across 38 states to
determine the cost of preparing the Thanksgiving meal for ten people. The average cost for the annual feast comes in this year at $48.91 an increase of one cent from last year. Dr. Sam Funk, the director of ag analytics and research and senior economist with Iowa Farm Bureau says, “Despite the sixth
consecutive year of a down-turned ag economy with lower commodity prices, consumers are getting a deal while farmers are getting eight cents of each dollar the consumer spends on food.” The average Thanksgiving dinner has been stable since 2011, averaging around $50 for a family of ten people.
Funk says that is great news for Iowans who love real meat and dairy and are shopping on a budget. Funk says 95 percent of Americans will enjoy turkey with their meal during this Thanksgiving. Iowa ranks among the top ten states in production of turkey. According to John Newton, chief economist
with the American Farm Bureau Federation, the price for turkey this year has come down.
Turkey serves as a mainstay for many Thanksgiving meals. It is low in fat, and packed with protein, providing up to 30 grams per serving. With a four-percent retail drop in the cost of turkey this year over 2018, turkey is an inexpensive source of iron, zinc, potassium and Vitamin B. A total of 264 volunteer shoppers checked grocery store prices and have purchased the same items since 1986. Newton says the food items that make up the Farm
Bureau Thanksgiving meal survey includes the turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie mix, pie shells, green beans, peas, stuffing, bread rolls, butter, coffee and milk. Farm Bureau has also looked at the price of ham as another entree item for the Thanksgiving meal.
Midwest Digs Out From Season’s First Major Snow Storm
(Omaha) — The storm system that wreaked havoc as it raced through Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska remains over much of Iowa. The National Weather Service says gusts could approach 60 mph (96.6 kph) as the storm heads northeast. A gust of 53 mph (85.3 kph) was reported Wednesday morning in Davenport.
The Iowa Transportation Department says several highways are packed with snow, but none is closed.
The National Weather Service says little new snowfall is expected over Iowa, where 8.3 inches (21.1 centimeters) was reported a mile west of Spirit Lake.
Far western Nebraska is shoveling out from higher amounts. Nearly a foot (30.5 centimeters) has been reported southeast of Lyman, with drifts up to 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) deep.
Several Nebraska highways and county roads are covered with snow as well, but no weather-related closures are reported.
Defendant Murder Suspect Wants A Different Location For Trial
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A man accused of killing an Iowa high school student almost 40 years ago wants his trial moved out of Linn County.
The attorney for 65-year-old Jerry Burns, of Manchester, said in a filing Monday that pretrial publicity made it unlikely Burns could receive a fair trial in Linn County. The trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 10.
Police arrested Burns Dec. 19, 39 years to the day after 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed. Her body was found the next day inside her family’s car at a Cedar Rapids mall. She had been stabbed in the face and chest.
Court Of Appeals Upholds Lawsuit Verdict From Fall On Ice
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld a $4.9 million jury verdict awarded to a Texas woman after she fell outside a hotel on an icy sidewalk.
The court in its ruling Wednesday rejected arguments by Marriott International that the jury’s 2018 verdict was excessive and the result of jury prejudice against the corporation.
Brenda Alcala, a software consultant for Genesis Health Systems, filed the lawsuit. She was staying at the Bettendorf Courtyard by Marriott in January 2010 when she slipped on ice and broke an ankle.
In 2016 the Iowa Supreme Court threw out a $1.2 million verdict from the first trial in 2014 and ordered a new trial over errors in jury instructions. The latest ruling upholds the 2018 verdict.
Marriott’s attorneys didn’t immediately reply to a message.
Reynolds Appoints Appeals Court Judge
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she has appointed a northwest Iowa judge to the Iowa Court of Appeals.
Reynolds says in a statement released Wednesday that Paul Ahlers, of Fort Dodge, will succeed Judge Amanda Potterfield, who is retiring from the bench on December 25. She was appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver in 2008.
Ahlers is Reynolds’ fourth appointment to the nine-member court.
He is a currently a district associate judge and previously practiced law with private firms in Spencer, Fort Dodge, and Webster City.
From 2008 to 2011 he worked for Travelers Insurance Companies in St. Paul, Minnesota.
