Informational Meeting Scheduled For Proposed Wind Farm
(Le Mars) — An informational meeting is being planned for Wednesday evening, July 1st regarding a proposed wind turbine farm for Plymouth County. Alan Lucken, Plymouth County’s Zoning Administrator, says due to the COVID-19
virus, the meeting will be offered on-line as a virtual meeting.
Lucken says depending upon the size of wind turbine generators the company wants to install, they could be 600 feet high with each wind turbine capable of generating up to four megawatts of electricity. Lucken says Invenergy is proposing having the wind turbines be located on the eastern side of Plymouth County.
The Plymouth County Zoning Administrator says Invenergy will first need to get a conditional use variance permit from the county’s Board of Adjustment, but if all permits are approved, construction of the wind turbines could get started as early as this fall.
Lucken says Invenergy has already spoken with local landowners about obtaining easements for their property.
Lucken says interested parties wanting to participate in the informational meeting can either go online to Invenergy’s website, or by calling a toll-free telephone number.
People with questions or comments about the wind turbine project being proposed for Plymouth County can speak with the project representative Matt Berler. His office is located at 158 South Washington Street in Remsen. His phone number is (312) 429-2551.
Ernst And Greenfield Spar Over EPA And Renewable Fuels
(Des Moines) — Republican Senator Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield are both criticizing the E-P-A administrator’s handling of federal ethanol policy — and each questions the other’s commitment to promoting the corn-based fuel. Greenfield says Ernst never should have voted to confirm a lobbyist from the fossil fuels industry to lead the agency.
Ernst says she threatened to call for Wheeler’s resignation last October if he didn’t follow through on the president’s promises to the ethanol industry — and Ernst ridicules Greenfield for getting Wheeler’s name wrong in a press conference.
Ernst says she’s been working on ethanol policy for at least a decade, starting when she was a member of the state senate.
Both Ernst and Greenfield are critical of the Trump Administration’s consideration of waivers that would let oil refineries escape the requirement to blend ethanol into gasoline. Ernst has recently blocked a senate vote on a man nominated to be the deputy administrator of the E-P-A — as a way of protesting the consideration of those waivers.
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Department Of Education To Clarify School Reopening Guidelines
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Education says it will clarify the guidelines it issued last week for reopening the state’s public schools.
There was an immediate backlash because the guidelines didn’t require students and staff to wear face masks. Education leaders are promising to release more information in the days ahead. They had partnered with the Iowa Department of Public Health to provide health resources and some guidance for Pre-K through 12th-Grade classes returning to in-person education this fall.
Des Moines Woman Arrested For 2018 Fatal Hit-And-Run
(West Union, IA) — Authorities in Fayette County report a Des Moines woman has been arrested for a fatal hit-and-run accident that happened two years ago. Twenty-six-year-old Kelli Jo Michael is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. Fourteen-year-old Kaiden Estling
suffered fatal injuries when she was hit by Michael’s car as she rode a moped along Iowa Highway 150 just south of Fayette in June 2018. Michael was arrested Friday and is being held in the Fayette County Jail.
Marion Police Investigate Racial Slurs
(Marion, IA) — Marion police are trying to determine who painted racial slurs on a family’s house last week. Neighbors used a power-washer to remove the graffiti on the garage, the house and a truck. Prince Hodges says he has dealt with racism in his life, but he has no idea why this happened in a
quiet Marion neighborhood. Police are said to be working with the F-B-I and the U-S Attorney’s Office to determine if the incident will be prosecuted under the federal hate crime statute.
Iowa Museum Updated To Honor Black Lives Matter Movement
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — An Iowa museum has been updated to honor the Black Lives Matter movement. The African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids opened temporarily last weekend, holding an event inspired by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Information about the killing and the resulting
protests will be on display when the museum officially reopens on July 10th.
Governor Reynolds Declares Two Counties As Disaster Areas
DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation today for Fayette and Van Buren counties in response to a severe storm system June 20 and continuing.
The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for Fayette and Van Buren counties.
The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $43,440 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.
Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.
