Carlin Says He Will Run For U-S Senate Seat
(Sioux City) — State Senator Jim Carlin of Sioux City has made a major announcement. Through a posting on social media, the Republican says he is throwing his name as a candidate for the United States Senate. The seat is currently being held by Chuck Grassley. Grassley, who has been the U-S Senator representing Iowa for more than 36 years, is up for election in 2022.
However, Grassley has not said as of yet if he will seek a seventh term.
Carlin has scheduled a news conference for this Monday morning to officially announce his candidacy.
Health Officials Say To Bundle Up To Protect Yourself From Possible Frost Bite
(Le Mars) — We could see some dangerous cold temperatures this week, and health officials reminds us to limit our time exposed to the outdoors.
Frostbite can occur within minutes when dealing with sub-zero temperatures along with sub-zero wind chill index. The advice is to make certain all parts of your body is covered before going outdoors. In a previous interview from last year, Lorrie Mortensen of Floyd Valley Healthcare says frost bite can
happen fairly quickly.
Mortensen says the first symptoms of frost bite can be a cold, prickly feeling.
The Director of Nursing recommends wearing mittens as opposed to gloves.
She says both the young and the elderly are more susceptible to the frigid cold temperatures, and they are likely to get frost bite before others.
Mortensen’s advice during this period of cold temperatures is to “bundle up and keep moving” and make certain you wear several layers of clothing.
Fairboard Officials Are Planning For 2021 Plymouth County Fair
(Le Mars) — Plans are proceeding to have the Plymouth County Fair this summer. Loren Schnepf is the president of the Plymouth County fairboard, and says the fairboard met last week and discussed the issue. He says it was a general agreement with the fair board directors to go ahead with plans to hold the “Best Five Days of Summer”.
Schnepf says the fairboard has been fortunate to be able to book all the entertainment acts and grandstand shows that were previously scheduled for last year’s fair that was post-poned due to the COVID-19 virus.
Schnepf says it takes nearly a year in order to plan and organize the five days of the fair. Another factor the fairboard will need to consider this year is hosting the RAGBRAI bicycle ride across Iowa. Le Mars is scheduled to serve as the overnight host community that will start the bicycle ride.
An estimated 20,000 bicycle riders will converge on Le Mars, just three days before the fair is to begin. Schnepf says the fairboard will be prepared to convert the fairgrounds from a camping site into an exhibit show.
The Plymouth County Fairboard president says he is hopeful by the time the fair rolls around that perhaps the majority of people would have the opportunity to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Schnepf says the dates for the 2021 Plymouth County Fair are Wednesday, July 28th through Sunday, August 1st.
Iowa Senators Vote To Acquit Trump
(Washington, DC) — Iowa two Republican U-S Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both voted for acquittal in the impeachment of former President Donald Trump in the vote held Saturday. Grassley issued a statement saying the senator do not have the authority to try a private citizen like former President Trump. Grassley’s statement says if they did have the authority,
then he should have been accorded the protections of due process of law in his trial. Grassley also said the House Managers still did not prove that the former president committed incitement to insurrection. Ernst released a statement on Twitter that said that Donald Trump is no longer in office and
Congress should not be in the business of using impeachment as a partisan tool to exact political revenge.
Bathroom Bill May Stall In Iowa House
(Des Moines, IA) — A bill that would require transgender students to only use school bathrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth which passed in the Iowa Senate may stall in the Iowa House. The chair of the Iowa House Education Committee says he’s unlikely to advance a so-called “bathroom
bill.” Representative Dustin Hite, a Republican from New Sharon says they have to be “extremely careful that what we are doing does not come across as hateful, and that’s always a concern in these issues.” Hite says he understands concerns on both sides of the issue.
Armstrong City Officials Face Charges
(Armstrong, IA) — Three current officials and a former employee in the northwest Iowa city of Armstrong face charges after a routine audit sparked an investigation of the city’s finances. Mayor Greg Buum, Police Chief Craig Merrill, City Clerk Tracie Lang, and former City Clerk Connie Thackery face
felony and misdemeanor charges that include ongoing criminal conduct, fraudulent practice, theft, misconduct while in office, tampering with records, assault, and falsifying public documents. The multi-year investigation led by the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office and Division of Criminal Investigation is said to have uncovered wrongdoing that includes misappropriating city funds, presenting fraudulent public records, deploying a TASER against a civilian in exchange for cash, and falsification of ledgers
to hide embezzlement. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the cases at the request of local officials due to a potential conflict of interest.
Bitter Cold To Continue Another Day
(Undated) — The National Weather Service says the bitter and dangerously cold temperatures will continue through this (Monday) afternoon. Wind chill values will reach 30 to 40 degrees below zero this morning, and a Wind Chill Warning is in effect for almost all of Iowa. The N-W-S says cold temperatures
will continue Tuesday, but will not be as dangerous, and things will start to warm up into the 20s by the coming weekend.
