Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Fatal Accident Near Remsen
(Remsen) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal accident that happened at the east edge of Remsen Monday afternoon at Highway 3 and Highway 140 near the Golden Pheasant restaurant. The accident occurred
shortly before 1:00 p.m. Upon arrival, it was determined the accident involved a semi-tractor and trailer and a passenger car. The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the accident resulted in a fatality. No other information is being released at this time. More information will be released once the family has been notified. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Remsen Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa
D-O-T Motor vehicle enforcement, and the Iowa D-O-T Road Maintenance. The investigation is being led by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and Le Mars Police Department accident investigation team.
No County Board Of Supervisors Meeting Scheduled For Today
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will not be holding a meeting this morning. They will convene next Tuesday at the County Courthouse Board Room.
City Council To Discuss K-N-S Fourth Addition
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will begin today’s meeting with a public hearing at noon to discuss the fiscal year 2021-2022 maximum property tax dollars. In term of action items for today’s council meeting, the city council is expected to give partial approval of public improvements for the K-N-S fourth addition. The council will also review the city employee
handbook. During the discussion portion of today’s meeting, the city council will hear annual reports from the Wastewater Treatment facility, and the Ambulance Services.
State House Approves School Funding Bill
(Des Moines) — The Iowa House has passed a school spending bill that comprises of a 2.4 percent increase over last year. Republican House Representative Dr. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says originally the House had a higher figure in mind.
Jeneary says he has visited with a few area school board members about the figure coming out of the Iowa House, and says they were in agreement with the school spending increase. Jeneary says the state lawmakers added a per pupil
equity attached to the education spending bill, as well as increase the amount designated for transportation costs.
The State Senate is expected to take up the school spending bill this week, and then the bill will go to conference committee to arrive at a compromise between the House version and the Senate version.
Johnson Awarded Iowa “Hog Wild” Award From Iowa Pork Producers Association
(Des Moines) — A Plymouth County Pork Producer was awarded the Iowa “Hog Wild” award from the Iowa Pork Producers Association during the farm group’s recent annual meeting. Ben Johnson, of rural Ireton, has served the Plymouth County Pork Producers board of directors for 14 years. He coordinates October Pork Month promotions, and also promotes pork in projects with the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce and the Plymouth County Fair. That means new residents to
the county have been greeted with pork coupons, and many other county residents have seen him grilling pork at the fair and golf outings, or through his involvement with the Dine at the County Line event that brings together farmers and consumers in Woodbury and Plymouth counties.
Johnson also assisted with projects educating students about pork production.
Local students may recognize him from swine production videos produced by the Siouxland Ag in the Classroom program.
Ben and his wife Janelle were recognized as Master Pork Producers in 2011 and as Iowa Pork Producer Association’s Pork All-American winners in 2017.
Johnson also brings a pig farmer’s perspective in his service to the Plymouth County Farm Bureau and the county 4-H board.
Swine Diseases Discussed At Regional Swine Meeting
(Orange City) — Swine diseases was the topic of discussion during Monday’s Iowa Pork Producer Association’s Regional meeting held at Orange City. Dr. Chris Radamacher serves as the State Swine Veterinarian, and was one of the featured speakers. He says the disease PRRS is again making its way into
Iowa pork production facilities.
Radamacher says he also discussed with area pork producers a disease that has similar features as the deadly foot and mouth disease, but fortunately, is not the dreaded foot and mouth disease.
The State Swine Veterinarian also offered pork producers an update on the spread of African Swine Fever. Radamacher says African Swine Fever has not, and hopefully never will enter the U-S borders. However, he says it is spreading quickly across Asia and into Europe, and decimating pork herds.
Radamacher says because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, pork producers have a greater awareness and appreciation of how quickly a foreign disease can spread around the world, and they are taking additional steps to improve on their bio-security measures.
Man Shot At Marshalltown Casey’s Was An Employee
(Marshalltown, IA) — The Iowa D-C-I has identified the victim in a shooting in Marshalltown and made an arrest in his death. The D-C-I says 48-year-old Michael Ray West was an employee of the Casey’s Convenience store where he was found dead around 3 a-m Sunday. West was working at the time he was shot.
Marshalltown police arrested 20-year-old Rocky Dean Trujillo of Marshalltown after serving a search warrant. Police say Trujillo is charged with first-degree murder, two counts first-degree robbery, along with going armed with intent, assault with intent to inflict serious injury and trafficking in stolen weapons.
CO-OPS Warn Of Rolling Blackouts Due To Cold
(Glidden, IA) — Western Iowa electric cooperatives are notifying customers of the potential of rolling blackouts through today (Tuesday). Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative of Glidden C-E-O Jim Gossett says there’s an extremely high demand due to the frigid temperatures and power may need to be rationed.
He says a rolling blackout means one of the substations will be shut down for about 45 minutes and those members on the substations will be out of power. Gossett says the rolling blackouts protect all users by preventing the whole system from going down. Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association
and other rural providers are sending similar warnings to their customers.
Gossett says rolling blackouts are possible through at least this (Tuesday) evening and are most likely during peak usage times, which are generally between 7:00 a-m to 10:00 a-m and 4:00 p-m to 8:00 p-m.
IDPH Says No Change In Decision To Withhold Vaccine In Five Counties
(Des Moines, IA) — A spokesperson for the Iowa Department Of Public Health says reports it is reversing course in withholding COVID-19 vaccine doses from five counties are not true. Doses are being withheld from Buchanan, Chickasaw, Hancock, Poweshiek and Washington Counties after they fell below
the 80 percent dispersal level for the vaccine. Public health officials in the five counties are expressing confusion, dismay and frustration over the state’s decision to withhold the vaccines. Buchanan County Health Department Director Tai (TY) Burkhart says learning the county would not get its 400 dose allocation this week was one of the hardest things she’s experienced in
her career. I-D-P-H says they expect every Iowa county to get a share of doses next week, distributed based on population.
State Looking At System To Track Food Stamp Benefits
(Des Moines, IA) — A bill in the Iowa Senate would require a new computer system to periodically check if someone is eligible for food stamps.
Republican Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig proposes that the Iowa Department of Human Services buy the system or pay a private company to verify eligibility for food stamps by July 1st of 2022. But Janee Harvey of the Iowa Department of Human Services says Equifax has offered the agency a free one-year trial of its system. She says they are in the process of determining the system design alterations that will be needed to test the effectiveness of their system. Harvey says the federal government will be providing all states a system at no charge in late 2022 — so it is not necessary to spend money on a system. Senator Schultz says he expects to draft changes in the bill before it’s considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.
Late Data From Census Bureau Poses Problem For Redistricting
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa lawmakers are reviewing their options after learning from the Census Bureau that population data for redrawing congressional and legislative districts won’t be released until September 30th. Iowa’s Constitution requires the legislature to approve new maps by September 1st.
Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says the realities of the pandemic, the Iowa Constitution, and the U-S Constitution are creating a unique set of challenges and the Senate is evaluating its options on how best to proceed.
Legislative leaders have begun appointing members to the temporary board that holds public hearings about the redistricting process.
Story County Deputy Stops Three Excessive Speeders
(Nevada, IA) — The Story County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy caught three people driving at speeds well above the limit this weekend. The sheriff’s office said on its Facebook page that the one speeder was going 62 miles-an-hour above the posted limit. The three speeders were clocked at 92, 113, and 127 miles-an-hour.
