County Board Of Supervisors Will Not Meet This Week
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will take the week off and there will not be a meeting for today. The next meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 24th at the Courthouse Boardroom beginning at 9:30 a.m.
County Work Crews To Close 280th Street For Culvert Installation
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Secondary Road Department will close 280th street beginning on Wednesday, August 18th from county road K-49 and going east one mile to Marble Avenue. It is expected the stretch of road will remain closed until September 10th. Work crews are replacing an old wooden bridge with a precast box culvert.
City Council Expected To Name Ward 3 Replacement Council Member
(Le Mars) — Le Mars city council is expected to name the person to fill the council position of Ward 3 during today’s city council meeting. The council seat has been vacant since former city council person Ken Nelson needed to resign the position since he moved out of the district. The person to be named to fill the vacancy will serve on the city council through December 31st of 2021, completing Nelson’s remaining term. The yet to be named individual will have the opportunity to either seek election in the November election, or step away from serving on the city council. The city council will discuss the Dogwood Third Addition with a final plat and re-zoning. The city council will discuss submitting a grant application through the REAP program. The city council is expected to act on the third and final reading of the proposed mayor salary. The council has already passed two readings that would reduce the mayor’s salary beginning on January 1st. The council is scheduled to address the reverse osmosis water treatment financing. The city council will discuss the urban renewal plan amendment for the Le Mars Highway 75 bypass urban renewal area.
Rotta To Be Inducted Into State 4-H Hall Of Fame
(Le Mars) — Next Sunday, the Iowa 4-H Foundation will recognize those people to be inducted into the State 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony to be held inside the newly renovated 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This year’s Plymouth County 4-H Hall of Fame inductee will be Joe Rotta of Merrill. Rotta has been active with the 4-H swine show, and has assisted with the “Adopt A Pig” program.
Rotta says the 4-H members involved in the “Adopt A Pig” program usually first visit the hog farms and select their pigs when the pigs are at a feeder pig stage.
The Plymouth County pork producer says the program also involves some record keeping on behalf of the 4-H participant member.
Rotta says through the “Adopt A Pig” program, the pork producer retains ownership of the pig. Rotta also helps with the 4-H swine program by being a swine superintendent at the Plymouth County Fair. He assists with the weighing of the fair pigs, registration, and setting up the pens and gates, and assists with the swine show. Although Rotta himself was never involved in the 4-H program as a youngster, he has lived through the program with his three children, who were active members of the Plymouth County 4-H program.
Rotta says he is appreciative of the nomination for induction into the state 4-H Hall of Fame, but adds others may be more deserving of the honor. He says he gets a lot of enjoyment of seeing the 4-H members grow and learn through their projects, and that is why he volunteers his time for the Plymouth County 4-H program.
Senator Ernst Upset With President Biden With Afghanistan Military Withdraw
(Washington) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says President Biden has doubled down on finger pointing — blaming President Trump and others for the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
In a speech from the White House Monday, Biden suggested the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s government and the surrender of its military proved that further U-S involvement was fruitless if Afghans themselves weren’t willing to fight. Ernst says at some point, the U-S needed to withdraw, but after brutal Afghanistan winters, this is the peak of the so-called Taliban fighting season and she says the 25-hundred U-S soldiers there had been a stabilizing force for the Afghan military.
Ernst also faults Biden for failing to give any specifics on how the U.S. intends to evacuate Afghans who were our allies over the past two decades.
Ernst worked with other veterans in the House and Senate on legislation to speed up the State Department’s processing of Special Immigrant Visa applications from Afghans. And Ernst says it’s clear it would be a death sentence if U-S immigration officials deport Zalmay (zall-MAY) Niazy (nee-AH-zee) — the Afghan interpreter for U-S troops who’s lived in Iowa Falls since 2015. Niazy has been seeking political asylum in the United States. According to staff for Governor Kim Reynolds, 94 other Afghans and Iraqis with Special Immigrant Visas have been resettled in Iowa since mid-2016. ++++++ The other members of Iowa’s congressional delegation have expressed outrage and concern about the situation in Afghanistan. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the president was silent over the weekend as the world watched the unfolding catastrophe in Afghanistan and his speech yesterday (Monday) lacked clarity. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, says the crisis in Afghanistan was completely avoidable and undermines our position with other allies. Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull called his supporters to pray for all who stand in harm’s way in Afghanistan. Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, the only Democrat in Iowa’s federal delegation, says now is the time to stay focused on helping Afghans who worked to combat terrorism and support U.S. missions over the last 20 years.
Johnston Fire Has Been Burning For 10 Days
(Johnston, IA) –– People living in Johnston say a smoldering pile of construction materials, mulch, and trees has been filling the air with smoke and ash for more than 10 days. The fire was first reported August 6th. Since that time, the Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department reports it has responded to 11 calls about a fire burning at the location in front of Tyler Excavating. A half-million gallons of water have been used already. Fire Chief Jim Clark says the decaying organic matter is heating up on its own after firefighters have put it out. City officials have told Tyler Excavating it has to clean up the pile so it doesn’t re-ignite.
Jasper County: 9-Year-Old Boy Found In Water At Rock Creek State Park
(Newton, IA) — Authorities in Jasper County say a nine-year-old boy has died after being found in the water at Rock Creek State Park last weekend. The boy’s name hasn’t been released. Emergency responders were called to the scene at about 5:30 p-m Saturday. The victim was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital but doctors weren’t able to save his life. The boy’s death was announced Monday, but the official time of his death hasn’t been specified.
Police Look For Man Accused Of Setting Room On Fire With His Father Inside
(Des Moines, IA) — Des Moines police say they are searching for a man suspected of setting a room on fire while his father was inside. First-degree arson charges will be filed against Shane Lorenz. Investigators say the fire was set early Sunday morning. The victim reportedly suffered minor injuries that were suffered while he was escaping the fire by crawling out of a window. The father’s name hasn’t been released.
Creston Man Accused Of Killing His Brother
(Creston) — A Creston man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his brother who went missing in June and was later found dead in July. Arrest information filed with the court says 43-year old Dustin Seley (See-lee) of Creston was the last person seen with 58-year-old Timothy Fecther (Feck-ter) on June 20th. Fecther was reported missing the next day and a search of his Creston home turned up clothes that a witness said Seley was wearing when the two left together. The clothes had been cleaned by hand and there appeared to be a bloodstain on them. A sister of the two men told investigators that Seley admitted to getting into a fight with Fecther — and told her he took Fecther’s phone and left him on a rural road. The state medical examiner found that Fecther died from a single gunshot wound and also had suffered blows to the head.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced For Enticing Foreign Exchange Students
(Council Bluffs, IA) — A Council Bluffs man will spend more than 27 years in prison for pressuring foreign exchange students into sexual activity. Fifty-two-year-old Donald Boatright pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. Court information shows Boatright was a foreign exchange student coordinator and host parent when he put a camera in a bathroom and made several recordings of foreign exchange students. Investigators also found that Boatright coerced and enticed foreign students to engage in sexual activity after they arrived here. He was sentenced to 327 months in prison.
Rural Rockwell Girl Dies In Accident
(Rockwell, IA) — A seven-year-old north-central Iowa girl died in an accident Sunday. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department says Bryclynn Blackdeer was operating a homemade go-cart at a rural Rockwell address when it ran into a boat trailer. Blackdeer died from her injuries.
Democratic Wing Ding In North Iowa Canceled
(Clear Lake, IA) — The Iowa Democratic Wing Ding scheduled for August 20th at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake has been canceled. A tweet from the group says it’s been canceled because of the rapid spread of the Delta variant of Covid. Wing Dings of the past have featured presidential hopefuls and Democrats seeking state office. The event is a fundraiser for several county-level Democratic Parties in northern Iowa.
