FAIR NUMBERS
The Plymouth County Fair is attracting more people this year, compared to last, and food vending has shot up in the first two days. This is Plymouth County Fair Board Member Candace Nash.
Nash says even a bout of wet weather on opening day actually turned into a positive for the fair.
This morning, the highlight of the fair is the beef show, and it’s been impressive so far.
Nash says livestock shows are building momentum behind a successful beef show today.
The number of commercial vendors on the fairgrounds have been in Nash’s description, phenomenal.
Nash says admission to the fair covers everything.
Pioneer Village entertainment tonight includes hypnotist Lizzy the Dream Girl, The Britain’s Beatles tribute, and country Singer Jason Pritchett. Grandstand entertainment tonight is the demolition derby.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY 4H HALL OF FAME
Carol Schneider of rural Le Mars was named to the Plymouth County 4H Hall of Fame Wednesday. Schneider filled many roles in 4H and Extension in Plymouth County since arriving a year or so after her graduation from Iowa State University.
Schneider served in Polk and Mills counties before coming to Plymouth County.
Schneider wore many hats in 4H and Extension: Educator, Group Leader, and she helped found the 4H Foundation.
She’s seen much change and growth in 4H and at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds.
Schneider describes what makes 4H and Extension so successful in Plymouth County.
After 42 years in Plymouth County, Schneider stills wants to participate in 4H and Fair activities.
Besides the honor of being named to the Plymouth County 4H Hall of Fame this week, Schneider was inducted into the Iowa 4H Hall of Fame in 2014.
Carol and John Schneider still farm in northern Plymouth County. They have two children and 5 great-grandchildren.
NORTHWESTERN DEGREES
Northwestern College in Orange City will award the first Master’s degrees in their physician assistant studies program next month. 24 students will receive their degrees in a ceremony August 11 at Christ Chapel on the Northwestern campus. The Degrees will be conferred by vice president for academic affairs Dr Nathan Phinney, and Dr. Alan Laird, medical director for the physician assistant studies program. Marty Guthmiller, CEO of Orange City Area Health will address the students. The graduates come from eight states, from Washington to Wisconsin, and from Minnesota to Texas.
PILOT POLLUTION
Pilot Travel Centers is paying over 121-thousand dollars in civil penalties in connection with Clean Water Act violations at truck stops in Iowa, Nebraska. and Missouri. The Environmental Protection Agency says Pilot violated the terms of its water discharge permit at 17 stations, including the one in Sioux City.
IOWA SOLAR PROJECT
The site of Iowa’s only nuclear power generating plant is going to host a solar project. State regulators will approve an eight-hundred-million-dollar plan to install two fields of solar panels at the site of the Duane Arnold Energy Center north of Cedar Rapids. This will take place if local officials in eastern Iowa approve zoning changes. If Linn County officials approve the plans, the Iowa Utilities board has announced it will grant waivers and electric generation certificates for the solar projects. NextEra is the company that has proposed building a battery storage facility and two separate solar projects that would cover more than eleven-hundred acres, and Alliant Energy has submitted a plan to buy the projects from NextEra once construction is done.
UNIVERSITY TUITION INCREASES
The Iowa Board of Regents approved the second and final reading of the tuition increases for students at the three state universities during their meeting Thursday. University of Iowa students will pay an extra 355 dollars this fall, Iowa State student an extra 354 dollars, and University of Northern Iowa students and extra 331 dollars. The Regents also approved various mandatory fee increases for the three schools. Iowa State student body president Jacob Ludwig says he’s concerned how the tuition hikes will impact low-income students. Board officials say it’s needed to keep up with inflationary costs.
IOWA TOBACCO SETTLEMENT
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller accuses tobacco companies Philip Morris, R-J Reynolds, and 16 others of defrauding Iowa of millions of dollars by withholding payments due under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. He calls it “just an enormously complex case,” but it comes down to their ability to withhold 133 million dollars from Iowa over the past 18 years.” The settlement requires tobacco manufacturers to pay billions annually to participating states in exchange for the states agreeing not to sue for health-related damages to citizens. The lawsuit was filed in Polk County District Court Thursday.
HY-VEE NEW CEO
The C-E-O of Hy-Vee — Iowa’s largest employer — will step down from that post on September 30th. Randy Edeker has been the chief executive officer of Hy-Vee since 2012. He’s chosen Aaron Wiese to take over as C-E-O on October First. Wiese started at Hy-Vee in 1993 when he was in college and over the past decade Wiese has held a variety of executive roles in the company. According to a news release, Wiese will focus on day-to-day operations and will report to Edeker, who’ll remain as chairman of Hy-Vee’s board of directors.
