Home News Saturday News, August 6

Saturday News, August 6

PLYMOUTH COUNTY DROUGHT

Drought conditions are expanding across the state, but the northwest region is being hit hardest. Don Kass farms in the Remsen are Plymouth County, which is in extreme drought. He says his crops have been faring well so far, but he’s starting to see signs of heat stress.

Kass says it’s a critical time for corn and soybean development. He says the area needs to see significant rainfall soon to aid the crops’ pollination process.

This year, the region saw its second driest June on record, what’s typically the wettest month of the season. On a daily basis, Area crop specialist Joel DeJong says he sees corn leaves curling and soybean leaves turning over to protect themselves from the heat.

DeJong says he expects the region’s yields will be impacted more than they were during last year’s drought. That’s due to a prolonged period of higher temperatures. Compared to last year, the region has seen more 90-degree weather.

The latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows around 60 Iowa counties are in some form of drought, with 30 counties abnormally dry, 20 counties in moderate drought, six in severe drought and four (Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury and Cherokee) in extreme drought.

 

TEEN IDENTIFIED

The Iowa State Patrol has identified the 15 year old who died of injuries suffered in a car-scooter accident north of Sheldon Wednesday.  15 year old Noah Carter Meyers of Ashton is the victim of the crash which occurred at the intersection of Iowa Highway 60 and 280th Street, east of Ritter.  The Mohr and Becker-Hunt Funeral Home of So Sioux City NE identifies him as Noah Carter Monroe.  An obituary says the teen had lived in Ashton for some time, and was going to begin his junior year at Sheldon High School this season.  The rider had crossed the southbound lanes of Iowa 60, into the path of a vehicle driven by 71 year old Bonnie Jean Allison of Spencer.  The teen later died of injuries suffered in the crash.  Allison was not injured.  A funeral will be held for Noah at the funeral home in Sioux City on Saturday, August 13.

 

DEATHS ARREST

There has been an arrest in connection with the suspected murders of four people in Laurel, NE.  The State Patrol says Jason Jones was arrested at a home on Elm Street early Friday morning.  The State Patrol says Jones had serious burns on his body and was taken to a Lincoln hospital in serious condition.  The State Patrol has identified all four victims, three of which are from the same family.

 

DRUG SUSPECT IMPRISONED

A Nebraska woman who was involved in a drug ring has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison.  Thirty-eight-year-old Erika Rojas of Dakota City pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute meth.  She also admitted she had received decorative masks from Mexico that were covered in a wax methamphetamine mixture.  Rojas and three others would then extract the meth from the wax and sell it in Nebraska and South Dakota.  Investigators say they found masks and several pounds of meth in her storage locker.

 

RAIL MERGER

The pending merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern would eventually triple the amount of train traffic through parts of eastern and southern Iowa.  Canadian Pacific spokesperson Andrew Cummings says that the railroad has plans to add sidings, extend existing sidings, and add electronic signaling systems – all to expand capacity so additional trains can be handled.  The merger would create the only single-line railroad linking Canada, the U-S, and Mexico.