ROLLOVER ACCIDENT
Last night the Plymouth County Sheriffs Office responded to a notification of a single vehicle rollover accident. The accident occured 5 miles east of Kingsley on C66 near Almond avenue around 7 pm. Sheriffs Deputies Kingsley police arrived. They found two juvenile females who were involved in the accident. They determined that one of the two juveniles was driving east on county road C66 when she lost control and rolled the vehicle. The crash caused severe disabling damage to the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was removed from the scene.
SHERIFF APPOINTMENT
A special meeting of the Sioux County Board of Supervisors will take place on September 1st to appoint a new Sheriff. Current Sheriff Dan Altena announced his retirement, effective August 31. The Board will meet the next day, Thursday, September 1, to appoint a replacement. Altena, meanwhile, won a primary election to be the Republican nominee for the county board of supervisors, representing Sioux Center. No Democrats have filed papers to run in the general election this fall.
NITRATE TESTING
A new survey finds as many as three out of four Iowa households that rely on private well water may be at risk for unhealthy nitrate levels. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach survey found just 10 percent of well owners tested their water quality in the last year, as it is not required by state law. Jamie Benning is the assistant director for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension at I-S-U.
Benning says about 33 percent of well owners are considered to be at the highest risk because they also haven’t installed filters to remove nitrates and don’t seek alternative sources of drinking water. Even though it’s not required by the state, Benning says people should regularly test their well water to make sure it’s safe to drink.
It’s estimated about 7.6-percent of Iowa households use well water.
RSV CASES
The Sioux City area is seeing an increase in R-S-V cases — the virus that is usually associated with infants and the elderly. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.
Mercy One Doctor, Steven Joyce, describes the most recent cases.
He says people who get sick with R-S-V might think they have a cold, and some worry it could be COVID.
He says the only thing that can be done about R-S-V is to let it run its course.
The virus is spread by people coughing and sneezing and from surfaces. Doctor Joyce says frequent hand washing is a way to prevent it — and you should stay home if you are ill. He says it will usually run its course in seven to ten days.
FAIR UPGRADES
The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation announced plans to spend 25 million dollars to renovate the livestock barns on the fairgrounds. Foundation executive director, Peter Cownie, says the cattle, horse, sheep, and swine barns will each get an update. Cownie says each barn need some type of work and they will renovate them while still keeping their historic appearance. Cownie says they will have more details on the renovation schedule when they meet in October.
GEHLEN CATHOLIC OPENS
One more day, and Gehlen Catholic Schools begin a new season. Amy Jungers – Development director at Gehlen Catholic – says this year’s theme is Hope.
That theme is woven into the fabric of the school days throughout the year.
Plenty of events are scheduled in September to bring parents and students together. The first social event of the season took place last night – an open house/tailgate at Gehlen Catholic. After a day off today, school starts tomorrow.
The first day of classes at Le Mars Community Schools is also Wednesday.
LE MARS FFA
A Le Mars FFA member has been approved for her American Degree at this years National FFA Convention. Kiley Allen has been awarded the honor. The American Degree is the highest degree achievable by the National FFA Organization. It shows an FFA member’s dedication to his/her chapter and state FFA association. It demonstrates the effort FFA members apply toward their supervised agricultural experience and the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited throughout their FFA career.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BUSINESS
The Republican running for state auditor says he blew the whistle on profiteering in a state agency, but State Auditor Rob Sand’s office hasn’t launched an investigation. Todd Halbur (HAL-bur), the former chief financial officer of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, sued the State of Iowa after he was fired in 2018.
Shortly after Halbur sued the Reynolds Administration in 2019, a spokesman for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division called Halbur’s allegations untrue. Private companies manage the sale of beer and wine to Iowa retailers, restaurants and bars, but the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division is the wholesaler for liquor.
Halbur made his comments at the Iowa State Fair. Sand’s campaign manager says Halbir had a record of mishandling taxpayers’ money, but misstating asset values by hundreds of thousands of dollars three years in a row at the Alcoholic Beverages Division. If Halbur believes the state should have ended its wholesale liquor system, Sand’s campaign manager says Halbur should have been lobbying the Republican governor and Republicans who’ve been in charge of the leg8islature.
BUTTER COW ENGAGEMENT
This year’s butter sculpture wasn’t the only thing inside the sculpture cooler at the Iowa State Fair. Nick Buckton of Des Moines proposed to his girlfriend, Mackenzie Burger Saturday during a private tour inside the cooler, all with the secret cooperation of butter cow artist Sarah Pratt. Buckton got down on one knee inside the cooler, and the crowd on the outside cheered when Burger said “yes.”
