DE JONG RETIRES
Iowa State University Area Agronomist Joel De Jong retires next week, after over 40 years of service, most of it from his office in Plymouth County. His work in his assigned crop reporting district in northwest Iowa has been rewarding…
His work has been through partnerships, businesses, area colleges, and of course, individual farmers.
DeJong’s last day of work is Wednesday, August 31. There will be an open house in his honor on that day, from 5 to 7 pm, at the Le Mars Convention Center. De Jong says people can come and go as they wish, he just wants to express his gratitude to those he’s worked with over the years.
CONTEST WINNER
A Remsen woman has won a grand prize in a company drawing, which includes a contribution to her favorite charity.
Jan Hofman won the prize from The Cellular Connection. Store manager Sherri Bauman says Jan’s name was pulled from hundreds entered in the nationwide contest.
The prize was awarded yesterday at the TCC store in Le Mars. Hofman wasn’t sure what to make of it until she was announced the winner.
Bauman says Hofman’s name was drawn from among receipts from stores across TCC’s sales region.
Bauman had a hard time keeping the winner’s name under wraps until the announcement.
Hofman wasn’t sure what to make of the situation until she was announced the winner.
Hofman received a grand prize of 10-thousand dollars, and the company will donate another 10-thousand dollars to St Judes Children’s Hospital, the charity designated by Hofman.
Bauman says this is the first time a winner was drawn from among her customers.
MISUSE OF SCHOOL FUNDS
The Iowa State Auditor’s Office has found more than 16-thousand dollars in improper disbursements from student activities funds in Emmetsburg. An investigation found high school football coach Mike Dunlap spent the money on football camps and other unapproved items. The auditor’s office examined transactions between July 2013 and August of last year. Dunlap has repaid more than 46-hundred dollars to the Emmetsburg Community School District. He is no longer the activities director for the district but remains the high school’s football coach. A determination will be made on whether charges should be filed.
NEW DEPUTIES
The Sioux County Sheriffs Department has hired two new deputies: Deputy Sheriff Alex Bakker and Deputy Sheriff Agustin Martinez; both deputies began their careers and honorably served as Officers of the Sioux Center Police Department.
SCAM ALERT
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office is making residents aware of a scam going around using the social media app Snapchat.
In the latest reported incidents, scammers request to follow others using a fake account and make attempts to gain various inappropriate photos. Once the scammer receives these photos, they demand that the user send them funds electronically or they will make the photos public.
They remind all Snapchat users to only let people you know follow you and not to follow anyone you do not know; we also urge parents to please remind your children of this on a regular basis and check up on them.
CHILD FOUND IN POOL
Emergency responders in Sioux City say a two-year-old child had climbed into a swimming pool Wednesday while it was being drained. The child was discovered unresponsive just after 6:00 p-m. The child was airlifted to an Omaha hospital and is listed in critical condition. Sioux City police say it doesn’t appear that the parent had acted in a criminally negligent manner.
SCHOOL GUN PLAN
Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn reacted to the decision of the Spirit Lake School District to arm some staff members by blaming Republicans. Wilburn is also a state representative from Ames and says Republicans have created a downward spiral for gun laws in the state. Democrat State Senator Herman Quirmbach (KWIRM-bawk) of Ames says turning schools into armed camps is “just the absolute wrong way. The Spirit Lake plan would allow ten staff members who go through training to be armed. The district superintendent says statistics show quick intervention is the best way to limit the damage by a school shooter.
