MANURE SPILL
The Iowa DNR is warning of a manure spill in southern Plymouth County. Residents along Perry Creek west of Hinton are urged to avoid contact with the water, including recreation, and water for livestock. A manure spill was detected from a 3-thousand head cattle facility which flowed into the creek. DNR says the feedlot owner, Rick Hansen, was land applying effluent from his manure storage structure when runoff traveled down a sloped gradient through his field into Perry Creek. An unknown amount of liquid cattle manure entered the stream. A fish kill is unknown at this time. DNR staff are currently investigating the impacts on fish and stream life.
MARTY FAREWELL
The Plymouth County Historical Museum and the Le Mars Community Theatre will hold a farewell reception for Dr. Wayne Marty. The reception will be Wednesday, June 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Old Central Gymnasium at the museum. Marty has been associated with the Museum for nearly three decades, and has been active with the Theatre since the late 1990s. He led in much of the renovation at the Museum, beginning in 1996. The former professor at Westmar College will be moving to West Des Moines where his daughter resides. Wayne’s wife, June, died Dec. 15, 2022.
RAGBRAI TEST RIDE
The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa is still over a month away, but a group of riders will make an early trek along the entire route beginning this weekend in Sioux City, the starting point for this year’s event. Sergeant Mark Huberty, of the Sioux City Police Department, says a group of riders will begin a preview ride of the RAGBRAI route on Sunday morning that will be used by thousands of riders in July.
Those riders will pedal the entire RAGBRAI route in the upcoming week, checking it out ahead of the annual bike ride across Iowa.
RAGBRAI begins its 50th anniversary in Sioux City on July 23rd and ends the following Saturday in Davenport.
SIOUXLAND TRAIL EXPLORATION 2023
Get outside this summer to explore the Sioux City Metro trail system and the many cultural landmarks along the way. Join the Great Siouxland Trail Exploration summer challenge to see how many trail segments you can walk, run, bike, or roll. The more trail segments or landmarks visited, the more raffle entries earned. At the end of the summer, there will be a raffle drawing to win prizes donated by local businesses. Participants will also have access to special discounts from sponsoring businesses along the trail system. This summerlong challenge began on May 26th and ends Tuesday, September 5th . To sign up, download the GooseChase App on your phone, and use join code 6XVB4K or search in the app for “The Great Siouxland Trail Exploration”. Participation is free.
LEWIS AND CLARK REPAY LOAN
This week, Troy Larson, Executive Director of Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, hand delivered a one-million-dollar check to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem at the State Capitol in Pierre, SD. The payment reimbursed the State’s General Fund for a “federal funding advance” the Legislature approved during the 2014 session. Federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was used to make the repayment. The system recently connected Sioux Center and Hull, and has two more member communities, Sheldon and Sibley, to add to the system. This will be done by 2025. Lewis and Clark has also received funding advances from the state of Iowa.