GRASSLEY – NIPCO
US Sen Charles Grassley spoke at the Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative near Le Mars this morning. He spoke of the ongoing concern of RECs – regulations on power supply – are moving too fast.
US Senator Churck Grassley was in Le Mars this morning, speaking to members and crews from NIPCO, the Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative. Grassley says RECs face fast-moving regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency. These hold the potential for power disruptions in the future.
He wishes the public could be more aware of this.
It’s hard to fight the regulatory state.
Under the Biden administration’s green energy initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency is promoting renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, to the detriment of coal or natural gas powered generation. The latter is the backbone of NIPCO’s power supply.
MINORITY POLICE OFFICERS
Sioux City is emphasizing diversity on its police force. Bayron Ordonez, a native of Honduras, is one of four new officers sworn in to the Sioux City police force. Ordonez says many people don’t trust police officers, but they’re more willing to trust if they “see somebody that is more of what they’re used to.” There are 127 officers in Sioux City’s police force. Over 25 percent are minorities, including women. Eight percent of their police officers are Hispanic. Of the 127 officers on the city’s police force, more than a quarter are minorities, including women. About 20-percent of Sioux City’s population is Hispanic. Now, about eight-percent of the city’s police officers are Hispanic. There is a nationwide effort to recruit more minorities into law enforcement careers.
TEN NAPEL-CROP STRESS
Area agronomist Leah Ten Napel says the high heat and humidity last week caused stress on corn and soybean crops in her 7-county district. Ten Napel says there were few places that had any relief from the extreme weather conditions. The extreme weather conditions come at a crucial development stage for soybeans. She says it’s tough to predict yields in these conditions.
This affect is consistent around most of her reporting district.
TRUCK STRIKES HOUSE
A pickup pulling a trailer crashed into a house near Le Mars Monday morning, injuring five people. The Iowa State Patrol says the driver, 32-year-old Jesus Almaraz of Sioux City suffered a medical condition as he drove on Highway 3 near Le Mars is around 7 a-m. The pickup went out of control and struck the north ditch causing it to go airborne and crash into a house. Almaraz as was taken to Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars for treatment. Three passengers in the truck, also from Sioux City, sustained injuries. One of them needed to be extricated from the vehicle and was airlifted to a Sioux City Hospital for treatment. The state patrol says one resident inside the house also sustained minor injuries.
BROWNS TRAVELS
Travel is familiar to the Le Mars-based musical family, the Brown’s. Shelly Brown told KLEM news that they recently returned from concerts in Norway, a trip the group experienced five years ago. The Brown’s performed at a Norwegian festival that has been going on for many years…..
Shelly, who is the mom of the musical group, says that music is a universal language, but they did have an interpreter at some of the concerts. The Brown’s played a variety of music selection, from hymns to songs with a country flavor that the audience especially enjoyed. She commented about the kindness of the people of Norway….
This year’s Christmas show at the Brown Century Theatre in Le Mars will feature music from the Prague Philharmonic. Shelly Brown says the trip to Prague, now over a year ago, was a dream come true for her.
Shelly spoke of the history of Prague, and also of its music hall.
The Brown’s 2023 holiday show, “Christmas Wonders, ” opens November 10. And by the way, while we’re talking about the traveling Brown family, they were headed to concerts in Canada, right after this interview was recorded.
2024 IOWA ELECTIONS
There will be no statewide races on the 2024 Iowa general election ballot. That means the races for Congress will be at the top of the ticket next year. Some races are already shaping up. Two Democrats say they’re running in Iowa’s fourth congressional district. One is Ryan Melton of Nevada, who ran against Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra last year, and the other is Ames doctor Jay Brown. Feenstra is a two-term Republican from Hull. In Iowa’s First Congressional District, Democrat Christina Bohannan of Iowa City said she will challenge incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The two faced off in the election in 2022.
LAKES WIND ENERGY PROJECT
There is a wind energy project proposed for Dickinson County. At the same time, there’s an effort to pass a moratorium on wind energy projects in the county, thus blocking the project. Invenergy is close to seeking a construction permit for the project. Their attorney, Kristy Rogers, says Dickinson County’s Board of Supervisors do not have authority to take action to block the project. The company has spent millions of dollars to comply with the current wind energy ordinance, and a moratorium would be an act of bad faith. Opponents of the project say the county’s ordinance should be updated to protect the natural resources of the Great Lakes. County officials have indicated they’ll review the ordinance. The group, Dickinson County Concerned Citizens, says without a moratorium, Invenergy is likely to get a construction permit. Invenergy is also behind a two-phase wind energy project in Plymouth County.
