PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Primary elections in Iowa are Tuesday. For Plymouth County voters, the legislative and congressional votes are where the races are. For U.S. Congress, in the fourth District, incumbent Randy Feenstra of Hull faces Kevin Virgil, from Sutherland, in O’Brien County. The Democrat primary in the 4th District has Ryan Melton of Nevada running unopposed. He challenged Rep. Feenstra in the last general election. In House District 13, Travis Sitzmann of rural Le Mars squares off with Noah Wieseler of rural Sioux City. The incumbent in that district, Ken Carlson of Onawa, is not seeking re-election. District 13 is a large area, including the southeast half of Plymouth County and several townships in western Cherokee County. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars is unopposed in the GOP primary in District 3, which includes the northwest half of Plymouth County, and southern Sioux County. In the Democrat primary in District 3, Emma Bouza of Hawarden is running unopposed. In Senate District 2, which extends from the Minnesota border to Plymouth County, incumbent Republican Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center is running unopposed. Two seats on the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are up for election. Incumbent Mike Van Otterloo in District 2 and Douglas Manly of Akron seeks the GOP nomination in District 5. Incumbent Gary Horton is not seeking re-election. Auditor Stacey Feldman of Le Mars and Sheriff Jeff Te Brink of Westfield are running unopposed in their primary elections.
BIRD FLU IN CHEROKEE COUNTY
The Iowa and U.S. Departments of Agriculture have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Cherokee County. The affected site is a commercial turkey flock.
Sunday, Iowa governor Kim Reynolds authorized a disaster proclamation for Cherokee County effective through July 2nd
This follows another case and disaster declaration for bird flu last Wednesday in Sioux County.
HPAI is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations as well as lactating dairy cattle, The virus is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys, while with supportive care, dairy cattle usually recover with little to no mortality associated with the disease.
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT LE MARS ARTS CENTER
The Le Mars Art Center has hired a new Executive Director. The Le Mars Arts Council approved the fire of Draven Haefs. Haefs is an Iowa native, and returns to Le Mars by way of Los Angeles to be nearer to family. Draven began work at the Arts Center on May 28. Prior to joining LMAC, Draven led creative teams at Apple. Within this role he also organized and led events for Apple TV+ in Los Angeles. He also has served as the Artistic and Creative Director for various organizations and art collectives in Los Angeles, New York City, and beyond. Haefs earned an art degree from New York University, and has furthered his education at the Museum of Modern Art and the California Institute of the Arts. He currently resides in Remsen and is planning to move to Le Mars this fall.
NWS CONFIRMS TORNADO HIT SHELDON FRIDAY
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado briefly touched down in Sheldon on Friday afternoon. Scott Van Aartsen reports.
Early this morning, a strong thunderstorm moved through Hawarden. Reports to the weather service indicate winds gusted to 63 miles per hour, and the storm produced 1.25 inch diameter hail.
MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE RETURNED TO SIOUX CITY
A Sioux City man charged with vehicular homicide and other charges from a fatal downtown accident last October has been extradited from Alabama back to the Woodbury County Jail.
31-year-old Wesley Louis Staten was returned to Sioux City Saturday afternoon after being arrested last month by a U.S. Marshal in Alabama.
Staten is charged locally with two counts of vehicular homicide, operating while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
The two vehicle crash last October 13th claimed the lives of 51-year-old Terry Frisbie of Sioux City and 50-year-old Judith Jordan of Le Mars at the 6th and Wesley Parkway intersection.
Authorities say Staten allegedly was driving a ford expedition westbound on 6th Street at a high rate of speed and ran a red light, striking a northbound Ford fusion occupied by the two victims in that intersection.
Staten is being held on $100,000 bond.
COMPOSTING PROJECT GETS STATE LOAN
A Bondurant company is getting a state loan to allow it compost material from ethanol plants, chicken growing operations and wood waste at a facility near Earlham. The D-N-R’s Tom Anderson says the J. Pettiecord company recently received a permit to run the operation, and says the state lacks a large scale organics composting facility. Anderson spoke at the recent state Environmental Protection Commission meeting where one million dollars in assistance was provided to help the composting effort. The annual goal of this project is to divert five-thousand tons of ethanol plant material and five-thousand tons of poultry waste from landfills and some 20-thousand cubic yards of wood waste. The E-P-C approved a one-million dollar loan, with 10-thousand of it forgivable. The company is putting in 350-thousand dollars of its money into the project.
REPUBLICANS AT ERNST FUNDRAISER RALLY TO TRUMP’S DEFENSE
The annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser Senator Joni Ernst held this weekend gave Iowa Republicans a chance to restate their criticism of last week’s conviction of former President Trump. Ernst said the trial has solidified support for Trump. Ernst, who intends to seek reelection in 2026, has said she’s open to serving in Trump’s Administration if he wins in November. Senator Chuck Grassley said all the cases against Trump amount to what Grassley called a political lynching. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion said Republicans are angry about Trump’s felony conviction and angry voters are motivated voters.
