DISASTER PROCLAMATION FOR PLYMOUTH, WOODBURY COUNTIES DUE TO JULY 29 STORM
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for Plymouth, Woodbury, and five other counties in response to storms which occurred earlier this week. In addition to Plymouth and Woodbury – Cass, Mills, Pottawattamie, Wapello, and Webster also were named disaster areas. This allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather. It also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Case Advocacy Program. Strong sustained winds on July 29 caused tree damage to be spread across nearly every city block in Le Mars.
LAWSUITS OVER HINTON WRESTLING
Trial dates have been scheduled for three lawsuits against the Hinton Community School District.
These suits will take place in November, 2025, January of 2026, and February of 2026. The trials will take place at the Plymouth County Courthouse in Le Mars.
The lawsuits allege abuse which took place in the Hinton wrestling program. The suits described hazing which took place during wrestling trips, including the state wrestling meet.
The schools’ former principal, athletic director, and two wrestling coaches were named in the lawsuits. All have resigned, but one remained as a teacher in the district.
6000 EARS OF SWEET CORN
Organizers plan to serve six-thousand ears of sweet corn tomorrow (Saturday) during Sweet Corn Days in Estherville. The festival started Thursday night in Estherville’s Library Square with a “burning of the cobs” and the making of s’mores over the bonfire. Lexie Ruter (ROOT-er) of the Estherville Area Chamber of Commerce says one of tonight’s highlights features hula hoops.
The sweet corn is served midday Saturday, but the prep starts early.
On Sunday afternoon, there will be group float on the Des Moines River for canoers and kayakers.
Ruter stresses that participants should come prepared with the right safety equipment. Saturday, there’s a golf ball rolling contest at 3 p.m. and the owner of the ball that crosses the finish line first wins a thousand dollars. Esterville’s Fire Department is hosting a mud volleyball tournament that starts at 4 p.m. Saturday.
JULY KEEPS UP WET TREND
D-N-R Hydrologist Tim Hall says it looks like July will end up slightly wetter than normal once the final numbers are in. He says it continues the string of wetter months, but for July around a month’s worth of rain came in a couple of weeks, creating challenges. The drought had some cities putting water use restrictions in place. Osceola has been looking at a plan to recycle wastewater.
Hall says we’d be wise to not stop thinking about water use plans because drought conditions will eventually come back. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, maybe not for several years, but he says the drought will come back sometime and it’s best to be prepared and take steps that can help minimize the impact when it does.
IOWA’S SALES TAX HOLIDAY IS THIS WEEKEND
Iowa retailers that sell clothing, shoes, or both will likely be significantly busier over the next two days, as this is the state’s annual sales tax-free weekend.
John Fuller, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, says there’s no sales tax on articles of clothing and footwear that are under 100-dollars.
The holiday runs from one minute after midnight Friday through midnight on Saturday. Fuller notes, “clothing” doesn’t include things like jewelry, sports equipment or watches, and there’s a full list of what is taxed — and what will not be taxed — at revenue.iowa.gov.
This tax “holiday” is typically held the first weekend in August and it’s been an annual ritual since 2000. It usually saves consumers a total of around five-million dollars over the two days.
FEMA OFFERING ASSISTANCE TO THE SELF EMPLOYED
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says self-employed Iowans are now eligible for FEMA assistance and their programs can help replace items like a computer, tools for manual labor or musical instruments. FEMA’s Tiana Suber says it’s one more way they are providing help.
Suber says FEMA is also offering guidance on salvaging family heirlooms that were damaged.
Suber says those needing help have a variety of ways to reach a FEMA representative:
The family heirloom recovery specialists will be in Rock Valley today (Friday) from 9 a-m until 1 p-m at the city park shelter house. Iowans under disaster declarations in 27 counties including Plymouth, and all surrounding counties except Ida, are eligible for assistance.
BIRD FLU REDUCES DAIRY ENTRIES AT COUNTY FAIRS
A dairy specialist with I-S-U Extension says the number of dairy entries at county fairs has been down in areas of northwest Iowa due to bird flu outbreaks. Fred Hall says entries in Sioux County for example, fell 30 percent, and it is a concern. Every competitor must show proof of a negative test to allow their cow in. Hall also stresses that pasteurized milk is safe to drink as the virus is not very durable and dies in the pasteurization process. The Iowa State Fair is one week away and Hall says officials with the Fair also expect fewer dairy cow competitors due to the bird flu.
GRASSLEY BILL WOULD SHIELD WATCHDOGS FROM POLITICAL BIAS
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says a bill he’s co-sponsoring would offer new protections to what he calls the “taxpayers’ watchdogs.” Grassley says the measure would add the Offices of Inspectors General, or O-I-Gs, to the list of executive agencies whose employees are “further restricted” from engaging in partisan political activity. He says the bill passed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs on Wednesday with “overwhelming, bipartisan support.” Grassley says the efficacy of O-I-Gs depends on their objectivity and the legislation will help to strengthen the ethical guidelines those workers follow.
IOWA MAN GROWS RECORD EGGPLANT
A southern Iowa man has grown a piece of purple fruit that’s destined to set a world record. A state official has verified that Dave Bennett of Davis County grew an eggplant that weighs eight-point-three-three (8.33) pounds. Bennett picked up the hobby five years ago from his second cousin, who’s a past winner of the Iowa State Fair’s Big Pumpkin competition. Bennett has been assured by a Guinness Book of World Records representative that his paperwork is in order and he’ll eventually get a plaque that says he grew the world’s largest eggplant. Right now, the world’s largest eggplant is in Bennett’s refrigerator and he hopes to enter it in the Iowa State Fair next week if it doesn’t start wrinkling up and spoiling.
