SIOUX COUNTY SCHOOL LOCKDOWNS
Four Sioux County school districts were placed on lockdown this afternoon. Sheriff Jamie Van Voorst, in a statement, said a threat was discovered at Sioux Center High School around noon today. There were no details on what the treat was, but Sioux Center’s school buildings were placed on lockdown at that point, and school districts in Hull, Orange City and Rock Valley were locked down as a precaution. The statement said there was no active threat, and Sioux Center Police are investigating the original incident. Area law enforcement increased patrols, and presence by all the schools.
IOWA SENATORS CALL FOR BRIEFING ON MISSING IOWAN
Iowa’s United States Senators are asking the U-S Ambassador to Mexico for regular updates on an Iowa woman who went missing in Mexico nearly a month ago. The family of 51-year-old Chris Leguisano of Des Moines reported her missing on August 8th and they believe she was kidnapped in Reynosa, a city that’s less than four miles from the border crossing at Hidalgo, Texas. Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley say the U-S cannot and will not tolerate the assault of its citizens while traveling abroad — and they’re asking federal officials for a briefing on her case. Leguisano’s son told Channel 5 T-V in Des Moines that his mother was delivering a truck to her ex-brother-in-law when she was kidnapped and he’s been getting threatening messages asking for money.
FORMER UI EMPLOYEE ALLEGEDLY POCKETED NEARLY $1 MILLION
State Auditor Rob Sand says a recently dismissed University of Iowa employee pocketed nearly a million dollars by using public equipment and public employees for his own business. Brian Busch was the manager of the Department of Physics and Astronomy Machine Shop, which fixed equipment and made parts for experiments, but the department also used the expensive tools and equipment in the Machine Shop to fulfill orders from other departments on campus. Busch was placed on administrative leave in 2021 — but was not fired until last Wednesday when the auditor’s office presented its report to University of Iowa officials. According to the audit, Busch was having university staff do work for a company called Xometry, but directed Xometry’s payments into his personal bank account and an account linked to his business.
CALCULATING CROP DEVELOPMENT
This week, Area Agronomist Leah Ten Napel published a chart which indicates precipitation totals for northwest Iowa, and crop development at those points. Ten Napel says the chart uses a calculation called growing degree days to help indicate the development of area crops.
Growing degree days are not a predictor of when fields are ready for harvest.
Producers can adjust the growing degree days to indicate development of crops in their fields.
In northwest Iowa, precipitation for the crop growing period is well above normal, but growing degree days are not consistent.
Ten Napel says farmers also have several harvest options. Not all corn is grown to store and sell or use later. Some corn is being chopped now into feed for dairy and livestock operations, for example.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PHONATHON
Phones were ringing all over Plymouth County Wednesday during the 44th Annual Knights of Columbus Phonathon benefiting Life Skills Training Center and the Iowa Special Olympics. More than 60-thousand dollars was raised, exceeding the challenge goal, and Shelly Thomson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Life Skills expects that number to grow.
One of the Le Mars Co-Chairs, John Peters, thanked his fellow Knights for their dedication to this fundraising event.
Peters, who co-chaired this year’s phonathon with Dave Hill, thanked the community for their generosity, despite news of the economy and inflation.
Shelly Thompson told KLEM news about a “shining moment” when a Life Skills client took part in the phonathon.
The phonathon has raised close to one point nine million dollars over the past 44 years.
LYON COUNTY DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER TO CLOSE SEPT. 7
The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Lyon County will close permanently on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. It is located at Forster Community Center in Rock Rapids.
You can stay in touch with FEMA by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA app, or call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
For an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI.
COUNTY RECORDERS TO SEEK FEE INCREASE FOR PRINTED DOCUMENTS
The Iowa County Recorders Association plans to ask legislators to raise the fees they may charge for the documents they provide. Dickinson County Recorder Ann Ditsworth is the group’s vice president.
Under current law, county recorders may charge seven dollars for the first page and five dollars for each additional page of a document. The association plans to ask legislators to raise the fee to 10 dollars per page.
Ditsworth says the fees would be used to support the website and help county recorders update software.
County recorders also maintain copies of birth, death and marriage records and assists the state by registering boats and snowmobiles as well as all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles.
ONE HURT IN SUV-SEMI ACCIDENT NEAR ROCK VALLEY
One person received minor injury when a semi and an SUV collided Tuesday one mile east of Rock Valley. The Sioux County Sheriffs Office investigated the accident that occurred along U.S. Highway 18. Both vehicles were driving east on 18, When the SUV, driven by Brenda Doppenberg, 61, of Rock Valley, struck the rear of the flatbed trailer in front of her. Doppenberg was brought to Hegg Health Center in Rock Valley for treatment. The driver of the truck was not injured.
HEARING SET FOR LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES SEEKING BALLOT ACCESS
A Polk County District Court judge has ordered the state to delay the certification of Iowa ballots for this year’s election. A hearing is scheduled for today (Thursday) to give three Libertarian candidates a chance to argue they should be listed as candidates for the U-S House of Representatives. Libertarians running in three of Iowa’s congressional districts were kicked off the ballot last week. A state panel agreed with Republicans in those congressional districts who said the Libertarian Party violated state law by holding caucuses and county conventions on the same day. First district candidate Nicholas Gluba of Lone Tree, third district candidate Marco Battaglia of Des Moines and fourth district candidate Charles Aldrich of Clarion are appealing that decision in court. Tuesday was the day Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate was to certify the list of candidates who’ve qualified for the ballot. Pate says he’ll wait until he gets direction from the court about the three Libertarians, but he’s certified the rest of Iowa’s 2024 General Election candidates.
