SHELDON WOMAN SENTENCED TO 9 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a Sheldon woman was sentenced Thursday to over nine years in prison on a drug conspiracy conviction. 39 year old Kelli Biller pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The proceedings took place in U.S. District Court in Sioux City.
Biller was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and over 200 grams of fentanyl. She admitted to helping transfer 2,000 fentanyl pills from a source in Sioux City to another for re-distribution in the Sheldon/Primghar area. Biller also admitted obtaining several ounces of methamphetamine from her source for redistribution in Northwest Iowa. Last November, during a traffic stop in Sioux City, agents seized 19 fentanyl pills from Biller for re-distribution.
Biller was sentenced to 119 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
10-THOUSAND HOUSING UNITS UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN IOWA
The State of Iowa has recently distributed 770-million dollars in grants and tax credits for housing developments that will yield an estimated 10-thousand homes and apartment units in the state. Governor Kim Reynolds says there’s never before been that many publicly-funded housing units under development in Iowa. State officials say the bulk of the investment is 632 million dollars worth of federal tax credits awarded for Iowa housing projects over a ten-year period. About 80 million in state tax credits have been awarded for new construction or rehabbed housing in communities where there’s a shortage of homes and apartments for people who work in the community.
JAY LENO APPEARS ABOARD A STEAM ENGINE IN IOWA
Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno hitched a ride aboard a classic Union Pacific steam engine during a stop in western Iowa. Leno surprised those who showed up to see “Big Boy Number 40-14” in Denison Wednesday. A spokesperson for Union Pacific says the company was proud to host Leno in the cab of the locomotive Wednesday for his show “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The train went on to Boone without Leno and left for Cedar Rapids Thursday before heading for Illinois on Friday. Big Boy’s “Heartland of America” tour started in Wyoming last week and will wrap up in late October after rolling through nine other states.
U.S. REP. FEENSTRA IN LE MARS
U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra visited the KLEM studios Thursday. The summer recess ends this week, and some important issues must be resolved in the next month. The most important one is a new budget.
Beyond that, Rep. Feenstra says resolving tax issues are his priority.
These sunsetting tax breaks are worth extending.
One thing Feenstra accomplished during the recess was to bring his Washington colleagues to Iowa.
The House Ag Committee, of which Rep. Feenstra is a member, passed a new five year farm bill, but the Senate Ag Committee is still dragging its feet. Feenstra is hoping a new bill can still come forward, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley expects the current farm bill, passed in 2018, will be extended for another year.
Feenstra also visited Nor-Am Cold Storage in Le Mars on Thurday.
SIOUX COUNTY SCHOOLS LOCKED DOWN AFTER THREAT
Several Sioux County school districts were placed in a lockdown Thursday following a threat. Mark Buss reports.
Superintendent McEldowny says “law enforcement will be present to provide assurance to students, staff, and families that our schools are safe”.
GOV. REYNOLDS APPOINTS NEW DISTRICT JUDGE
Gov. Kim Reynolds Thursday announced her appointment of Andrew Smith as a district judge in Judicial District 3A.
Smith, of Alta, Iowa, serves as a district associate judge in Judicial District 3A. He received his undergraduate degree from Northeast Missouri State University and law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Smith fills a vacancy created following the resignation of Judge John M. Sandy, as he was appointed to the Court of Appeals. Judicial District 3A covers ten counties, with Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Buena Vista, and Cherokee among them.
The Governor is also considering a nominee for a vacancy in Judicial District 3b, which covers Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury, Monona, Ida and Crawford.
SIOUX COUNTY AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE COPPER THEFT
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Thursday investigated a theft complaint that occurred at a business north of Hawarden, Iowa.
They found that someone stole copper wire and scrap copper from a large metal cargo container located at the rear of the business property by cutting a lock on the container.
The copper included rolls of 1-inch, 2-inch, and 3–4-inch diameter and is valued at approximately $10,000.
The theft is believed to have occurred within the past two weeks.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.
BUSINESS INDEX INDICATES IOWA MANUFACTURING SLOWDOWN
The Mid-America Business Index for August shows Iowa’s manufacturing sector is being hit by a sales slowdown. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss checks in each month with manufacturing supply managers in nine states, including Iowa.
The state’s overall Business Conditions rating for August marks a fourth month of decline from what Goss calls “growth neutral.” New orders and production were down among Iowa manufacturers in the August report, with an overall decline in hiring.
Goss cites a pull-back in facilities that produce fabricated metal. According to the latest data from the U.S. International Trade Administration, exports from Iowa’s manufacturing sector through August are down nearly six percent when compared to the first eight months of last year.
Goss has a separate survey that focuses exclusively on what’s happening the agricultural sector.
Goss says the supply managers he surveys for the monthly Mid-America Business Index are pessimistic and 35 percent of them say a recession is a real threat.;
DROUGHT MONITOR REPORT
Rainfall slowed in August, leading to the return of dry conditions in Iowa. The latest Drought Monitor report says August’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 3.20 inches, or 0.93 inches below normal. At the end of August, overall drought conditions remained mostly stable for the state. However, the decrease in precipitation has led to a return of dry conditions. Nearly 40 percent of the state carries abnormally dry designations, with areas of western and northeast Iowa seeing the biggest change. This trend could turn worse if the dryness of August extends into the fall months.
Temperatures for the month were near normal. The summer months of June, July and August averaged 72.0 degrees statewide. Preliminary precipitation totals for that same period were 13.75 inches, or 0.19 inches above normal.
Despite the dry conditions, the state has received more than 38 inches of rain in the past 12 months, which is a foot more than what the state saw between September 2022 and August 2023.
