HISTORICAL MUSEUM RESIGNATIONS
In a Facebook post this morning, the Plymouth County Historical Museum Board of Directors announced that the Executive Directors at the Museum, Dr Harry Dunstan and Kay Krekow, have resigned effective immediately. The post thanked them for their efforts as executive directors, and wished them well in the future.
IOWA’S DRY AND GETTING DRIER AS THE COLD WEATHER APPROACHES
After last month turned out to be Iowa’s driest September on record, October’s shaping up to be just as dry and the drought conditions are worsening. The new map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the patches of severe drought are growing in both western Iowa and in the northeast, now covering more than seven percent of the state. A much larger section, 49-percent, is considered in moderate drought, and that stretches across the majority of Iowa’s northern half and much of the west. About 41-percent of the state is considered abnormally dry, while only about two-and-a-half percent has no moisture worries — at the moment at least — across a few counties in the southwest.
Forecasters say a cold front should start to arrive tonight (Friday) that will bring progressively colder temperatures over the next several days, with the first frost likely for Iowa next Tuesday. There are little to no chances for rain for at least another week.
IOWA AG SUES TO BLOCK FEDERAL NURSING HOME STAFFING RULE
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has gone to court to try to block a new federal rule on staffing at long term care facilities that Bird says will force the mass shutdown of U-S nursing homes. The rule requires nursing homes that get federal funding to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day — and each resident must receive about three-and-a-half hours of care daily from a nurse or health care aides. Iowa’s attorney general says those requirements are unrealistic due to the nationwide shortage of health care workers and 94 percent of nursing homes fail to meet those staffing levels today. The White House says the rule addresses nursing homes that are chronically understaffed, which can lead to substandard or unsafe care.
DICKSON CONVICTED BY JURY OF SEX ABUSE AND INCEST
Plymouth County Attorney Darin J. Raymond, says an Akron man was found guilty of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree, and Incest, in a jury trial that concluded Thursday. Charles Wayne Dickson was found guilty of the charges, both felonies, but a sentencing date has not yet been set. Dickson was placed into custody after the verdict was announced, and will remain in jail pending sentencing. The defendant faces a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison for Sexual Abuse in the second degree, a Class B Felony, and must serve a minimum of 70% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole or work release. Dickson also faces an additional prison sentence of 5 years for Incest, a Class D Felony. The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Plymouth County Attorney’s Office.
COUNCIL FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANT
The Office of the State Public Defender in Sioux City says their office is not accepting the case of Omar Martinez Cruz at this time due to an overload of this type of case. As a result, the Court is requested to appoint other counsel to represent this Defendant. Cruz was arrested in Sioux City October 6 for a homicide that occurred in Le Mars on September 30th. He was charged with first degree murder in the deadly shooting of Miquel Martinez. A preliminary hearing on the charge will take place Thursday, October 17, in Plymouth County District Court.
HILLVIEW PARK ACQUISITION
The Plymouth County Conservation Board is looking forward to adding more property to the Hillview Park near Hinton. Conservationist Nick Beeck says last month, the Board of Supervisors purchased a 14 acre parcel from the family to add to the parkspace.
Beeck describes what’s important about the parcel that makes it valuable fo the Conservation Board.
Hillview Park is well suited to a variety of uses. The park is nearing the end of its summer season. Campgrounds will close soon, but, like all of Plymouth County’s parks, remains open for other activities year-round.
IOWA UTILITY REPAIR CREWS WILL STAY IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR NOW
Reports say at least three-million customers in central Florida are without power after Hurricane Milton slammed ashore Wednesday night, bringing heavy rain, flooding and multiple tornadoes. MidAmerican Energy has a 70-member disaster response crew in western North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago. MidAmerican’s Tina Hoffman says the Iowa crew is working with Duke Energy to restore power in the Asheville area. Hoffman says Duke has asked the Iowans to stay put and continue for the next few weeks. Reports say some 90-thousand homes in Georgia and North Carolina remain without power after the earlier storm. Hoffman says Florida will be able to get help through a network of utilities in other states.
