FATAL SEMI CRASH AT MERRILL
Authorities say a fatal truck accident occurred early this morning in Merrill. The Plymouth County Sheriffs Office says they received multiple 911 calls about an accident and fire at Jackson Street and U.S. Highway 75 in Merrill. Deputies arrived on the 100 block of Jackson and found a semi tractor and trailer fully engulfed in flames. Preliminary investigation showed that the semi-truck and trailer was traveling south on Highway 75 and for unknown reasons failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The truck left the roadway, traveled through the west ditch, across a business parking lot and over Jackson Street, until it struck a tree in a residential yard. The driver of the semi was confirmed dead at the scene. The name of the deceased driver will not be released until proper identification can be made by the state medical examiner’s office.
PAULLINA TEEN IN FATAL ACCIDENT
A Paullina teen died in a single vehicle accident early Saturday on a county road southwest of Paullina.
Shortly after midnight, the O’Brien County Communications Center received a call from OnStar, reporting a possible crash on County Road B62, four miles southwest of Paullina. The vehicle was located by emergency crews that were dispatched to the scene. A preliminary investigation by the O’Brien County Sheriffs Office shows the vehicle was travelling east on the paved road, left the roadway and entered the north ditch. The vehicle apparently hit a driveway and rolled. The driver was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. He’s identified as Carter Halverson, 18, of Paullina. The accident remains under investigation.
LE MARS WILL FORM A FOUNDATION FOCUSING ON TOURISM
The city of Le Mars has approved launching an entity to encourage tourism in the city. City Economic Development Director Mark Gaul says it’s one of the items in the city’s development plan which need to the addressed.
There are lots of successful events going on in the city.
Gaul proposed to the city council that they create a Le Mars Heritage Foundation to develop a tourism plan for the city.
This would take what’s already successful, and make it better. It’s the same idea behind Vision 2045 plan.
ISG, the consulting firm which helped develop Vision 2045, will be part of this tourism plan, It will take five months to draw these event groups together to develop the tourism plan. The cost of plan development is some 65-thousand dollars. The city will contribute half of this cost. Mike and Cheryl Wells will contribute the other half.
SUPREME COURT RULES IN HOME INSPECTIONS CASE
The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said Orange City’s mandatory inspections of rental properties are unconstitutional. Attorneys for renters and landlords argued the ordinance which required city inspections of rental properties could result in warrants and police involvement if inspectors find suspicious activity. They said that could lead to “unreasonable searches and seizures” that are unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruling says the warrants and inspections may be justified in many situations, and the ordinance does allow options, such as private inspectors doing the inspection instead of the city getting warrants.
NAIG PRAISES EXTENSION OF CURRENT FARM BILL
Congress passed a continuing resolution, which included a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the resolution avoids the chaos that would occur if the current bill wasn’t extended. But he’s disappointed a new Farm Bill couldn’t pass the Congress this year. This one-year extension of the current bill, which was passed in 2018, provide some certainty to farmers in a soft ag economy. But a new five-year farm will address current farm issues, including an update on risk management.
LAWMAKER TO PROPOSE ‘BUSINESS COURT’ TO LURE CORPORATIONS TO IOWA
The chairman of the Iowa Senate Commerce Committee is proposing creation of an Iowa “business court” — hoping it will prompt big businesses to declare Iowa as home base. For more than a century, many corporate executives have chosen Delaware to be the legal home for their companies due to Delaware’s courts — and two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware. Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny says recent court rulings in Delaware — including a verdict against Elon Musk — are creating an opening for other states. Bousselot says in addition to the idea of a full-time business court, he’s reviewing changes to state laws that allow businesses to incorporate here.
REALTORS SEE SOME POSITIVES IN NOVEMBER NUMBERS
The Iowa Association of Realtors reports says there were some positive numbers in November. The Association’s November report says the number of new homes on the market across the state grew by nearly nine percent compared to November 2023. The overall number of listings is up nearly 19 percent compared to last year. Single-family home sales increased by six percent in November compared to last year. The median sales price increased by eight-and-a-half percent compared to last November as sat at 230-thousand dollars.
