PLYMOUTH COUNTY FATAL
(photo – KSCJ)
One person has died in a three vehicle accident around 8:40 A.M. Tuesday on Highway 75 at the intersection with highway C-80 near the Plymouth County border.
Sgt. Tom Gill of the Sioux City Police Department says the accident happened in the southbound lane of Highway 75 where a Dodge truck pulling a long trailer collided with a second vehicle and flipped over on its side:
Sgt. Gill says a third vehicle was then involved:
Gill says the driver of the Dodge truck sustained fatal injuries:
The driver of the third vehicle was not injured and no passengers were in any of the vehicles.
Highway 75 at C-80 was shutdown for a few hours while investigators were at the scene.
Sioux City Fire Rescue, Plymouth County deputies, Hinton fire and police and Merrill police also responded to the crash.
MACHINE SHED FIRE
(photos – Le Mars Fire Rescue)
A fire early this morning in a dog kennel spread to an adjacent machine shed.
Le Mars Fire Rescue was called a little after 5 am to 23356 K49, south of Le Mars. Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the fire started in a chicken coop that had been converted into a dog kennel.
Schipper says the fire was brought under control in 45 minutes, but it took several hours to stop the flames from spreading.
One dog perished in the fire, but no other injuries were reported. Damage to the structures, owned by Beau Ortmann of Le Mars, is estimated at 150-thousand dollars.
CULVERT CONTRACTS AWARDED
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors awarded contracts for five culvert projects to be done in the upcoming construction season. In each case, old bridges will be replaced by concrete box culverts. County Engineer Tom Rohe opened bids from four contractors on these projects. In each case, the low bidder was Richards Construction of Sac City. Their low bids were between 20 and 30-thousand dollars below the project estimates. The value of the five contracts is a little over one million dollars. The projects are located on gravel roads near Oyens, Craig, Remsen, and south of Le Mars.
HUNGRY CANYON AGREEMENTS
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved of agreements with Hungry Canyon Alliance to assist with three culvert projects. Hungry Canyon is a non-profit which provides funding to install drop inlets, which reduce erosion in drainages. The three projects are located near Chatsworth, Struble, and east of Le Mars. In each case, the drop inlets will be installed in the drainages where water flows into the proposed culverts. Hungry Canyon has approved 49-thousand dollars for work in each of the projects, which represents 20% of the total cost of the projects. The project estimates total 235-thousand dollars.
SUPERVISORS MEET
The Plymouth County Engineer has a number of action items for the Board of Supervisors’ approval today. These include agreements with the Hungry Canyons alliance for several local culvert projects. Hungry Canyons provides erosion prevention structures as part of some of these projects. Final plan review and approval are on the agenda for a local bridge project and a paving project in the county. Other local culvert projects are also introduced for approval and bid letting.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY FATAL ACCIDENT
There was a fatal accident in southwest Plymouth County late Saturday evening. Plymouth County Dispatch received a report of a single vehicle accident on K18 South. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Akron Fire, Akron EMS, Hinton Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol all responded to the scene. An investigation found that a vehicle was traveling north on K18 South. While traversing a curve, the vehicle left the roadway and entered the west ditch. The vehicle crashed into a wooded area and came to rest. The driver, who was the lone occupant in the vehicle, suffered fatal injuries. The accident investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Patrol. Identification of the deceased party will be released at a later date.
SITZMANN SUBCOMMITTEE
State Representative Travis Sitzmann of Kingsley took part in subcommittee work last week. Sitzmann is Vice Chair of the Administration and Regulation budget subcommittee in the Iowa House.
Rep. Sitzmann says the budget of the office of the Governor mainly pertains to staffing.
ERNST SAYS SPENDING CUTS SHOULD INCLUDE DEFENSE
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa says efforts to cut federal spending should also apply to the U.S. Department of Defense.
An initial look by the DOGE committee at the Defense Department found at least 80 million dollars in questionable spending:
Ernst says decisions will then be made on what to cut based on the DOGE report:
Ernst made her comments during a weekend appearance in Sgt. Bluff.
BODY OF MISSING MAN FOUND
The remains of a Cherokee, Iowa man who has been missing for over two months have been found.
The Cherokee County Sheriff says the body of Joseph Kosiba was recovered approximately 1 mile east of Cherokee on Sunday after a person reported finding the body in the field to the sheriff’s office.
Kosiba had been reported missing in January.
The remains have been sent to the medical examiner’s office in Ankeny for an autopsy.
Sheriff Derek Scott says no foul play is suspected at this time, but an investigation is ongoing.
SUSPECT IN SIOUX CITY COLD CASE RETURNED
A preliminary hearing has been set for the suspect charged in the 1983 shooting death of a Sioux City woman.
62-year-old Thomas Duane Popp is charged with first degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Terri McCauley.
Popp was extradited from the state of Washington and delivered to the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday.
He had been arrested January 11th by Longview, Washington police after a Woodbury County grand jury indicted him on January 10th.
His preliminary hearing is set for March 19th.
Popp is being held on three million dollars bond.
