Paleontology presentation at Le Mars Public Library this week
The Le Mars Public Library will host a presentation later this week concerning dinosaur fossils found in northwest Iowa, titled “Did dinosaurs live in Iowa?”
Given by Morningside University associate professor Dr. Kurt Spearing, the presentation will cover the field of paleontology and discuss the first report of a Mosasaur fossil found in northwest Iowa. A Mosasaur is a common name for a large group of carnivorous marine lizards that lived in the world’s oceans during the Late Cretaceous period. Despite other fish and marine invertebrate fossils being found in northwest Iowa, this is believed to be the first record of a Mosasaur fossil found in the area.
Even though Dr. Spearing works in an academic setting, the library says his presentation will be for a general adult audience and may also be of interest to upper elementary and high school students. This event is part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program and is free and open to the public.
The presentation will be given at the Le Mars Public Library on Thursday, June 18th starting at 5:30pm.
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Plymouth County Historical Museum to host annual Friends of the 4th Parade, picnic
The Plymouth County Historical Museum will host their annual Friends of the 4th Parade and Picnic, to take place on Central Avenue in Le Mars on the Fourth of July.
This beloved community tradition draws hundreds of spectators each year and is one of the highlights of summer in the Ice Cream Capital of the World. The parade itself will work its way down Central Avenue towards the museum, with a picnic in the Old Central gym held immediately following the parade. Grilled pork burgers, potato salad, pork and beans, and ice cream treats from Wells will be available for $5, with music in the gym provided by the band “A Moment’s Sunshine.”
The museum is inviting businesses, organizations, community groups, schools, and individuals to join in the celebration of Independence Day by participating in the parade, with free registration open until Friday, June 26th. Parade route, lineup time, and staging details will be provided upon registration. To register or for more information and city rules, contact museum administrator Jennifer Scholten at 712-546-7002.
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Environmental Council says state clean water plan does nothing new
The Iowa Environmental Council says the clean water proposal approved in the last days of the legislative session does nothing new. I-E-C Senior Director of Policy and Programs Kerri Johansen says the plans touts hundreds of millions of dollars spent on water quality.
Johansen says the bill did not fund the state-of-the art University of Iowa’s real time water monitoring system, and instead gives money to the D-N-R for monthly testing. She says the D-N-R does not provide clearly understandable data from its testing, and says this plan doesn’t get everyone involved.
Johansen says we need to understand where practices are going to have the most impact to deploy them there.
Johansen says a lot of what’s included in the nutrient reduction strategy are a lot of edge of field practices.
Johansen made her comments in a conference call with reporters last week.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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