News

Conference Focuses On Tough Decisions, Lip Sync Contest

Northwest Iowa — An interdenominational team of youth leaders and pastors from northwestern Iowa is planning an event for teens and tweens talking about healthy decision-making.

The No Apologies Conference, put on by No Apologies — a ministry of the Cherish Center — focuses on making tough decisions. They say that life throws many choices at us each and every day and sometimes, it’s hard to know what’s right and what’s wrong.

Cherish Center wants to help prepare youth for a successful future by giving them the tools to make healthy choices in a sex-charged, drug-induced culture. They say they do this by bringing in bands and speakers that can reach out to youth and encourage them to make the right choices.

The event is coming up Wednesday, January 27th, and also features a Lip Sync Battle. It’s from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Clay County Regional Events Center Arena in Spencer. But there will also be satellite video locations at Tabernacle Baptist Church in George, Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Cherokee, First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, and First Reformed Church in Rock Valley. It’s $5 per person.

You can RSVP name and number of attenders by calling 712-338-3333 or on the No Apologies website.

For Parents and Youth Workers who want to help, there will be a Training Night on Sunday January 24th.

The night of Wednesday, January 13th is the deadline to submit your lip sync battle video. The prize for first place is $300 for yourself and $200 for your youth group. The prize for second place prize is $150.

https://no-apologies.org/lip-sync-battle/

Scott Van AartsenJanuary 13, 2016January 13, 2016

You May Be Breaking The Law Without Realizing It

Northwest Iowa — On these cold winter northwest Iowa mornings a lot of us are violating a little known Iowa law without realizing it. State Senator David Johnson wants to get rid of that law.

Johnson told KIWA about one section of the law that he’s trying to remove from the books.

Another aspect of the law makes it illegal to leave the motor running on an unattended vehicle.

The Senator says that, when the law was passed, there was a legitimate reason for it.

Johnson says that, according to the letter of the law, the use of remote car starters that allow the vehicle to be warm by the time the driver gets inside, is not allowed.

He says that, although he’s not aware of anyone being cited for the infraction in recent history, he still thinks the law should be repealed. The Iowa Code specifies a $20 fine for the infraction. Not a substantial penalty today, but when the law was passed in 1913, that was a pretty stiff penalty, so Johnson said he assumes it was considered a fairly serious crime back then.

tomJanuary 13, 2016January 13, 2016

Rock Island Clean Line Dealt Procedural Setback

Northwest Iowa — A Proposed $2-billion electrical transmission line that would start in northwest Iowa, and transport electricity produced by wind turbines to a converter near Chicago, has run into a roadblock from the Iowa Utilities Board.

In a 3-0 vote earlier this week the IUB voted to reject a request by Clean Line Energy Partners to break the case into two separate hearings. The vote upheld the Board’s earlier ruling that it will decide whether to approve the Rock Island Clean Line, as well as whether to grant the use of Eminent Domain in a single hearing.

Rock Island Clean Line had argued that a single hearing would require them to invest several million dollars acquiring land with no guarantee that the project would receive IUB approval.

Groups representing union workers, along with wind energy supporters have backed Rock Island Clean Line’s request to split the case into two parts, but the Board declined, stating that it would be inconvenient for landowners fighting the project who would have to attend two hearings that would have some overlap.

The IUB is the final regulatory agency that needs to sign off on the Rock Island Clean Line, which the company projects would produce enough electricity to power almost 1-1/2 million homes in the midwest.

The line is proposed to start in northwest Iowa and send electricity produced by wind turbines to a converter station near Chicago.

The project has already received the approval of the State of Illinois and the federal government.

tomJanuary 13, 2016January 13, 2016

More Presidential Candidates Visit Our Area

Northwest Iowa — More presidential candidates are coming to northwest Iowa in the near future.

Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio, along with Senator Gardner of Colorado and South Dakota Congresswomen Kristi Noem, will be in Sioux Center on Saturday, January 16, 2016. The Town Hall meeting will be held at the Campus Center at Dordt College. The doors will open at 5:30 PM and the Town Hall meeting will begin at 6:00. Tickets are required to attend but they are free. They are available at eventbrite.com. Rubio is a United States Senator from Florida.

Presidential Candidate Chris Christie will be in Le Mars on Sunday, January 17, 2016. Doors will open at 1 PM, with the town hall meeting starting at 2:00. It will be at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor at 115 Central Avenue Northwest in downtown Le Mars. The Christie campaign would also like those who plan to attend to RSVP, also via eventbrite.com. Christie is the current Governor of New Jersey.

Scott Van AartsenJanuary 13, 2016January 13, 2016

Man Taken To Hospital After Accident

Marcus, Iowa — A Hartley man was taken to a hospital after an accident near Marcus on Tuesday, January 12th.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports that they were notified of the accident about 10:30 AM. They say they determined that 83-year-old Charles Schmidt of Hartley was traveling southbound north of Marcus on Highway 143 in his 1999 Ford Ranger, when he lost control of the pickup on a patch of ice. The pickup entered the west ditch and rolled over.

The Marcus Ambulance service transported Schmidt to Cherokee Regional Medical Center in Cherokee.

Scott Van AartsenJanuary 13, 2016January 13, 2016

Bakery To Host Gardening Open House Saturday

Sheldon, Iowa — Those interested in plants and gardening can join Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for a Master Gardener Winter Wonderland Open House on Saturday, January 16th in Sheldon.

We talked to Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialist and Master Gardener Margaret Murphy who tells us what’s planned.