Sheldon, Iowa — Runners will take to their marks later this month to raise money for the Sheldon Community School’s Backpack Program, a program that sends food home with Sheldon school children who might not otherwise be able to obtain nutritious meals on the weekends.
The Sheldon High School Color Run is the brainchild of Sheldon High School student Emma Van Meeteren. She says that, while she’s never participated in a Color Run, she’s witnessed one, and it looked like fun.
Van Meeteren says the Sheldon Color Run will take place Memorial Day Weekend.
She says registration is as easy as visiting a website.
Registration fee for the Color Run is $30, which includes a t-shirt and color pack.
Van Meeteren says that, in addition to runners, volunteers are also needed for the Sheldon Color Run. If you’d like to volunteer, you can call Emma Van Meeteren at 712-324-4836.
In case you missed the web address to register for, or get more information about, the Sheldon Color Run, you can get there by clicking here.
Urbandale, Iowa — May is National Egg Month. At the Iowa Egg Council, they say it’s a month set aside to recognize the incredible egg, as well as the farmers that produce what they call, “nutritious, delicious and economical eggs.”
Katie Nola with the egg council tells us about National Egg Month.
She says the USDA says eggs are the lowest cost per serving of high quality protein costing approximately 17 cents per serving and providing 35.3 grams of protein per dollar spent. She reminds us that eggs are versatile because they can be prepared for any meal or snack or can be used as an ingredient in countless recipes.
She says while eggs have taken a bad rap since the 1980’s, eggs are now seen in a much better light in medical and dietary circles, and that’s great news for the egg industry.
According to Iowa State University, the Iowa Egg Industry generates about 8,800 jobs statewide, more than $502 million in labor income, nearly $23 million in general tax revenues to Iowa, and the industry contributes more than $2 billion in total statewide sales annually.
Northwest Iowa — A search warrant was executed at a Sheldon residence Tuesday morning in connection with a multi-county string of burglaries across northwest Iowa.
Torian Vaughan, Jr. Booking Photo
The search warrant executed at 405 Pine Street, #31 in Sheldon produced some items of evidentiary value, according to Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema, but the Chief says no charges were filed as a direct result of the Sheldon search warrant.
The Sheldon search warrant came out of the investigation into a string of burglaries in which similar methods were used in 14 jurisdictions in northwest Iowa. The similarities were uncovered following a string of 21 business burglaries in Storm Lake. Storm Lake Police, working in conjunction with the Region I Law Enforcement Intelligence Network, which is made up of 41 law enforcement agencies in northwest Iowa, expanded the investigation.
Assistant Storm Lake Police Chief Todd Erskin says the investigation eventually linked 23-year old Torian Vaughan, Jr. of Pocahontas, Iowa, to acquaintances and residences in a variety of communities that were experiencing similar business burglaries. Subsequently, Erskin says the Iowa DCI Crime Lab forensically linked Vaughan to one of the Storm Lake business burglaries. Erskin says that surveillance of Vaughan showed he was staying in Creston, Iowa, and Tuesday morning (May 3rd) Storm Lake Police Department officers, assisted by the Creston Police Department, the Union County Sheriff’s Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation arrested Vaughan in Creston without incident, on a charge of 3rd Degree Burglary, a Class D Felony.
Erskin says that, simultaneous to Vaughan’s arrest, the search warrant was served on the Sheldon residence, as well as on locations in Creston and Pocahontas, where additional evidence was seized.
At last report, Vaughan was being held in the Buena Vista County Jail in Storm Lake on a $25,000 bond.
Erskin, and Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema, both say that the investigations are ongoing, and analysis of evidence by the DCI Crime Lab is continuing.
Northwest Iowa — A supporter of the proposed Bakken oil pipeline, that would ship Bakken crude oil from North Dakota, diagonally through Iowa, including portions of Lyon, Sioux and O’Brien counties, is urging all parties involved to start working together to make the embattled project a reality.
Ed Wiederstein, chairman of the Midwest Coalition for Infrastructure Now, says it was a big step for the Iowa Utilities Board last week to reject the request from environmental groups for a rehearing on the pipeline permit.
The project by Energy Transfer Partners of Texas will ship crude oil from North Dakota across South Dakota into Iowa and end up in Illinois. All of the states have approved the pipeline project but it also needs the okay of the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. Wiederstein is hoping the Corps will follow through and allow the construction to get underway.
It could be June before the Corps makes its decision on the project. Wiederstein says there are many benefits to having the Bakken pipeline built.
The Iowa Utilities Board voted unanimously on March 10th to grant Dakota Access a permit to build 346 miles of the pipeline which will cut through 18 Iowa counties. The board then issued the permit on April 8th after Dakota Access completed certain compliance filings required by the board. The I-U-B has finished what’s called a complaint proceeding for allegations that Dakota Access began construction of the pipeline before the permit was actually issued. The I-U-B ruled the company was only doing preliminary survey work on the route and had not begun construction.
Marshall, Minnesota — Frozen food home delivery company Schwan’s is advising its customers of a recall affecting six of the company’s LiveSmart® vegetable items.
Jeffrey Varcoe, Vice President for Food Safety and Quality at Schwan’s Shared Services, LLC says that one of their suppliers, CRF Frozen Foods, has notified them that six products they manufacture on Schwan’s behalf are part of a voluntary recall. As a precautionary measure, Schwan’s is asking customers to return the products to their Schwan’s Route Sales Representative during their next visit. The products include
LiveSmart® Organic Super Sweet Yellow and White Corn (#807), all packages.
LiveSmart® Edamame in the Pod (#857), all packages.
LiveSmart® Organic Vegetable Medley (#822), all packages.
LiveSmart® Mini Bow Tie Pasta and Vegetable Blend (#767), only packages with date codes beginning with 2B.
LiveSmart® Super Sweet Cut Corn (#773), only packages with date codes beginning with 2B.
LiveSmart® Green Peas (#766), only packages with date codes beginning with 2B.
Schwan’s says date codes can be found on the back of the package in a box called “product identification code” or stamped in an area on the bottom right.
They say CRF Frozen Foods initiated this recall as a precautionary measure because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Schwan’s Home Service says they will credit customers’ accounts with the cost of the product.
If you have any questions, you can contact Schwan’s at 1-800-599-9994.
Northwest Iowa — May is School Board Recognition Month in Iowa.
The Iowa Association of School Boards or IASB says that they sponsor the month to help schools and communities recognize school board members in Iowa and build community awareness and understanding of the role of school boards. The association’s Tammy Votava says that school board members are volunteers who put in a significant time commitment — and they rarely receive the thanks they deserve. She says their common goal is excellence and equity in public education.
We had a chance to talk to Susie Borman, who is the board chair of the Sibley-Ocheyedan School District. She says boards can make a difference, and gives us an example of how they worked with students and the community.
She says they were able to come up with a plan and funding.
Borman says serving on the school board is a volunteer act — it’s an unpaid position. She says this community service is important to the success of students and communities.
The IASB says the time spent in board meetings represents just a small fraction of the hours school board members spend leading in their districts. They say board members often put in long hours formulating school policy, approving curricula, maintaining school facilities, and adhering to state and federal education law. They say understanding these issues requires many hours in board training programs and personal study. The association encourages Iowa citizens to thank their local school board members for their service.
Sheldon, Iowa — Runners will take to their marks later this month to raise money for the Sheldon Community School’s Backpack Program, a program that sends food home with Sheldon school children who might not otherwise be able to obtain nutritious meals on the weekends.
