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Sheldon Eagle Riders Present Honor Flight Check

Eagle Riders PresentationSheldon, Iowa — Three veterans from the American Legion McGlothlen-Cowie Post 145 will be taking part in an Honor Flight in September, thanks in large part to a local motorcycle group.

The Eagle Riders group of the Sheldon Eagles Club #2297 recently presented the American Legion Post with a $600.00 check to use toward the Bush Creek Honor Flight.  As a result, three members of the McGlothen-Cowie Post will board an airplane this September to take part in the Bushy Creek Honor Flight.  American Legion Post Adjutant Jeremy Beenken identified the trio as Dean Olson, Harvey Bauman and Merlin Beerman.

According the the Honor Flight website, the organization flies veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials built to honor their service to the nation.

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day. Our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.

Beenken went on to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to this cause.  He says that it’s good to see that people haven’t forgotten how much our veterans have done for this country.

Sheldon Council Meets Tuesday This Week

city councilSheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon City Council will meet this week at noon on Tuesday, with a public hearing on Sunshine Addition Lot Prices. In an effort to create more housing in Sheldon, the City Council is proposing to offer five un-sold lots in the Sunshine Addition for only one dollar each. Anyone who buys a lot for a dollar must begin new construction of a residence within twelve months of the purchase, and agree to a minimum tax assessment showing a valuation of two hundred thousand dollars for the lot. This minimum assessment will go into effect if construction does not begin within that twelve month period. The five lots involved in this offer are on the North end of Ninth Avenue in the Sunshine Addition.

Other Agenda items include approval for the Sheldon Housing Review Board’s Authorized signers.

Please note the change in date and time. This Council meeting will be held at noon Tuesday July 14th in the upper level of the Sheldon Community Services Center.

Feed Store in Ireton Heavily Damaged In Fire

Ireton, Iowa — A feed store in Ireton sustained heavy damages in a fire on Sunday, July 12.
Fire Lightbar
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says that about 8:35 PM, they paged the Ireton Fire Department to a report of a structure fire at Deluxe Feeds, Incorporated at 801 Main Street in Ireton.

Firefighters say that when they arrived, they found smoke and flames coming from the building.

Several area fire departments later responded and assisted the Ireton Fire Department.

No injuries were reported.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the feed store sustained extensive damages and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

They say the Ireton Ambulance crew, Hawarden Fire Department, Maurice Fire Department, Sioux Center Fire Department, Rock Valley Fire Department, Orange City Fire Department, the Hawarden Police Department, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and Sioux County Conservation Department assisted at the scene. Sioux Center Ambulance’s Rehab Trailer was also at the scene.

Promotes Resolution Dealing With Same Sex Marriage

Washington, DC — Republican Congressman Steve King is trying to get the U.S. House to pass a resolution that says States “may refuse” to recognize or license same-sex marriages, although such non-binding resolutions do not have the force of law. King’s resolution is his latest response to last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
Congressman Steve King

(as said) “We’re in a place where the Supreme Court has put themselves above the law, above the Constitution and above the will of the people,” King says.

Most Republicans in congress have publicly expressed opposition to the court’s ruling, so the resolution would likely pass, although House leaders have not indicated it’s a priority for debate. King’s House Resolution embraces what he calls the “traditional definition of marriage” as a “union between one man and one woman.”


(as said) “The domestic life of America has been dramatically transformed by the order of the Supreme Court,” King says.

King calls the court’s same-sex marriage opinion a “blatant act of judicial activism” that has “perverted” the word marriage.


(as said) “And they will impose it on the rest of the country because they’re the ‘enlightened five’ of nine in black robes,” King says. “Well, the Supreme Court has had a terrible record on dealing with large domestic issues.”

King cites the court’s 1857 Dred Scott decision which ruled African Americans weren’t citizens and the federal government had no authority to restrict or regulate slavery and the 1962 decision that ruled mandatory prayer in public schools is unconstitutional. Earlier this year, before the court’s ruling on same-sex marriage last month, King tried to get congress to pass legislation that would forbid the federal courts from deciding such cases, but that legislation stalled.

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Bob Vander Plaats Headed To Vatican In November

Pleasant Hill, Iowa — Bob Vander Plaats, a Christian conservative activist in Iowa and a Sheldon native, has been invited to a conference at the Vatican in November.
Bob Vander Plaats 2015

(as said) “Received the invitation probably about a month ago now,” Vander Plaats says. “They’re looking for 30 leaders from, I believe, around the world and the whole focus is on spiritual revival.”

Vander Plaats has run unsuccessfully for governor three times and he’s the author of two books. The most recent is based on a Bible passage and is titled  If 7:14, and it calls upon Christians to pray twice daily, at 7:14 a.m. and 7:14 p.m. Vander Plaats, who attends the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, says Pope Francis — the leader of the world’s Catholics — has “a lot of good things to say.”


(as said) “Just showing he’s comfortable in his own skin and he’s willing to communicate the truth, but to do it, I think, in a very loving and graceful way,” Vander Plaats says. “And I think that’s what it’s going to take to eventually have revival in this country and across the globe as well.”

Nearly five years ago Vander Plaats became president and C-E-O of The Family Leader, a Christian conservative group that has been active in the state’s political scene. Vander Plaats himself endorsed presidential candidates in 2008 and 2012 and he led a campaign to unseat Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined the court’s 2009 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa. But Vander Plaats says his book — and The Family Leader organization — are also focused on the bigger picture.


(as said) “We believe campaigns are a moment in time. It’s like the Dutch boy putting a finger in the dike, but the dike needs to be rebuilt,” Vander Plaats says. “We cannot continue to sprint away from the heart of God and call it a good thing.”

Vander Plaats says the purpose of the event at the Vatican will be to “wake up the culture” and he’s ready to be changed himself by participating.


(as said) “When you’re going to spent time in prayer in thought and with other religious leaders…I think you always have to open that this will change you,” Vander Plaats said.

In November of last year the Vatican hosted a conference on marriage at the Vatican with noted Evangelical Christian leaders from American, like Rick Warren, author of the bestseller: “Purpose Driven Life”. Vander Plaats says he and his wife, Darla, are excited about their trip to Vatican City this November, but there’s no guarantee the pope will attend this year’s event. Vander Plaats himself will be hosting a big political event NEXT weekend when The Family Leader hosts TEN Republican presidential candidates at a forum in Ames.

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Sioux County Fair Starts This Weekend

Sioux Center, Iowa — The Sioux County Youth Fair is starting this weekend.
Fair Logo
Starting on Saturday, July 11, the fair will be at the fairgrounds on Sioux Center’s east side. We talked to Craig De Haan who’s on the fair board, and he tells us what’s going on on Saturday.


On Sunday, they’ll have the Queen and Little Miss Coronation at 5:30.

Starting bright and early on Monday, they’ll have the Fair Board Breakfast Fundraiser from 7 AM – 10 AM, followed by lots of 4-H events. The commercial building is open from 3 to 8:30 PM. They’ll have Inflatables from 4 to 8 PM, plus Mini Train Rides, a Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, and more. The pork feed goes from 5:30 to 7 PM on Monday at the Sioux County Fair. There will also be a Madd Hoss Jackson concert.

Tuesday night the inflatables are back as are the mini train rides and the petting zoo. There’s a Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at 5:30, with a Greased Pig Contest at 6:30.

The kids activities are back for Wednesday. Plus at 5 it’s time for the Barnyard Olympics. There’s also a Sprint Car Race at 7.

For more information, click here for the full schedule.

Speaking of county fairs, Osceola’s is July 15th through 18th, O’Brien’s is the 18th through the 23rd, and Lyon’s is the 20th through the 24th.

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