Hospers, Iowa — Students at Hospers Elementary School were recently treated to a Police Dog demonstration by Sioux County School Resource Officer, Deputy Waylon Pollema, along with K‐9 Deputy Tony Reitsma and his K‐9 partner, Neiko.
Deputy Reitsma explained his work as a K‐9 handler to the students, as well as how Neiko detects illegal drugs and human scent. As part of the demonstration Neiko found a marijuana scented towel that was hidden in one of three paint cans.
Deputy Pollema says the students were excited to meet Neiko, and that they also enjoyed seeing how he detected marijuana odor in the paint can.
Deputy Pollema said the students always ask to see the Sheriff’s Office K‐9s, and they really enjoyed the demonstration.
Sibley, Iowa — Three parks and a golf course in Sibley will be getting new trees through a utility company.
Trees Forever facilitates Alliant Energy’s program. They say it helps communities plant trees for the shade they provide and the significant energy efficiency savings that result.
Jeff Jensen, Field Coordinator for Trees Forever tells us about the program
He says they’re having a ceremony on Thursday, October 8th.
The trees will provide energy efficiency benefits as they mature over the years says Jensen. He says that Sibley recognizes the importance of keeping up with tree plantings so that they have trees in all stages of growth and a healthy urban canopy. He says the diverse mix of trees means they’ll last a long time.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — The Carolinas have been experiencing torrential rains in what South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has described as a “Thousand Year Rain Event”. The rains are being generated by Hurricane Joaquin, which, while it hasn’t hit the U.S. mainland, is still wreaking havoc with the rain amounts that have been falling, several feet in some areas since the start of the past weekend.
Sheldon native Garrett Lang is a student at the Golf Academy of America in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and he tells us that the storm in his area started slow, but really picked up as Joaquin moved off from the Bahamas.
He says that the resulting floodwaters have moved some animals out of their normal environments.
Lang says that, even though he lives ten or twelve miles from the shore, flooding is still prevalent in his area.
He says that, even though he can’t play golf, he and his friends have still been able to have some fun on the golf course.
Garrett is the eldest son of Chad and Sara Lang of Sheldon.
Golf Course From Garrett Lang’s Balcony Before StormView Of Golf Course From Garrett Lang’s Apartment BalconyShark Swimming On Ocean Drive In Myrtle Beach, SC
Archer, Iowa — A South Sioux City, Nebraska man suffered suspected serious injuries after rolling his pickup near Archer Monday night.
According to the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened shortly before 8:00 pm Monday, when a 2004 Chevrolet pickup, driven by 62-year old Gary Tramner of South Sioux City, was westbound on 390th Street, or County Road B40, near Archer. Deputies say Tramner was distracted by his cellular device, and failed to stop for the stop sign at the intersection with Nettle Avenue, went through the intersection onto the gravel portion of 390th Street, where he lost control of his pickup and entered the north ditch where the vehicle rolled over once coming to rest on it’s wheels.
After being extricated from the pickup, Tramner was taken to the Baum Harmon Mercy Medical Center in Primghar by the Archer Ambulance, with what deputies describe as suspected serious or incapacitating injuries.
Damage to Tramner’s pickup were estimated at $15,000. Deputies say he was cited for Failure To Obey a Stop Sign and Failure To Yield The Right Of Way.
Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says he disagrees with assertions by Sheldon native and Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats concerning state money going to Planned Parenthood. Vander Plaats has said that Branstad is making phony excuses and failing to follow through on a 2010 campaign promise to defund Planned Parenthood.
Branstad says Planned Parenthood does NOT get taxpayer money to cover abortion costs, but it does get reimbursed for providing other services to Medicaid patients, like annual reproductive health tests and breast cancer screenings. Vander Plaats says a letter from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal “schools” Branstad on how to cut off that money to Planned Parenthood, but Branstad says Jindal has been sued for making that move.
Branstad says the contracts that provide reimbursement to Planned Parenthood cannot be broken.
Branstad says if he did issue an executive order to cut off all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood sued, the chances he’d win the lawsuit are “not very good at all.”
The Family Leader has launched a “Keep Your Promise” ad campaign to pressure Branstad on the issue.
Primghar, Iowa — There are a lot of first places for MidAmerican Energy’s wind power in O’Brien County.
Of all the ways to produce power, the greatest amount of MidAmerican’s electricity generating capacity is now in the form of wind power. MidAmerican ranks number one in the nation in ownership of wind-powered generation capacity among rate-regulated utilities. MidAmerican’s Highland Wind Farm near Primghar, which is now approaching completion is the company’s largest wind farm to date. The Highland wind farm is part of MidAmerican’s “Wind 8” project, which is the largest wind project they have ever done, and it was the largest economic development project in Iowa history at the time it was announced.
Ruth Comer, spokesperson for MidAmerican Energy tells us more about the wind farm construction that is now wrapping up, and a new one, also in O’Brien County, which just getting underway.
She says that soon, they’ll have more wind generation capacity than coal, natural gas, or nuclear generation capacity.
She says O’Brien County has some of the best wind resources of any part of Iowa, and Iowa is a good wind state as well.
She says while there are always opponents to anything, they find a lot of support for wind projects in Iowa. She says they’re good for customers as they bring lower and more stable prices. They bring economic development in terms of jobs and property tax base, and she says wind-generated power is good for the environment.
Hospers, Iowa — Students at Hospers Elementary School were recently treated to a Police Dog demonstration by Sioux County School Resource Officer, Deputy Waylon Pollema, along with K‐9 Deputy Tony Reitsma and his K‐9 partner, Neiko.
