News

Woman Dies After Trying To Rescue Boy

Ruthven, Iowa — An attempted water rescue in Lost Island Lake on Friday has claimed the life of a Carroll woman.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office reports that in the 2 PM hour on Friday, July 24th, they were told via the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office of a possible drowning in Lost Island Lake, in Clay County. When deputies arrived, 56-year-old Elizabeth Ann McCorkle of Carroll, was on shore and was receiving medical attention from Emergency Medical responders. McCorkle was transported to the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg before being transferred to Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, where she succumbed to her injuries Friday evening.

After an investigation, deputies believe that shortly after 2:00 PM, a 13-year-old boy was swimming in Lost Island Lake, when he became distressed and called out for assistance. McCorkle heard or saw the struggling swimmer and entered the lake in a rescue attempt. During this rescue attempt, McCorkle was able to assist the swimmer to the surface, where he again called out for help. Occupants of a passing boat heard the second call for help and an occupant of the boat entered the water to assist, and the boy was secured and assisted into the rescuer’s boat. The rescuer was not immediately aware of McCorkle’s presence in the water, and only learned of it after rescuing the teenager. Upon seeing McCorkle, the rescuer took steps to assist McCorkle but when unable to get McCorkle into the rescue boat, assisted her to shore, where additional bystanders assisted in removing McCorkle from the lake.

Chief Deputy Brad Hawley of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office offered this regarding the incident. “This is a tragic event. Water activities are fun but we cannot lose sight of the eminent danger that water presents. I do not question that the efforts of Ms. McCorkle saved the life of a teenager today, however ultimately, giving her own.”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public of a common rule regarding water rescue. Whenever possible, “Throw, don’t go!” with regards to assisting struggling swimmers. They say a rescuer remains safest by throwing a rescue device, any flotation device, as opposed to entering the close proximity of a struggling and possibly panicked swimmer.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office, the Dickens and Ruthven Fire and Rescue squads.

Scott Van AartsenJuly 27, 2015July 27, 2015

Rock Valley To Break Ground On New Housing Development

Rock Valley, Iowa — The City of Rock Valley and the Rock Valley Economic Development Corporation are announcing a groundbreaking ceremony for a new multi-Family Housing Development next Wednesday at noon. Rock Valley Development Director David Miller says it’ll be called “East Meadows,” and will be marketable to developers who want to build apartment buildings.

He says Rock Valley has experienced sustained success in its business and industry growth as well as numerous expansions, which has led to a shortage in available workforce over the years. Rock Valley’s unemployment rate is substantially low at only 3.2% as of June 2014.

One of the goals of this project is to attract families to Rock Valley to live and work, he says. The new multi-family development is expected to meet the high demand for rental properties in Rock Valley and Sioux County.

Miller says the Rock Valley Economic Development Corporation or RVEDC is glad they could work with the City of Rock Valley and come up with a solution in this time of growth.

He says East Meadows Multi-Family Development Phase 1 will consist of 18 multi-family lots and is expected to be marketable to apartment developers in October 2015. The City of Rock Valley and RVEDC expect to see apartment construction begin prior to the end of the year.

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Scott Van AartsenJuly 24, 2015July 25, 2015

Le Mars Planning Ethanol Storage, Transfer Facility

Le Mars, Iowa — The city of Le Mars has completed plans to build a large ethanol storage facility in its industrial area. Mayor Dick Kirchoff says the facility may be in operation by late this year.

(as he says)He says it will consist of a 300-thousand gallon tank to hold ethanol that’s trucked in and then later loaded onto rail cars. “So, I think it’s going to be a nice opportunity for the city of Le Mars,” Kirchoff says.
The city council first made a five-year agreement with Le Mars Public Storage in order to have an easement to a vacant lot in the industrial park area. Kirchoff says the storage and loading facility will be operated by Plymouth Energy of Merrill.

(as he says)”What that’s gonna do is to allow them to get into the Chicago market on the C-N Railroad and then on up to Canada,” Kirchoff says.

Kirchoff says city leaders have been meeting and planning for this new venture for the last two-and-a-half years.

(as he says) “One of the things we were always concerned about was safety. And we have taken every precautionary measure during these meetings to make sure the operation is built right. And we feel like we are progressing ahead on it,” Kirchoff says.

The Le Mars mayor says the new industry would not have been possible if not for the city making an earlier agreement last April with Burlington Junction Short Line Railroad.

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Scott Van AartsenJuly 24, 2015July 24, 2015

Sioux Center Health, NCC Offer Free CNA Training

Sioux Center, Iowa — Free training to be a certified nurse aide is available in northwest Iowa. And there’s a meeting coming up where you can learn more. Plus, if English is not your first language, they’ve got a program made just for you.

Sioux Center Health has partnered with Northwest Iowa Community College to offer free Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training and a conditional employment offer with Sioux Center Health. The informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 PM at Royale Meadows in Sioux Center.

Students will have the opportunity to complete a combination of pre-CNA classes taught by an English Language Learner instructor (as needed) and CNA classes taught by a certified CNA instructor. The pre-CNA class is an option for students needing extra help with English language medical terminology, and involves 25 hours of classroom instruction. Northwest Iowa Community College Enrollment Management Advisor Norma Azpeitia tells us more.

The CNA classes are designed to prepare students to better understand the knowledge and skills needed to care for residents in long-term care facilities. This course involves 75 hours of training including 30 hours of classroom instruction, 15 hours lab training and 30 hours of clinical experience.

Upon successful completion of the training, eligible students will be working at Sioux Center Health’s long-term care facility, Royale Meadows. Azpeitia says they may also be offered employment elsewhere in the Sioux Center Health system.

Azpeitia says that even if students don’t end up working for Sioux Center Health, there are probably other ways that they can get the training free of charge, and NCC will work with the students to help make that possible.

She tells us about the meeting coming up on Tuesday.

She says they’re happy they can offer this new opportunity to people seeking a job in the health care industry.

For more information about Sioux Center Health, you can visit www.siouxcenterhealth.org.

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Scott Van AartsenJuly 24, 2015July 24, 2015

Thousands Experience Power Outage

Rock Rapids, Iowa — Thousands of people in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota were without power for a time early on Thursday.

Troy Metzger, dispatcher with L & O Power Coop in Rock Rapids says that the outage affected eastern Lyon County, Iowa and southern rock County Minnesota.

He says the outage happened due to an equipment failure at a sub station near Lake Pahoja about four miles northeast of Inwood. He says that sub station and the lines running to it are owned by Basin Electric Power Coop. But the substation is the point of demarcation between Basin and L & O and the lines running away from it are L & O’s. He says L & O buys power from Basin Electric.

Metzger says the systems affected were Rock Rapids Municipal Utilities, Luverne Municipal Electric, Lyon Rural Electric Coop and Sioux Valley Energy.

He says the outage included the entire cities of Rock Rapids, Iowa and Luverne, Minnesota.

Metzger says the outage started shortly before 1 AM and only lasted about 20 minutes or so because power was rerouted. He says repairs will be made as parts and labor are available

L & O is a power coop that serves rural and municipal electric systems in Rock County, Minnesota, and Lyon and Osceola Counties in Iowa.

Scott Van AartsenJuly 23, 2015July 24, 2015

Sanborn To Celebrate Railroad Days This Weekend

Sanborn, Iowa — Sanborn’s 19th annual Railroad Days are coming up this weekend.

We had a chance to talk with Dr. Melissa Rupp, who is the chair of the Railroad Days Committee this year. She says they have lots of events this year — and something very special about Railroad Days — it’s all free. She says it starts on Friday morning at 9 AM.

Activities continue for a full Saturday as well, she says.