News

Des Moines, Iowa — The review of a wind energy transmission line that is supposed to start in O’Brien County has been put on hold. The line is supposed to cost two billion dollars and it would run 500 miles from O’Brien County to Scott County, Iowa.

Officials representing the proposed line, known as the Rock Island Clean Line have requested that the Iowa Utilities Board — or IUB — staff stop actively reviewing the franchise petitions for the proposed electric transmission line. No hearing date has been established.

The project suffered a setback when the IUB decided in February that they would hold one hearing instead of two to decide if the project could proceed, and whether the company could use eminent domain. The company said that meant they could end up buying millions of dollars of property, only to have the project rejected by the IUB.

If the project takes place, it is supposed to include a 250-million dollar station near Sanborn, where it would convert electricity from alternating to high-voltage direct current and send it down the line.

O’Brien County Economic Development Director Kiana Johnson has been working with project officials. She says they have basically put their application on hold. She says Rock Island Clean Line is essentially letting the Energy Transfer Partners crude oil pipline project application move before them for review with the IUB.

Johnson says it’s her opinion that this is a smart move for Rock Island to observe the process and the IUB ruling on the pipeline project. A decision on the crude oil pipeline is expected by the IUB by January.

Des Moines, Iowa — Seven Republican presidential candidates gathered around a table in Des Moines Friday night — in front of hundreds of Christian conservatives — for a discussion that focused on the “coarsening” of America and how to spark a revival. The event was put on by the Family Leader, a Christian conservative group headed by Sheldon native Bob Vander Plaats.  Protesters disrupted the event twice.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee responded.

Huckabee later said he wasn’t bothered by the protesters, because they won’t be thrown in prison or shot like they would in other countries where there are no free speech rights. Texas Senator Ted Cruz told the crowd the greatest moral threat facing the county is an assault on Christian values by Washington, by Hollywood and by the media.

Retired surgeon Ben Carson criticized political correctness, especially on college campuses.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio says the country’s threatened by an erosion of values and it starts at the top.

In the second hour, moderator Frank Luntz asked the candidates to define what they would consider to be a “just” war. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum says it’s time for acknowledge Islamic terrorists believe they are in a holy war.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called not only for broader background checks on refugees from more than 30 countries where Islamic terrorists cells are forming, plus Paul says there should be broader restrictions on all travel into the United States.

At the end of the event, the moderator asked questions designed to the get the candidates to talk about their faith and how it had been challenged. Former Hewlett-Packard C-E-O Carly Fiorina discussed her battle with cancer, her daughter’s death and how faith had sustained her during it all.

The forum was organized by The Family Leader and Bob Vander Plaats, the group’s president, urged the crowd to consider what was said by the candidates, pray about what they heard and choose one to support.

Vander Plaats and The Family Leader’s board of directors will meet to consider endorsing one of the candidates.