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Buena Vista County Sheriff named hero for Iowa/Nebraska game

November 23, 2011 By

Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Luanderville

A law enforcement officer from northwest Iowa will be honored as a “hero” during halftime of Friday’s football game between Iowa and Nebraska. Red Cross staff selected Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville from a field of more than 200 nominations.

He and his wife, Sandy, have served as foster parents to 125 children, seven of which they eventually adopted. Launderville says he was “shocked” by the award because he doesn’t consider himself a hero.

“I guess I don’t look at what I do everyday as far as my profession, nor as a foster parent…I guess I’m so used to doing it everyday that it doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary,” Launderville told Radio Iowa. “But as time went by since I’ve been notified, I’m very humbled and very appreciative of everybody’s thoughts and comments.”

The 54-year-old Launderville has worked for the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s department for 30 years, the last three as sheriff. He and his wife hosted three foreign exchange students shortly after they were married 32 years ago.

“After we hosted the third (student), we had some good friends who started in foster care and we saw the difference they were making and saw the need for local kids who needed homes,”Launderville said. “So, we kind of made the switch from hosting foreign exchange students to being foster parents.”

The Launderville’s have four of their own children in addition to the seven kids they’ve adopted. Their children range in age between six and 35. In addition to his role as a foster parent, Launderville is being honored as a “hero” for an incident on January 25, 2010. The sheriff responded to a report of multiple vehicles that were stranded in a blizzard.

Launderville recalled, “As I checked the last car, I was just getting ready to go back to my squad car when a car came out of nowhere, in blizzard conditions, and hit me.” Sheriff Launderville was thrown 20 feet and suffered multiple injuries from which he’s still recovering. He was fortunate to survive.

“I was very lucky. It’s moments like that that really make you appreciate everything you have, like family,” Launderville said. The Storm Lake resident and seven of his family members are receiving free tickets to the Iowa/Nebraska game.

Although he has no direct ties to the University of Iowa, Launderville says he’s a big fan of the Hawkeyes. Kathy Griess of Fremont, Nebraska will also be recognized during halftime of the “Heroes Game.” She’s credited with saving the lives of two children who were trapped in a mobile home that was on fire.

more information: http://www.hy-vee.com/company/press-room/press-releases/heroes-game-award-winners.aspx

 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured Story, Human Interest, News Tagged With: ,

Romney picks up endorsement, talks about Gingrich’s immigration plan

November 23, 2011 By

South Dakota Senator John Thune endorses Mitt Romney at an event in Des Moines.

South Dakota Senator John Thune endorsed fellow Republican Mitt Romney’s bid for the presidency today in an event in the employee cafeteria of Nationwide Insurance in downtown Des Moines.

“He’s uniquely qualified to deal with the challenges that the country faces today,” Thune said.  “His experience, his skill set — it will enable him to come into this job and to take on the challenges we face, and they are many.”

Afterward Romeny talked with reporters about last night’s debate and the comments fellow candidate Newt Gingrich made about illegal immigration.

“I’ve said that those people who’ve come to the country illegally should not have a special pathway that is preferable to those that stand in line in their home countries to be able to come to this country,” Romney said.  “…That’s my view and probably by the time this campaign is finished, we’ll all come out with our extensive immigration reform plans.”

Gingrich suggested giving people who have been in the country illegally for 25 years, who have children, go to church and have jobs here some sort of legal status.  Romney was asked by a reporter if that would be giving “special preferences” to illegal immigrants.

“It certainly was for the people (Gingrich) was referring to. He didn’t go on and describe how about somebody who has been here 20 years? How about 12 years?  How about 10? Five or three? How many children do you have to have to apply this principle?” Romney replied. “He didn’t describe that.”

According to Romney, Gingrich has supported amnesty in the past and Romney argued Gingrich ”offered a new doorway” to the concept of “amnesty” last night. Romney called that ”the wrong course for the Republican debate.”

“We should be talking about enforcing the laws and making sure that those who come here legally and apply legally are those in the front of the line,” Romney said.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

King calls Gingrich immigration plan “amnesty”

November 23, 2011 By

Congressman Steve King says the immigration policy Republican candidate Newt Gingrich is advocating makes it harder to support Gingrich for president.

Gingrich has said it’s impractical to deport all the illegal immigrants in the country and the “humane” way to deal with many of those who have been in the country for years is to provide some pathway to legal status.

“I think if Speaker Gingrich had that to do over again, he might couch his language a little differently at a minimum. I wouldn’t agree with him on that policy,” King says. “I think that when you give people even a promise that they can stay in the country after they’re here illegally you become more of a magnet and it is a form of amnesty and more people will come in counting on that.”

King has been an outspoken opponent of any sort of “amnesty” for illegal immigration. He opposed former President Bush’s attempt at immigration reform. King’s critique of the Gingrich immigration plan isn’t positive.

“That piece is something that concerns me because the rule of law is one of the essential pillars of American exceptionalism,” King says.

King may endorse a candidate before the January 3 Caucuses, but it appears Gingrich has moved down King’s list because of this issue.

“If we let the rule of law be eroded and if we allow people to be rewarded for breaking the law and, by the way, these people probably had false identification,” King says. “They were working illegally. They maybe just didn’t get arrested in a quarter century.”

King made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program “Iowa Press” which airs Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Iowa Public Television.

Gingrich earlier this year suggested establishing local boards that would make decisions about the legal status of illegal immigrants in the community, functioning in the same way draft boards did during World War II.

(A previous version of this story had the incorrect air date for the IPTV program.  King’s interview will air on Friday at 7:30 p.m.)

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

John Deere reports big profit

November 23, 2011 By

Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer is reporting a big increase in profits while projecting “substantial growth” in 2012. Deere and Company reported 2011 fiscal year profits of $2.8 billion, a record for the company headquartered in the Quad Cities.

In the fourth quarter alone, profits rose 46% over the same period last year to $670 million. Deere officials expect net income to hit $3.2 billion in 2012, spurred by a 15% increase in equipment sales worldwide.

The report shows sales of John Deere agriculture and turf equipment rose 21% over the last year. Deere employs around 12,000 Iowans at facilities in Ankeny, Johnston, Ottumwa, Waterloo, Davenport and Dubuque.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, News

Buffalo is on the menu for this holiday meal

November 23, 2011 By

Hunters in Iowa have a long history of turning the animals they harvest into food donations for the needy. The programs usually include deer, but a different kind of hunt annually provides for those in need.

Every year since 2003 on the day before Thanksgiving the Iowa Chapter of Safari Club International serves a meal at The Bethel Mission, the Central Iowa Shelter and Freedom for Youth Ministries in Des Moines. The meal is made up from a gift from club members of some 800 pounds of buffalo meat.

Club president Nels Spevak says contrary to many opinions, there are abundant numbers of buffalo. Spevak says there’s an estimated 500-thousand head of buffalo in the United States. He says the area where they go in South Dakota is some 200,000 square miles.

Before the meat is donated however, it needs to be processed, that’s where Randy Ruth comes in. Ruth owns the Frederika Locker in Northeast Iowa. He says after eight years of practice, he and his staff have the routine down to a science .

He says they can usually skin a buffalo, power wash it and get it ready to hang in the cooler in 45 minutes. Ruth says it hangs in the cooler a couple of days and then it can take up to four hours to butcher and package the animal. And once the packaged buffalo arrives in Des Moines it’s up to the cooks at the various shelters to prepare it.

Bethel Mission chef, Lou Dawson, says the buffalo meat is 99% fat free, so it is healthier than hamburger. He says you can prepare any menu item with buffalo meat that you would use hamburger for, so they make soups, chilis, enchiladas and tacos. The Safari Club’s Spevak says he’s impressed with the generosity of the those who bring in the animal, those who tan the hide and prepare the meat without charge.

He says the club members are looking for the trophy, but most can’t use the 2,200 pounds of meat, so it works out perfectly for everyone. Hope Ministries’ David Burrier says being able to secure meat to help feed the hungry is often a difficult task because it can be expensive and often doesn’t have a long shelf life.

And with an increasing number of people seeking their help, donations like the great buffalo giveaway are more important than ever.

Filed Under: Human Interest, News Tagged With:

Tyson plant in Perry releases waste water into North Racoon River

November 23, 2011 By

Up to 40,000 gallons of waste water from a manure pit at the Tyson meat processing plant in Perry spilled into the North Raccoon River this week. The spill started sometime Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Someone called the meat packing plant late Tuesday morning to report foam in the river. According to information from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Tyson workers traced the discharge to a plugged line in their treatment system.

It allowed wastewater from a manure pit to overflow. The company is still working to repair the plugged line. The untreated sewage water is now being diverted into a holding pond.

State officials are monitoring the clean-up and may fine the company for the spill.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News

Gas line hit in accident in Roland

November 23, 2011 By

A few Thanksgiving pie bakers in Roland may have been out-of-luck last night after a natural gas line was ruptured in the community. Justin Foss of Alliant Energy says about 100 homes and businesses were evacuated shortly after a utility crew hit the line at about 15 ’til five last night.

“A contractor, a third-party, was doing some directional drilling yesterday in an alley in the town of Roland and that’s when they hit a line,” Foss says. Roland resients are back in their homes now. Utility workers have been going door-to-door since last night to restore natural gas service.

“Crews have to go inside and visit each individual home to relight the gas pilot lights on your gas water heater, maybe on your furnace and maybe on your gas stove,” Foss says. That means no baking — or turkey roasting — until the pilot light on that natural-gas-powered stove is relit.

“Regardless of the circumstances in this particular case, it’s a reminder that we try and let all our customers know to always call 811 before you dig so that you have as much chance as possible to make sure everything goes safely,” Foss says. Electric service was restored overnight and natural gas service should be restored to all homes in Roland sometime today.

As of 7:30 this morning, 50 homes were still without gas service.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News Tagged With:
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