A big and sometimes controversial project got its official start today in Kossuth County. With a ceremonial countdown, the ground was broken to officially start construction of the 59-million-dollar Midwest Grain Processors ethanol plant in northern Kossuth County. The plant will process 16-million bushels of grain a year, and it’s expected to be in operation by November 2002.Lakota Mayor Loren Ehrich noted that last month, Kossuth County voters gave a big approval margin for a five-million-dollar bond issue to secure a loan for M-G-P. Project manager Brad Petersburg says the plant is unique in two ways, its size and scope. Petersburg says local cooperation really helped get the plant going quickly.The plant will produce 45-million gallons of the ethanol and generate 70-million dollars a year. It will also create 30 jobs and use 16-million bushels of corn each year. Karl Woolridge, KIOW, Forest City/Bob Jennings, KLGA, Algona
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