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Wells Acquires Another Company, Local School Bond Issues put to Voters Tuesday

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Voters in Storm Lake and Sergeant Bluff-Luton will decide tomorrow on school bond issues.  School officials say growing enrollment means the districts will run out of space. The bond issues require a 60 percent "supermajority" to win approval.  The Sgt. Bluff-Luton School system has failed to gain approval for three previous bond issues.

Today Wells Enterprises of Le Mars announced another acquisition.  The company that makes Blue Bunny ice creamed signed a purchase agreement with Eden Creamery to acquire the Halo Top brand.  Halo Top provides a high protein, low sugar, and calorie dessert.

Wells is now the number two ice cream maker in the country and produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year with distribution to all 50 states.  

The number of toxic algae blooms at Iowa state beaches is on the rise, compared to the past two years. But the number of swimming advisories issued for the toxins would’ve nearly doubled if the state followed the federal government’s recommended limit. 

The Iowa D-N-R decided to not lower its testing level, allowing for a greater level of microcystins [MY-kro-SIS-tins] in public waters before issuing a warning.

Mary Skopec [SKOH-peck] with the Iowa Lakeside Lab used to run the state’s beach monitoring program and says the D-N-R should adopt the lower federal standard.

My personal opinion and professional opinion as somebody who worked with the beach program with a long time is that the lower level is more protective. Especially for small children who may be playing in the area along the shoreline where scums accumulate.

Exposure to harmful algal blooms can cause gastrointestinal and neurological issues and in some cases liver or kidney damage.

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