By Julie Ann Madden At a distance it may look pretty with its fl owers brightening up the landscape; but up close, it’s noxious weeds, according to a South Dakota Extension Offi ce’s pamphlet, “Noxious Weeds of South Dakota.” Weeds causing Union County landown-ers the most grief this year are the Canada Thistle with its lavender, pink or white flowers; Leafy Spurge with small g r e e n fl owers surrounded with yellow-green bracts;

and Purple Looses-trife with its fi ve-to

six-petalled p u r p l e -magenta b l o s -

soms.

Other p l a n t s

considered n o x i o u s weeds in S o u t h

Dakota include fi eld bindweed, perennial sow thistle, hoary cress, Russian knapweed, saltcedar, musk thistle, plumeless thistle, bull thistle, scotch thistle, Flodman’s thistle, absinth wormwood, dal-mation toadfl ax, yellow toadfl ax, houndstongue, spotted knapweed, diffuse knapweed, tansy, St. Johnswort, puncturevine, mullein, burdock, giant knotweed, chicory, poison hemlock, and wild hemp. Controlling weeds in Union County is the responsibility of a “Weed Board.” From 2004-2006, the Union County Commis-sioners supervised the Weed Board. Prior to that weed control was through the Union County Exten-sion educator, according to Janet Lingle, Union County Extension secretary who has worked with the Weed Board for the past 26 years. Union County still has a “Weed Board,” but it is now its own entity with the responsibility for con-trolling all noxious weeds in the 12 townships. Each township is charged for chemicals, equip-ment usage and for labor of spraying, explained Lingle, adding they spray township roads, county roads, state highways in Union County and along Interstate 29 south of Beresford to the Iowa line. The Weed Board is made up of a member from each Union County Commissioner’s district and two county commissioners.

Milton Ustad and Dale Neely are the two com-missioners on the Weed Board. Ustad serves as chairman. Ustad and Neely report the board’s activities and needs directly to the Commissioners.

The other members are Don Gray, vice-chairman; Janet Lingle, secretary; and members: Curt Winquist, Randy Ronning, Dean Bosse, and Terry Booe Sr. The Weed Board’s budget for the 2007 fi scal year was $112,223, said Lingle. Their expenses include salary, chemical purchases, any equipment and/or equip-

ment repairs needed, travel and meeting expenses, and basic offi ce supplies. “It’s the same (dollar amount) as last

Hometowner Volume 6 • Number 36 Akron, Iowa 51001

75¢

The Akron

WednesdaySeptember 5, 2007

Call: 712-568-2208 • FAX: 712-568-2271 • E-mail: akronht@hickorytech.net • Website: www.akronhometowner.com

Your locally owned hometown newspaper now in its sixth year

What’s Happening

Hometown newspaper of Arvin and Dorothy Finzen

Salt sales The A-W Athletic Booster Club annual salt sale continues with delivery Sat., Sept. 15. Contact Todd Colt, 568-2020, to place an order.Farmers Market The Sept. 5 and 12 nights are open at the Farmers Market in the Akron City Park. If you would like to set up a food stand, contact Cristi at 568-8750. The Sept. 19 food stand is Carlsen Funeral Home and the last Farmers Market stand on Sept. 26 is the Akron Museum.History books You can still pre-order Akron’s history book. Orders will be taken until Sept. 15. Contact City Hall or stop by the Quasquicenten-nial booth at the Scare-crow Festival Sept. 15 to order your book. If you don’t pre-order, there are no guarantees there will be many extra books.School Board candidates Anyone interested in being a write-in school board candidate for Akron-Westfi eld District No. 3, please call Hometowner for campaign assistance.City Elections See Akron City Council ad for city council candidates on Page 2.Looking Back Due to Labor Day holiday, there is no “Looking Back” feature in this edition. Look for it next week.Scarecrow Festival Create a scarecrow or two for the 2007 Great Akron Scarecrow Festival & Contest, which is Saturday, Sept. 15. Or rent a booth to sell your crafts, food or wares. Festival proceeds raised go for community betterment. For more information, see story on Page. 16.

No ethanol plant for AkronAkron Riverview suspends plansBy Julie Ann Madden On Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 28, the Akron com-munity learned Akron Riv-erview Corn Processors LLC. suspended further project development of its proposed ethanol plant, which would have been located at 170th Street and Iowa Highway 12 south of Akron. Citing unfavorable “market conditions,” Akron Riverview offi cials also stopped the preparation of its registration statement for the sale of its securities. “Akron Riverview Corn Processors LLC (offi cial) intends to monitor market conditions and will proceed with the preparation of its registration statement and further project development at a later date if it deems it

appropriate and advanta-geous,” according to a press release from Little Sioux Corn Processors LLLP, which owns Akron Riv-erview subsidiary. With ethanol prices at $1.60 a gallon and $3 per bushel corn, it’s making it real diffi cult to get fi nanc-ing, said Plymouth County Economic Development Director Gary Tucker. “It’s a sign of the economy.” On June 15 of this year, Akron Riverview offi cials announced they had exer-cised options on the real estate for their 100-million-gallon ethanol plant site. The sale of the two parcels, which were owned by Robert and Margaret Lias and Mary Wohlenberg respectively, was to have been fi nalized within the next 30 to 60

days. Plymouth County Auditor Recorder JoLynn Goodchild said the sales were recorded in her offi ce on Aug. 30. The suspension of Akron Riverview plans may also halt both Plymouth Coun-ty’s Urban Renewal Area creation and road improve-ments near Akron. According to Tucker, Plymouth County Super-visors will probably com-plete the legal proceedings on their planned Urban Renewal Area but will also stop the process. There-fore, if Akron Riverview continues with the project, the county would just have to hold a public hearing to

Board fi xes weed woes in Union Countyyear,” said Lingle, “and we requested the same amount for 2008.” The Weed Board hires a spraying crew under the supervision of Christopher Velk, who is a Uni-versity of South Dakota student. The sprayers are Jesse Sporrer, Korey Potratz, Brenden Huber and Josh Jeffery. The spraying crew, including Velk, began spray-ing the townships the end of May and early part of June this year. Velk also investigates weed complaints. Once Velk inspects the property or area in the complaint, a letter is sent to the property owner giving them 10 days to control the weeds. Then it’s inspected again. If the crew ends up doing the work, prop-erty owners must pay. “It’s a bad year for weeds,” said Lingle. “If you don’t control what you already have, next year it’ll spread even more.”

Q-pop for pupFirst National Bank gave out “bomb” popsicles at the Quas-quicentennial Parade on Aug. 11. Even puppies enjoyed the treat in the hot summer weather, which was followed by nearly a week of rain. Labor Day Weekend was sunny and in the high 80s.

See ETHANOLCon’t on Page 4