Iowa wildlife officials, business owners and residents of the Lake Okoboji area are working together to prevent what could be a major environmental disaster in the Great Lakes of northwestern Iowa. The problem is that building a $700,000 electric barrier at Lower Gar Lake to keep out voracious Asian carp, which can endanger boaters and skiers by flying out of the water, is full of “mights.” The fish might already be in the lakes. A barrier, which some experts say doesn’t exclude small fish, might not work. On the plus side, the carp might not be able to reproduce in lakes. Whatever the “mights,” the fish appear to pose a serious threat to an area that supports a $213 million annual tourism industry. It’s good that the community is united in the effort to battle the invader.
Malcontents disgusted enough to want to shed their U.S. citizenship will now have to pay for their protest. The bill for renouncing one’s birthright will be $450, up from free in times past. The State Department isn’t saying how it calculated the cost or how much the new consular fee is expected to bring in, but don’t expect a flock of takers. The vast majority of grateful Americans have more sense.
Kudos to Grand Island not only for its continuing success in hosting the State Fair but also for the financial success of the city’s $20 million Heartland Events Center at Fonner Park. A new accountant’s report says the facility, which hosted 135 events last year, has a positive cash flow. That’s a great reflection on the management of the facility and on Grand Island’s vitality as a tourism draw.
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