Museum honoring World War II veterans Saturday; more

Museum honoring World War II veterans Saturday

JOHNSTON ? In recognition of the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S entry into World War II, the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum will host ?Honoring World War II Veterans? at the museum at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The program will honor all World War II veterans and their families.

Ames resident Grace Amemiya will be the keynote speaker. Amemiya was attending the San Francisco School of Nursing when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. After President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order in February 1942 requiring people of Japanese ancestry to be moved into internment camps, Amemiya, a 21-year-old Japanese-American, was placed in the Gila River internment camp in Arizona.

Other Iowa World War II veterans speaking at the event will include Robert Barnett, U.S. Marine Corps, a Battle of Iwo Jima veteran; Ray Duffee, U.S. Navy, who served as a corpsman with the U.S. Marines at the Battle of Tarawa; and Joe Boitnott, an Iowa National Guard soldier with the 34th Infantry Division who fought in North Africa and Italy.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the event. Visitors should use the NW 70th Avenue entrance. Photo identification, like a driver license, is required for adults to gain admittance to Camp Dodge.

For information about the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, contact the museum at 515-252-4531 or visit the museum website at www.iowanationalguard.com.

Man who grew pot in Iowa gets prison time

CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) ? A Kentucky man who came to Iowa to grow marijuana in the state?s corn fields has been sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison.

Cecil Burnett, of Monticello, Ky., was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to grow more than 100 marijuana plants.

The 60-year-old man admitted he traveled with his son, Kelly, and another man, David Criswell, to Iowa in 2008 to plant marijuana.

Authorities found 465 marijuana plants in one field and 500 more plants in a pickup truck during a traffic stop on Interstate 80. Another 877 marijuana plant were later found in a different farm field.

Kelly Burnett was sentenced earlier to five years in prison. Criswell was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Hy-Vee CEO Jurgens to retire

WEST DES MOINES (AP) ? The chief executive of West Des Moines-based grocery store chain Hy-Vee has announced he will retire effective June 1.

Ric Jurgens announced his decision during a Hy-Vee stockholders meeting on Wednesday.

The 62-year-old Jurgens has been the employee-owned Hy-Vee?s top officer since 2006. He has been with the company for 42 years.

During his time at the company, Hy-Vee has grown to 235 stores in eight states and increased sales to a record $7.3 billion in 2011.

Jurgens says he will ask the company?s board of directors at its meeting in May to name current Hy-Vee president and chief operating officer, Randy Edeker, to succeed him.