Beef Products Incorporated announced Monday they are shutting down their plants in Amarillo, Texas; Garden City, Kansas; and Waterloo, Iowa.

Operations at those plants had been suspended with employees on paid leave since BPI had lost much of their business over a national and social media reports  questioning their lean finely textured beef.

Company spokesman Rich Jochum says while BPI hoped to resume operation at those plants, that is not going to be possible in the immediate future and the temporary suspension of operations will in fact result in the elimination of those jobs effective May 25th.

650 employees are affected at those locations. BPI will continue to operate its South Sioux City, Nebraska facility at reduced capacity. 

Jochum says the company intends to continue operations there and expand production here as the market activity allows. 

He says BPI will continue to stand by their lean beef as 100% wholesome, safe and nutritious, and continue to defend the company against the mischaracterizations and irresponsible misrepresentations that led  to these actions.

Ho-Chunk Incorporated has completed its purchase of Atokad Downs from the Nebraska Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association.

Ho-Chunk, Inc is the multi-national economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

Company officials say the purchase was an opportune investment in the property because two subsidiaries, Heritage Express and HCI Construction, have business locations adjacent to the Atokad property.
  

Ho-Chunk president and CEO Lance Morgan says they are in the process of developing a long-term strategy to determine the optimum usage for the property.

A MINNESOTA DRIVER ESCAPED INJURY EARLY MONDAY MORNING AFTER HIS PICK-UP TRUCK COLLIDED WITH A PAIR OF COWS ON HIGHWAY 60 NEAR HOSPERS.

THE SIOUX COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS 57 YEAR OLD ALAN OBERLOH OF WORTHINGTON HIT THE ANIMALS IN THE NORTHBOUND LANE AROUND 12:30AM.

BOTH COWS DIED AND THE TRUCK SUSTAINED 10-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. AROUND 80 HEAD OF CATTLE ESCAPED A CONFINEMENT LOT SOMETIME SUNDAY NIGHT. 
SOME OF THE CATTLE WERE STILL LOOSE AS OF MID AFTERNOON MONDAY.

AUTHORITIES IN CHEROKEE COUNTY SAY THERE ARE NO NEW LEADS OR EVIDENCE REGARDING A POSSIBLE CHILD ABDUCTION LAST FRIDAY MORNING.

A CONCERNED CITIZEN CLAIMED HE SAW A CHILD WITH HANDS TIED IN THE WINDOW OF A WHITE CARGO VAN KICKING THE BACK WINDOW HEADED NORTH ON HIGHWAY 59. 

A SPOKESPERSON WITH THE CHEROKEE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS SEVERAL WHITE VANS HAVE BEEN STOPPED OR CHECKED IN THE REGION SINCE THAT REPORT, BUT NONE OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED INCIDENT.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF A MISSING CHILD OR AMBER ALERTS ISSUED EITHER.   THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS ANYONE WITH INFORMATION RELATING TO THE INCIDENT SHOULD CALL THEM AT 712-225-6728.