Iowa man pleads not guilty in deaths of 3,000 feeder hogs

RANDALIA, Iowa (AP) — A northeast Iowa farmer has pleaded not guilty to livestock neglect after 3,000 hogs died on his property. Derek David Smith filed the written plea Monday in Fayette County District Court. Court records say the 41-year-old Smith was hired by Valley Farms to care for the hogs on his property near Randalia. On June 2, authorities found more than 3,000 feeder hogs dead at his confinement operation. Court records say the animals died from lack of feed and another 200 hogs had to be euthanized for heath reasons. The charge is a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,560 fine.