(LE MARS)–Twelve projects are being funded with Plymouth County’s Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) grant funds.
Plymouth County supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Advisory Board recommendations for a total of just under 100-thousand dollars.
The City of Remsen Track Committee was awarded 25-thousand dollars toward a project to replace the existing cinder track and a new chain link fence. The second highest local option fund award was 15-thousand dollars for repair and updates to Plymouth County Fairgrounds buildings. More than 11-thousand dollars will be used by Life Skills Training Center for 12 laundry carts for the commercial laundry and three progressive flow digital control units.
Funding of 10-thousand dollars for outreach services for Plymouth County victims of sexual assault and domestic violence will be awarded to the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. A gutter lining project for the Old Central School building, which is home to the Plymouth County Historical Museum, was funded with 85-hundred dollars–the fifth highest amount of county local option. PALS–Plymouth County Alternative Living Services had the smallest request–$761 and received full funding for the request to purchase internet services and setup email accounts.
There were 29 requests for $309,000 or three times the grant amount set aside from county LOST funds by supervisors as of July 1st. Advisory Board chair Blaine Donaldson of Kingsley described that as difficult and suggested help for non-profit groups’ budgeting from the county’s Economic Development Director.
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Donaldson thanked supervisors Craig Anderson and Mark Loutsch for attending LOST Advisory Board meetings and showing support for the work.
Supervisors chair Jim Henrich thanked the advisory board members for the volunteer work. The vote to approve the recommendations was unanimous.
2010-2011 Plymouth County Local Option Sales Tax Grants
Agency, purpose, request, award:
Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, funding for outreach services for Plymouth County victims, $10,000, $10,000;
Le Mars Public Library, audio media, $3,000, none;
Friends of the Le Mars Public Library, digitization of the local newspaper, $2,320, $2,320;
Akron Park Board, Phase 2 of the Lefty Swift Ballfield improvements, $7,829, none;
Le Mars Fire and Rescue, rope rescue equipment to use with aerial ladder fire truck, $1,928, $1,928;
Plymouth County Senior Helpmate program, continuation of the services provided by the program, $7,300, none;
Akron Public Library, funding for the Rhyme Time on the Prairie program, $2,000, none;
Plymouth County 4H and Ag Society charitable fund, repair/update fairgrounds buildings, $15,000, $15,000;
Life Skills Training Center, 12 laundry carts and 3 progressive flow digital control units, $11,080, $11,080;
Plymouth Alternative Living Services (PALS), purchase internet services and set up email accounts, $761, $761;
Mid-Sioux Opportunity, 4 laptop computers, $5,500, none;
Le Mars Area Family YMCA, renovate men’s locker room, $8,000; none;
Le Mars Education Enhancement Project (LEEP), purchase 40 laptop computers, $16,000, none;
Remsen Museum, renovate existing museum building, $10,000, none;
Gehlen Catholic Schools, funding for the Linda Freking-Bouma Health and Wellness Center, $10,000, none;
Le Mars Community Theatre, replace two front windows in the Postal Playhouse building, $15,000, $3,400;
Pipe Dream Camping and Tubing, overall upkeep and maintenance of grounds and road repair, $12,000; none;
Plains Area Mental Health, replacing client chairs, $7,859.27, $7,859.27;
City of Remsen Track Committee, replace existing cinder track and new chain link fence, $25,000, $25,000;
Remsen Youth Board, new concession stand and restrooms at Niggling field, $10,000; none;
Plymouth County Drug Court, funding for drug court expenses, $5,000, $5,000;
Le Mars Daycare, Inc., replace steps and landing and repair roof, $26,900, none;
Oyens Fire Department, purchase rescue air bag lifting system and leather gloves, $6,145, $6,145;
Kraft Kleaners, demolition and rebuilding of business, purchasing equipment, $50,000, none;
Siouxland Youth for Christ, projector screen, laptop computer, update sound system and sign, $3,000, $3,000;
Plymouth County Historical Museum, Lining of the rain gutters on the museum building, $8,500, $8,500;
Remsen St. Mary’s High School, automatic and dry chemical extinguishing system in kitchen, $3,025, none;
Remsen St. Mary’s High School, installation of bleachers in the gymnasium, $14,000, none;
Remsen-Union Community School, commercial grade equipment for weight room/fitness facility, $10,529,96, none;
Total requests 29, requested amounts $307,677.73, amount awarded $99,993.77
(LE MARS)– Tuesday, April 27th, 10:15 am is the date and time set for a public hearing on a development agreement between Plymouth County and Plymouth Energy L.L.C. and Plymouth Oil. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will hear discussion on tax increment payments for Plymouth Energy, rural Merrill, not to exceed one-million seven-hundred thousand dollars, and Plymouth Oil, rural Merrill, not to exceed one-hundred-seventy-five-thousand dollars. Both public hearings will be held at the Plymouth County Courthouse, lower level, in the board of supervisors room on Tuesday, April 27th at 10:15 am. (News report by Dave Ruden)
(CHEROKEE)–Land in Cherokee County will be preserved with funds announced Monday by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
The grants are from the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. According to the Interior Secretary’s written information, the competitive grants enable states to work with private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies to initiate conservation planning efforts and buy and protect habitat to support the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
Using the federal grant funds, 80 acres of land will be acquired in Cherokee County by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The 295-thousand dollar grant is for the Steele Prairie State Preserve in Cherokee County. The purchase of the land is designed to protect the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid.
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WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) A former girls basketball coach at Waterloo East High School has entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor drug charge.
Edward Madlock entered the plea on Tuesday, the day he was to go to trial in Black Hawk County District Court. Under an Alford plea, Madlock doesn’t admit guilt but agrees he would likely be convicted if the case went to trial.
Madlock was given a deferred judgment, which means it won’t go on his record if he completes six months of probation and a substance abuse evaluation.
Madlock was charged in December after police said they found marijuana during a traffic stop.
Madlock had been on the East High staff since 1998 and was head coach since the 2007-2008 season. He resigned shortly after his arrest.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa Ombudsman Bill Angrick says he’ll accept the state’s early retirement offer.
Angrick, now 64, was 32 when he was hired in 1978 to deal with complaints from people dissatisfied with state and local government.
He says there are several issues that should remain atop the state’s to-do list. That includes a lack of mental health services, flaws in the open records and open meetings laws and the prison system’s reluctance to let eligible inmates use gradual release programs.
The Legislative Council, which is made up of lawmakers of both parties from the House and Senate, appoints an ombudsman for a four-year term.
Angrick’s last day will be June 24. Deputy ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider will be acting ombudsman until lawmakers name a successor.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A man accused of killing his estranged wife and wounding a police officer during a standoff in Des Moines faces an additional charge.
A first-degree sexual assault charge has been filed against Randall Moore, who is also charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and attempted murder.
Moore is accused of forcing TereseAnn Lynch Moore into her car at a mall parking lot last November. He allegedly drove her to an apartment, where he killed her and wounded a police officer.
The Polk County attorney’s office alleges that Moore sexually assaulted his wife before he killed her.
Moore remains in the Polk County jail on $1.5 million bond. His trial is June 21.
His attorney, Jennifer Larson, declined to comment Wednesday. IOWA-MARIJUANA FOUND
Emergency crews find marijuana plants, no patient
MOUNT UNION, Iowa (AP) Authorities in southeastern Iowa says emergency medical workers who were responding to a Lifeline alert found marijuana plants in the home instead of a patient.
The workers reported their Monday find to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. The home was searched and authorities say deputies found and seized the marijuana plants. Sheriff Allen Wittmer says the plants were sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for analysis.
Authorities say no one was at the home when the emergency workers arrived and they found the plants while searching for the patient. No arrests have been made. IOWA-BODY FOUND
BRITT, Iowa (AP) Authorities say the body of a man reported missing in December has been found in a wooded area near Thompson in Winnebago County.
Forty-three-year-old Jon Weiland, of Britt, was last seen on Dec. 19 at a bar in Walters, Minn. His body and his truck were found on Tuesday.
The Winnebago County sheriff’s office says it believes Weiland was driving south on a county road when he apparently lost control on a curve and hit several trees.
Rose Villela, of Thompson, told the Mason City Globe Gazette that she was coming home from work when she spotted something red in the evergreen trees. She called her son, and they found the truck.
She says Weiland’s body was found some distance away on the edge of the wooded area. ANAMOSA FIRE
Controlled burn gets out of control in E. Iowa
ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) No injuries are reported in a controlled burn that got out of control near Anamosa in eastern Iowa.
The fire spread on Tuesday while Eugene Kula was burning garbage bags on his farm. He says he went back to his house for lunch and thought the fire was out. But the winds picked up and blew the fire into a nearby pile of debris and an old barn.
Firefighters from Anamosa, Olin and Martelle had to rotate seven tankers in and out of Anamosa to get water to put the fire out and they saved the barn.
Anamosa Fire Chief Jim Swisher says controlled burns can get out of control and people need to be mindful because the winds can quickly change. OVERFLOWING GARBAGE CANS
Waterloo to tackle overflowing garbage cans again
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) The problem of overflowing garbage cans left on the curb in neighborhoods in Waterloo has gotten the City Council’s attention again.
The city thought it addressed the problem last year with a new ordinance that allows it to issue a $100 fine to residents who filled their curbside automated garbage cans beyond capacity.
But it turns out the ordinance applies only to business garbage, not residential garbage.
The city discovered the error when it was getting ready to start writing tickets. Council members have asked the city attorney’s office to fix the ordinance.
Waste management officials say about 300 to 500 containers are overfilled on garbage collection routes every day. Waterloo empties over 24,000 containers a week.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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