Community Betterment Project To Receive Donation
(Le Mars) — An announcement is scheduled for today regarding an expected donation
for the Le Mars Area Betterment Foundation which will be used for the Community
Betterment 2 project. That announcement will take place at 8:00 a.m. this morning.
Supervisors To Meet Today
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo is scheduled to appear
before the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors during their weekly meeting at the
County Courthouse. Van Otterloo will be addressing the county board seeking
approval of a resolution regarding inmate medical expenses. The county board of
supervisors are expected to approve a representative letter for fiscal year 2015-
2016 audit. The supervisors will also review and approve updated Plymouth County
policy handbook. Dave Wilberding will appear before the county supervisors seeking
approval of Ahlers Home and Ag, a minor subdivision in Hungerford township. Al
Fagen will also appear before the county supervisors. He too, is seeking approval
of a minor subdivision in Hungerford township. County engineer Tom Rohe will
update the county supervisors on various road construction projects.
City Council Scheduled To Meet At Noon
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council is scheduled to meet this afternoon at the
city council chambers beginning at 12:00 noon. On their agenda, the council will
decide upon the sale of lot 21 of the Westmar second addition. The city council
will hear a request from the public library board of trustees. The council will
also make a decision regarding the Dogwood Second Addition. It is expected the
council will approve action to have a whitetopping project conducted on business
highway 75. The council will also discuss energy efficiency improvements.
Bibler Appears In Court For Hearing
(Le Mars) — The man accused of fatally stabbing his sister appeared in Plymouth
County District Court on Monday. A hearing was held for 34 year old Thomas Bibler
of Le Mars. Judge Jeff Neary oversaw the hearing and entered two items as
sufficient evidence to proceed with a criminal trial. Bibler is being held in the
Plymouth County jail on first degree murder charges of fatally stabbing his sister,
Shannon Bogh.
Accident Occurs At Rural Intersection
(Le Mars) — Two pick-up trucks collided on Monday morning at about 10:30 a.m. at
the intersection of Hedge Avenue and 150th Street, located northwest of Le Mars.
There were three injuries associated with the accident, however, Plymouth County
Sheriff’s deputies said those injuries were non-life threatening. The driver of
the first pick up truck was 36 year old Ryan Pick of Le Mars. The driver of the
second pick up truck was 22 year old Cole Oltmanns of Akron. 22 year old Chance
Klemme of Akron was a passenger in the Oltmanns vehicle and was transported to the
Floyd Valley Healthcare by means of the Le Mars Ambulance. Pick suffered some
injuries, but went to the hospital by means of a private vehicle. Oltmanns, was the
third victim, but refused any medical attention. Airbags were deployed on both pick
up trucks. Both vehicles ended in the southeast ditch of the intersection. There
are no traffic signs or markers at the rural intersection. However, the
intersection offers an open view from all four directions with no obstructions.
The Le Mars Ambulance, and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to the
scene as did the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office. The accident remains under
investigation. Photos of the accident are featured on the KLEM website.
(Le Mars) — Additional damage reports from Friday evening’s storm are becoming
known. The Farmers Cooperative Elevator of Craig, located in northwest corner
ofPlymouth County, had a new grain bin that was blown off its concrete foundation.
The structure was about a week away from completion. It would have been able to
store up to 748,000 bushels of grain. Farmers Cooperative Elevator manager Doug
Schurr says the estimated value on the new grain bin exceeded one million dollars.
Officials with the grain elevator hopes to be able to rebuild the grain storage bin
prior to the start of harvest this fall, but Schurr admits it may be a tight
schedule. He says it will be at least six weeks before the materials for a new
grain bin become available, and another three to four weeks to construct the grain
storage facility. Schuur is hopeful the Craig grain elevator will be given
priority status by contractors, and not having to wait until after previous
construction commitments are completed. A grain/feed distribution system was also
damaged as a result of the storm.
(Orange City) — Sioux County authorities are reporting a death associated with the
clean up of debris following Friday evening’s storm. Apparently, on Saturday
afternoon at about 3:00 p.m. a rural Ireton man, 49 year old Christopher Soppe had
been struck by a tree branch from a tree he was cutting down, while helping a
neighbor. Soppe was transported by the Ireton Ambulance to the Floyd Valley
Healthcare in Le Mars, where he died from his head injuries. Responding to the
accident was the Ireton Fire Department, Ireton Ambulance, and the Plymouth County
Sheriff’s Office. Soppe was a school teacher at the Boyden-Hull School District.
He taught special education, as well as coached baseball.
(Sioux Falls) — Due to the amount of extensive tree damage found in Le Mars, many
people are wondering if a small tornado passed over on Friday evening?
Todd Heitkamp with the National Weather Services of Sioux Falls says there was no
evidence of tornado activity anywhere within the tri-state area.
Most of Friday’s damage occurred on very tall trees, or on structures that were at
least twice as tall as the homes found in Le Mars. Heitkamp says it is possible
that stronger winds were blowing at higher elevations above ground level which
contributed to the destruction.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State officials have revoked a stop-work order on the
Bakken oil pipeline where tribal officials object to disrupting sacred American
Indian land in northwest Iowa that includes burial grounds.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources spokesman Kevin Baskins tells The Des
Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/28KnoyM ) that the state department granted
Texas-based Dakota Access LLC an amendment to its sovereign lands construction
permit.
Baskins says the pipeline will be located about 85 feet underground in the Big
Sioux River Wildlife Management Area by using special equipment rather than digging
a trench for a route.
State Archaeologist John Doershuk said in an email last week to department
director Chuck Gipp that the proposed method is a satisfactory avoidance procedure.
Indigenous Environmental Network organizer Dallas Goldtooth says his
organization opposes the department’s decision to allow the pipeline to be
constructed in the area.
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Weekly Crop Condition Report
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Crops across Iowa and Nebraska are off to a good start
this year but stress is beginning to show in some parts of the region from very hot
and mostly dry conditions over the past week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Monday the leaves are beginning to
curl on corn plants across the lower two-thirds of Iowa. The state saw half of the
normal rain for the week during its seventh consecutive week of below normal
precipitation and the fourth consecutive week with warmer than normal temperatures.
Nebraska also was hotter than normal but some rain helped much of the state
except for south-central Nebraska.
Nearly 80 percent of the corn crop in both states is rated good or excellent
and soybean emergence also is ahead of schedule.
