Supervisors To Again Discuss Proposed Paving Project
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will meet this morning at the
County Courthouse board room. The supervisors will hear a quarterly report given
by Plymouth County Recorder, JoLynn Goodchild. County engineer Tom Rohe will
appear before the supervisors to again visit about a proposed paving project for
Lake Avenue from County road C-38 extending south for approximatley 470 feet. The
county supervisors will also look at allowing a permit to West Iowa Telephone
Company for Marion Township. The supervisors will also be discussing a proposal
involving a two-way radio system. The county governing board will be listening to
a proposal involving load rating for a bridge.
Floyd Valley Healthcare Trustees To Meet
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare Board of Trustees are scheduled to meet this
afternoon beginning at 5:30 p.m. The hospital trustees will discuss a community
health advisory quarterly report, as well as a quality improvement board quarterly
report. Administrator, Mike Donlin will review with the trustees a general update.
The trustees will review and possibly approve capital acquisitions.
Community Comprehensive Meeting Scheduled For Today To Focus On Economic Development
(Le Mars) — Economic development will be the focus of a meeting scheduled for this
evening (Tuesday) beginning at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is being coordinated by the
Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council, or SIMPCO. Like the previous
comprehensive planning meetings, city officials want the input of Le Mars
residents, business and industry leaders, financial leaders, civic organizations,
and others to discuss economic development within the Le Mars community. Some of
the questions that will be discussed within small group sessions include: “What
characteristics make a strong economy? What improvements do you want for the
existing economy? What type of jobs, industries, or businesses would be beneficial
to bring to Le Mars? What policies should be used to attract new jobs, businesses,
or industries to Le Mars? What would make Le Mars more attractive to businesses?
What economic goals shouild the city of Le Mars try to reach related to the
economy? The comprehensive planning meeting will be held at the Le Mars Conference
Center.
Good Samaritan Society Is Honored
(Le Mars) — The Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars was recently honored with
multiple Engagement Excellence Awards by the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. The awards recognize locations where residents and their families and employees were in the top 15 percent of performers on the Society’s 2015 client and
employee surveys. Karen Mousel, the administrator for the Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars says “the Good Smaritan Society is continually finding more and better ways to serve others and share God’s love. Our mission continues to be a strong and driving force behind all we do. Mousel says she “is grateful and honored that Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars is being recognized for their great work.”
37 locations were recognized for their customer and employee engagement excellence at the Society’s Annual Operations Conference in June. Each location received a plaque and funds to celebrate their accomplishment with their employees and customers.
Burlington Northern – Sante Fe Railroad Improves Crossings
(Le Mars) — The Burlington Northern-Sante Fe Railroad will be upgrading some rail
crossings within the next few days. Plymouth county engineer Tom Rohe explains the
work that the rail company will be performing.
Rohe says some of the work on the rail crossings has already started.
Rohe Discusses Construction Project Involving County Road C-60
(Le Mars) — Preparations for paving county road C-60 in the southeastern area of
the county have begun. Tom Rohe, the county engineer, says the actual paving won’t
be done until 2017. However, construction crews are beginning the initial steps.
The county engineer explains the county’s goal regarding the project for this year.
Rohe says the paving project scheduled for next year will cover six miles.
City To Improve Central Avenue – Plymouth Street Intersection
(Le Mars) — Motorists that cross the intersection of Plymouth Street and Central
Avenue may have noticed the intersection is becoming more rough. In our final
segment with City Administator Scott Langel focussing on the city’s road
construction projects, Langel says the downtown heavily used intersection is
scheduled to be repaired, following the conclusion of the Plymouth County Fair.
Langel says the timetable for completion of construction of the downtown
intersection should be only a few weeks.
Iowa Political Leaders Send Letter To President Obama And EPA Supporting Ethanol RFS
(DES MOINES) – Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of
Agriculture Bill Northey, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Debi
Durham, Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino and
Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Chuck Gipp sent a letter to
President Obama and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina
McCarthy encouraging the administration to revise their ill-advised proposed rule
on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and submitted comments to the EPA in support
of a robust RFS.
In the letter to Obama and McCarthy, Iowa leaders say, “We write once again to
strongly encourage you to revise and increase the proposed U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) volume obligation levels
closer to congressionally authorized levels in order to grow the production and use
of renewable fuels and revitalize the economy in rural America. We have grown
increasingly frustrated by the Federal Government’s weakening support for renewable
transportation fuels. We hope that our comments and those of the biofuels industry
are considered fully in your final deliberations. Our concerns, at their simplest
level, center on the fact that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA the
authority to issue a general waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard in this
situation. The law makes it clear that the EPA may only issue a general waiver
based on a determination that there is “an inadequate domestic supply” and not on
other grounds such as distribution capacity.
“Iowa leaders have continued to actively engage on this issue, which is so
important to a healthy economy in rural America. There remains a strong consensus
in the Heartland that the EPA needs to reverse course on their once again flawed
proposal and reject Big Oil’s counterproductive arguments. The use of biofuels in
the Midwest has continued to grow, and we are confident that this trend can extend
nationally. The RFS as enacted, was one of the best recent examples of a federal
policy success, because of the policy predictability it provided to nurture growth
and innovation.”
Priest Arrested For Prostitution Sting
HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) – Roman Catholic officials say a priest charged with
solicitation after a prostitution sting in southwest Iowa has been suspended from
public ministry.
The Diocese of Des Moines says in a statement the Rev. Dominic Yamoah has
discussed his arrest on Saturday in Hamburg with Bishop Richard Pates.
The statement released Monday says Yamoah “very sincerely regrets his actions”
and he and the diocese will fully cooperate with authorities.
Yamoah, who is 40, was pastor of churches in Clarinda, Bedford and Villisca.
He’s bonded out of jail. A phone listed for him rang unanswered Monday and he
didn’t immediately reply to an email.
The diocese says it will make arrangement for a replacement pastor during the
suspension which remains in place pending the outcome of the investigation and
legal proceedings.
