School Board To Meet New Principal During Board Meeting
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community School Board will meet the new school principal
that will oversee both Clark and Franklin Elementary schools on Monday evening
during the regular monthly meeting of the board of education. Patti Kruger has
assumed the duties as principal. She comes to the Le Mars Community School
District after leaving a school district in Colorado. Superintendent of schools
Dr. Todd Wendt will present a report on input received from the District Learning
and Instructional Impact Team from their June meeting. The school board will
discuss “Pride Night” which is scheduled for Thursday, August 25th. The board of
education’s annual introduction of new teachers to the district will be at 6:30
p.m. Monday, September 12th. The school board is expected to act upon one
resignation and four contracts during their Monday evening meeting. The school
board will also discuss three students seeking open enrollment.
Crawford County Authorities Discuss Options With Historic Bridge
DENISON, Iowa (AP) – Officials in a western Iowa county are trying to decide what to do with a damaged bridge that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Beaver Creek Bridge was damaged when a vehicle or towed equipment snagged the bridge’s west truss. It can’t be repaired and was permanently closed in April.
The Crawford County Board of Supervisors is gathering public input on how to proceed. About a dozen people attended a hearing on Tuesday.
Some local residents say the bridge is too important to close.
One idea is to replace the central part of the bridge at a cost of $100,000 to $125,000. That option would let the bridge handle light traffic but not necessarily a loaded truck.
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22 Month Old Boy Dies After Being Struck By Truck
FAIRBANK, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 22-month-old boy has died after being
struck by a tanker truck in northeast Iowa.
The accident occurred around 9:50 a.m. Saturday. Investigators say little
Samuel Helmuth ran into a blind spot and could not be seen by the driver as the
truck was leaving the rural Buchanan County property near Fairbank. The boy was
pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities say no charges against the truck driver are pending.
Restaurant Employee Robs Assistant Manager
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former restaurant employee has been arrested,
accused of robbing the restaurant’s assistant manager in Des Moines.
22-year-old Shaun Haltiner faces a robbery charge. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Haltiner.
Police say Haltiner was wearing a mask when he poked a handgun in the face
of the assistant manager on Saturday morning as the man sat in his car outside the
KFC restaurant. The assistant manager handed over about $900 in cash he was going
to deposit in a bank.
Police say Haltiner soon was arrested nearby and then was recognized by the
assistant manager.
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Body Found After Swimming In The Mississippi River
GRANDVIEW, Iowa (AP) – Authorities report recovering the body of a man believed to have drowned while swimming in the Mississippi River in southeast Iowa.
The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Sunday night that the body was found in the main channel about a mile and a half northeast of Hawkeye Dolbee Access in rural Des Moines County.
The man went missing north of Port Louisa on Friday evening. Authorities say the man was swimming with a small group of people around 6 p.m. when he ventured too far from shore and disappeared underwater.
His name hasn’t been released, pending notification of relatives.
Iowa Roadsides Filled With White Flowers
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa is awash in a sea of delicate white flowers in
nearly every roadside ditch, along bicycle trails and on the fringes of public
parks.
The Des Moines Register reports that they’re known as Queen Anne’s Lace,
or wild carrot.
The flower is abundant this year because of optimal road conditions and
roadside management practices. Some view it as a nuisance, while others see it as a
wildflower or weed. Photographers enjoy the flowers’ beauty, while gardeners yank
them out.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources ecologist John Pearson says the plant
has flourished because it’s free from normal pest controls in its native Europe.
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