Members of LEEP (from left) Jill Brown, Gail Vonk, and Joann Johnson hold a check for $18,200 which was presented to the Le Mars Board of Education
LEEP Contributes $18,200 To Le Mars Community School District
(Le Mars) — During last evening’s Le Mars Community Board of Education meeting,
members of the Le Mars Educational Enhancement Project, or L.E.E.P. presented a
check totaling $18,200 to the school board. To date, L.E.E.P has raised more than
$100,000. The money was raised through various fund raising activities, including
L.E.E.P’s most prominent fund raiser Menu Masters.
Gail Vonk, the president of the organization informed the school board that the
next Menu Masters event is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th. Vonk says the
money was also raised through the “Taverns for Textbooks” as well as concessions
during the Puppy Relays. Vonk says L.E.E.P. was able to help fund technology
equipment that was not included with the school’s budget.
Law Enforcement To Watch School Zones
(Le Mars) — Students across the state will be heading back to school this week,
and motorists are being told to be remain alert. Vince Kurtz with the Iowa
Highway Patrol says drivers should avoid distractions, especially when driving
close to a school zone. He says that means slowing down to 20 mph., hanging up the
cell phone, and paying attention 100 percent of the time. Kurtz says law
enforcement officials will be patroling school zones this week to watch for
possible violators.
When drivers see a school bus with its flashing lights and stop sign extended,
Kurtz says that means all vehicles from both directions need to stop.
The Iowa Highway Patrol trooper says more buses are being equipped with cameras to
help identify and catch violators. He says in recent years, legislators have
passed laws to make the fines and punishment of passing a stopped school bus much
stronger.
Supervisors To Hear Report On Driver’s Licenses And Road Construction
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will hear a report from
County Treasurer Shelly Sitzmann as she informs them of the number of driver’s
licenses that have been issued through the county. The county governing board
will also get a road construction and bridge repair update from County Engineer
Tom Rohe.
Plains Area Mental Health Receives Accreditation
(Le Mars) — Plains Area Mental Health Center of Le Mars has been given
accreditation as a community mental health center by the Iowa Department of Human
Services, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Commission. The
accreditation is for three years and cover the Outpatient Psychotherapy and
Counseling, Supported Community Living, Emergency, and Evaluation services which
the Center provides. The accreditation outcome represents the highest level of
accreditation that is awarded to an organization that exhibits substantial
fulfillment of the standards established by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
This means that the programs of Plains Area are of the highest quality.
Plains Area Mental Health Center is a nonprofit community mental health
center with its main office located in Le Mars. Satellite offices are located in
Cherokee, Ida Grove, Storm Lake, Carroll, Denison, Jefferson and Orange City. And
serves residents of Plymouth, Cherokee, Ida, Buena Vista, Crawford, Carroll,
Greene, Monona, Sac and Sioux Counties. The Center has been providing a variety of
outpatient mental health services for 44 years.
Tony And Shirley Schroeder Inducted Into State 4-H Hall Of Fame
(Des Moines) — A rural Le Mars couple was inducted into the State 4-H Hall of
Fame during ceremonies held Sunday at the Iowa State Fair. Tony and Shirley
Schroeder are the lastest from Plymouth County to receive the honor. Shirley has
been a 4-H leader for six years, and Tony is a past president and past board
member of the Plymouth County Fair Board, serving on the fair board for more than
three decades. Shirley says the honor was a complete surprise.
The Schroeders have devoted hundreds of hours for many years, volunteering to
local 4-H programs, and for the betterment of the Plymouth County Fair. Shirley
passes all the credit to her husband, Tony.
Attending the 4-H Hall of Fame ceremonies with the Schroeders were their four
sons, along with several past and present members of the Plymouth County Fair
Board, and Plymouth County Extension Services. Shirley Schroeder says she and her
husband Tony are appreciative of the honor, and for everyone that helped secure
their nomination. Shirley suggests for others to get involved and volunteer for
4-H programs, and to volunteer with the Plymouth County Fair.
Iowa State Fair Sees Drop In Attendance
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Weather is being blamed for a drop in attendance at
this year’s Iowa State Fair.
Some days were rainy, some extra hot and humid and some apparently were just
right for going to the fair, which ended Sunday. The attendance for the 11-day
fair was 1,031,278. That’s a drop of about 86,000 from last year’s record-breaking
1,117,398.
Fair CEO Gary Slater says that “the numbers weren’t down because of any other
reason other than weather.”
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Former Boyden City Clerk Placed On Probation
ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) – The former city clerk of Boyden in Sioux County has been
placed on probation after pleading guilty to stealing money from the city.
Former city clerk Beth Sipma, of Sheldon, was placed on probation Monday
after pleading guilty in Sioux County District Court to one count of first-degree
theft.
She was ordered to pay a $1,000 civil penalty and nearly $55,000 in
restitution to Boyden to cover the lost money and the city’s costs of reviewing
and correcting its finances.
Police arrested Sipma in June after a state audit showed she made more than
$36,000 in improper spending between 2013 and 2015.
Boyden is a city of about 700 people, about 10 miles north of Orange City.
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Police Identify The Man Who Drowned In Missouri River
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Sioux City police have identified a man who was pulled
from the Missouri River and died later at a hospital.
The police identified the man as 42-year-old Conrad Parker, of Sioux City.
Witnesses told police the man walked into the river Friday afternoon and
began floating downstream. They called 911 after losing sight of him, and he was
unconscious when rescuers pulled him from the river.
They rushed him to a hospital, where he died.
Based on testimony from the witnesses and a medical examination, his death
was determined to be accidental drowning.
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Woodbury County Identifies Fatal Auto Accident Victim
(Hornick) — Authorities have identified the man who was fatally wounded during an
Woodbury County auto accident Sunday evening on Old highway 141 and county road
K-64. The victim was 73 year old Mark Crowl. He was killed in the two-vehicle
collision. According to traffic reports by the Iowa Highway Patrol, Crowl was
wanting to make a left-hand turn heading south when another vehicle, being driven
by 17 year old Shayna Schelm of Hornick crossed over the center line and struck
the Crowl vehicle. Crowl was pronounced dead after being transported to Mercy
Medical Center. Both Schelm and Crowl’s passenger, 70 year old Laura Crowl were
also transported to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.
Buena Vista Authorities Investigates Deadly Motorcycle Crash
(Storm Lake) — An accident happened Sunday afternoon on a rural Buena Vista county intersection leaving the driver of a motorcycle dead. The accident occurred at about 5:04 p.m. at the intersection of 70th Avenue and 620th Street involving a sport utility vehicle and the motorcycle. The passenger in the sport utility vehicle reported the accident. The passengers in the sport utility vehicle were treated for minor injuries. However, the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. At this time, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident. The names of those involved in the accident are being withheld pending notification of family members.
Sioux Center Man Sentenced For Sexual Abuse of 15 Year Old Girl
(Orange City) — Sioux County Attorney Thomas G. Kunstle announced that Daniel
Cothran Fennig, age 23, of Sioux Center, Iowa, was sentenced on August 22, in
Sioux County District Court for the crime of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a
Class C Felony
This case arose in March of 2016 when police learned Fennig had a 15
year-old female over to his residence and had sex with her on two occasions.
Fennig met the victim through his work as a trainer at Snap Fitness in Sioux
Center.
In exchange for Fennig’s guilty plea, judgment was deferred and Fennig was
placed on probation for a period of two (2) years. Conditions of his probation
included paying a $300 supervision fee, civil penalties totaling $1,350,
abstaining from all mood-altering chemicals including alcohol, and successfully
completing sex offender treatment, and a sexual history polygraph. Fennig is
prohibited from any unapproved contact with minors under the age of 18, and is
also required to register as a sex offender for a term of ten (10) years. The No
Contact Order against Fennig protecting the victim was lastly extended for the
maximum period of five (5) years.
Pence Demands Clinton Stop Her Foundation
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence is
doubling down on running mate Donald Trump’s new public push for Hillary Clinton
to shut down her long-time charitable foundation. Pence told a crowd Monday at a
manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids that Clinton must shut down the Clinton
Foundation immediately. Trump issued the same call earlier in the day through
social media.
