Plymouth County Supervisors Will Not Meet
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will not be meeting today due to
a lack of agenda items.
School Board Approves The Purchase Of Two School Buses
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education approved the purchase of two
new school buses during last evening’s meeting. The school board went with the
low bid of $155,798 with a trade-in allowance of $4,700 with the total amount of $151,098 as submitted by Hoglund Bus and Truck Company. The make of the new buses will be International. In other action from last evening’s school board meeting, a preliminary audit was submitted by Graham Forbes with Williams and Company indicating the school district ended the fiscal year with a positive unassigned fund balance. The preliminary audit indicated an increase of more than $76,000 over last year’s figures. According to Forbes’ letter submitted to the school board, the unassigned fund balance represents approximately 49 days of average expenditures. Forbes suggests the school board try to strive for a 90-day fund balance to allow for reduced revenues during the first quarter of the year. The school board also approved the annual superintendent’s report as submitted by Dr. Todd Wendt. The Le Mars Community School Board also approved the proposed goals for the school district which reads: “By spring of 2017, grade spans 3-5, 6-8, and 9-11 will increase the percent proficient in math, reading, and science to meet or exceed the previous three-year average on Iowa Assessments”. Other goals include monitoring the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum in the Le Mars Community School District, and to complete the implementation of the technology integration plan approved in August of 2014.
Local Party Official Comments On Presidential Debate
(Le Mars) — It is estimated that millions of Americans watched the first presidential debate held last evening between Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Opinions vary as to who won the debate. Don Kass serves as the chairman of the Plymouth County Republican party. He believes Donald Trump presented himself well during the debate.
The Plymouth County Republican party chair says Trump presented a positive picture for America’s future.
Kass says he believes when the fact-checkers follow up on the comments of both candidates, it will be noted that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton exaggerated, or flat-out lied.
On the other side, Mark Sturgeon who serves as the chairman of the Plymouth County Democratic party says Hillary Clinton was better prepared, and came across more poised than Donald Trump.
Sturgeon says there were a few defining moments in last night’s debate that gave Hillary Clinton the edge.
Both Kass and Sturgeon believe their respective candidate will be able to persuade independent and undecided voters to their way of thinking.
Branstad Declares Four More Counties As Disaster Area
(Des Moines) — Governor Terry Branstad has declared four more counties disaster areas due to flooding and Branstad says it’s “likely” damage to PUBLIC facilities will reach levels that qualify for FEDERAL disaster assistance. There are no STATE highways underwater, but local roads are underwater.
Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Mitchell and Worth Counties are now part of a 17-county zone Branstad that has declared a disaster area. Disaster assessment teams are in some areas of northeast Iowa where flood waters have receded to assess damage to public and private property. Branstad saw water over roads in Clarksville over the weekend and he toured damage in Shell Rock.
Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will tour flood damage in Charles City and Greene this afternoon.
Iowa D-O-T director Paul Trombino (trahm-BEE-noh) says it appears Interstate-380 will REMAIN OPEN through downtown Cedar Rapids.
The Cedar River and Interstate-80 intersect in CEDAR COUNTY, east of the Iowa City area.
The Iowa National Guard has flown over the Cedar River corridor to get an aerial view that shows the extent of flood damage.
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Cedar Rapids Residents Ready For Flood
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Residents of Cedar Rapids are watching anxiously as the quickly rising Cedar River threatens to inundate their city with devastating floodwaters for the second time in just over eight years.
After days of sandbagging and erecting an extensive system of flood barriers, residents and officials in Iowa’s second largest city were simply waiting to see how high the Cedar River would rise and what impact the flood would have.
Entire neighborhoods and the downtown area were largely abandoned as residents in low-lying areas heeded the city’s call to evacuate. Schools were cancelled and many businesses were closed.
The river was expected to crest Tuesday at 23 feet, the second largest flood in the city’s history, behind only that of June 2008. The river level had risen past 20 feet by midday Monday, or 4 feet above major flood stage.
Here’s the situation in Cedar Rapids and other communities affected by the flooding:
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