One Injured In Sunday Motorcycle Accident
(Le Mars) — Two motorcycles collided Sunday afternoon on Highway 75 north of Le
Mars sending one victim to be life-flighted to a Sioux City hospital. The
accident happened at about 3:15 p.m. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office is
reporting the investigation shows that both motorcycles were traveling southbound
just south of 120th Street and Highway 75. One of the motorcycles started to slow
down for an unknown reason at this point, and the second motorcycle did not see
the first motorcycle slow down and ran into the back of the first motorcycle. The
driver of the rear motorcycle was ejected from the motorcycle and sustained head
injuries. The condition of the victim on the rear motorcycle was not known at the
time of the news release. Mercy Air Care did transport the driver of the rear
motorcycle to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. The driver of the first
motorcycle sustained minor injuries and was not transported. Assisting at the
scene were the Le Mars Ambulance, Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, Iowa State
Patrol, and Mercy Air Care. The investigation is ongoing and the names of drivers
will be released by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office at a later time.
Fire Department Responds To Field Fire
(Le Mars) — As harvest begins, so begin the all too familiar field fires. The Le
Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a field fire at about 7:46 p.m.
Sunday evening. The fire was reported at 26575 Lake Avenue. At this time it is
not known how the field fire started, or if any farm equipment was lost, or how
extensive an area was burnt as a result of the fire.
Joy Cone Company Acquires BoDeans Baking Group
(Le Mars) — An article that appeared in the September 30th Food Business News
website, indicates that the Joy Cone Company, with its headquarters based in
Hermitage, Pennsylvania has acquired Le Mars-based BoDeans Baking Group. Joy Cone
Company is nearly a 100 year old ice cream cone maker. Financial terms of the
transaction were not disclosed. David George, president and chief executive
officer with the Joy Cone Company says “BoDeans Baking Group’s manufacturing
excellence in wafers and cookie inclusions is a particularly exciting area of
growth, as the combined company continues its expansion and offers a wide range of
unique specialty bakery items to a greatly enhanced customer base”. Following the
transaction, George says the Joy Cone Company will be 100 percent employee-owned
through an ESOP plan. He went on to say, “as BoDeans Baking Group’s employees
become part of the Joy Cone Company, they are becoming actual owners in the
company as well”. Founded in 2000, BoDeans operates two facilities in Le Mars, a
134,000 square-foot wafer plant and a 90,000 square-foot cone plant. As part of
the acquisition of BoDeans Baking, Joy Cone Company says it is also acquiring
Altesa, the largest ice cream cone producer in Mexico. Altesa operates a new
facility near Mexico City and is “well positioned for growth throughout Mexico and
Central America”. BoDeans acquired Altesa in 2013. Founded in 1918, Joy Cone
Company makes more than 1.5 billion ice cream cones a year for the retail and food
service markets. The company’s products include cake cones, sugar cones, waffle
cones and bowls. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Hermitage,
Pennsylvania and another facility in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Harvest Is Started In Northwest Iowa
(Le Mars) — Harvest has begun in northwest Iowa with combines seen in both corn
and soybean fields. Early reports indicate perhaps a better than expected soybean
yield. Some farmers and local grain elevators are saying soybean yields are above
60 bushels per acre, and there are even some reports of 70-plus bushels per acre.
KLEM news is interested in knowing how this year’s harvest is progressing. We
invite area farmers to call us and let us know what you are noticing with this
year’s harvest. Simply call (712) 546-4121 and ask for the news department. We
want to know if you are harvesting corn or soybeans, your field location, what is
the moisture levels, and of course, we are interested in hearing the potential
yield production.
Dordt College Establishes Vocational Program
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Christian college in Sioux Center, Iowa is starting a new
vocational program that will prepare students for work while giving them a
foundation in their faith.
Dordt College President Erik Hoekstra says the new two-year Pro-Tech program
will fill a gap in Christian education offerings in the area.
The new program will enroll as many as 40 students next fall and offer them a
combination of Christian education and vocational training.
Hoekstra says he believes there’s a need for such a program because of the
number of students graduating from Christian high schools who might want a two-
year vocational degree but didn’t have a Christian option.
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Area Legislator Comments On Proposed Tax Increase For Water Quality
(Hull) — A coalition of groups is hoping 2017 is the year they convince
legislators to raise the state sales tax and use the money to improve water
quality. Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull is the top Republican on the
senate’s tax writing committee and he doubts this idea will get traction.
Feenstra says there is disagreement over where those tax dollars would actually be
directed.
In September, the Iowa Soybean Association joined an already-existing coalition of
groups representing environmentalists, hunters and others who back the tax plan.
The Iowa Farm Bureau did NOT join the group, but the organization is no longer
opposed to RAISING state taxes to pay for water quality initiatives. Feenstra
doubts there’s much momentum behind a tax hike.
Sixty-three percent Iowa voters approved creation of a state fund for water
quality projects way back in 2010 — but there’s no money for it unless the state
sales tax is raised.
Council Bluffs Tries To Strengthen Levies
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs officials are working to strengthen
the levees protecting the western Iowa city before homeowners are forced to pay
higher premiums for flood insurance.
The city wants to complete the levee projects before the Federal Emergency Management Agency updates its flood maps sometime in the next several years.
Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh says the city is racing to get the levee
system upgraded and certified before the flood maps are redrawn.
Council Bluffs is working to improve its levees because of the massive 2011
flood where water levels along the Missouri River remained high for months.
All of the city’s levees must be certified by FEMA. If they aren’t, then
homeowners will have to pay significantly higher flood insurance premiums.
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