First Snow Creates Problems In Northwest Iowa
(Le Mars) — The season’s first snow storm, combined with the strong winds measuring past 40 mph gusts, have made troubles for utility companies, rescue crews, and transportation road crews in northwest Iowa. Early Friday afternoon, approximately 312 customers of MidAmerican Energy were without power in Le Mars, when a tree located behind Gehlen Catholic school had fallen, and bringing down with it a power line. The strong winds and heavy snow were also responsible for a utility pole that had partially snapped near 4th Avenue Northwest, behind Jim’s Burgers, causing the power lines to hang low before utility officials were able to set up another pole to help brace the leaning pole. More than a dozen incidents have been reported to the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office of vehicles either sliding into the ditch, or, because of the strong winds, were blown off
the roadway. One such incident involved a semi truck and trailer that left the roadway in the northeast corner of Plymouth County near 120th Street and county road K-22. A Fed-Ex delivery truck also took to the ditch near Kingsley. In each of the reported accidents, there were either minor injuries, or no injuries. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office even had a report of a roof that
had blown off a building onto county road C-60 near Noble Avenue. Other incidents that occurred in northwest Iowa included: In Sioux City, a tree breaking and falling on a house in the 4500 block of Country Club Boulevard on Sioux City’s northside.
A short time after that, a transformer fire caused 2000 MidAmerican Energy customers to lose power on the city’s northside for three hours. Sioux City Police responded to several traffic accidents and rollovers through the morning and afternoon due to the slushy conditions. Those included rollovers on Interstate 29 and accidents on highways 75 and 20. In the I-29 rollover, a truck carrying 37,000 pounds of frozen turkeys slid onto the shoulder and overturned in the southbound lane just before the Hamilton Boulevard exit. The driver and his dog were not injured, but traffic was backed up for some time.
Museum Manger To Feature Nativities Donated By Fr. Eisle
(Le Mars) — Christmas will come to the Plymouth County Historical Museum on the day after Thanksgiving in the form of hundreds of nativities displayed in the historic 1905 Study Hall. The “Museum Manger” will be open from 1 to 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25.
This year’s “Museum Manger” will have a new feature – a collection of nearly 100 nativities donated right before Thanksgiving by Father Paul Eisle of Le Mars.
The retired priest still serves Masses at All Saints’ Catholic Church in Le Mars and at St. Patrick’s Church in Akron. He also teaches high school vocal music at Gehlen Catholic High School.
Father Eisle has been collecting nativities for approximately 35 years. His nativities represent every state and many countries. Some are needle point displays created by Father Eisle.
In recent years the priest hosted an open house at the St. James’ Rectory where he displayed his nativities.
“I’ve been fascinated by nativity sets,” Father Eisle said. Collecting nativity sets as he travelled seemed to be a good idea, he added.
As visitors enter the Museum at the east door, they will see Father Eisle’s collection displayed in the main hallway and possibly also in the “Museum Manger” on fourth floor.
New features also will be apparent in the Study Hall. Jim and Kay Peters of Okoboji, formerly of Le Mars, have donated hundreds of lighted houses for display. This new display can be seen on the south side of the Study Hall.
Many of the Plymouth County churches also have loaned or donated nativities this year.
Gelita USA To Expand Facilities
(Sioux City) — The Iowa Economic Development Authority has awarded a Sergeant Bluff company financial assistance in terms of tax incentives for its proposed expansion project. Gelita USA has announced plans to construct a new $22 million dollar manufacturing plant at their facility located near Sergeant Bluff.
Plant Manager Lewis Gaiani says Gelita will produce a new product at their facility:
Gaiani says the company looked at other locations but settled on expanding here in Siouxland, where they’ve had a plant since 1965.
Gelita received an economic development incentive package from both the state of Iowa and Woodbury County.
County supervisors Chairman Jeremy Taylor says the expansion is important to the Siouxland economy:
The state awarded Gelita $105,000 in direct financial assistance as well as targeted jobs tax credits.
Woodbury County approved nearly $500-thousand dollars in rebates via tax increment financing.
Construction of the new facility is projected to begin in early 2017 and is targeted for completion by the end of 2018.
Iowa Unemployment Rate Drops
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in October to 4.1 percent but an official warns the decline could be temporary.
Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says the unemployment rate drop announced Friday came despite layoffs in construction and manufacturing companies. She says that could make the decline “only a temporary reprieve.”
Townsend notes, however, that Iowa has jobs available so those affected by layoffs should be able to find other work.
During October, the number of unemployed residents dropped to 70,300. The total number of Iowa workers climbed to 1,655,200.
Iowa’s unemployment rate compares to a national rate of 4.9 percent. A year ago, Iowa’s unemployment rate was 3.5 percent.
Law Enforcement Officials Encourage Motorists To “Buckle Up”
(Le Mars) — This Thanksgiving, law enforcement agencies will ramp up patrols and be on the lookout for seat belt violations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday, 341 vehicle occupants were killed nationwide in traffic crashes.
Fifty percent of those fatalities were not wearing seat belts. In Iowa, five people were killed over the 2015 holiday.
NHTSA reports that wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of a fatal injury by 45 percent. Ejection from a vehicle is one of the most dangerous incidents that can happen to a person in a crash. Eighty percent of passenger vehicle occupants totally ejected from vehicles were killed; only one percent of the
belted occupants were totally ejected during a crash.
Who is more likely to not wear a seat belt? In fatal crashes males are more likely to be unbuckled (53 percent) than females (40 percent) and drivers aged 13–15 and 25–34 accounted for 59 percent of the fatalities in 2014. (NHTSA)
Wearing your seat belt is the single most effective way to save your life and the lives of your loved ones in the event of a crash. Failing to buckle up is dangerous and against the law. Remember: Click It or Ticket!
