Home News Tuesday News, July 18th

Tuesday News, July 18th

Industrial Fire At IML Containers

(Le Mars) — An industrial fire happened yesterday afternoon at the I-M-L Containers manufacturing plant located on the south side of town in the Le Mars Industrial Park. The alarm was sounded at about 4:25 p.m. and when firefighters had arrived, an air compressor had caught on fire producing heavy black smoke within the facilities. Fortunately, there were no injuries associated with the fire, and each of I-M-L Container’s employees were able to evacuate the premises and escape the fire. Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was assisted by the
Orange City Fire Department. Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the fire was confined to the second floor of the facility.

Schipper says the manufacturing plant suffered some major damage, although he wasn’t certain of the dollar estimate, but suspected it could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I-M-L Containers manufactures plastic containers used for ice cream, butter, margarine, and chip dips. Schipper says the high temperatures and humidity was also a concern for firefighters.

Sally Stodden is a shift leader at I-M-L Containers and explains what happened inside the plant.

Stodden has been employed with I-M-L Containers for three years, and says nothing like this has ever happened in the past. The shift supervisor says everyone followed the set procedure to evacuate the plant.

 

 

County Supervisors Will Not Meet This Week

(Le Mars) — There won’t be a Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting today, as there wasn’t enough agenda items. The county governing board will meet again next Tuesday.

 

 

City Council Expected To Name Vande Vegte As New Police Chief

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council is expected to officially name Le Mars Police Officer Kevin Vande Vegte as the next Le Mars Police Chief when they convene for their meeting today at noon at the city council chambers.

 

 

Orange City Making Final Preparations For RAGBRAI

(Orange City) — Final preparations are being made in Orange City for an anticipated 25,000 visitors this coming Saturday when the 45th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, comes rolling into town.
Orange City will serve as the initial host city for cross-state ride. Mike Hoffman is the executive director for the Orange City Chamber of Commerce. He says the town folks are excited about the event.

Hoffman says there will be plenty of music to enjoy during the RAGBRAI event held in Orange City.

Hoffman says already there are some bicycle riders that have begun making their way into Orange City.

 

 

Jurors Begin To Decide On Senate Aide’s Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Jurors have begun deliberating a verdict in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former Iowa Senate Republican Caucus aide.
Kirsten Anderson contends she was fired in 2013 as caucus communications director because she complained that she had been subjected to sexual harassment by male aides and lawmakers for years. In his closing statement Monday
afternoon, her attorney said Anderson’s supervisors and elected Republican leaders ignored her concerns, fearing a disruption of the status quo at the Statehouse.
Republican officials deny she was harassed and say she was fired because of poor job performance.
The case went to the jury Monday afternoon. The deliberations are expected to resume Tuesday.

 

 

Hubbell Announces He Will Run For Governor

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa businessman Fred Hubbell has made it official: He’s in the running for governor next year.
The Democrat released a nearly four-minute video Monday announcing a formal campaign for the state’s top job. He launched an exploratory campaign in May, a move that allowed him to raise money.
The 66-year-old Hubbell has never been elected to public office, though he served as interim director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
He’s a well-known philanthropist and campaign donor whose family has been involved in multiple business ventures in the state.
Hubbell says his priorities include improving job wages, health care and education.
Several Democrats have announced gubernatorial campaigns to seek their party’s nomination in 2018. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds also plans to run and seek her own four-year term.