Today Is Municipal Election Day
(Le Mars) — Today is Municipal Election Day with polls to open at 12:00 noon and will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Le Mars residents living in all three voting precincts will cast their votes at the lower level of the Le Mars Convention Center. Le Mars has only one contested race for the At-large council position between incumbent Rex Knapp and challenger Dan Dembinski. Election
sites across the county include: the city of Akron will vote at the Akron Public Library. Struble residents will cast their votes at the basement of the County Courthouse Annex building in Le Mars, Brunsville and Craig voters will vote at the Brunsville American Legion Hall, Remsen and Oyens residents will go to the
Remsen Public Library, Westfield voters will cast their votes at the Westfield Community Center, Merrill residents are to report to the Kissinger Community Center, the Hinton Community Center is where Hinton residents are to cast their votes, and Kingsley residents will vote for their municipal leaders at the
Kingsley Community Center.
Gehlen Catholic Honors Veterans With Emotional Program
(Le Mars) — Military veterans were honored yesterday during an emotional ceremony held at Gehlen Catholic. The program began with the singing of the National Anthem by members of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Members of the American Legion, Wasmer Post #241 of Le Mars served as the color guard and brought forth the American flag. Veterans from each branch of the military stood as Gehlen students performed a musical tribute to each of the military branch services with the playing of the individual anthems, and bringing in the flag of each military branch.
Four speakers: Lori Schuch, Tyler Zenk, Aubree
Nilles, and Mike Meyer read a poem about why the American flag is more than “just a piece of cloth.”
With a musical song serving as the background, Gehlen students performed a skit showing a young man enrolling into the military, followed by the notification to the family that their son had died, then showing
the grieving family accepting a folded flag, and the father holding the folded flag while thinking of his son.
Past Post Commander, Wayne Schipper spoke briefly thanking Gehlen Catholic for providing an important message to honor the veterans. Schipper than directed his comments to the students of Gehlen Catholic saying they are the future for this nation.
He emphasized how
important it is for them to honor military veterans, and to be sure to educate generations to come, to always honor the flag, and honor and respect those men and women who served this country. In lieu of recent events across the nation
with professional athletes, college students, and others, Schipper stressed and repeated to the students that “We stand for the flag, and we kneel when we pray.” Gehlen Catholic also paid tribute to area veterans with their reciting
of their “Honor Wall” which features photos of military veterans with a connection to Gehlen, Le Mars, and Plymouth County.
KLEM news visited with four area Viet Nam era veterans, who are members of the local American Legion as to their thoughts of the emotional program. Jack Frus was a serviceman in the U-S Air Force. He complimented Gehlen Catholic for presenting such a moving and emotional and inspiring program honoring veterans.
Bob Gengler served in the United States Navy. He says programs like the one presented by Gehlen Catholic today are important to educate the younger generations about the reasons why we honor veterans and the American flag.
Jim Rolfes, a past Army serviceman, has written a poem that has been often recited during Memorial Day services, entitled “Come Visit My Grave.” The poem is from the perspective of a soldier, now in heaven, looking down on his family.
Much like Rolfes’ poem that has been said to be emotional and touching, Rolfes says the skit touched him emotionally.
Representing the Marine Corps was Wayne Theiman. Theiman says he wishes other schools would feature similar programs and show respect to veterans.
Theiman says there is a nation-wide effort by American Legion members, and Veterans of Foreign Wars wanting to boycott the National Football League this coming Sunday, the day following Veteran’s Day. Theiman says the boycott is in response for some professional athletes with their recent actions showing
disrespect for the National Anthem, and for the American flag. The entire interview and comments from the four veterans can be heard on the KLEM website.
Later this week, on Saturday, we will share additional comments by the four veterans.
Optimist Club Tells Students To “Just Say No To Drugs and Alcohol
(Le Mars) — More than 700 elementary and middle school students from Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic attended an assembly program this afternoon that was sponsored by the Le Mars Optimist organization. The Optimists emphasizes to
students to “Just Say No to Drugs and Alcholol. This year the students heard an inspirational message from Chad Kloecke, an executive with the Pizza Ranch restaurant chain. Kloecke says everyone you meet has a story.
Kloecke told the group of elementary and middle-school aged students that Pizza Ranch tells their staff to always be nice.
Gehlen 5th grade student, Boston Neubel was the winner for creating this year’s theme which was printed on a t-shirt and distributed to everyone attending.
Helicopter Crashes In Lyon County – Injuring Two People
(Larchwood) — A helicopter crashed Monday afternoon in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County, leaving the two people aboard seriously hurt. Lyon County Sheriff Stewart VanderStoep (VAN-der-stop) says the privately-owned chopper was being
employed as part of a search team — for missing cattle.
The crash caused temporary power outages, including the entire city of Rock Rapids. The helicopter came down in farmland between West Lyon High School and Lake Pahoja
(pah-HOY-ah).
The Federal Aviation Administration will help in the investigation. The hundreds of cattle had gotten loose earlier in the day. No names were released.
Winnabago Tribe Member Sentenced
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A judge has sentenced a former treasurer of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska tribal council to five years of probation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp on Monday sentenced 56-year-old Thomas Snowball, of Winnebago to the probation as well as 150 hours of community service. He also was ordered to pay
$36,500 in restitution. Snowball had pleaded guilty earlier to theft from an Indian gaming establishment. From 2013 through September 2014, Snowball took unauthorized disbursements from the WinnaVegas Casino and Resort totaling $36,500. The charges were related to a conspiracy by nine former council members to steal more than $327,000 from the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.
Simpson College To Cover Tuition Costs For Low Income Students
INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) – Simpson College in Indianola says it will cover tuition costs of Iowa students whose families have an adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less. The Des Moines Register reports that the college announced its plan
Monday, with Simpson President Jay Simmons saying in a statement, “There has been a lot of talk about making college affordable. We decided it was time to take action.” Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities, say no other Iowa private college has such a program. To qualify, students must be a 2018 Iowa high school graduate and state resident, submit a federal student aid application and have a 2016 adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less. They also must live on campus and pay room and
board fees, which this year totaled $8,370. Students would pay for any tuition increases. —
Reynolds Orders Flags To Be Lowered At Half Staff
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s governor has ordered flags at state buildings lowered to half-staff to honor the Texas church shooting victims. Authorities say a lone gunman killed 26 people Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Gov. Kim Reynolds’ order Monday is in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s flag order. The lowering of the flags will end at sunset Thursday. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to lower their flags as well.
