Audit Shows Le Mars Community School District In Good Financial Position
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education was given an update following the school district’s financial audit as performed by Williams and Company of Le Mars. Graham Forbes appeared before the school board on Monday evening. Forbes indicated to the school board that the district is in good
financial condition.
Forbes then discussed the general fund for the school district. He informed the school board directors the general fund is the main operating fund for the school. Forbes told the school board the number of days the district would be able to pay its expenses has expanded from last year.
The auditing representative says his firm recommends at least 90 days to cover all expected and unexpected expenses.
Enrollment At Le Mars Community Increases Over Last Year
(Le Mars) — School Board officials were informed of the certified enrollment for the Le Mars Community School District during Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting. Curriculum Director Rachel Leavitt told school board members
what each category means, and how it is calculated towards the total number of students attending Le Mars Community.
Leavitt adds up all the categories and says the numbers this year are higher than last year.
The Le Mars Community gives the final number of students enrolled at Le Mars Community School District.
City Reminds Residents To Keep Alleys Clear During Snow Season
(Le Mars) — The City of Le Mars Code Enforcement department would like to remind businesses that the alley’s behind their business are not to be encroached with garbage dumpsters, vehicles or any other such things that may prevent the snow plows from going through the alley’s to remove snow.
Le Mars Man Sentenced To Prison For Possessing Firearm
(Orange City) — A Le Mars man has been sentenced to prison for being a felon with a firearm. Sioux County Attorney Thomas G. Kunstle announced that Stephen Dean Messelhiser, age 32, of LeMars, Iowa, was sentenced on November 1, in Sioux County District Court for the crimes of Felon in Possession of a Firearm,
a Class D Felony, and Operating While Intoxicated, a Serious Misdemeanor.
Kunstle prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Iowa.
The case arose on September 20, 2017, when police received a report of an erratic driver. Multiple patrol units were needed to stop the vehicle. Once stopped, police found Messelhiser, a felon, driving intoxicated in a stolen vehicle, along with five firearms reported stolen from Sioux Falls. Police also recovered numerous other personal and construction items missing from Sioux
Falls burglaries.
The Defendant was sentenced to five years in prison for Felon in
Possession of a Firearm and two days in jail for Operating While Intoxicated.
Ernst Talks Up Tax Reform Package
(Washington) — Congress is now in the process of writing different versions of a tax reform bill. The house has proposed its take on what a tax reform bill should contain, meanwhile, on the other side of the capitol dome, the U-S Senate is nearing completion on their tax reform bill. KLEM news had the opportunity to interview Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst about what people can expect to see in the proposed tax reform bill.
Ernst talks about some of the differences between the House version for a tax reform bill, and the Senate version.
The Iowa Senator was asked, since the government is facing an ever increasing mountain of debt, now reaching close to $20 trillion dollars, if the nation can afford tax relief?
Ernst says once the nation is able to get the economy growing, then we will be able to pay off the budget deficit.
The Republican Senator says she is confident a tax reform package will be able to pass through both chambers of Congress within the next few months.
Upmeyer Says Iowa House Will Hire Human Resource Manager
(Des Moines) — Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer says her Republican caucus will go forward with plans to hire a human resources manager to oversee harassment complaints at the Legislature, a move that diverts from Senate GOP officials.
Upmeyer made the announcement Tuesday, shortly after Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix told reporters the Senate GOP office will put such hiring on hold. Dix’s office will instead hire outside counsel for more guidance on the issue.
Senate Republican staff originally said the human resources job would be a joint position with the House. Dix later said his caucus had raised concerns about accountability.
Both caucuses publicized their plans hours after Gov. Kim Reynolds said she wanted the Senate GOP office to share any additional information from an internal investigation into alleged sexual harassment within the caucus. Dix says he still won’t release that information, citing privacy concerns.
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Charity Refuses To Accept Donation From Reynolds Campaign
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A charity honoring a firefighter who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is declining to accept a $100 donation from Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign. The campaign had planned to donate $100 received from Iowa executive branch officials Kim and Connie Schmett to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Reynolds said the Schmetts were also removed as county co-chairs because their side work as agents of Saudi Arabia “wasn’t acceptable” and is facing an ethics review. Foundation officer John Hodge called the campaign’s gesture well-intentioned but not thought out. He says his group is “probably the last foundation on the face of this earth that would take money from a foreign agent for Saudi Arabia.” The Schmetts’ consulting firm collected $101,500 during a campaign against a new law allowing victims of the attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
