Lansink Named As Diocese School Superintendent
(Sioux City) — The Diocese of Sioux City announced today that Patty Lansink has been chosen for the position of superintendent of Catholic Schools. Lansink has served as interim superintendent since July when Dr. Dan Ryan took the job of
president at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, IA.
Lansink has been principal at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Denison, IAsince 2011, and has also served as assistant superintendent of the Diocese ofSioux City since 2015. Lansink will search for a new principal to replace her at
St. Rose of Lima school in the near future.
Lansink has over 20 years of experience in education with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Iowa State University and completed her teaching endorsement in science education. She earned a Masters of Science in Education from Buena Vista University and went on to complete her administrative endorsement through the Iowa Principal Leadership Academy. Lansink completed her Education Specialist degree at Wayne State College in December 2016.
The Diocese of Sioux City has 16 school systems located in Algona, Alton, Boone,Carroll, Danbury, Denison, Emmetsburg, Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Le Mars,Pocahontas, Remsen, Sheldon, Spencer, Sioux City and Storm Lake. More than 6000+
students receive a faith-based education each year.
School Will Be Closed For State Tournament Game
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community School officials have announced since the Lady Bulldogs have qualified for the State Basketball Tournament in Des Moines on Tuesday, February 27th, there will be no school scheduled for Tuesday. In
addition, there will be no Middle School wrestling meet on Tuesday. The Le Mars Community High School choir and Middle School-High School Orchestra will both perform on Monday, February 26th at 7:00 p.m. Should the Boys Basketball team
win its game on Friday evening and qualify for the Sub-State on Monday evening at the Tyson Events Center, then the concert arrangements will be changed and communicated.
Four Le Mars Community Girls Selected for All Iowa Honor Dance Team
(Le Mars) — We informed you about two Gehlen Catholic girls that have qualified for the All Iowa Honor Dance Team. We now want to mention that four girls from Le Mars Community have also qualified to participate on the All Iowa Honor Dance
Team. The girls include seniors: Jayden Wiltgen, Katelyn Lewis, and Samii Murra and Junior, Haley Majeres. This is the second year for Wiltgen, Lewis and Majeres to qualify for the honor dance team, and it marks the first appearance for Murra. They will be dancing at the half time of the 3A Girls Basketball
Championship game on Saturday March 1. Over 600 dance team members auditioned for the 224 spots in this year’s performance.
State Senate To Vote On Tax Reform Bill Next Week
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Senate has been working on a revised tax bill, and avote on the measure may happen next week. Republican State Senator, Jim Carlinaddressed his fellow State Senate colleagues on Thursday about the proposed tax
bill.
Democrats say the tax bill was rushed too quickly for such a complicated and controversial issue.
Holz Explains The Purpose For “Funnel Deadlines”
(Des Moines) — The Iowa legislature has just completed week seven of thegeneral assembly, with the first funnel deadline happening last week. Le Mars Republican House Representative, Chuck Holz offers an explanation to what is meant when lawmakers talk about the “funnel” deadline.
Representative Holz says the self-imposed deadline is needed since the legislature gets overwhelmed with bills.
Both Holz and Carlin will be holding a series of legislative town hall meetings scheduled for Saturday morning. Holz says the two northwest Iowa lawmakers will begin at Moville and finish at Remsen.
Other than the Remsen meeting which as Representative Holz mentioned will be held at the Mid-Sioux Opportunity offices, the other legislative town hall meetings will be held at each of the mentioned town’s community hall.
Iowa State University Hopes To Build New Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory
(Le Mars) — Livestock producer organizations and veterinarians across the state are wanting the Board of Regents and the state legislature to allocate funds for a new Animal Diagnostics Lab to be located in Ames near the present-day Iowa State University College of Veterinarian Medicine. Dr. Chris Rademacher is the
state’s extension swine veterinarian. He says the current laboratory built in the mid-1970’s is outdated, and is no longer able to keep up with the submitted number of cases each year.
Rademacher says a new diagnostics laboratory is needed before the next big wave of an animal or poultry disease strikes the state.
The I-S-U swine veterinarian spoke at Le Mars during a regional pork conference.
He is crossing the state within the next few days encouraging livestock producers to notify their state lawmaker, and support the project. Rademacher says the estimated construction costs for a new diagnostics lab could go beyond $100 million.
Rademacher says Governor Reynolds is supportive of the idea. He says the case load of more than 80,000 has doubled within the last six years. The swine veterinarian says because of economic considerations for the state and the livestock industry, its important the people support the proposal.
Rademacher says officials hope to raise an initial $5 million dollars this year to begin the planning process.
Doctor Fined and Placed On Probation
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa doctor has been ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty and has been placed on three years’ probation in an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine to settle sexual misconduct charges filed against him.
Jeffrey Zoelle entered the agreement Feb. 15. The board ordered Zoelle to complete a board-approved sexual misconduct/sexual harassment evaluation, among other things.
The board has said Zoelle, who had practiced at clinics in Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff, made inappropriate sexual comments to a patient in 2015, and that from 2011 to January 2016, he rubbed female co-workers on the neck, shoulders and back, sent them inappropriate Facebook and text messages and tried
to kiss one.
Zoelle is no longer employed at the clinics. A home phone number for him could not be found Thursday.
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Legislature Asked To Address Medicaid Program
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa lawmakers have faced pressure to improve the state’s privatized Medicaid program amid reports of problems, but that hasn’t translated into a lot of related legislation so far this session.
Just a handful of bills that would make selective changes to the health care program for the poor and disabled advanced beyond a legislative deadline last week. The proposals don’t address key issues surrounding reports of reduced services and delayed reimbursements to health care providers. It’s also unclear
if the bills have enough support in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Separately, a state agency that oversees the private insurance companies that run Medicaid has offered few details about how it’s addressing problems.
The agency has highlighted upcoming private meetings that will include health care providers and the insurance companies.
