Dawn Richards Named School Employee of the Month
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community School District named its latest “Employee of the Month” during a ceremony held this morning at Kluckhohn Elementary School.
Long-time 5th grade teacher Dawn Richards was recognized as the “Employee of the Month” by Larry Petersen, a board member of the Le Mars School District Foundation.
Richards has been a teacher with for 34 years. The entire Kluckhohn staff submitted the nomination for Richards. The submitted nomination reads:
Dawn adds a lot to our building. She is a very positive person that always sees the good in people. She loves teaching social studies, reading, and written language. Many times her light is on past 4:00 because she wants the best for her students, and plans accordingly.
Dawn is retiring this year, and Kluckhohn
will miss her smile, her laughter, and her love for the job she does. Recently, she told us that she had taught at Akron, and then came to Le Mars to teach in the Middle School. She also told us that she had taught in a pre-school and would love to sub in the lower grades. We would love to have you sub in our
school, Dawn, then we would still hear the laughter adnd see how you love the kids at Kluckhohn. Our congratulations go to Dawn Richards for being named as the Le Mars Community School District “Employee of the Month.”
Shirley Taylor Named Chamber’s “Boss of the Quarter”
(Le Mars) — During the open house ceremonies recognizing the newly remodeled library, and honoring National Library Week, the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce presented Le Mars Public Library Director Shirley Taylor with the “Boss of the Quarter” honor. Taylor was instrumental during the transitional period when the public library was being renovated. She was nominated by the library staff. In addition to awarding Taylor with the Boss of the Quarter, the library also held a ribbon cutting ceremony acknowledging the renovation, as well as National Library Week.
Iowa Soybean Association President Invites Trump To His Farm
(Des Moines) — Farmers are so concerned about the negative consequences to the tariffs and possible trade war with China, that the president of the Iowa Soybean Association has invited President Trump to his farm to discuss the issue, and to
share with Trump how important China is to the soybean industry. Speaking at Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds weekly news conference, Bill Shipley of Nodaway told reporters that he has written a letter to President Trump inviting him to come to
Iowa during soybean planting season to learn more details and facts about the importance of the U-S and China soybean trade. In his statement, Shipley says “To say China matters to U.S. soybean farmers would be an understatement.
“China is the world’s largest consumer of soybeans. The United States suppliesroughly 40 percent of China’s annual soybean imports, valued at almost $14billion.
“That said, soybean farmers recognize there are legitimate trade issues that mustbe resolved between the two countries. They include intellectual property rightsand requirements placed on U.S. companies wanting to do business in China. The ag
industry acknowledges the importance of these matters and encourages their swiftresolution.
“We believe this can be done absent targeting food and agricultural trade.
Exports of U.S. soybeans, beef, pork and other commodities provides a tradesurplus for our country. Encouraging more of it is advantageous for bothcountries. Agricultural trade boosts jobs and economic activity in America whilereducing the economic trade imbalance existing between China and the U.S.
“China’s proposal to add tariffs on soybeans adds to the uncertainty U.S. farmers face as we prepare to head to the fields to plant another crop. Longer-term,we’re concerned about the establishment of anti-American sentiment in China. If
allowed to take hold, it could jeopardize the ability of U.S. farmers to dobusiness in China for generations.
“Trade wars involving food are a lose-lose. Here at home, Iowa soybean farmerswould be negatively impacted by higher input costs and lower market prices.
Chinese consumers would lose a reliable supplier and pay more for soybeans due toreduced competition.
“I invite President Donald Trump to my farm to see and experience soybeanplanting season in Iowa. He will meet the farmers who help create one ofAmerica’s most valuable exports, contributing to jobs and economic activity here
at home and improved human health throughout the world, including China. It’s adiscussion we welcome as we work to resolve this matter to the benefit of America
and China.
“The Iowa Soybean Association urges U.S. and Chinese officials to pivot from the politics and posturing to resolving this escalating trade dispute for the benefit of American farmers and our Chinese customers.”
Reynolds Signs Sanctuary Bill
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law an immigration enforcement bill that bans so-called sanctuary cities.
The Republican governor signed the bill privately Tuesday. The news was tucked into a press release about 16 other bill signings.
The legislation will require law enforcement to follow requests from federal agents to hold a jailed person suspected of being in the country illegally. Local governments risk losing state funding if they don’t comply with the law.
Attorneys say the provision could open the state to litigation. Community organizers argue the bill will lead to racial profiling.
Lawmakers who supported the measure called it a public safety issue.
Reynolds highlighted the legislation in a gubernatorial fundraising email.
Sanctuary cities is a catch-all label for jurisdictions that limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Iowa doesn’t have any sanctuary cities.
Board Holds Off On Having Union Elections
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa board has put on hold plans to require public workers in the state to preregister to vote in key union elections.
The Public Employment Relations Board announced Tuesday it would not move ahead with proposed administrative rules that would have required a registration
process before so-called recertification elections.
Board chairman Mike Cormack says officials received negative feedback about the idea. Representatives for several unions told lawmakers last week that such a system would suppress voter participation.
The board says its election vendor initially sought the changes. The board may seek a new vendor, which could increase costs.
The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bill last year that scaled back collective bargaining rights for most public workers. It required more frequent elections on whether public workers should stay unionized.
University of Northern Iowa To Increase Tuition Rates
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls is proposing an undergraduate resident tuition increase of 2.8 percent for the upcoming academic year.
The Courier reports that the Iowa Board of Regents will provide the first of two readings on the proposed rates for all three of Iowa’s public universities on Wednesday and Thursday in Council Bluffs.
UNI’s proposed rate, which comes to a $209 jump, is below the maximum 4 percent threshold established by the board earlier this year.
With 90 percent of its undergraduate students coming from Iowa, UNI enrolls the highest proportion of resident undergraduates of all three public universities, which include the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.
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