“Tour of Homes” Scheduled for Saturday
(Le Mars)-– We continue our series focusing on the homes featured for Saturday’s “Tour of Homes” hosted by the Le Mars Preservation Commission, and the Plymouth County Historical Museum. Iris Hemmingson discusses the last two homes, those being owned by Dororthy Arens and Stewart and Karla
Dekkinga. Hemmingson says the Dororthy Arens home is located on the west side of town in an older neighborhood.
Hemmingson says the houses in the neighborhood look like each of them were built as a “kit house.”
Hemmingson says tourists will want to take notice of the Aren’s backdoor.
That leaves us with the last home scheduled for the Tour of Homes, the Stuartand Karla Dekkenga home located just on the outside of town on Highway 3west. Hemmingson says home was originally located in town, but was moved toits present location.
The Le Mars Preservationist discusses the unique features of the Dekkenga home. She says at one time there were porches on all four corners of the home.
Participants will want to start their tour at the Plymouth County Historical Museum. Tours will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 4:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the museum and they sell for $10.
Plymouth County Historical Museum Celebrates 35 Years At Old Central High School
(Le Mars) — Nearly 100 people gathered Thursday evening for the Plymouth County Historical Museum’s annual meeting and banquet. The museum was celebrating the 35th anniversary when it had acquired the former Le Mars Community Central High School as its new home. Mark Hemmingson served as the city’s attorney in 1983 during the time when the museum was trying to convince city officials to allow them to have the former school building. Hemmingson was the key-note speaker during the banquet, and recalled many of the people who were instrumental in securing the school building as the new home for the Plymouth County Historical Museum. Hemmingson informed the crowd of the challenges facing the museum and the city at the time of the transfer. Awards of appreciation were given to many of the volunteers who have assisted with the museum’s activities.
Awards of Appreciation were presented to Bonnie Driscoll, Fr. Paul Eiesle, John and Carol Schneider, Timmy and Bonnie Rasmussen, Hugh and Carol Boylan, Fern Schulz, Paul Williams, and Norm Barker.
Agency Lawyer Says Board Members Can Keep Secret Email Addresses Used For Official Business
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A lawyer for the Iowa Public Information Board says agencies can keep secret the personal email addresses used by their board members for official business.
In a draft opinion, board legal counsel Travis Starr says private
email addresses used by government officials can be exempt from disclosure under the Iowa Open Records Act.
He says the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board likely acted lawfully in redacting the email addresses of board members in records released to Bleeding Heartland, a blog that covers Iowa politics.
The board will consider whether to adopt Starr’s opinion next week.
Bleeding Heartland editor Laura Belin says anyone who agrees to serve on a board should be accessible to the public. She says agency staffers shouldn’t be allowed to prevent citizens from contacting board members to ask questions or report misconduct, and it’s “disturbing” the information board
could give its blessing to that practice.
Bridge Connecting Iowa With Illinois Will Remain Closed For Longer Duration
SABULA, Iowa (AP) – A key bridge connecting eastern Iowa with northwestern Illinois will remain closed even longer than earlier estimates.
The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Sabula Mayor Troy Hansen announced Thursday the bridge just outside the town won’t open until September.
Since Iowa Department of Transportation officials ordered the bridge closed for safety reasons in February, the estimate for reopening the span have been pushed back from May to July and now Sept. 3.
The bridge provides access to a larger U.S. Highway 52/Illinois 64 bridge over the Mississippi River to Savanna, Illinois.
Motorists commuting from Sabula to Savanna, Illinois, or vice versa, must take a 36-mile (58-kilometer) detour.
State Sen. Tod Bowman says he’ll discuss the matter with
transportation officials.
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Authorities Investigate Shooting Of Northeast Iowa Boy
CLARKSVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a boy died after an accidental shooting in northeastern Iowa.
Butler County Sheriff Jason Johnson says in a news release that the shooting was reported around 4:45 p.m. Thursday in rural Clarksville.
Officers and medics sent to the scene found three people, all under 18.
The names of the boy, the others involved and how the shooting occurred have not been released. The shooting is being investigated.
Davenport Man Wins Lotto America Jackpot Without Purchasing Ticket
CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – A Davenport man has won a $4.38 million lottery jackpot without even paying for a ticket.
The Iowa Lottery says Thursday that 52-year-old Chuck Anderson won the jackpot in Saturday’s drawing of the Lotto America game.
The lottery has been promoting Lotto America, which began in
November, by offering free plays to random players who bought tickets in other games. Anderson qualified for the free ticket by buying a Powerball ticket at a Kwik Star convenience store in Davenport.
Anderson’s Lotto America ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday’s drawing. He didn’t check the results for a couple days and then had to examine them a couple times before believing he’d won.
Anderson opted to take a lump sum amount of $2.6 million.
Dog Shoots Owner In Bizarre Incident
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – With best friends like these, who needs enemies?
An Iowa man says his dog inadvertently shot him while they were roughhousing Wednesday.
Fifty-one-year-old Richard Remme, of Fort Dodge, told police he was playing with his dog, Balew, on the couch and tossed the dog off his lap. He says when the pit bull-Labrador mix bounded back up, he must have disabled the safety on the gun in his belly band and stepped on the trigger.
The gun fired, striking one of Remme’s legs. He was treated at a
hospital and released later that day.
Remme told The Messenger newspaper that Balew is a “big wuss” and lay down beside him and cried because he thought he had done something wrong.
