School Board To Convene This Evening
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education is scheduled to convene this evening. The school board has on its agenda time to discuss the Senior Awards Night which is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16th, Commencement
Exercises, scheduled for Sunday, May 20th, the Le Mars Community Foundation Chamber Coffee to the held on May 23rd at the Education Service Center, and the Employee Recognition Coffee scheduled for Thursday, May 31st beginning at
2:00 p.m. at the high school cafeteria. The school board will deal with ten different resignations, and eight contracts. The school board will discuss the school fees for the upcoming school year. The board will consider changing the start time for the Middle School for next school year.
Ortmann Benefit Draws Hundreds
(Remsen) –– Hundreds of people attended a benefit for the City of Remsen’s fire chief and superintendent of public works on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Ortmann was recently diagnosed with having a form of brain cancer, as well as suffering from a stroke. The benefit, which was held at the Avalon Ball Room featured a pork burger with chips feed, plus several items that were auctioned during a silent auction. The Remsen Fire Department also began a raffle for a 2016 Artic Cat 4×4. The winner of the 4×4 raffle will be announced in August during the Hope Angels Dance. Officials have not released the amount of money raised during that benefit.
Iowans Should See Tax Breaks
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Most Iowans can expect to see savings from $2.8 billion in income tax cuts awaiting Iowa Gov. Kim Reynold’s signature.
The tax cuts will funnel money to the highest-earning Iowans and give a boost to businesses, but 93 percent of middle-class families will see some savings as well.
A typical family of four would save about $7 per paycheck. Middle- class families in Iowa can expect to see cuts between $86 and $257 next year.
About 40 percent of the tax cuts will benefit the top 4 percent of
Iowa taxpayers. The bottom half of Iowans will receive about 7 percent of the overall savings.
Most of the savings will appear in Iowa’s paychecks, because of lower rates for withholding. More is expected to be paid in refunds, too.
Ernst Criticizes Trump Staff For Remark About Arizona Senator John McCain
(Des Moines) — Senator Joni Ernst has indirectly responded to a White House staffer’s dismissive comment about Arizona Senator John McCain, who is battling brain cancer. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
Grassley Critical Of E.P.A. Administrator Scott Pruitt
(Des Moines) — Senator Chuck Grassley says he trusts E-P-A Administrator Scott Pruitt to follow through on the president’s promise that a higher blend of ethanol may be sold year round, but Grassley says he’s worried Pruitt may take other actions to undermine what was discussed earlier this week during a White House meeting about ethanol.
Grassley has been critical of the E-P-A’s decision to grant some oil refineries exemptions to federal ethanol mandates. During an early (Friday) morning taping at Iowa Public Television of “Iowa Press” program, Grassley was asked about Pruitt’s future.
Grassley praises Pruitt’s decisions which have rolled-back Obama-era regulations, including the Waters of the U.S. rule that groups like the Farm Bureau opposed. Pruitt was serving as Oklahoma’s attorney general when President Trump nominated him to serve as E-P-A administrator. Grassley says he’s been surprised by reports of Pruitt’s spending habits in the agency.
A former E-P-A aide told congress in April that Pruitt spent 43-thousand dollars to turn a broom closet into a soundproof phone booth in his office. He spent nine-thousand dollars installing office locks that are opened by fingerprints. Pruitt’s accused of pursuing a lavish lifestyle on the taxpayers’ dime, including first class air travel and five-star hotels. President Trump took to Twitter last month to defend Pruitt, saying Pruitt was doing a “fantastic job.”
New Animals Arrive At Blank Park Zoo
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Four new animals are on display at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines this spring, including three endangered species.
The zoo told the Des Moines Register a new tiger and snow leopard have moved to Des Moines from other American zoos, and two new slender-horned gazelles were born at the Blank Park Zoo this spring.
The 5-year-old Amur tiger came to the Blank Park Zoo from the
Indianapolis Zoo to live with a female tiger.
The snow leopard moved to Des Moines from the Akron Zoo in Ohio.
The gazelles were born this spring. Zookeepers say they love to
bounce around their habitat in the mornings.
—
One Million Dollar Winning Lottery Ticket Still Unclaimed
NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Lottery officials say someone has a $1 million prize waiting to be claimed.
The winning numbers were purchased at a Casey’s General Store in Nevada for a prize announced April 11.
Iowa Lottery officials and Casey’s employees held a news conference Friday to publicize the unclaimed ticket.
The winner has until April 11, 2019 to claim the prize.
Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer says it’s unusual for such a large prize to be unclaimed for nearly a month.
The Des Moines Register reports Casey’s manager Kim Cochron said people have been coming in asking if there was a winner since the numbers were drawn.
The store will still receive a $1,000 bonus even if the ticket isn’t
claimed.
—
