County Supervisors To Discuss Construction Contracts
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet today at the Plymouth County Courthouse Board Room. The county governing board have a short agenda. They will hear from Joan Collins who is seeking approval
of Collins Addition in Lincoln Township. County Engineer Tom Rohe will appear before the county board of supervisors seeking approval for permits for a tile crossing, and from MidAmerican Energy. Rohe will also submit the construction contracts for Dixon Construction for two bridge repair projects,
and with Richards Construction for work on three culvert projects. Rohe will discuss with the county supervisors the purchase of a skid loader. The county supervisors are expected to approve a construction change order from L&L Builders regarding the renovation project at the courthouse. They are
also expected to approve the deputy salaries, plus approve the fiscal year budget fund appropriation. The county supervisors are also expected to name Steve Staab as a Meadow Township trustee to replace Max Treinen.
City Council To Approve Murphy As City Attorney
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council is expected to approve the contract with attorney Mike Murphy as the new city attorney.
The council will discuss having JEO consulting group perform an engineering agreement with the city for improvements at the Municipal Park. The Le Mars Police Department is proposing to eliminate two part-time police secretary positions and replacing
with a full-time police office assistant. The city council will discuss sidewalk trip hazards and will discuss a contract with Precision Concrete Cutting for $43,986 to eliminate the trip hazards found on sidewalks under the responsibility of the city. The area being proposed is to fix the trip hazards within a two block radius surrounding our schools and areas west of
the railroad and south of Plymouth Street. The city council will also look at a proposed agreement between the city and the LBIC regarding Cresent Ridge Addition for any costs incurred by the city for the purchase and installation of infrastructure units such as water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer. The
council will also consider participating in an economic development study.
Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council or SIMPCO is asking the city to consider participating in the study for Highway 20 corridor. The Highway 20 Corridor includes Plymouth Woodbury, Ida, Cherokee Counties, and Dakota County, Nebraska.
Life Skills Holds Annual Meeting
(Le Mars) — Life Skills Training Center held its annual awards banquet Monday evening. It will be Executive Director Don Nore’s last annual meeting as he intends to retire in June. Nore has been with Life Skills Training Center for 22 years, with the last 15 years as its executive Director.
As Nore mentioned, the next executive director to oversee Life Skills will be Rose Nicoson, who already serves as Life Skills Business Manager. Nore says Nicoson will do a great job, and he expects a smooth transition.
Whether it be through the Bossy Bingo, or the annual quilt auction, or the purchase of Christmas decorations, or even the annual Knights of Columbus phone-a-thon, Nore says Life Skills has been fortunate to have had such great support from Le Mars and of the other communities within Plymouth County. He
says other similar facilities across the state don’t receive as much assistance.
Nore has witnessed the growth and development of Life Skills over his tenure, but he says the greatest change occurred just a few years ago when the federal and state governments decided to change the way handicapped facilities are to conduct business.
Nore was presented with a plaque showing a photo of the clients of Life Skills. During the banquet last evening, Life Skills also presented its Client Achievement Award. Each year, Life Skills Training Center presents an award to a client for his or her achievements during the previous year. This year’s recipient has been at Life Skills since the fall of 2003 where she
began training two half days per week. Initially, this individual trained in the laundry and production area. After expressing some interest in participating on a supported integrated training crew her schedule was adjusted and a job site was incorporated. The staff has nothing but great things to say about this individual. The 2017 client achievement award goes
to Lauren Woods. One comment shared was, “she is the sweetest and most hardest working individual I know. She is always willing to help others after her job is complete, which she does to the highest of standards. She is a joy to work with.”
Grassley Applauds Trump For Moving Embassy To Jerusalem
(Washington) — This week, the United States formally left the embassy that had been located at Tel Aviv, Israel, and opened its new embassy at Jerusalem, Israel. But the move has come with some controversy and with deadly protests. News reports indicate at least 50 people have been killed during the protests between Israel and Palestine. Both groups claim that Jerusalem is their capital. U-S Senator, Chuck Grassley of Iowa addressed the situation during his weekly news conference with reporters on Monday. The Republican Senator says the protests have been occurring long before it was ever announced that Jerusalem would be the city to host the U-S embassy.
Grassley says he doesn’t believe the protests are directly related to the opening of the new embassy, but he does admit believing the protests have been stepped up. Grassley says he favors having the American embassy at Jerusalem.
Grassley also spoke about Environmental Protection Agency Director, Scott Pruitt. Grassley followed up his comments made during the public television’s “Iowa Press” program to say he believes Pruitt will follow the order by President Trump to allow E-15 to be used all year round.
The Republican Senator says two things are assured of happening.
Protesters Arrested At State Capitol Building
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officers have cited a group of protesters at the Iowa Capitol who gathered in and around the staff offices of Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The Iowa State Patrol briefly held 10 people Monday afternoon who refused to leave the building at the close of business hours. they were cited for misdemeanor trespassing and released.
The protesters, who were part of a larger group of several dozen people, gathered inside Reynolds’ staff offices and later outside them to highlight issues tied to poverty, inequality and the environment. They requested to schedule meetings with Reynolds.
The Republican governor was in eastern Iowa at the time.
The protest is part of nationwide events tied to a “Poor People’s Campaign” that works off a similar initiative launched by Martin Luther King Jr.
Organizations Call For Moratorium On Expansion Of Livestock Production Facilities
(Des Moines) — A coalition of state and national groups are calling for a ban on so-called “factory farming” in the United States. Adam Mason of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement says large-scale livestock confinements have “decimated” family farms.
Bill Stowe (rhymes with “snow”) is C-E-O and general manager of the Des Moines Water Works, which is among the 100 largest water utilities in the country.
The Raccoon River has pollution levels today that exceed federal standards, requiring additional and expensive treatment before it can be used as drinking water. Stowe says there’s “no question” what he calls “industrial farming” upstream is contributing to the pollution.
Stowe and the others who spoke at a midday news conference would like city and county officials to have the authority to regulate farming operations. Stowe says corporate interests ruined states like West Virginia and Iowa should take a different path.
A national group called “Food and Water Watch” has released a report critical of the impact “massive amounts of manure” from livestock operations are having on the environment.of so-called factory farms. A spokesman for the Iowa Pork Producers Association says any moratorium on the pork industry “would greatly stifle rural Iowa economic activity” and limit entry into farming for the next generation. The pork association’s spokesman says modern Iowa pig barns “are designed to contain all manure” and “protect water quality.” He also noted there already are more than 200 pages of state regulations for the pork industry.
Planned Parenthood and American Civil Liberties Union To Sue State Over Abortion Bill
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two organizations are expected to announce a lawsuit challenging a new Iowa law that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Iowa affiliates for Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday they’ll make a joint announcement Tuesday afternoon. They declined to provide more information.
The law, set to go into effect on July 1, bans most abortions in Iowa once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That’s around six weeks of pregnancy, making it the strictest abortion regulation in the country.
The groups warned shortly before Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the law on May 4 that they would challenge its constitutionality. Reynolds and GOP lawmakers with majorities in the Legislature also indicated they expected the law to face litigation.
University of Iowa Imposes Salary Freeze
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa has frozen pay increases for teachers and other staff members until January.
The Des Moines Register reports that it’s not certain whether the freeze will be lifted then.
University administrators blame the freeze on uncertainty about revenue there will be from tuition, fees and state allocations.
In April the university announced a moratorium on building projects and a review of whether to close some centers.
University of Iowa Health Care employees will receive average salary hikes of 1 percent beginning July 1. Also, workers covered by bargaining agreements will receive their scheduled pay hikes.
Coaches and sports staff are paid through the athletic department’s budget and won’t be affected by the freeze.
The university has more than 18,000 employees.
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School Superintendent To Retain His Position After Hiring Sex Offender
WELLMAN, Iowa (AP) – A superintendent who let a convicted sex offender volunteer at an eastern Iowa school district has been given another year on the job.
The Mid-Prairie school board renewed Superintendent Mark Schneider’s contract Monday, saying he was not at fault for the lack of a district policy about volunteer suitability. Schneider had said he’d resign without a vote of confidence.
Volunteer Trent Yoder had pleaded guilty to exploiting a minor at an Anita school by videotaping a high school athlete changing her clothes in 1998. He was removed from the sex offender registry after 10 years.
The district, which is based in Wellman, granted him special permission to volunteer, after receiving letters of support. Schneider has said he informed school principals that Yoder must be with another adult at all times.
