Jeneary Wins Republican Nomination For State House Seat
(Le Mars) — Dr. Tom Jeneary, the retired dentist from Le Mars was able to win the nomination in the Republican primary for the State House Seat District 5. Jeneary was challenged by Joseph Small of Akron. The unofficial results show the race may have been thought to be closer in the six precincts of Woodbury County with Jeneary winning with a 36 vote margin, 153 to 117.
However, in Plymouth County, Jeneary easily won with nearly a 75 percent margin of victory. Jeneary garnered 977 votes to Small’s 335 votes, or slightly above 25 percent.
Following the election results, Jeneary spoke with KLEM news.
Jeneary says he was able to learn that many people within the district shares his beliefs, and that is why they put their trust in him by voting for him.
Jeneary says he has several former legislators to thank for counseling and assisting with his campaign.
Other Plymouth County results show Republican Congressman Steve King defeating Republican challenger Cyndi Hanson with a comfortable 3 to 1 margin. King got 1091 votes to Cyndi Hanson’s 334 votes. Five candidates were seeking the position of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. In Plymouth County, current Secretary, Mike Naig had over 50 percent of the votes. Naig,
who was Bill Northey’s Deputy Secretary, and who was appointed the position by Governor Kim Reynolds won Plymouth County with 633 votes, or 51.67 percent. Former Iowa Farm Bureau president, Craig Lang was second in Plymouth County with 222 votes or 18.12 percent. State Senator and chairman
of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Dan Zumbach was in third position with 177 votes or 14.45 percent of the votes. Former Iowa and American Soybean Association president, Ray Gaesser had slightly more than ten percent of the Plymouth County votes with 130, and Chad Ingels earned 62 votes, or slightly
more than five percent of the vote.
In the Democrat races for Plymouth County, it was former baseball athlete J.D. Scholten of Sioux City easily winning the nomination for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District over Spencer city councilwoman Leann Jacobson and Dr. John Paschen of Ames. Scholten received 380 votes to win Plymouth County or
nearly 75 percent of the vote to Jacobson’s 95 votes or 18.74 percent, and Dr. John Paschen had 32 votes in Plymouth County, or 6.3 percent.
The five-way race for the Democratic nomination for Governor had Des Moines Businessman Fred Hubbell winning Plymouth County with 322 votes, or 62.52 percent. Political operative, John Norris earned second place at the polls with 80 votes or 15.53 percent. Nurse and union organizer Cathy Glasson was
in third place with 71 votes or 13.79 percent. Although he suspended his campaign, State Senator Nate Boulton was able to place fourth in Plymouth County with 19 votes, or 3.69 percent. Former State Democratic party chair, Dr. Andrea “Andy” McGuire had 16 votes, or 3.11 percent, and Ross Wilburn earned seven votes for 1.36 percent.
Jim Mowrer narrowly defeated Deidre DeJear for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State. Mowrer had 254 votes to DeJear’s 219 for a 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent.
Low Voter Turnout For Primary Election
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County had a light turnout for the primary election.
Slightly less than 2,000 voters, or eleven percent of the registered 17,550 eligible voters had cast a ballot in the primary race. Those numbers were consistent state-wide as only slightly more than eleven percent eligible voters went to the polls.
3 Vehicle Accident Happens On Highway 75
(Le Mars) — Shortly before 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, on Highway 75 about five miles north of Le Mars, an accident occurred involving three vehicles and injuring three people. One of the victims was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, the other two victims were transported to the Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. Iowa State Patrol trooper Chad Peters explains what happened at the accident.
Peters talks about the injured victims from the accident.
Jenna Laughton, 17 years of age, of rural Le Mars was stopped on Highway 75 signaling a left turn in he northbound lane. Laughton was waiting for traffic to clear before completing the turn. Laughton was accompanied by a 16 year old female from Le Mars in a 1989 Chevrolet pickup. 28 year old Margaret Jakobson of rural Maurice was going northbound, also on Highway 75.
Jakobson struck the rear of the Laughton vehicle and both vehicles came to rest on the west side of the roadway. Jakobson had two children in her vehicle, ages 5 years and 18 months. Jakobson was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe. Joseph Arens, 57, of Le Mars was southbound on U-S 75 and was unable
to stop. Arens made light contact with the Laughton vehicle. Arens was not injured, and his vehicle sustained minor damage. Laughton and her passenger both sustained minor injuries and were taken from the scene by private vehicles. Margaret Jakobson was taken to Floyd Valley Healthcare by the Le
Mars Ambulance for non-life threatening injuries. Jakobson’s daughter was airlifted by Mercy Air Care to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. Her injuries are unknown at the time of this news release was issued. The Laughton and Jakobson vehicles were both totaled in the collision. The accident is being investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, with assistance from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, the Le Mars Police and Fire Departments
and Iowa Department of Transportation. Sioux Center and Remsen Ambulance provided EMS assistance. The collision remains under investigation and charges are pending.
Supervisors Approve To Vacate Roads
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have approved to vacate two different gravel roads. The county governing board decided to vacate a portion of 340th Street that serves as a border with Woodbury County. The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors must also take up the measure and give
their approval in order for the road to be vacated. The road in question is 340th Street, south of Kingsley near Highway 140 and Quartz Avenue. A landowner with land near the road proposed to be vacated wasn’t against closing the road, but he did encourage Plymouth County and Woodbury County to
consider moving the access driveway into his field further south so it would be easier to gain access into his fields with larger farm equipment.
Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe assured the landowner that he thought the field access driveway could be modified to accommodate the landowner’s wishes.
The second road that was approved to be vacated is 100th Street which serves as a border road with Sioux County. Paul May owns land on the Sioux County side, and spoke against vacating the roadway in question. May says the road
acts as a dam that helps hold back water and prevents soil from eroding. May also spoke in favor of replacing a bridge to the west of his property that is on 100th Street and has been closed for nearly 20 year when an overweight construction equipment that tried crossing the bridge and the bridge collapsed. Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe informed the supervisors and
the gathered crowd, that the estimate to replace the bridge would be more than $800,000. Rohe offered a compromise, suggesting the county could proceed to close the road, but Plymouth County would build an earth berm in place of the road to help prevent water from draining from May’s property
into the area owned by Southern Sioux Water Association. Plymouth County Attorney Darrin Raymond inquired of Rohe as to how the area would appear?
Raymond wanted to make certain motorists would know the road was closed and not for traffic usage. Final approval for the vacated road will depend on Sioux County Board of Supervisors when they decide upon the issue during their next meeting.
In other action, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved moving the 25 mph speed limit zone on County road C-60 460 feet to the west of Hinton.
The resolution will also need Hinton’s city council approval. The action was taken at the request of Hinton city officials following a pedestrian accident at the location. County officials indicated additional measures may be needed by both the Hinton City Council and the Hinton Community School District’s Board of Education to make the area safer for children crossing
the road to go to school.
