Home News Thursday News, June 28th

Thursday News, June 28th

Floyd River Shows Signs Of Receding

(Le Mars) — The Floyd River at Le Mars is for the most part holding steady to showing some signs of receding. Yesterday morning, the Floyd River had again risen beyond the 20 foot flood stage to 23 feet, causing flooding in low areas. Officials say the local river is falling, although some flooding is still evident. The Le Mars Recreational Trail still remains closed due to
some flood waters that have covered the trail.

 

 

City To Host Coffee To Recognize Two Employees Seeking Retirement

(Le Mars) — Two long time city employees will be recognized today as the city of Le Mars will host the Chamber coffee in honor of city attorney, Joe Flannery and Airport manager Earl Draayer. The coffee will begin at 9:30 at the city council chambers. Both Flannery and Draayer have announced their
retirement as of the end of June.

 

 

Questions Remain Over Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health

(Le Mars) — July 1st is only a few days away, and that begins a new fiscal year for the Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health Services. The region consists of Sioux, Plymouth, and Woodbury Counties. However, Woodbury County Board of Supervisors have voted to leave the three-county regional mental health program, and instead join the Rolling Hills Mental Health program
consisting of eight different west-central Iowa Counties. Iowa law requires at least three counties need to comprise a regional mental health program.
The Iowa Department of Human Services has not yet given final approval to Woodbury County to leave the program. During the monthly meeting held Tuesday, officials were still uncertain as to what exactly would happened to the program at the start of the new fiscal year. Plymouth County Supervisor Don Kass serves on the regional mental health board. He says services will still be provided.

Keith Radig is a county supervisor with Woodbury County. He says after July 1st, Woodbury County will not be bound to the agreement terms.

Some mental health providers are concerned as to whether or not they will be reimbursed for services. Siouxland Mental Health says after July 1st, they won’t be able to provide the 24-hour mental health care which includes the staffing of a nurse. A proposal by Woodbury County was introduced to allocate $150,000 to Siouxland Mental Health as a way to continue the
program. However, Plymouth and Sioux Counties voted against the proposal.
Kass says the region is seeking alternatives to the perceived problem.

Kass says only one other mental health region, besides the Sioux Rivers, has a full-time mental health nursing staff. He says that involves Polk County, which involves Des Moines. Kass says there are not enough patients within the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region to justify full-time nursing staff.
Radig disagrees, and says the round the clock mental health nursing staff is needed. He says when a person is on the verge of committing suicide, you don’t want to turn those people away. Radig says he was disappointed in the vote that denied additional funding to Siouxland Mental Health.

Radig offers an explanation as to why Woodbury County wants to leave the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region.

 

 

Floyd Valley Healthcare Contributes To Economic Impact

(Le Mars) — The Iowa Hospital Association recently conducted a survey showing the economic impact of local hospitals to their community. According to the survey, Floyd Valley Healthcare of Le Mars employs 328 people, with a local economic impact of contributing more than $21 million dollars. The employees of Floyd Valley pay more than $133,400. When you add all the
healthcare professionals within Plymouth County, including dentists, nursing care facilities, and pharmacies then you have more than a thousand employees with an area economic impact of $58 million dollars, with more than $500 thousand dollars going to local taxes.

 

 

Plymouth County Cyclists To Host Friday Night Ride

(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Cyclists invite bicycle riders to join them for a Friday evening ride beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the tennis courts at Willow Creek Golf Course. Following the ride, they will enjoy a dinner at Willow Creek Golf Club House.

 

 

Bicyclist Killed During Accident

EMMETSBURG, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man was killed and his wife and 4-year-old son were injured when they were struck by van while riding their bicycles in northern Iowa.
The accident occurred around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) north of Emmetsburg. An Iowa State Patrol crash report says the van driver, 83-year-old Duane Anderson, of Estherville, reported that he was adjusting a mirror and didn’t see the cyclists.
The dead man was identified as 36-year-old Luke Rouse, who lived with his family in Emmetsburg. His wife, Lacey Rouse, and son, Luke, were taken to Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg.

 

 

Two People Killed During Tractor Roll-over Accident At Pocahontas County

ROLFE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man and a 12-year-old girl were killed when a tractor rolled over in western Iowa.
The accident occurred Saturday evening about 3 miles (5 kilometers) north of Rolfe. Investigators say the man lost control of the tractor, which rolled atop him and the girl when it ran into a roadside ditch.
Pocahontas County Sheriff Brian Larsen says the girl just wanted “a simple tractor ride, and it just went horribly wrong.”
The man’s been identified as 46-year-old Glenn Winthers, who lived in Rolfe. His passenger’s been identified as VedaMae Klocke, who also lived in Klocke.

 

 

Milford Man Pleas Guilty To Possession Of Child Pornography

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man who received child pornography has pleaded guilty to the charge in federal court in Sioux City.
Federal prosecutors say 27-year-old Joe Elliott Sinnott, of Milford, was convicted Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Sinnott admitted that from January through
April, he knowingly used a messenger app to receive child pornography.
Sinnott also admitted to receiving fully nude photographs of a 15-year-old girl that he had met in person in Minnesota last year.
Sinnott will remain in custody until his sentencing at a later date,
when he faces up to 20 years in prison.

 

 

Governor Reynolds Declares Cherokee, Buena Vista, and Webster Counties As Disaster Areas

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for three counties in the northwest quarter of Iowa in response to flooding and severe weather that began in mid-June.
The proclamation allows state resources to be used in Buena Vista, Cherokee and Webster counties and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant and the Disaster Case Management programs.
The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The money can be used for such things as home and car repairs, temporary housing expenses or replacement of clothing or food.
Disaster Case Management offers case managers to work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource.

 

 

Politicians Concerned About “Self Promotion” Law

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa politicians are scrambling to comply with a new and unusual state law that bans them from using taxpayer dollars if there’s a whiff of self-promotion.
The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board plans to release at least one advisory opinion next month on the law, which was approved in the final hours of this year’s legislative session and goes into effect Sunday.
The provision, tucked into a budget bill, prohibits statewide
officials and lawmakers from tapping taxpayer dollars to promote their written name, likeness or voice through platforms such as television and radio.
Megan Tooker, director of the ethics board, says she and others are sorting out how to regulate the law and whether common interactions – like face-to-face meetings at the Iowa State Fair – fall under self-promotion.