School Board Hears Goals For School DistrictÂ
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community School Board Directors heard a report last evening (Monday) regarding the district’s goals for 2018-2019 school year as outlined by the District Learning and Instructional Impact Team. Curriculum Director, Rachel Leavitt outlined the questions from the community survey. She talks
about who was consulted for the questionnaire, and how the process was implemented.
Leavitt discusses the three questions that were presented to the DLIIT team for consideration.
Leavitt says there were some patterns that were identified from the community survey regarding goals for the school district.
The school district curriculum director reminds board members that they need to look at other ways students are meeting their educational goals, other than the percent of proficiency rating.
Leavitt suggests getting younger students interested in reading at an early age, which she says will benefit the student, and the school district in later years.
School Board Director Pat Murphy inquired of Leavitt if she believes the specific program, now adopted for Le Mars Community School District will make a significant difference in the reading scores. Murphy indicated the school has faced the problem of lower reading scores, and additional reading has
been identified, but without any major improvements seen in the last few years.
Sioux City School Board Sets Donation Rates For Naming Rights
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Sioux City School Board has set dollar donation levels for businesses, groups or people making donations to get naming rights on facilities or programs in the district career academies.
The Sioux City Journal reports that the range runs from $50,000 to $1.5 million, depending on the scope of the program or building in the Sioux City Career Academy. The naming rights would not be extended to the school itself.
The district is adding more space for career academies, in which
students take specialty courses in 30 so-called pathways, covering business and marketing, family and consumer science, health science and industrial technology.
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Soil Conservation Field Day Scheduled For Thursday
(Le Mars) — Farmers will want to attend an evening field day scheduled for Thursday, August 16th and hosted by the Plymouth County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Deep Creek Water Quality Initiative Project.
The field day will be held at the Gary Langel farm located at 38482 on Highway 3, east of Le Mars. Speaking at the field day will be Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crops Specialist, Joel DeJong. DeJong says the focus will be on our soils found in northwest Iowa.
DeJong says farmers will be able to observe two different areas where a backhoe has dug a trench, so farmers can see the layers and depths of topsoil and subsoil.
DeJong says, in one year, as much as five tons of soil could be lost per acre, due to erosion. He says it is often times difficult to visualize what five tons of soil looks like. DeJong says imagine a side dump truck filled with soil. He says that would be approximately 20 tons of soil, or the amount of soil lost each year from four acres. DeJong says he will compare soil losses
to the amount of crops harvested.
The field day is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. An evening meal will be served. Attendees will need to RSVP and contact Kristi Silverthorn at the Plymouth County Soil and Water Conservation District at 546-8858 extension 3.
Nurse Pleads Guilty To Stealing Pain Pills
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A nurse accused of stealing pain pills while working in a northern Iowa hospital has pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors say 58-year-old James Moorehead, of Mason City, entered pleas Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. The charges: one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception or subterfuge; one count of false statements relating to health care matters; and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentencing date hasn’t been
set yet.
Moorehead admitted that while working at Franklin General Hospital in Hampton in 2016 and 2017, he used patient identities to obtain hydrocodone pills. He left the hospital’s employ in March 2017.
Creston Police Involved With Shooting Incident
CRESTON, Iowa (AP) – State police are investigating the shooting of a man by a Creston police officer.
The shooting happened late Monday night when police were called to a Creston city park for a report of a man sitting on a bench with a gun.
Creston officers and deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s office responded and tried talking to the man for several minutes. Officials say the man then advanced on officers, refused commands to stop and show his hands
and then ran at officers. Officials say a Creston officer fired his gun, hitting the man, who later died of his injuries. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, and an autopsy has been ordered.
Neither the name of the man nor the officer who fired has been released.
Marshalltown Woman Wants To Decorate Trees Damaged By Tornado
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) – A woman has launched an initiative aimed at beautifying trees damaged by a tornado that ripped through Marshalltown in central Iowa.
The Times-Republican reports that Linda Harvey has chosen eight trees around town to decorate. Harvey says the trees aren’t slated for removal by the city, and she hopes the decorations will remain up for as long as the
public wishes.
Harvey has spent years as an educator and also worked as an artist for Disney, Nickelodeon and Coca-Cola. She’s including repurposed fabrics like knitted afghans, crocheted blankets, old sweaters and sequined clothing in the tree designs.
After the first tree is completed, a public meeting will be held
September 8 at the Marshalltown Public Library that’ll aim to find more volunteers who want to help expand the concept.
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