School Board Elects Lancaster As President
(Le Mars) — Last evening, during the Le Mars Community Board of Education meeting, the school board elected its officers for the 2018-2019 school year. Todd Lancaster retained his position as president of the school board, and Scott Kommes was re-elected to serve as the school board’s vice president position.
Lisa Boehm was again appointed to serve as the school
board’s secretary, and the board of education appointed Kim Clary to serve as the school district’s treasurer. The attorney firm of Bauerly and Trotzig was retained as the school’s legal counsel. Also, during the meeting, the school board selected five banks within Le Mars to serve as the official school depositories. They include: Primebank, American Bank, Northwest Bank, Iowa State Bank, and the Kingsley State Bank. Rob Bixenman of Perspective Insurance presented a report focusing on the school district’s dividend from EMC Insurance. After last year of receiving
$25,149 Bixenman informed the school board that this year’s dividend had been sharply reduced. The Le Mars Community school district is a member of a group insurance coverage with several other schools throughout Iowa. This year’s dividend amounted to $3,811.07. Bixenman informed the school board the reason for the reduction in the dividend was due to a large number of claims, mainly due to storm damage to various school buildings throughout the state.
Supervisors To Meet Today
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning, beginning at 9:30 a.m. from the County Courthouse Board Room.
The county governing board have a short agenda for today’s meeting. They will hear from Surveyor David Wilberding who is seeking approval of Kellens Big Acre Addition in America Township, and they will hear from Plymouth County engineer, Tom Rohe as he submits a permit for tile crossing in Meadow
township, and will update the construction projects.
Aurelia Residents Return Home Following Anhydrous Ammonia Leak
(Aurelia) — Residents in the town of Aurelia, Iowa were given the all-clear to return to their homes Monday evening. Over 500 people evacuated the Cherokee county town following an anhydrous ammonia leak Monday morning at the First Cooperative Association grain elevator. No injuries were
reported, and authorities say a faulty valve from a 30,000 gallon tank caused the leak. Elementary and Middle School students were moved to the Alta-Aurelia High School in Alta Monday morning for safety. Many of the town’s stores also closed. Sioux City Fire and Rescue dispatched its Hazard Materials unit to Aurelia to help with the situation.
Floyd Valley Healthcare To Offer Flu Vaccine Clinics
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Community Health Service will again be providing flu vaccinations (shot and mist) throughout Plymouth County. This year’s vaccine covers four strains of influenza.
Health officials say all people 6 months of age and older should get flu vaccine. Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of severe influenza and their close contacts, including healthcare personnel and close contacts of children younger than 6 months. People who should not be vaccinated include:
· People who have had a life-threatening reaction to an influenza
vaccination in the past.
· People who have ever had Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
· Influenza vaccine is not approved for use in children less than 6
months of age
· People who are moderately or severely ill should wait until they
recover before getting immunized.
Public immunization clinics will be held on:
Tuesday, October 2 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Remsen Senior Center (Beck Park)
Friday, October 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Kingsley Community Center
Thursday, October 11 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Merrill Kissinger Center
Thursday, October 11 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
FVH Conference Center
Wednesday, October 17 from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Le Mars Convention Center at the Well Aware Community Health Fair
Thursday, October 18 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Akron Senior Center
Tuesday, October 23 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hinton Community Center
Cost for the influenza vaccine is $25.00. If you are eligible for Medicare, please bring your Medicare card (Part B) or Medicare Advantage card with you.
For further information, please contact Tara Geddes, Floyd Valley Community Health Manager by calling 712-546-3335. Information may also be found on the internet at cdc.gov and idph.state.ia.us.
Iowa Historical Bus Visits Le Mars
(Le Mars) — Parked outside the Plymouth County Historical Museum on Sunday afternoon was a bus from the Iowa Historical Museum featuring an interactive display about Iowa’s history. Entitled: Iowa History 101, the bus is scheduled to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties during a three-year tour. The bus is on its second year crossing the Hawkeye State. John Carlson travels
with the interactive history exhibit. He says the artifacts inside the bus showcase three areas.
The exhibit features several items, including a girls basketball uniform, a miner’s hat with a lantern, an old burlap seed bag, and an old analog telephone. Carlson says many Iowans don’t have the opportunity to travel to Des Moines to see the Iowa Historical Museum, and that is the reason the bus with historical exhibits was created.
Carlson says the bus has traveled to 60 counties so far, and it is on track to complete the 99-county tour by the end of next summer. He says each of the two years the traveling historical exhibit has attracted around 25,000 visitors. Carlson says the exhibits will remain as it is today through out the 99-county tour. He says many times people will ask why the traveling Iowa history exhibit doesn’t feature a particular artifact?
If you missed seeing the historical exhibit, Carlson says you may have to wait until the bus completes its 99-county tour before it makes another appearance in Plymouth County.
80 Year Old Man Dies In Grain Bin Accident
MANLY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say an 80-year-old man has died in a grain bin accident in northern Iowa.
The Worth County Sheriff’s Office was called Monday morning to a possible grain bin entrapment west of Manly. Deputies were joined by rescue crews from Manly, Kensett and Northwood as well as a helicopter ambulance from Fort Dodge.
The bin was emptied and the man’s body was found.
Authorities aren’t releasing his name until relatives can be notified.
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Accused Arsonist To Have Second Trial
ALBIA, Iowa (AP) – A man is scheduled to start trial again Monday, a week after a mistrial was declared at his first trial on charges of murder and other crimes.
Twenty-seven-year-old Patrick Thompson has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming the May 15, 2017, fire that killed his 12-year-old stepsister, Melanie “Paige” Exline, and her 16-year-old cousin, Shakiah Cockerham, at the Guthrie Center house where they lived with their grandmother. The fire injured their uncle, William Long III, and grandmother, Shirley Exline.
The judge declared the mistrial Sept. 17 after someone loudly
discussed the case with prospective jurors while the judge and lawyers were outside the courtroom.
The trial had been moved to Decatur County from Guthrie County because of pretrial publicity. The trial beginning Monday is being held in the Monroe County Courthouse in Albia.
Man Accused Of Murder Dies While In Jail Waiting For Trial
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man died in Polk County Jail while awaiting trial on a murder charge.
Court records say case against 51-year-old Ricky Hascall was
dismissed because he died in the jail on Sept. 16 of natural causes.
He’d pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery charges in the January 2017 slaying of 31-year-old Michael Huckleberry. Police say Hascall and two accomplices robbed and assaulted Huckleberry at his apartment. A neighbor found Huckleberry dead two days later.
Records say 25-year-old Sarah Saltz pleaded guilty to robbery and theft for her role in the slaying and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The remaining suspect, 27-year-old Monica Fagan, is scheduled to enter pleas in January.
New Jersey Democratic Senator Making Several Visits To Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Cory Booker isn’t being subtle.
With the Iowa caucuses still well over a year away, the New Jersey senator is working overtime to make an impression in Iowa and in other states crucial to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Booker has secured the keynote speaker role at the marquee fall
Democratic Party fundraising banquet in Des Moines on Oct. 6. He’ll also headline a Democratic fundraiser later in October in South Carolina, which holds the first primary in the South and is a key test of support among black voters.
The moves are a notable break from other well-known Democrats considering 2020 campaigns. While other top-tier prospects have fostered relationships in Iowa, only Booker has plans for now to be in the state ahead of the November midterm elections.
