Plymouth County Supervisors To Hear From Fair Board’s President
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will hear from Plymouth County Fair Board president Rich Benson during its weekly meeting at the County Courthouse Board Room,scheduled for today. Benson will offer a report of the past Plymouth County Fair, and ask the county supervisors
for funding to help with the 2019 Plymouth County Fair. County engineer Tom Rohe will update the county board on various construction projects, including a pre-construction agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation.
City Council To Approve Bid For Property
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council have a short agenda for its meeting scheduled for Tuesday at noon at the Le Mars Council Chambers. Prior to the start of the council meeting, there will be a swearing in ceremony with Le Mars newest police officer, Brandon Dabney. The council will hold a public hearing for an offer to purchase property. The council will consider the
two offers received on November 30th for 1964 Lincoln Avenue S.W. Troy Alhrich submitted a bid of $80,000 while D & S Construction submitted a bid of $20,000. The city council has only one action item on today’s agenda.
It is expected the council will approve amending Chapter 46 of the city code regarding park regulations.
Fire Department Issues November Report
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a total of 45 calls during the month of November. Firefighters had 13 fires, five rescues, and ten investigations. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department offered mutual aid four separate times, once to assist Akron, twice to help Oyens, and once with the Merrill Fire Department. The fire department had
13 requests for services. Chief Dave Schipper says one notable fact is that all members are re-certified in CPR. The fire department and the city of Le Mars were awarded federal grants for two additional tornado warning sirens for Le Mars.
Several Hundred Visitors See “Country Acres”
(Le Mars) — Many Iowans are spreading holiday cheer with Christmas displays on their property, but possibly the biggest exhibit is in Plymouth County. For 22 years, the Scheitler family has been hosting “Christmas Acres” – a display of 150-thousand (150,000) lights and around 13-hundred (1,300) plastic figurines and sculptures. Rob Scheitler says his favorite part is interacting with all the people.
Word of mouth and social media bring more and more people to Christmas Acres each year. It’s located along Highway 3, about seven miles west of Le Mars, then south on Impala Avenue. A 16-foot-tall inflatable Santa is one of the more popular decorations.
Scheitler said. The attraction often draws tour buses and church groups.
Visitors to Christmas Acres can make donations – with all of the money raised going to the Christian Needs Center.
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(photos and story contributed.)
Jeneary Given Legislative Committee Assignments
(Des Moines) — State Representative-elect Dr. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars has been given his committee assignments for the upcoming legislative session.
The retired dentist was assigned last week by House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake to be the vice chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
Since the initial appointment, Jeneary has also learned he will be a member of the Veterans Affairs, Public Safety, and Health and Human Services Committees. Jeneary, a republican, was elected in November. He is about to begin his first term as a state legislator.
Secretary of State Releases Election Day Statistics
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – More than 60 percent of Iowa voters cast ballots in last month’s election, the highest percentage for a midterm election in 24 years.
Secretary of State Paul Pate released election details Monday showing a voter turnout of 61.55 percent. That’s the highest for a midterm election since 1994.
Pate says 1,334,279 people voted, setting a state record for voters in a midterm election.
The highest turnout was in southern Iowa’s Ringgold County, where 71.49 percent voted. The second highest was Harrison County (68.57%), followed by Dallas (68.13%), Warren (67.88%), Sioux (67.42%), Fayette (67.11%), Polk
(66.77%) and Linn (66.32%).
About 41 percent of voters cast absentee ballots.
Every county in Iowa surpassed 50% in voter turnout. The lowest was 52.53%.
•547,205 voters cast absentee ballots, a record high for a midterm election.
•41.01% of voters cast absentee ballots, on par with the 2016 and 2014 elections.
•Jefferson County had the highest percentage of absentee voters, with 56.64%. Winneshiek County was second with 55.79% and Dickinson County was third with 50.03%.
•Nine legislative races were decided by 500 votes or less. The closest was House District 55, decided by nine voters. House District 82 was decided by 37 votes.
November Was Drier Than Normal
(Des Moines) — The dry fall weather farmers were looking for finally came in November — much later than they’d hoped. State Climatologist Justin Glisan tracked the numbers for November.
The below-normal November came on the heels of the seventh wettest October on record that was about two-inches above normal for precipitation — and the third wettest September — which saw statewide average rainfall about four-and-a-half inches above normal. Glisan says a late winter storm on the
25th and 26th of November boosted the total a little.
It was the coolest November since 2014 with the temperature six degrees below normal. With Christmas now about three weeks away Glisan says it has an early indication of the day will be white or not…..
Drunk Woman Comes Close To Running Over Students At School
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a woman suspected of driving drunk narrowly missed students getting off a bus as she pulled into a Des Moines school drop-off spot.
Station KCCI reports that the woman was dropping off her 5-year-old daughter Monday morning at Garton Elementary School when she hit a curb that kept her from plowing into the students. Police say the bus driver, the school principal and the dean of students wouldn’t let the woman leave the
scene.
Polk County court records say 43-year-old Heather Mapes is charged with failure to use child restraint device and reckless driving. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.
Jail records say she remained in custody Tuesday morning.
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Grand Jury To Hear About Council Bluffs Shooting
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Details about a fatal shooting in Council Bluffs will be presented to a grand jury for consideration of any charges.
Council Bluffs police say officers checking a shooting report around 4:45 p.m. Sunday found the body of 59-year-old Russ Atkins lying in a street. The Council Bluffs resident had been shot.
Investigators soon learned that Atkins was shot by another man who intervened in a violent disturbance between Atkins and a woman who’d taken out a protection order against him. Police say the other man had remained at the shooting scene and had cooperated with investigators.
The decision to present the case to the grand jury came after police conferred with Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber.
Pearl Harbor Sailor Remains Now Identified
CORWITH, Iowa (AP) – The remains of a northern Iowa sailor killed at Pearl Harbor have been identified.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says the remains of 48-year-old Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri Mason were accounted for on March 26.
He was from the Hancock County community of Corwith.
Mason was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was struck by several Japanese torpedoes during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. He was among 429 crewmen killed.
Mason’s remains had been interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu until being exhumed and identified.
