Floyd Valley Delivers New Year’s Baby
(Le Mars) — Le Mars has its first baby of 2019. Libbi Marsha Bendickson was born Friday afternoon, January 4th at 2:04 p.m. at Floyd Valley Healthcare of Le Mars. The New Year’s baby weighed 6 pounds and 5 ounces and is 18 inches in length. The proud parents are Brian and Alyssa Bendickson of Le Mars. Dr. Donald Odens was the attending physician. Libbi is the sole child for the Bendickson’s, as there are no other siblings to help
welcome her to the world.
Sheriff’s Office Releases Tally For Emergency Calls
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Communications Department through the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office has released the tally for the total number of emergency calls for the year 2018. According to the report, The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office received 6,294 complaints, and there were a total of
5,217 calls made to 9-1-1. The community breakdown shows Akron Fire Department responded to 75 fires, while the Akron Ambulance service acted on 162 calls. Hinton was called to 85 fires and the Hinton Ambulance responded to 113 calls. Kingsley saw 34 fires and the ambulance was sent to 144 calls. Merrill had 43 fire calls, and the Merrill Ambulance acted on 52
calls. Oyens responded to 17 fires and 14 times the ambulance was called.
Remsen was called to 44 fires and the Remsen Ambulance responded 199 times.
The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a total of 262 fires and rescues, while the Le Mars Ambulance Service acted on 1073 calls.
TeBrink To Be Promoted To Chief Deputy
(Le Mars) — On Tuesday morning, Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo will name Lt. Jeff TeBrink as the new Chief Deputy. The oath of office and promotion will take place at the Plymouth County Courthouse at the Supervisors boardroom at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8th. TeBrink has been serving with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 29 years,
and will assume the position upon being sworn into office. TeBrink replaces the former Chief Deputy Craig Bartolozzi who retired from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office to take on a new position with the U-S Federal Courthouse security in Sioux City.
School Board To Meet To Accept Education Association’s Proposed Bargaining Position
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education has called for a special meeting scheduled for Monday, January 7th at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Education Service Center. The school board will receive the initial bargaining proposal for the 2019-2020 contract by the Le
Mars Education Association.
Health Department Reports First Flu-related Death
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say an eastern Iowa man is the state’s first flu-related death in the current influenza season.
The Iowa Department of Public Health announced Friday that the first flu death was a man between the ages of 41 and 60 who had underlying conditions or contributing factors to his illness.
The agency doesn’t provide specifics about flu victims, citing
privacy requirements.
Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the department’s medical director, says that
after 10 weeks of low influenza activity in Iowa, there has been an increase in activity in the past three weeks throughout the state.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the people older than 6 months should get a flu vaccine.
Reynolds and Sand Meet In Private Conference
(Des Moines) — Iowa’s Republican governor and the Democrat who was just sworn in as state auditor on Wednesday met privately Friday afternoon.
Governor Kim Reynolds tweeted afterwards that the two discussed ways they could work together to better serve the people of Iowa. Sand says it was a
meeting he looked forward to.
The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party has predicted Sand will “weaponize” the auditor’s office for political gain. Sand says he promised voters he’d focus on finding new efficiencies in state government and cracking down on corruption.
Sand made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” which aired on Iowa Public Television.
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USDA Crop Reports To Be Delayed Due To Government Shut-down
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it must delay the release of key crop reports due to the partial government shutdown.
The announcement Friday left investors and farmers without vital
information during an already tumultuous time for agricultural markets. The USDA planned to release the reports Jan. 11 but said that even if the shutdown ended immediately, the agency wouldn’t have time to release the reports as scheduled.
Grain market analyst Todd Hultman says the situation will worsen if the shutdown continues.
The lack of information comes amid the uncertainty of trade with
China, where tariffs led to an abrupt drop in U.S. exports to the country.
There were indications that China was beginning to resume purchases of U.S. crops, but because of the government shutdown it’s unclear what’s happening.
Senator Elizabeth Warren Visits Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is making her first visit to Iowa as a likely presidential candidate.
The visit on Friday and over the weekend is combining events at
bars, community centers and theaters with more intimate gatherings in private homes.
For someone known for her ability to rouse crowds with her take downs of Wall Street and President Donald Trump, the trip offers Warren a chance to forge more personal connections with Iowa activists and power brokers.
Warren announced this week she’d formed a presidential exploratory committee and named key political staff hires with Iowa campaign credentials.
Though it’s Warren’s first trip to the state, it gives her a head
start as the first to begin organizing in a field expected to grow quickly and include more than a dozen prospects.
Ernst To Serve On Five Senate Committees
WASHINGTON – Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) will serve on five prominent Senate committees in the 116th Congress, all of which impact the livelihoods of Iowans.
Ernst says her Senate committees allows her to be a strong voice for Iowans on the issues that most impact the livelihood of folks across the state of Iowa. From defending life and our veterans to supporting our farms and small businesses, I am ready to get back to work,” said Senator Ernst.
In the 116th Congress, Senator Ernst will serve on the following committees, representing a broad range of policy issues that will keep the Senator’s schedule packed, as she meets with constituents to understand what matters most to Iowans within these portfolios:
ü Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
ü Committee on Armed Services
ü Committee on Environment and Public Works
ü Committee on the Judiciary
ü Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Ernst say she looks forward to the challenges of the demanding Committee schedule and is grateful to have a voice in almost every issue impacting Iowans.
New as of this Congress, Senator Ernst will serve on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where she will work with her colleagues to advance reforms to our justice system that preserve our freedoms, protect the sanctity of life and keep our communities safer. She will also continue her work to push for sensible immigration and border policies that enforce the rule of law while working for Iowa’s economy.
Each of these, on their own, are significant committees that require a large amount of time, expertise and staff to support the high-profile state and national significance of each. For example, the Senate Judiciary Committee has broad jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Justice (including the Federal Bureau of Investigation), a portion of the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, the Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the appointment of federal judges and Supreme Court Justices, as well as: immigration, commerce, trade, antitrust law, intellectual property, internet privacy, protecting civil liberties and amending the U.S. Constitution.
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), where Senator Ernst chairs the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, has legislative oversight of the U.S. Department of Defense, encompassing the nation’s armed forces, military research and development, nuclear capabilities, space activities, the selective service, strategic national defense and military readiness.
Warm Weather Being Predicted Through Mid-January
(Des Moines) — An unusually warm weekend is ahead for Iowans with forecasters calling for high temperatures in the mid-40s to mid-50s. For some cities, that’s 25-degrees above normal. State climatologist Justin Glisan says it’s a continuation of the weather we had during December, which averaged about five-degrees warmer than normal statewide. Glisan says it was
a wetter month, too.
Some Iowans haven’t even fired up their snow blowers yet, nor have they had to toss one shovelful of snow. Looking ahead, Glisan says it’ll likely remain warmer and wetter for several more days.
Any precipitation that does fall over the upcoming 10 days or so will likely come down as rain, he says, not snow.
