Grease Fire Causes Damage To Apartment Complex
(Le Mars) — A grease fire caused extensive damage to a basement apartment complex on Tuesday evening. Le Mars Firefighters were summoned to 21 3rd Street Southeast at approximately 6:18 p.m. when smoke could be seen coming
from the structure. Smoke detectors had activated, causing the occupant living in the upper level to escape and notify the fire department.
Apparently, the fire was listed as an accidental fire as a pan on the stove was unattended. The occupants living in the basement apartment had recently left, and forgot about the pan on the stove. There were no injuries with the blaze, however, firefighters used their pet oxygen kit that was donated last
year to help revive a cat. Ironically, the cat was grey colored, with the name “Smokey.” Firefighters used fans to help ventilate the smoke from the structure. Damage to the apartment complex is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars. Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour.
Woman Struck By Vehicle While Walking
(Le Mars) — A pedestrian accident happened early Wednesday morning at 4th Street and Central Avenue. A female was conducting an early morning walk when she was struck while crossing the street at a cross walk. The accident occurred at about 6:15 a.m. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department along
with the Le Mars Ambulance and Le Mars Police all responded to the scene.
The woman victim was transported to the Floyd Valley Healthcare. No word as of yet as to how severe were the injuries. The Le Mars Police Department is investigating.
Two Vehicles Collide At Intersection
(Le Mars) — Two cars collided Tuesday morning at the intersection located at 3rd Avenue Southwest and 1st Street Southwest sending one person to the hospital. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, Le Mars Ambulance and Le Mars Police Department all responded to the accident scene that occurred at
about 8:19 a.m. Firefighters needed to use their “Jaws of Life” to extract the one driver from her vehicle. One vehicle was heading north on 3rd Avenue Southwest, while the second vehicle was heading east on 1st Street Southwest.
The eastbound vehicle t-boned the northbound vehicle sending the northbound vehicle to spin around and ended up on the lawn at the northeast corner.
Both vehicles sustained some major damage. The victim transported to the Floyd Valley Healthcare is thought to have suffered only minor injuries. The Le Mars Police Department is investigating the accident.
City Council Approves Contractor For Recreational Expansion
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars city council approved a contract bid of $358,237 for the Key Avenue Recreation Trail Project. The Howrey Construction, Incorporated submitted the low bid. The bid came under the project’s estimate of $449,105. Eight different contractors had submitted bids for the expansion of the recreational trail. 80 percent of the project will be funded through state and federal grants, while the city of Le Mars will cover the remaining 20 percent of the costs. According to city administrator Jason Vacura, Howrey Construction of Rockwell City and Manson specializes in the development of recreational trails. Councilman Rex Knapp suggested the possibility of hiring the contractor to perform repair work on the Le Mars
Recreational Trail since it was damaged through the flooding.
It is believed the Key Avenue Recreational Trail project will have a late-summer start date, perhaps July 29th.
The city council also approved a public hearing date scheduled for April 2nd on the proposed amendment to the Le Mars Highway 75 Bypass Urban Renewal Area approving a development agreement with Fedder’s Marine and RV Incorporated providing tax increment financing support in an amount not to exceed $43,500.
The council heard the annual reports from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Waste Water Treatment Plant, the Le Mars Ambulance Services, and the Le Mars Public Library.
Chamber Agriculture Committee To Host Agriculture Dinner
(Le Mars) — The region’s agriculture industry will be honored Thursday evening as the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee will hold its annual Ag Business Dinner. The event is scheduled to begin with a social hour featuring hors d at 5:30 p.m. provided by the Plymouth County Farm Bureau organization. Dinner and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The Chamber Ag Committee will announce the recipient of the “Outstanding Service to Agriculture” award, as well as announce the FFA scholarship winner. The evening’s featured speaker is Scott Siepker who is perhaps known as the “Iowa Nice” guy. Siepker grew up in the Iowa rural community of Mount Carmel near Carroll, Iowa. Siepker is an actor, known primarily through his work on the internet.
Siepker says his message on Thursday evening will focus on the importance of agriculture.
Siepker refers to himself as a sarcastic humorist, often comparing his style with that of the writings from Mark Twain. However, Siepker says too many people have a wrong idea of agriculture, especially those living on the coast, and see Iowa as nothing more than a “fly-over” state.
Tickets are $15 and can be acquired at the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce office.
DeRuyter Joins Floyd Valley Healthcare As Social Service Coordinator
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare announces the addition of Mark DeRuyter, LMSW as their Social Service Coordinator. He began his duties on March 5th.
DeRuyter received his Bachelor of Social Work degree from Northwestern College in Orange City. He went on to receive his Master of Social Work from the University of Nebraska. DeRuyter brings with him 30 years of experience including family therapy, social service programs, disability services and work in the education and medical fields.
Floyd Valley’s CEO, Dustin Wright, says “We are excited to welcome Mark to Floyd Valley Healthcare. With his experience and most recent work with the Avera network, we know Mark will be ready to help patients and their families with the social service needs.”
Governor Reynolds Describes Flooding As “Ocean”
(Council Bluffs) — Governor Kim Reynolds says “a perfect storm” of weather conditions in the region has caused the catastrophic flooding along the Missouri River corridor.
Reynolds briefed statehouse reporters on Tuesday morning after touring flooded communities in northwest and southwest Iowa over the past few days.
Reynolds was in Omaha late this Tuesday afternoon to accompany Vice President Mike Pence to visits with officials, flood victims and a fly-over some of the area. Reynolds flew over parts of the Missouri River corridor yesterday.
Reynolds has asked for the early release of federal funds to rebuild flood-damaged roads. She’s also talked with the U.S. Ag Secretary to discuss what options farmers may have if stored corn and soybeans have been flooded — as that grain is uninsured.
Some livestock confinements have been flooded, so officials are discussing how to properly dispose of the animals. Reynolds has declared 41 of Iowa’s 99 counties disaster areas and she warns as Minnesota goes through the thaw cycle, other rivers — especially the Mississippi — are going to rise.
Reynolds says she has “no doubt” western Iowa areas that have been hard hit by flooding will be declared a FEDERAL disaster area. The governor’s emergency management director says the state has likely qualified for federal disaster assistance for damage to government-owned facilities, including roads and bridges. Assessments of damage to individual property owners can’t be made until the flood waters recede — and those assessments will determine if individual Iowans will get disaster assistance as well.
Reynolds said. State officials are providing some immediate paperwork relief to small businesses in the affected areas. Businesses are being given a 30-day extension to file sales, use and income tax withholding.
Power Restored To Hornick – Mayor Worries People Will Leave Community
(Hornick) — Power was restored in the western Iowa city of Hornick Monday and residents could return to their flooded town. Mayor Scott Mitchell says he’s worried some residents won’t want to stay and the town will lose people.
People in the city have been asked to avoid using their toilets, sinks and showers as officials work to get the city’s sewer system back to 100-percent functional. Mitchell says people have already started cleaning up their properties.
Mitchell says his own basement had about five feet of water when he first got back in Monday. Flooding took out his furnace, washer and dryer.
Governor Kim Reynolds visited Hornick on Sunday to see the damage.
Vice President Pence Surveys Flood Damage In Nebraska and Iowa
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence took a look at the raging Elkhorn River at the small town of Waterloo, Nebraska, which found itself cut off from the outside world last week by floodwaters.
Pence visited the flood disaster area Tuesday at the request of
President Donald Trump.
He met with a group of first responders who helped pluck people from their flooded homes along the river’s banks. He also thanked Brad and Mary Brown, who used their recreational airboat to guide rescuers to stranded residents, saying, “I never fail to be inspired at moments like this. It’s just the best of America.”
Pence later visited a temporary shelter set up at a school in far-
west Omaha, where about 25 people who had been evacuated from their homes were eating dinner. Several also had pets, as the Humane Society had set up a make-shift pet shelter in the school’s basement.
Democrat Candidate Wins Special Senate Election Race
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Another Democrat has been elected to represent the Waterloo area in the Iowa Senate.
Eric Giddens beat Republican Walt Rogers and Libertarian Fred
Perryman for the District 30 seat in Tuesday’s special election.
Giddens will replace Jeff Danielson, who resigned Feb. 14 for a new job as a regional state policy director for the American Wind Energy Association, a national trade group for the wind energy industry.
The 45-year-old Giddens is a Cedar Falls school board member and a program manager for the University of Northern Iowa.
The district includes Hudson, Cedar Falls and Waterloo in Black Hawk County.
Farm Rescue Organization To Donate Hay To Flooded Farmers
(Le Mars) — A farm organization based in North Dakota is wanting to offer help to the many farmers and ranchers in hit by the recent flooding.
The massive floods affecting the Midwest states has prompted the organization Farm Rescue to activate “Operation Hay Lift.” This is the second time the organization has conducted such a relief program. The first time was during a drought. Farm Rescue is a non-profit organization that provides planting, haying, harvesting and livestock feeding assistance free of charge to farm and ranch families who have experienced a major illness, injury, or natural disaster. Dan Erdmann serves as the Communications Director with Farm Rescue. He says so many farmers and ranchers have had their cattle herds stranded because of the flooding.
Erdmann says Farm Rescue hopes to establish several drop off locations. He says applications are now being accepted from farmers and ranchers in need of the donated hay. Erdmann says for farmers and ranchers, or livestock yards wanting to make donations of hay need to contact Farm Rescue.
As mentioned, this is the second effort for a hay lift rescue. Back in 2017, Farm Rescue performed a hay lift for those farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and North Dakota suffering from a drought. He says the organization had a successful event, hauling 275 semi trailer loads of hay to more than 154 farmers and ranchers. Erdmann says Farm Rescue hopes to have similar success with this hay lift.
