Le Mars Board of Education To Convene Tonight
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will convene this evening for its bi-monthly meeting. The school board will hear a report from the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Team as they will present information regarding the model teacher program and potential program
improvements. The school board will also decide whether to eliminate the TLC program and instead implement a Multi-Tier System of Supports Team for the 2019-2020 school year. The school board will discuss the Iowa Association of School Boards Policy Leadership and Legal Issues Conference scheduled for April 18th. Members of the Board of Education who plan to
attend the National Association of School Boards Convention to be held in Philadelphia March 30th through April 1st. The school board will discuss the upcoming Foundation Banquet scheduled for April 24th. The Le Mars Community School Board will act on two resignations including Richard Lalk who wishes to resign as a school bus driver effective at the end of the school year. Adam Moss has indicated he would like to resign his position as the head girls cross country coach. The school board will decide upon
six contracts. The board of education will decide to extend an agreement with Western Iowa Technical Community College for concurrent enrollment and online learning agreements for the 2019-2020 school year. School superintendent Dr. Steven Webner will file the 2019-2020 budget estimate with the board. Dr. Webner will also present a recommendation to the board
consideration regarding the last day of school for the 2018-2019 school year.
March 25th – March 30th Is National Severe Weather Awareness Week
(Le Mars) — This week marks National Severe Weather Awareness Week, and on Wednesday, March 27th the National Weather Services will conduct a test for a tornado warning. The test will occur at approximately 10:10 a.m.
Likewise, the city of Le Mars will begin its monthly testing of its tornado sirens at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 1st. Assistant Fire Chief Mike Wise says the city will participate in the statewide tornado drill as mentioned scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th shortly after 10:00 a.m. The city of Le Mars has six outside warning sirens with the possibility of two more to be installed by this date throughout the community. The sirens are intended
for people to take cover in a safe place. This is a reminder that they are not intended for indoor warning devices.
Trump Approves Federal Aid Assistance For Flood Victims
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says President Donald Trump has granted her request for an expedited disaster declaration for 56 counties with damage from recent flooding along the Missouri River and other parts of the state.
The declaration makes assistance available to homeowners, renters, businesses, public entities and some nonprofit organizations.
Reynolds said in a statement Saturday that the federal help with be instrumental in the state’s recovery. She says “the road to recovery will be long, but it’s clear that Iowans will have the resources we need to rebuild.”
She has estimated damage from flooding that began March 13 at $1.6 billion to homes, businesses, agriculture and levees.
The presidential declaration makes available individual and public
assistance program funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and money for hazard mitigation.
Expected Rains For This Week Could Produce Additional Flooding
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Rain storms expected later this week could lead to another crest along the Missouri River and its tributaries just as residents are cleaning up from this spring’s flooding.
National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Low said that more than an inch of rain is expected to fall in Nebraska and Iowa later this week.
Low says the storms between Wednesday and Friday could create a 1-foot rise in the level of the Missouri River around Omaha and cities downstream starting next weekend.
But it’s not yet clear how much additional flooding that rise could
create.
Colorado Man Arrested After Throwing Water On Congressman King
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – A Colorado man faces misdemeanor charges for allegedly throwing water on Iowa Rep. Steve King while the Republican congressman was eating lunch in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Blake Gibbins was arrested Friday at the Mineral City Mill and
Grill. The 26-year-old from Lafayette, Colorado, is charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
Fort Dodge police say in a news release that Gibbins approached
King’s group and asked King who he was. When King replied, Gibbins allegedly threw a glass of water on him. Police say others seated at the table also got wet.
King has drawn criticism for racist statements. House Republican
leaders this year stripped King of his committee assignments. Still, the nine-term congressman has said he will seek re-election in 2020.
Iowa State University and Iowa Dept. Of Transportation Working Together On “Heating Pavement” Project
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Roadways can turn hazardous and deadly during winter’s wrath, and a project under way in Iowa is looking at one possible solution: Heating the pavement.
The Ames Tribune reports that the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa State University are working together on heated pavement technology.
ISU engineering professor Halil Ceylan is also director of the
Institute for Transportation’s program for sustainable pavement engineering.
He is principal investigator of the heated-pavement project, which began as class project.
Lab tests and studies began in 2013. The first testing was at the
Des Moines Airport.
That caught the attention of the Iowa Department of Transportation, which along with the Highway Research Board, now provides funding for the study.
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Powerball Jackpot Continues To Climb
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Lottery officials say the Powerball jackpot has ballooned to $750 million after no ticket matched all six numbers in the most recent drawing.
The numbers drawn Saturday night are 24, 25, 52, 60 and 66, with a Powerball of 5.
The next drawing for what would be the fourth-largest jackpot in
U.S. history is Wednesday. The odds of winning are roughly 1 in 292.2 million.
No one has won the Powerball jackpot since the day after Christmas.
Twenty-four drawings since then have failed to produce a winner.
The buyers of three tickets shared the country’s largest jackpot. It was a nearly $1.59 billion Powerball prize drawn on Jan. 13, 2016. A South Carolina purchaser won a $1.54 billion Mega Millions jackpot. That was the nation’s second-largest lottery prize ever.
