School Board Scheduled To Convene This Evening
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will convene this evening for its bi-monthly meeting. The school board will hear reports from each of the principals. They will discuss Senior Awards Night which is scheduled for Wednesday evening, May 15th beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the new
high school gymnasium. The school board will also discuss the Commencement Graduation program which will be held on Sunday, May 19th beginning at 3:00 p.m. This year 156 seniors are expected to graduate, along with 13 seniors from the alternative high school. The school board has on their agenda to
talk about the School Foundation Chamber Coffee scheduled for Wednesday, May 22nd at 9:30 a.m. at the Education Service Center. The school board will act on three resignations and three contracts. School superintendent Dr. Steven Webner will present the 2019-2020 listing of Teacher Leadership and Compensation positions for the board consideration.
Iowa State School Board Proposes New Changes For Bus Inspections
(Des Moines) — Local school boards would be able to add 15 minutes to the maximum route time for students under a rule change given initial approval by the State Board of Education .Travel time is now limited to 75 minutes for high school students and 60 for elementary. Department of Education rule
coordinator Nicole Proesch (Presh), says they had quite a bit of discussion with several groups about how to handle the travel time.
She says they discussed getting rid of the mandatory ride times altogether, but some of the groups didn’t want that and wanted to make sure the students were not on the buses too long. Proesch says this allows the school districts some room to make their own decisions based on the input of
parents.
Education Department Transportation director Max Christensen, says it has become more of an issue for smaller districts.
Another rule change would require that the two yearly inspections include ALL vehicles used for student transportation. Christensen says they are now limited to inspecting only vehicles used as school buses.
He says the activity vehicles are often vans or suburbans.
They are also asking that the inspection fee be raised from 40 to 50 dollars on July 1st. The inspection fee has not been raised since 2013. The Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the proposed changes on June 25th.
Life Skills Training Center To Hold Annual Meeting This Evening
(Le Mars) — Life Skills Training Center will hold its annual meeting this evening at the Presbyterian United Church of God church beginning at 6:30 p.m. The outstanding client will be announced.
Master Gardner Offers Tips For Container Gardening
(Le Mars) — Since the weather forecast is calling for sunny skies and warmer temperatures for most of this week, many people may take the opportunity to plant a garden or some flowers. Roseanne Plante of Hinton is a Master Gardener and offered some container gardening tips to the ladies attending
the Floyd Valley Mother’s Day luncheon held Friday. Plante’s first tip for container gardening is it is not necessary to spend a lot of money.
Plante says either flowers or vegetables can be grown in a container.
She says a common mistake for people choosing to have container gardening is not having enough drainage.
The Master Gardener says when using a large container pot, it is not necessary to fill the entire container with soil.
Plante advises people to keep the tags that came with their plant, and to follow the directions as to whether to place the plant in sunny conditions, or if the plant grows better in the shade.
Plante says sometimes certain plants needs to be acclimated to the various weather conditions.
The Master Gardener informed the group of ladies on Friday, that if you want that flower to look as nice as it did the day you purchased it, then you may need to add some fertilizer when you water the plant or flower.
Plante told the Floyd Valley Mother’s Day luncheon gathering that sometimes, no matter what you do, plants will die, and she says that’s o.k.
Dog Disease Detected In Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a dog disease that can be passed to humans has been confirmed in Iowa.
The state veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Kaisand, says several cases of
canine brucellosis have been confirmed at a commercial breeding facility for small dogs in Marion County.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says it is notifying people who have custody of the exposed dogs. Both the animals and the facilities are quarantined while the dogs undergo testing.
Signs of the disease in a dog include infertility, spontaneous
abortions and stillbirths. State health officials say symptoms for humans include fever, sweats, headache, joint pain and weakness.
The department says the threat to most pet owners is very low. Dog breeders, veterinary staff and anyone who comes in contact with blood, tissues and fluids during the birthing process may be at higher risk.
Bicyclist Killed By Hit and Run Driver
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Officials in western Iowa say a man has died after the bicycle he was riding was hit by a vehicle, and investigators are now searching for the driver.
The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that deputies were called to a section of the Old Lincoln Highway around 2:25 a.m. Saturday for a report of a bicycle that had been hit.
Arriving deputies found a man with serious injuries, but the vehicle that hit him had fled. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities have not yet identified the man killed, and no arrests
have been made.
2019 Graduates Should Find Plenty Of Career Jobs Available
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Career counselors and recruiters say 2019 college graduates will be hitting a hot job market if they’re ready to begin their careers.
Bill Watts is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s director of
advising and career services, and he says this year’s graduates have the best chances to land good jobs that he’s seen in 20 years, calling the market “pretty phenomenal.”
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the National Association of
Colleges and Employers reported last month that hiring of college graduates will go up 10.7% this year from last year.
Engineer and computer science grads are in high demand, but advisers say liberal arts majors can maximize their chances by exhibiting their ability to think critically, communicate and work with teams as well as getting work experience.
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Latest Drug Take-back Program Proved Successful
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Federal drug enforcement officials say nearly 9 tons (8.16 metric tons) of medication was collected last month in Nebraska and Iowa as part of a program that allows the public to turn in unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration says more than 5,660 pounds (2,567.36 kilograms) of medication was turned in at 47 sites in Nebraska the DEA’s Drug Take-Back Day held April 27. In Iowa, 11,680 pounds (5,298.01 kilograms) of prescription medication was collected.
The DEA says that since the program began in 2010, Nebraska has collected 94,149 pounds (42,705.71 kilograms) of discarded drugs, and Iowa has collected 135,255 pounds (61,351.27 kilograms).
The program is intended to curb prescription drug abuse and overdoses and accidental poisonings.
