Donlin To Seek City Council Position
(Le Mars) — A former hospital administrator is now considering placing his name as a candidate for the Le Mars City Council. Mike Donlin who prior to retiring in November served as the administrator for Floyd Valley Healthcare. Donlin says he wants to continue to contribute to the community.
Donlin, who has served as the president of the Le Mars Betterment Foundation says he doesn’t have any specific agenda issues, other than he would like to see Le Mars continue to grow.
Floyd Valley Healthcare To Have Power Wheels For Pediatric Patients
(Le Mars) — Going to the hospital can be a scary experience for a child, especially if you are needing surgery. However, thanks to the generosity of the Le Mars Police Department and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, the experience of having surgery for children may be a bit easier. The two entities have donated power wheels to Floyd Valley Healthcare to be used by
the pediatric patients. Amy Harnack serves as the Foundation Manager for Floyd Valley.
Harnack says she approached both the police and fire departments for their participation, and both agreed to help with the purchase of the power wheels. The little cars are battery powered, and are controlled by remote control, so hospital staff can operate the power wheels.
Both power wheels appear as the real police squad cars and fire trucks, complete with decals, lights, and even a siren. Harnack says the small cars should provide some fun for the children just prior to going into surgery.
Both power wheels will be presented to Floyd Valley Healthcare this afternoon.
Gehlen Catholic To Receive Gift From Total Motors
(Le Mars) — On Wednesday, July 31st, families from All Saints Parish & Gehlen Catholic School served dinner during the annual Tri State Car Cruisers Car Show at Total Motors-LeMars.
The families were members of the joint parish & school Hispanic & Latino Outreach Subcommittee.
The committee was originally established 4 years ago by Gehlen Catholic School as part of the long range strategic plan. Gehlen Catholic Preschool-6th Grade Principal, Mrs. Lorie Nussbaum, said, “The word, ‘Catholic,’ means ‘universal.’ The school’s long range plan is to enhance efforts to be more welcoming to ‘everyone.’”
Mrs. Nussbaum reported, “10.8% of LeMars residents in 2017 identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. 100 families registered in parishes with estimated 300 more families within the confines of the parish. 6% of the preschool-12th grade students enrolled during the 2018-2019 school year were Hispanic or Latino.
To enhance the school & subcommittee’s efforts, Mrs. Nussbaum & Development & Enrollment Management Director, Mrs. Lisa Niebuhr, attended the inaugural Adelante Conference at the University of Notre Dame July 2018.
Mrs. Nussbaum added, “We have been truly inspired by the relationships we have with our Hispanic & Latino families. Their involvement has strengthened the school, faith experiences of all, & renewed a focus on the family. “
Therefore, after the Le Mars Sesquicentennial Parade & tours of the school on Saturday, June 15th, Mrs. Nussbaum, Mrs. Niebuhr, All Saints Parochial Vicar & Gehlen Catholic Chaplain, Rev. Matthew Solyntjes, left for Notre Dame. The three participated in the Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) 8th Co-hort, June 16th-19th. This year’s Co-hort was the largest with 240 representatives selected from 92 Catholic schools from throughout the United States.
On Thursday, August 8th, Total Motors will present a check from the proceeds of the dinner held during the Tri State Car Cruisers Car Show. Mrs. Niebuhr stated, “We were ‘blown away’ by the hospitality of the Total Motors staff as well as the selfless service of our families & volunteers last week! Total Motors’ generous gift has left us speechless! This is just one more example of why Le Mars is the ‘Best City to Live in Iowa!’”
Delay In Stadium Construction Will Push First Football Game To Sioux Center
(Le Mars) — Due to the delay of the completion of the LeMars Community School District’s stadium renovation, this season’s first home varsity football game scheduled for Friday, August 30, is being relocated to Sioux Center. The LeMars Bulldogs will play the Sioux Center Warriors at Sioux Center’s athletic field with
kick-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Iowa State Fair Begins Today (Thursday)
(Des Moines) — The Iowa State Fair begins today and will continue through Sunday, August 18th. Visitors to this year’s fair may notice a few changes.
In lieu of recent mass shootings, fair officials say security will be
enhanced. Dave Hoffman of Le Mars serves as the president of the Iowa State Fair.
Hoffman says the Iowa State Fair is a safe environment for the whole family.
Improvements have been made to the grandstand area, and Hoffman says with the addition of new seating, combined with the entertainment line-up, more tickets have been sold than with previous state fairs.
Gary Slater is the manager of the Iowa State Fair and talks about the grandstand improvements.
Slater says this year’s fair features a lot of daytime entertainment that hasn’t been seen at the fair for several years.
Slater talks about other additional new daytime entertainment.
The state fair manager says this year’s list of new foods includes more than 50 items.
The pork chop on a stick remains the fair’s most popular food item.
Presidential Candidates To Visit Iowa State Fair
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – It’s time for the Iowa State Fair, home of deep-fried everything, a dish called “hot beef sundaes”- and every four years, presidential candidates.
Starting Thursday, more than 20 Democratic White House hopefuls will navigate the festival of nutritionally questionable snacks as well as flocks of media as they try to look presidential and also at ease with the folkways of Middle America. It’s all aimed at swaying the narrow band of voters who
will attend the state’s kickoff caucuses in less than six months.
What a candidate eats is often the most scrutinized, if certainly
visual, image at the fair.
Offerings such as bacon-wrapped corn dogs pose challenges for
vegetarian congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who keeps vegan.
12 Year Old Driving Car Hits 4 Year Old On Bicycle
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Police say officers have arrested a Waterloo man after a 12-year-old driving his car struck a 4-year-old boy on a bicycle.
Police say 34-year-old Jesse Azbill had given the 12-year-old
permission to drive the vehicle and say Azbill was in it when the little boy was struck just before 1 p.m. Tuesday in Waterloo. The boy was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City for treatment. His name hasn’t been released.
Jail records say Azbill remained in custody Thursday. He’s charged with child endangerment causing injury and serious injury by vehicle. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.
Police aren’t certain of Azbill’s relationship with the 12-year-old
boy.
Found Dead Body Has Connection To Police Shooting Incident
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Police in western Iowa say a man has been found dead in a Council Bluffs home, and that the discovery is related to a case of an armed man who was shot dead by police hours earlier.
The Council Bluffs Police Department says in a news release that the body of the 51-year-old man was found around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Police say the man’s death is related to another case that began
around 2:15 a.m. when police began chasing a pickup truck that refused to pull over. Police say shots were fired at officers from inside the truck, though no officers were hurt. A short time later, the truck crashed and rolled onto its side. Police say officers surrounded the pickup and could see a man pointing one handgun at officers and another gun at a woman inside
the truck. Police say he refused to put down his weapons and was shot in the head by an officer.
The names of those involved haven’t been released.
Mother Of Accused Murderer Also Arrested
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The mother of a man charged in the shooting death of a Des Moines man earlier this summer has also been arrested in the case.
Police said in a news release Wednesday that 40-year-old Tameeca Marie Lyke has been charged with preventing apprehension/obstructing prosecution. Police say she helped her son conceal evidence and lying to authorities in a murder case.
Lyke is the mother of 20-year-old Michael Reco Lyke Jr., who has
been charged with first-degree murder and other counts in the June 28 shooting death of 41-year-old Earl Marcello Caldwell. Another man, 39-year-old Des Moines resident Littleton William Clark, was injured.
Democrat O’Rourke Cancels Visits To Iowa
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is canceling a series of campaign stops in Iowa and will remain in El Paso, Texas, through the weekend as his hometown continues to cope with a mass shooting that killed 22 people.
O’Rourke’s campaign says he’s not attending the Iowa State Fair as planned on Friday and won’t visit the Meskwaki Powow or a multi-candidate fundraising event on Saturday. The former congressman hasn’t hinted when he’ll resume campaigning, saying he’s not thinking of politics right now.
Instead, O’Rourke is appearing Wednesday at an #ElPasoStrong event at a park, which is timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s visit to the city.
O’Rourke and other top Texas Democrats had urged the president to stay away, which prompted Trump to tweet that O’Rourke should “be quiet.”
