County Supervisors To Issue G.O. Bonds At New Interest Rate
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have a short meeting scheduled for today. The county governing board will authorize issuance of G.O. refunding bonds – Series 2019. The county supervisors will approve fiscal year 2018-2019 debt certification and approve the annual Urban Renewal report to the Iowa Department of Management for the Plymouth County
Ethanol Urban Renewal Area. The supervisors are expected to approve a fireworks display from Seth Diediker. The county supervisors will also hear from County Engineer Tom Rohe as he submits a construction permit from Premier Communications for Lincoln township. Rohe will also discuss with the county board the weed commissioner position.
City Council To Finalize New Fireworks Ordinance
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will finalize their action regarding the discharge of fireworks during today’s city council meeting. The city council will also act on Iowa Federal Recreational Trails Program Funding, and the city is expected to act on the solid waste collection contract with Van’s Sanitation.
City To Repair 12th Street Southwest
(Le Mars) — The City of Le Mars has hired a contractor to start Oct. 1st – 2019 on tearing out the existing asphalt in the turn lane and the West bound lane on 12th St. S.W. at 1130 12th St. S.W. going West to Lincoln St. S.W.
and replacing it with concrete. This will be done in three phases and planning that each phase takes about two weeks or less and that is weather permitting. The street will be closed to all traffic during each phase. We have attached images of each phase to show how it will it will affect the daily traffic.
Sheriff’s Office Makes Several Arrests Over Weekend
(Le Mars) –Plymouth County Sheriff’s deputies made an arrest Friday evening on a domestic assault charge. The incident happened at about 7:40 p.m. at the Holton Drive Apartment complex. Deputies arrived on scene and following the investigation, Cristobal Garcia Flores, age 36 of Le Mars was
arrested on domestic abuse assault charges, which is a simple misdemeanor.
(Le Mars) — During the early morning hours of Sunday, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a possible intoxicated driver on county road K22 in Plymouth County, Iowa. Plymouth County deputies conducted a traffic stop on the suspected vehicle on Granite Avenue just north of Highway 3. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Kimberly M.
Melliger, age 36 of Omaha, Nebraska. The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Shelby William Milton Schmitt, age 35 of Hawarden, Iowa. Melliger showed several signs of impairment and was given field sobriety tests.
Upon further investigation, Melliger was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. During the traffic stop, a large bag containing approximately 55 grams of marijuana was discovered along with two firearms.
The passenger, Shelby William Milton Schmitt, was then placed under arrest for the marijuana and firearms and transported to the Plymouth County Jail.
While at the jail, Shelby William Milton Schmitt was found to be in possession of a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Melliger was booked into the Plymouth County Jail for OWI first offense.
Schmitt was booked into the Plymouth County Jail for possession of a controlled substance, carrying weapons, introducing contraband into a correctional facility, drug tax stamp violations, and felon in control of a firearm.
(Le Mars) — In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 14th, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office made contact with two individuals in the parking lot of 1127 4th Avenue SE in Le Mars, Iowa. The two parties in question had a no contact/protective order between the two. Upon further
investigation, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office arrested Clarence Calvin Harris, age 43 of Lincoln, Nebraska for violation of a no contact/protective order. Harris was then transported to the Plymouth County Jail and held on $300 bond. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Le Mars Police Department.
Rejoice Community Church Honored By Siouxland Foodbank
(Sioux City) — Rejoice Community Church of Le Mars was recently honored by the Siouxland Foodbank as being the “Agency of the Year.” Linda Scheid heads up the Siouxland Foodbank and says it was an easy decision to honor
Rejoice Community Church.
Scheid says the Siouxland Foodbank has nearly 100 different partners throughout an eleven-county area. She says Rejoice Community Church was honored for both its work with serving people within the community through the monthly “Banquet” as well as with its distribution of food through its
pantry.
Scheid says September is “Hunger Action Month” which is the reason the awards ceremony falls in September. She says despite the good economy, and low unemployment rate, the demand for food through the foodbank has been on the increase.
The foodbank representative believes although people are working, they may not be making an income that can meet all their expenses, such as medical bills, so they turn to the local foodbank for assistance.
Scheid says with the holiday season just around the corner, it is a time when more people may be generous with food contributions, but it is also a time for greater demand and need for the food distribution.
Insurance Board Accused Of Taking Expensive Trips For Meetings
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Board members of an obscure Iowa government insurance program have spent tens of thousands of dollars in public money traveling to out-of-state resorts for meetings.
A review by The Associated Press finds that directors of the Iowa
Communities Assurance Pool hold two meetings annually at posh locations such as Florida in February and Michigan in August.
Meeting minutes and spending records show that the practice makes the meetings virtually inaccessible to the public while increasing costs to the pool, which includes roughly 750 counties, cities, towns and other municipalities.
One county supervisor says the board’s spending may be excessive, and an attorney calls the out-of-state meetings ridiculous.
Board chairman Jody Smith defended them, saying the Florida meetings coincide with a national conference and Michigan was close to the pool administrator.
Authorities Believe Courthouse Burglars May Have Entered Two Courthouses
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities suspect that two cybersecurity workers charged with breaking into an Iowa courthouse were also responsible for a late-night entry into the courthouse in Des Moines.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that based on
surveillance footage, investigators believe 43-year-old Gary Demercurio, of Seattle, and 29-year-old Justin Wynn, of Naples, Florida, entered the Polk County Courthouse the night of Sept. 9. The men were charged with burglary after being found early on Sept. 11 in the Dallas County Courthouse, about
25 miles west in Adel.
The men told Dallas County deputies they worked for the
cybersecurity firm Coalfire and had been hired to test the courthouse alarm system. The state court administration acknowledged hiring the firm but only to test the security of electronic access to court records.
Polk County investigators say a small electronic device baring the
Coalfire logo was found in the Polk County Courthouse.
No charges have been filed in Polk County.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Cady Dismisses Himself From Lawsuit
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady has removed himself from considering a lawsuit challenging a new law that shortens his term as chief justice and gives the governor more power over the commission that selects supreme court and appeals court judges.
In an order signed Friday, Cady says the new law challenged in the lawsuit reduces his eight-year term as chief justice by three years, forcing him to step down as chief in 2021 and cutting his pay by about $8,000 a year.
He says a reasonable person could conclude he has a personal
interest in the outcome and the case must be resolved in a way that ensures public trust in the courts.
The law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May was challenged by several Democratic lawmakers and a member of the judicial nominating commission. A judge appointed by Reynolds dismissed it in June, saying the legislators don’t have standing to sue. The Supreme Court must decide whether to uphold
that decision or allow the case to proceed.
The other six justices on the court declined to recuse themselves.
