Le Mars Community High School To Celebrate Homecoming and Hold Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies For The New Stadium and Field
(Le Mars) — There are plenty of activities happening today with connection to the Le Mars Community Homecoming. The pep rally and coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen will take place in the new Competition Gym beginning at 1:00 p.m. Immediately following the pep rally and crowning of
the new king and queen will be the Le Mars Community Homecoming Parade which will start at approximately 2:15 p.m. beginning at the 8th Street South Blvd, and traveling north past Foster Park, through the downtown region to the 2nd Street North. At 5:00 p.m. school officials will cut the ribbon
acknowledging the opening of the new stadium. School superintendent Dr. Steven Webner explains.
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, a tailgate party will take place sponsored by Total Motors and Primebank, and will continue up to kick-off, which is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. On your way to the new Le Mars Community Stadium, you may want to bring along a non-perishable food item. The Le Mars FFA Chapter is sponsoring “Hunger is a Factor — Fill The Tractor.”
This is the second year for the program. Kylie Allen serves as the Le Mars FFA Chapter Reporter.
Danielle James is the chapter advisor for the Le Mars FFA, and tells where people can locate the tractors to contribute food items to the local Christian Needs Center.
James talks about this year’s goal for collected food items as established by the Le Mars FFA Chapter.
The local FFA chapter advisor says FFA members will be next to the tractors to assist those with making the contributions of food items.
Donations will be accepted between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Nominations Announced For Civic Elected Positions
(Le Mars) — Those candidates seeking mayor, city council, and school board positions, and hospital trustee have been filed. Those seeking an elected office in Le Mars include: Dick Kirchoff who is seeking another two-year term as mayor. Kirchoff is running unopposed, unless a write-in candidate
steps forward.
Dan Dembinski and Michael Donlin are seeking the at-large
position for the Le Mars city council as John Rexwinkle has decided to retire from the city council. Steve Wick is seeking a second four-year term on the city council representing the voters of Ward 2. 
Running for a four-year term for the Floyd Valley Healthcare Trustee positions are Ralph Klemme, Janelle Bixenman and Danna Schuster. Each are seeking re-election, and there are no other people have filed nomination papers for the hospital trustee.
School Board Candidates Are Announced
(Le Mars) — As for the people seeking election to the Le Mars Community Board of Education…there are three candidates running for the At-large position.
Voters will elect two names. They include Angela Catton who is running for re-election. The other two candidates include Nick Jalas and Kyle Plathe. Jane Arnold is running unopposed for the school board position for District 3. She filled in after the resignation of Chris Collins during the middle of last year. Makenzie Lang is running unopposed for the school board position for District 5 which was vacated when Fred Zenk decided not to run again.
Iowa DNR Investigates Fish Kill In Sioux County
(Sioux Center) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill at a golf course, north of Hull. The fish kill was reported late Wednesday, and DNR officials began their investigation on Thursday.
The incident is believed to have happen on Tuesday, or earlier, in an unnamed tributary of Burr Oak Creek. A cause of the fish kill has not yet been determined, although DNR officials did rule out several pollution sources.
Iowa Department of Transportation To Close Intersection of Highway 75 and County Road C-70
(Sioux City) — The Iowa Department of Transportation has announced they will close the intersection of Highway 75 and County road C-70 beginning on Wednesday, September 25th. A pavement replacement project on U.S. 75 requires closing Plymouth County Road C-70 to traffic from 7 a.m. Wednesday,
Sept. 25, until 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, weather permitting. The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones.
NRCS To Purchase Easements Due To Flooding
(Le Mars) — In response to flooding in Iowa, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of $36 million to fund conservation easements on agricultural lands damaged by flooding statewide.
Funds are available through the floodplain easement component of the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP-FPE). NRCS field offices are accepting applications through Oct. 18.
There will be 2 meetings on October 1 to provide information to interested landowners. The first meeting will take place at the Akron Public Library from 9:30 to 11:30, at 350 Reed Street in Akron. The second meeting will take place from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Rock Valley Pizza Ranch, at 1513 14th Street in Rock Valley. Participants at the second meeting are welcome to eat
at the Pizza Ranch on their own prior to the meeting.
Brenda Tenold-Moretz, NRCS Wetland Easement Specialist, will discuss the permanent easement process and timelines. Nick Baumgarten, Iowa DNR Private Lands Wildlife Specialist, will discuss easement habitat management and options for selling the land. Local NRCS staff from Plymouth, Sioux, and
Lyon counties will also be available to answer questions.
Through the EWP-FPE program, eligible applicants voluntarily agree to sell a permanent conservation easement to the United States through NRCS.
Compensation is based on the value of the easement rights acquired based on the Geographic Area Rate Cap and corresponding market analysis.
These easements may occur on public or private agricultural land and/or residential properties damaged by flooding. Applications will be prioritized by a statewide ranking. NRCS will work with landowners to restore the easement to its natural floodplain condition, to the greatest extent feasible.
People interested in attending the Akron meeting should RSVP at the LeMars Field Office at 712-546-8858 ext. 3, and those attending the Rock Valley meeting should RSVP at the Orange City Field Office at 712-737-4801 ext. 3.
King Announces Taiwan Agrees To Purchase Grain And Beef
Washington DC– Congressman Steve King announces that the nation of Taiwan has signed letters of intent to purchase $3.6 billion of American corn, soybeans, wheat, and beef over the next two years. The letters of intent were signed at a ceremony King participated in yesterday afternoon, and were a highlight of the 2019 Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to
Washington D.C.
King says he is “pleased that the Taiwanese continue to make the purchase of American corn, soybeans, wheat, and beef a priority,” King says he has traveled to Taiwan twice, and have sent members of his staff to the island on six occasions, and this has strengthened the working relationships I have developed with the Taiwanese trade delegation. The Taiwanese were greatly
impressed with what they saw when I brought trade delegation members to Iowa to tour farms in Nevada and Hinton last September. We have cultivated relationships with Taiwan, and they have yielded well.”
(photos are from 2018 event when a Taiwan trade delegation visited Bollmeyer Farms near Hinton.)
The letters of intent signed this week indicate that Taiwan will be
purchasing 370 million bushels of grain between 2020 and 2021, for a total purchase of $1.1. billion in U.S. corn (approximately 197 million bushels of corn and 0.5 million metric tons of corn co-products), $1.1 billion in U.S. soybeans (approximately 97 million bushels), and $576 million of U.S. wheat (approximately 66.1 million bushels). In addition, the Taiwanese intend to
purchase approximately $960 million in U.S. beef.
Family United Action Network To Hold Legislative Forum
(Hinton) — A new organization, called Families United Action Network, or FAUN, has been created with the goal to inform people of family law reform. Roseanne Plante is an attorney from Hinton and says she got involved with the non-profit organization about a year ago. Plante explains the mission of the Family United Action Network.
Plante says on Saturday, September 21st FAUN will unveil its legislative priorities during a forum to be held at Denison.
Plante says the organization is seeking feedback from those people that have gone through the court system with family-related incidents.
The attorney says several of Iowa’s state legislators have been invited to attend the forum scheduled for Saturday.
Plante says the Families United Action Network has been active since 2015, but they have already had some success with legislation that has been introduced in the state legislature.
