County Road Intersection C-38 and K-49 To Be Closed Today
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department has announced they will close the intersection of county roads C-38 with K-49 today, in order to conduct some resurfacing work. Traffic will be detoured around the gravel roads for the time required. That popular country intersection will be closed today from 7:30 a.m. until at least 2:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Scarlett Given Probation
(Le Mars)— A judge has given probation to a Le Mars woman who was originally charged with assisting with a robbery and an asault. District Judge Todd Dak has accepted the guilty plea by 28 year old Ashley Scarlett for criminal mischief in exchange for a plea agreement with original charges of second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary. Scarlett was suspended from a two-year prison sentence and placed on probation for two years, along with a fine of $625. Court documents stated that Scarlett and Chase Kounkel called the victim on September 29th of last year to tell him they were coming to his Le Mars home. After arriving at the victim’s home, Kunkel apparently punched the victim and he and Scarlett took several items from the victim’s home. They then forced the victim to get in his vehicle
and drive Kounkel to another residence while Scarlett followed in her vehicle. While at the second residence, Kounkel again assaulted the victim, and Scarlett broke three windows to the victim’s vehicle. Kounkel, age 34 of Mount Pleasant, Iowa has pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary, second-degree robbery, third-degree kidnapping and assault while participating in a felony. Kounkel’s trial is scheduled to begin on October 15th.
Premier Communications To Install Fiber Optic Network Around Akron
(Le Mars) — Premier Communications is wanting to expand its fiber optic network to include the rural area of Akron and Hawarden. Scott TeStroete, Premier Communications Sales and Marketing Officer appeared before the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to inform the county board of its plan and to gain the board’s support for a state grant.
TeStroete says the fiber optic installation would involve just the rural area surrounding Akron and Hawarden.
The Premier Communications official says it would mean fiber optic network service to a potential 1000 customers, or touch points.
TeStroete says the goal is to complete the fiber optic installation within a year. He says the state grant, if awarded, could be around a million dollars. TeStroete say regardless whether Premier Communications is awarded the grant, the Sioux Center-based communications company plans to move ahead on the $12 million dollar project. Over the last ten years, Premier Communications has invested more than $125 million dollars into
installing fiber optic network. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors did approve supporting Premier Communications on their project, as well as the pursuit of the state grant.
Le Mars Community Student Council To Collect Teddy Bears
(Le Mars) — This October 4th at the Sergeant Bluff-Luton game Le Mars Student Council is holding a collection for new teddy bears. The teddy bears will be donated to Le Mars Ambulance and Police Department and CSADV.
Each of these organizations use teddy bears to comfort .
toddlers or children in traumatic situations. The soft, comfy bears help to provide comfort and help calm the child during emergency calls and ambulance rides.. The bears also help make the care for that child easier as the child has something to hang onto while everything is chaos. The Sergeant Bluff Student Council is also partnering up with Le Mars Student Council to donate bears for their own community at the game. Both Le Mars and Sergeant Bluff Student Councils are asking students, parents, and community members to help donate. There will be two big boxes, one for both communities to donate. The student councils are competing to see who can collect the most. Monetary donations will also be taken and used to
purchase additional bears as needed. For more information, please contact Caleb at caleb.slattery@lemarscsd.org
Gehlen Catholic Football Game With MMCRU Has Been Cancelled
(Le Mars) — Speaking of games, KLEM news has been notified by Gehlen Catholic officials the home football game scheduled for Friday evening, September 27th, between Gehlen Catholic Jays and MMCRU Royals has been cancelled due to MMCRU having too many injuries.
Ida County Hit By Hail And Tornadoes
IDA GROVE, Iowa (AP) – Hail and heavy rain have pounded parts of northwest Iowa.
Hailstones up to 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) were reported Tuesday evening near Holstein and other communities. More than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain was reported in several areas.
The hail battered homes, business, vehicles and crop fields in Ida
County and others nearby.
The National Weather Service says a tornado was reported around 5:30 p.m. about 5 miles (8 kilometers) southeast of Cushing, and another tornado report was received around 5:40 p.m. from 5 miles (8 kilometers) north-northeast of Ida Grove. It’s uncertain whether the sightings were of the same twister.
No injuries have been reported.
Grassley Has His Doubts Whether Trump Administration Will Announce Verbal Agreement On Ethanol Use
(Washington) — More than a week ago, U-S Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse and South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds met with President Donald Trump and members of the Trump Administration to discuss the recent
action by the Environmental Protection Agency to grant waivers to 31 oil refineries to not include ethanol as required in the Renewable Fuels Standard. At the time of the meeting, Grassley and the others had a verbal agreement by Trump and his administration to help the ethanol industry.
However, since no announcement of the agreement has been made, Grassley told reporters during his weekly news conference, that he now has some doubts as to whether or not President Trump will live up to the agreement of having 15 billion gallons of grain-based ethanol included in the nation’s fuel needs.
Grassley says he will keep close observation on the Environmental Protection Agency, so they don’t “water” down the agreement.
Appeals Judge Files Lawsuit Against Governor Reynolds
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines lawyer is suing Gov. Kim Reynolds and other state officials, claiming a new law that gave the governor more power over the commission that selects supreme court and appeals court judges is unconstitutional.
It’s the second such lawsuit filed in state court challenging the
change that Reynolds signed into law in May.
The new case was filed Sept. 11 by Thomas Duff, a trial lawyer for 30 years who interviewed to be an Iowa Court of Appeals judge but wasn’t chosen as a finalist by the State Judicial Nominating Commission.
He alleges the law is unconstitutional in part because it violates
the separation of powers article of the state constitution.
The first lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic legislators and a
member of the commission was dismissed in June. That decision is on appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.
The attorney general’s office had no comment and a spokesman for Reynolds didn’t respond to a message.
