Logan and Peters Selected As Gehlen Homecoming Royalty
(Le Mars) — Gehlen Catholic held its Homecoming celebration yesterday.
Sydney Logan, the daughter of Rick and Tammy Logan was crowned this year’s Homecoming Queen, while Ethan Peters, the son of Jeff and Beth Peters was selected as this year’s Gehlen Catholic Homecoming King. Both admitted being chosen for Gehlen Catholic’s Homecoming royalty was a surprise.
Three Businesses Donate Funds To Gehlen Catholic School
(Le Mars) — At last evening’s Gehlen Catholic Homecoming football game, three local businesses contributed a total of $1,500 to Gehlen Catholic School. Total Motors, American Bank, and Perspective Insurance contributed the check to Gehlen Catholic’s Activities Director, Kirk Kronaizl.
City Beginning Phase 3 For 12th Street SW Project
(Le Mars) — Le Mars city officials have announced the contractor for the 12th St. S.W. project has started on phase 3 and will pour cement concrete on that main section starting on Tuesday Oct. 22nd. The city hopes to have 12th St. S.W. opened up by Oct. 31st. On Monday, the city will have to shut part of Lincoln St. down from 12th St. down to the North end of Dean’s property. This will allow the semi-trucks hauling milk to have a
safer way of backing into the doors off of Lincoln St. since phase 3 will close their access on the back side of their building to where they normally can pull straight through. The Dean’s employees and milk trucks will have access to Lincoln St. in front of the building from the South side of Lincoln St. through the barricades.
Good Samaritan Society To Hold Senior Citizens Outreach Program
(Le Mars) — Several volunteers will visit with senior citizens homes today to help them in preventing falls. It’s all part of what was referred to as “Founder’s Day” as part of the Good Samaritan Society’s outreach program.
This year, according to Teresa Petty, Marketing and Development Director with Good Samaritan Society, the day will be known as “Falls Prevention Service Project Day.”
In past years, Good Samaritan Society distributed carbon monoxide detectors, and grab bars for around a shower or stair steps to aide seniors with maintaining their balance. Petty explains the volunteers this year will be presenting to the identified senior citizens a reach tool which allows the elderly to retrieve an object that is out of their immediate reach, also
included will be a nightlight, and a “file of life.”
Petty says the volunteers will gather at the nursing care facility at 9:00 a.m. today and will be given an orientation session. Those volunteers will then go to the selected senior citizens homes. Petty says the entire project should conclude by 11:30 this morning. Petty is grateful for the sponsors of the program that include Lampert Lumber, Marvin Windows and
Doors, Hardware Hank, and Thrivent Financial.
Plymouth County 4-H To Hold “Fall Frenzy Festival”
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County 4-H will hold a “Fall Festival” this coming Sunday. The event will be at the Century Hall at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. Ann Schoenrock with the Plymouth County Extension Services says this will serve as a fund raiser for Plymouth County 4-H.
The 4-H staff member talks about what will be featured during Sunday’s Fall Festival.
Schoenrock says in the past, the local 4-H program held fund raising events during the spring. She says this is the first time for an autumn event.
She says, part of the reason is because of 4-H is celebrated during the month of October. Schoenrock says you don’t need to be a member of 4-H in order to join in on the Fall Festival. The event is scheduled to occur between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Where Are The Political Yard Signs?
(Le Mars) — Traveling through the town of Le Mars, a person wouldn’t realize there is an approaching election within two weeks for both city council and mayor positions, as well as for school board elections. As of Friday evening, there were no political campaign yard signs to be found in Le Mars. Several neighboring communities have political yard signs displayed, encouraging voters to cast their vote for the featured candidate.
Plus, local campaign ads are missing from the newspaper and radio Although some positions are uncontested, there is a race for an At-Large city council position between Mike Donlin and Dan Dembinski. With the Le Mars Community School District Board of Education, there is a three-way race for two At-
Large positions. Voters can now request an absentee ballot, as well as submit their absentee ballots. This year marks the first time voters will decide both city and school elections on the same ballot. Dordt College Political Science Professor, Jeff Taylor offers some perspective on the local campaigns.
Federal Courthouse Contractors Building Is Odd-Looking
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – In the weeks after an August groundbreaking ceremony for a $136 million federal courthouse, an unusual building has slowly arisen in the heart of downtown Des Moines.
The two-story white building with wood siding and a gable roof would fit in well in the suburbs but at this spot, along the Des Moines River and facing the three-story elegant City Hall, it’s an oddity. Even a city spokesman expressed puzzlement at the house going up downtown.
Project manager Brad Thomason said builder Ryan Companies opted for a building rather than more common trailers for staff because a lot of space was needed on a small site.
Office space for up to 24 people was required, and there wasn’t room at the 2-acre site for so many trailers.
Thomason also noted that after the seven-story courthouse is completed in 2022, workers will deconstruct the house, which was built with screws rather than nails. All will be reused or donated except components such as insulation and wiring, which will be recycled.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Remains Steady
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate remained at 2.5% in September.
Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the rate didn’t change from August, as the number of people with and without jobs both increased.
An estimated 1.69 million residents were employed in September, and 44,200 were unemployed.
Iowa’s unemployment rate was tied for the second lowest in the country, along with New Hampshire and North Dakota. Vermont has the lowest rate, at 2.2%.
Update On Guthrie County Deputies Conditions After Being Shot
STUART, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have identified officers and a suspect wounded in a shootout as law enforcement sought to serve an arrest warrant.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says in a news release that Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputies Steven Henry and Jim Mink sustained gunshot wounds, as did 52-year old suspect Randall Comly.
Investigators say the shooting happened late Thursday night as the officers sought to serve felony warrants on Comly. Officers reportedly came under fire after being let into an apartment where Comly was staying. Officers returned fire.
A spokesman with MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center says Henry and Mink are both in good condition. Police say Comly remains at a Des Moines hospital is in law enforcement custody with non-life-threatening injuries.
Stuart Police Officer Tyler DeFrancisco suffered a gunpowder burn in the shootout.
Prosecutors Say Mollie Tibbetts Accused Killer Did Not Have Proper Miranda Rights Read To Him
MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) – Part of the case against a former farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 20-year-old University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts appears to be in jeopardy because of a botched Miranda warning.
The Des Moines Register reports that prosecutors have agreed to
exclude some statements that 25-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera reportedly made to police. Court documents filed Friday by prosecutors acknowledge that the initial Miranda warning given to Rivera around 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2018, failed to inform him that anything he said could be used against him
in court.
His Miranda rights were accurately read to him a second time at 5:50 a.m. Aug. 21, as police were in a cornfield where Tibbetts’ body was found.
Rivera is accused of killing Tibbetts, who disappeared while out for a run near Brooklyn, Iowa. Investigators found her body a month later.
Officials say she was stabbed to death.
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Supreme Court Says City Can Demolish Old School Building
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ended an effort in Iowa City to save an elementary school, saying that even as residents are voting on a preservation proposal, the district has a right to ignore their views and demolish the building.
The decision Friday comes on a lawsuit brought by Iowa City Community School District patrons in 2017, after the school board refused to place on a special election ballot a measure asking voters whether to approve demolition of Hoover Elementary School. The school was dedicated in 1954 by former President Herbert Hoover, an Iowa native.
The state supreme court reversed a lower court’s ruling ordering the vote be held. The high court says state law only allows voters to weigh in on the sale, lease or other disposition of property, not demolition of property.
Early voting on the measure opened two weeks ago. Johnson County officials now say votes on the issue won’t be tallied.
