Le Mars Community Board Of Education To Meet This Evening
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will convene this evening. The school board will begin with a public hearing regarding the purchase of a used 71-passenger school bus. The school board will hear reports from each of the principals. The school board will briefly discuss the upcoming Board and Administrator retreat, which is scheduled for January
27th. The school board will also be presented with evaluation forms of School Superintendent, Dr. Steve Webner. The board will return the forms prior to February 1st. The school board will also discuss the “IASB Day On The Hill” which is scheduled for January 28th at the Iowa State Capitol Building. The Le Mars Community School Board will act on two resignations.
Sandy Small will be retiring from her position as a middle school social studies teacher at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 school year. Dan Sitzmann has resigned as head custodian at Clark Elementary School effective immediately. Curriculum Director, Rachel Leavitt will present and ask for the Board’s consideration of the district’s modified supplemental aid request to the Department of Management for drop-out prevention programming.
The school board will also consider approving of the 2019-2020 student achievement goals. The school board will also consider changes to the policy handbook.
Gehlen Catholic Hires New Development Director
(Le Mars) — There’s a new face at Gehlen Catholic Schools. Amy Jungers has been hired as the new Development Director, replacing Lisa Niebuhr. Jungers grew up in Granville and attended Spalding Catholic School. She has experience in marketing and communications having worked at Mid-Sioux
Opportunity, and most recently with Pizza Ranch corporate offices at Orange City.
The new Gehlen Development Director says she has a passion for Catholic Education, which is what led her to the Gehlen open position.
Jungers says her first focus will be to get acquainted with the Gehlen faculty and staff, and then branch out to the parents, and the general community. She says her greatest immediate challenge with the new position is getting to know as many people as she can, and to retain and recall their
names and their connection to Gehlen Catholic.
As for the greatest reward of the job, Jungers believes seeing the children everyday will fulfill her day.
One of Jungers greatest responsibilities will be assisting with the
coordination of the annual Gehlen Ball held in the spring. Jungers says she is looking forward to the fund raising event.
Amy Jungers began her duties as the Gehlen Catholic Development Director on last Monday, January 6th.
Iowa Legislature Begins Work Today
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Legislature convenes today with majority Republicans in the position to set the agenda for another year. Leaders say top topics likely will include tax policy, finding more workers to fill jobs and funding education and health care programs. The state’s financial condition is good with a surplus of nearly $300 million. Discussion may include providing grants or tax credits to help working families pay for
child care, funding the children’s mental health program created last year and considering a sales tax increase to pay for water quality and environmental programs.
Waterloo Firefighters Rescue Two Girls From Burning Home
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Waterloo firefighters rescued two young girls from a burning home. Waterloo Fire Battalion Chief Ben Petersen said the 2-year-old and 3-year-old girls were taken to the hospital after the fire along with an adult man who escaped the home and a firefighter who was injured during the
fire. The condition of the home’s occupants wasn’t immediately available Sunday. The firefighter was treated and released. The fire was reported around 12:45 a.m. Sunday. The two girls were rescued from a bedroom inside the home. Petersen said the fire was extinguished quickly, but the home sustained fire and smoke damage.
Nursing Home Worker Gets Probation For Injuring Resident
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A former nursing home worker has been given two to five years’ probation for abusing a nursing home resident. The Courier reports that 61-year-old Michael Ritchie Kane, of Westgate, pleaded guilty earlier this month to dependent adult abuse with injury. In exchange for his plea, Kane was granted a deferred judgment, meaning the offense will come off his record if he successfully completes probation. Kane had worked at Ravenood Specialty Care in Waterloo, and investigators say that in June 2018, he pinched and punched a resident there, attempted to suffocate the patient and threatened to shoot him.
Winter Storm Claims At Least One Life
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – At least one death in eastern Iowa is being blamed on a winter storm that slicked Interstate 80. Television station KCCI reports that a westbound semitrailer on I-80 crashed early Saturday morning in Cedar County east of Iowa City. The Iowa State Patrol says roads were completely covered in ice when the semitrailer left the road and overturned,
killing a passenger in the truck. The victim’s name had not been released by late Saturday afternoon. The storm system brought high winds and snow to much of Iowa Friday overnight into Saturday. Around 2 inches fell in areas of eastern Iowa, including Davenport.
Wiggins Announces He Will Retire From Iowa Supreme Court
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Supreme Court Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins says he’s retiring, a vacancy that will give Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds an opportunity to build an even more conservative court. The 69-year-old Wiggins says Friday he will retire March 13. He was appointed to the court by Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack in 2003. He was named acting chief justice in November after the unexpected death of Chief Justice Mark Cady.
Wiggins is one of the two remaining Democratic appointees on the seven-member court. Reynolds just received the names of three nominees Thursday to fill Cady’s vacant seat.
