Home News Tuesday News, January 14th

Tuesday News, January 14th

County Supervisors To  Review Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget

(Le Mars) — During today’s Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting, the supervisors are expected to appoint Delana Ihrke and Heath Lee to the Compensation commission as city landowners, and Julie Hurt as a real estate agent to the Compensation commission. Plymouth County Sheriff, Mike Van
Otterloo is scheduled to appear before the county governing board to discuss the Sheriff’s Office budget. Conservation Board Director Nick Beeck will also appear before the county supervisors to discuss the fiscal year budget for the County Conservation Board. Beeck is also expected to discuss a
seeding project. County Engineer, Tom Rohe will appear before the supervisors to discuss the Secondary Roads budget, as well as to get approval for some scheduled construction projects. Beginning at 12:00 noon, the supervisors will discuss and work on the fiscal year 2020-2021 county budget.

 

 

Officer Mark Reed Honored As “Officer Of The Year”

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has awarded its second annual “Officer of the Year.” This year, Senior Officer Mark Reed has received the honor. Reed is one of the K-9 handlers with the police department. He has been a member of the Le Mars Police Department since 1988 and is one of the
departments K9 handlers. He is awarded for his outstanding work, attitude, leadership and teamwork over the past year.

 

 

Schwartz Promoted To Assistant Fire Chief Position

(Le Mars) — A promotion was recently conducted at the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department. Since Assistant Fire Chief Mike Wise last week was selected by the city council to oversee the Le Mars Ambulance Services, that left an opening for the assistant fire chief position. Steve Schwartz has been given the promotion to now take on the responsibilities of the Assistant Fire Chief position. For the last year, Schwartz was serving the
city as the Battalion Fire Chief. Schwartz explains the difference in responsibilities between the Battalion Chief and the Assistant Chief position.

Schwartz has been a firefighter for the last 19 years. He says, in some ways he grew up having the fire department always around him.

Schwartz says he has taken several courses and is certified with various aspects of firefighting and performing rescues, and intends to continue to be trained.

Schwartz will be attending another training session to be held in Ames, Iowa to focus on arson investigations.

 

 

School Board To Change Meeting Dates And Times

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education met last evening and approved a measure that would allow only one meeting per month, as opposed to two meetings as has been the case. The school board also decided that future school board meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. as opposed to 7:00 p.m.
The school board will continue to meet on the second Monday of each month, but they will no longer convene during the fourth Monday of the month. In other action, the school board approved the resignations of Sandy Small as the Middle School Social Studies teacher and Cory Isebrand as the Middle School Math teacher. Both Small and Isebrand will resign at the end of the
school year. The school board accepted the resignation of Dan Sitzmann, effective immediately, as the Clark Elementary head custodian. The school board approved the purchase of a used 2018 Blue Bird school bus. The delivered price for the school bus is at $64,000 with a trade-in allowance of $400 making the price after trade at $63,600. With cameras to be installed along with warning lights the price will be $67,548.

 

 

State Legislature Begins Work – Pat Grassley Elected As Speaker

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa lawmakers have convened the 2020 legislative session with the House voting to name Republican Rep. Pat Grassley the new House speaker. With his family including his grandparents U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley and Barbara Grassley looking on, Pat Grassley was elected by voice
vote and took the oath of office to take the speaker’s chair. He says workforce issues should be the top priority and that includes finding ways for working families to have access to childcare and make it affordable.
Rep. Linda Upmeyer, speaker since 2016, has stepped down from the leadership position but will complete her current term through the end of this year.

 

 

Governor Reynolds To Deliver “Condition of the State” Address

(Des Moines) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is scheduled to speak before the state legislature this morning when she delivers the “Condition of the State” address. Reynolds will step to the podium at 10:00 a.m. inside the House of Representatives chambers. Reynolds is expected to discuss tax breaks, the better than expected state surplus of finances, and restoring
some felons voting privileges.

 

 

Trump To Hold Political Rally In Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – President Donald Trump will be holding a rally in Iowa just days before the state holds its election kickoff caucuses. Trump’s reelection campaign announced Monday that he will be rallying supporters in
Des Moines on Jan. 30. That’s four days before the contest for the Democratic nomination formally gets underway. It’s one of a series of events in states across the country that will keep Trump in the spotlight and give him a platform to make his case directly to voters as the impeachment case against him heads toward the Senate.

 

 

Democratic Presidential Candidates To Debate Tonight In Des Moines

WASHINGTON (AP) – Tuesday marks the last time the leading Democratic presidential contenders will face a national audience on the debate stage before primary voting begins, making it the most significant moment of the 2020 primary season to date. The prime-time faceoff comes just 20 days before Iowa’s caucuses as polls suggest the nomination is truly up for
grabs. Heading in, there are new signs of tension among all the top-tier candidates, particularly Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. If ever there has been a time for the six contenders on stage to take the gloves off, this is it.