Northwest Bank To Close Highway 75 Branch Offices
(Le Mars) — Northwest Bank officials have made the decision to close their branch bank offices located at 1321 Hawkeye Avenue or Business Highway 75 in Le Mars. The branch office last day of operation will be Saturday, May 9th. After that date, all financial transactions will be conducted at the Northwest main bank located in downtown Le Mars at 111 Central Avenue N.W. Kevin Eekhoff, the bank president for Northwest Bank in Le Mars says “the decision to close the facility will allow us to improve our efficiencies and enhance the overall services provided to our customers. We have plans for a number of building improvements at our main bank downtown location, and we look forward to sharing these building improvements with our customers and community in the near future.”
Eekhoff says, “in addition to building improvements, Northwest Bank will be allocating resources to moving the ATM to their drive-up at the downtown location. This will allow for easier, more convenient access and allow our customers the ability to complete their ATM transactions from their vehicle. The new ATM will provide enhancements such as the ability to accept cash deposits. Also, beginning May 11th, the bank hours at the downtown location will be extended to include Saturday drive-up hours from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Northwest Bank is a $1.6 billion community bank that offers a full line of business, agricultural, mortgage, consumer deposit and lending services, as well as wealth management services.
State Senator Carlin And State Representative Jeneary Listen To Constituent Concerns During Town Hall Meeting
(Le Mars) — State lawmakers Dr. Tom Jeneary and Jim Carlin held a town hall meeting Saturday at Floyd Valley Healthcare. They were greeted by a half a dozen constituents wanting to share their thoughts on issues and legislation facing the state legislature. During the town hall meeting, the group talked about school funding, the need for ambulance service for smaller
communities, fireworks, mental health, and the proposed one percent tax increase as introduced by Governor Kim Reynolds during her “Condition of the State” address. State Senator Carlin says he opposes the idea of a tax increase which would be allocated in part to help with clean water quality, and funding mental health.
State Representative Jeneary shares the opinion of State Senator Carlin about the proposed tax increase.
By law, the state legislature has 30 days after convening to act on a K-12 education spending bill. Jeneary and Carlin say the state lawmakers will be able to produce an educational spending bill by the deadline.
Jeneary says the House educational spending bill is somewhat larger than the figure from the Senate.
Jeneary and Carlin both reiterated the Republican majority state legislature has been able to deliver the funds promised to school districts.
One of the first bills to pass through the State Senate was a $20 million dollar allocation directed to flood relief. The House has yet to address the bill.
The next legislative town hall meeting for this area is scheduled for Saturday, February 22nd. and will be held at Kingsley…Pierson…and Remsen.
School Board To Hear Middle School MTSS Team Report
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education is scheduled to convene this evening for its monthly meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. after the school board recently approved a change of time for meetings. The local board of education will hear from the Middle School MTSS team as they will inform the board about assessments and interventions.
Jose McFarland of Specialty Underwriters will provide the school board with information regarding equipment breakdown insurance. School superintendent, Dr. Steven Webner will present a proposed budget development timeline for
the board’s consideration and preliminary information concerning the development of the fiscal year 2021 budget. The school board will discuss an upcoming regional workshop entitled: “Leadership Essentials for School Boards.” The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, February 20th at the Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon.
The school board will act on two resignation requests. Carol Vanderloo has resigned her position as bus driver effective immediately. Kay Powell has resigned her position as Title
1 teacher effective at the end of the school year. The school board will conduct a second reading on the proposed policy changes with 401.6 – Limitations to Employment References, Policy 401.10 – Credit and procurement cards, Policy 407.4 – Licensed employee suspension, and Policy 408.5 – Licensed employee professional development. The school board will consider approval of changes to policy 803.5 for approval and payment schedule for goods and services.
The school board will consider of a Title 1 third party vendor request for proposal to support Gehlen Catholic School’s Title 1 program. The board will also appoint two members to serve on the Meet and Confer team for the purpose of discussing contracts with the support staff and administration for 2020-2021.
Inmate Charged With Death Of Another Inmate
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) – Another inmate was charged with manslaughter after a 31-year-old man was found dead at a residential Iowa correctional facility. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said Saturday that 36-year-old Adam Younis had been charged with involuntary manslaughter and
delivery of a controlled substance in connection with the death of Derek Jones. Jones died Tuesday in his room at the Marshalltown Residential Facility. An autopsy will be performed to determine what caused Jones’ death. Jones was living at the facility while on probation. Younis was living at the facility as part of a work-release program.
Inmate Who Tried Hiring A Hit Man Has Died In Prison
CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Iowa prison officials say a man serving more than 80 years in prison for twice trying to hire a hit man has died behind bars.
Officials say 39-year-old Justin Lee Dewitt died Friday afternoon. Officials have not said how Dewitt died. Dewitt was sentenced in 2018 to 35 years in prison for a murder-for-hire scheme involving a business associate and that associate’s family. The next year, he was sentenced to 50 years for trying to organize from behind bars the killings of witnesses from his first case
so they couldn’t testify against him. An autopsy has been ordered in his death.
Judge Orders Competency Test For Zearing Man Charged With Killing His Wife
NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ordered a competency evaluation for a 71-year-old man accused of stabbing to death his wife in the Story County community of Zearing. Gary Pillman already has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. Investigators say Pillman killed his wife after an argument in which she told him she was leaving him. Her body was found Nov. 13 outside the Pillmans’ home. Court records say Gary Pillman’s attorney requested the evaluation last week and the judge granted it on Friday.
Des Moines Man Kills Dog When Trying To Kill Another Man
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man is facing an attempted murder charge after he fired shots into an occupied apartment and hit a dog in the crossfire. Des Moines Police said the 21-year-old gunman missed his intended target – a 19-year-old man – in the shooting. The dog was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital but wasn’t expected to survive the shooting. The gunfire was reported shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday at the Des Moines apartment complex. The suspect was arrested after a short foot pursuit. Witnesses told police that the suspect and the 19-year-old had an argument before the shooting.
Iowa Democratic Party Reviewing Five Percent Of Precinct Results
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Democratic Party is reviewing roughly 5 percent of the precincts in Monday’s Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses after issuing a deadline for campaigns to offer data demonstrating inconsistencies with the party’s results. In a statement Saturday, state party officials in their effort to clean up after Monday’s reporting breakdown said they were reviewing campaign data from 95 of the 1,765
precinct caucuses and would issue any corrections to the final results by Monday. The party asked the campaigns to submit evidence of inconsistencies in the final results of the caucuses.
Sanders Calls For Partial Re-canvass Of Precinct Caucus Votes
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Iowa caucuses haven’t wrapped up yet. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign plans to ask for a “partial recanvass” of the results of last week’s Iowa caucuses. A campaign aide confirmed the plans Sunday night,
ahead of a Monday deadline for candidates to ask the Iowa Democratic Party to recanvass the results. A recanvass is not a recount, but a check of the vote count to ensure the results were added correctly. The state party released updated results on Sunday showing Pete Buttigieg leading Sanders by two state delegate equivalents.
Warren Says She Is The Best Person To Defeat President Trump
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – Elizabeth Warren is tweaking her standard campaign speech, saying that she’s in the best position to win what some see as an “unwinnable” election for any Democrat against President Donald Trump. Warren finished third in last week’s Iowa caucus, which had Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana in the lead. The Massachusetts lawmaker also refused to say New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday is a must win. Still, at a rally in Lebanon, New Hampshire, on Sunday night, Warren referenced her then-upset win in 2012 over Republican incumbent Sen. Scott Brown as evidence she can come back.
