Lang To Leave Le Mars Community Board Of Education
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community School District will be searching for a new school board member to represent the district’s rural areas. School superintendent, Dr. Steve Webner says the school board was informed of the vacancy for district 5 during the Monday evening meeting.
Many people may wonder why Lang couldn’t serve as an “At-large” director, and still be able to serve on the Le Mars Community Board of Education? Webner says the school district already has two director positions serving as an “At-large” position. Webner says he checked with the Iowa School Board
Association, and learned that would be against the rules.
Webner says Lang would be able to run again as a school board director, but it would need to be within her new residence district, or she can seek election when an “At-large” position term is completed, and becomes available.
During the school board meeting, the directors acted on a number of retirements and resignation requests. One of the announced resignations was Adam Moss, the popular high school science teacher and track and cross-country coach. Webner says Moss will be pursuing a career with the Area Education Agency in which he will consult with several school districts.
Moss has been a teacher with the Le Mars Community School District for 12 years.
Governor Reynolds To Allow More Businesses To Open
(Des Moines) — People will now be able to get a haircut beginning on Friday since Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced today (Wednesday) she is allowing for many businesses throughout the state, including beauty salons and
barbershops, to again open for business. Reynolds is also giving businesses, especially restaurants, within the 22 Iowa counties with higher numbers of positive COVID-19 virus cases to open, given they follow tight restrictions. The governor says officials have implemented a three-phase approach in deciding to again open businesses.
Reynolds says the state has begun to stabilize the number of COVID-19 cases.
With the exceptions of Polk and Woodbury Counties, which has had specific targeted testing, Governor Reynolds says the number of positive cases within the 22 counties are showing signs of stabilizing. The governor says it is now up to Iowans to act in a safe and responsible manner when dealing with the
coronavirus and with the re-opening of businesses.
Reynolds says “COVID-19 will remain around for a while longer, but with everyone working together, we can and must re-start our economy,” and she says “we can re-start our businesses in a stable, safe and a responsible way.” Reynolds is betting on the odds to be in her favor in terms of slowing down any additional spread of the virus.
Public Health Department Officials Give Guidelines For Businesses Re-opening
(Des Moines) — Businesses wanting to re-open will find it may not be “business as usual” when they are allowed to open their doors beginning Friday. Iowa Department of Public Health Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter shared the rules that must be followed during Governor Reynolds’ daily briefing on Wednesday. She reminded those people that may be most vulnerable to contracting the COVID-19 virus to continue to use good judgement, and stay at home when possible.
Reisetter says all businesses will need to perform regularly scheduled deep cleaning rituals.
Reisetter says businesses should ask their customers whether or not they have symptoms associated with the coronavirus, and whether or not they have come into contact with individuals that have tested positive.
The state public health official says employers should develop appropriate policies that allow employees to remain home if they should contract the COVID-19 virus. She says Iowans can open up our businesses to not only protect the customers, but the employees as well.
Grassley and Ernst Call For Additional Aid For Pork Producers
(Washington, DC) — Iowa’s U-S senators want more money pumped into programs to compensate hog producers who are forced to euthanize herds due to the pandemic. Pork processing is down 20 to 40 percent with several packing plants closed and Senator Chuck Grassley says the industry has lost more than
five-billion dollars already. The CARES Act include 24-billion dollars for grain farmers, specialty crops and livestock producers suffering losses – but Grassley says nobody was talking about depopulating herds six weeks ago.
Senator Joni Ernst says farming communities are in an economic crisis, especially hog farmers who are faced with the prospect of euthanizing their animals. Congressman Steve King also signed a letter requesting producers be reimbursed for livestock euthanasia and disposal expenses.
US House Coronavirus Relief Package Includes $2.25 Billion For Biofuels Industry
(Washington, DC) — The three-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package in the U-S House includes two-and-a-quarter-billion dollars for the biofuels industry. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer said, “this is obviously a meaningful step towards protecting our producers and providing relief to this vital sector of our economy that means so much to our state, to our
agricultural community, also to rural Iowa and our cities.” Under the plan, ethanol and biodiesel plants would get 45 cents per gallon for fuel produced between January and May. Plants forced to shut down would receive 22-and-a-half cents per gallon on the same amount produced last year. Finkenauer noted that the A-D-M ethanol plant in Cedar Rapids shut down and furloughed
90 workers in April.
Cedar Rapids Gym Owner Cited For Violating Emergency Proclamation
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — A Cedar Rapids gym owner is facing a misdemeanor charge for operating in violation of the governor’s public health emergency proclamation. Police issued Jason Bailey a citation Tuesday after several people were seen working out inside Custom Fitness. Officers say Bailey admitted to ignoring Governor Kim Reynolds’ order. It limits gyms and fitness centers in 21 Iowa counties to one customer at a time by appointment. Bailey was issued a warning Friday and was cited following complaints from other businesses.
Police Shooting of Suspect Under Investigation in Marshalltown
(Marshalltown, IA) — A man is hospitalized after being shot early this morning by a police officer in Marshalltown (Wednesday). The officer was responded to someone causing a problem around 4 a-m and fired a single shot during a scuffle. The police chief says the man refused to comply with the officer’s orders. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening wound. The officer wasn’t hurt. The Iowa D-C-I is assisting local investigators with the case.
