Plymouth County Still Seeing High COVID-19 Positive Numbers
(Le Mars) — It has been seven months since we first have had COVID-19 virus strike Plymouth County. Although mitigation efforts such as wearing a mask and practicing social distancing has helped, Plymouth County and all of northwest Iowa continues to see a high rate of positive cases. Tara Geddes
serves as the Plymouth County Community Health Director, and says the trend for positive coronavirus cases since late August has been on the increase.
Geddes says large group gatherings such as weddings, funerals, and other family gatherings. Geddes echoed Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ comments saying the outbreak is affecting all age group demographics. Geddes says during this past week has been a slight decrease in the numbers of positive COVID-19
cases.
Geddes says they have seen how face masks have helped contain the spread of the virus by observing our schools that have mandated face coverings or masks be used by students, faculty and staff.
The Plymouth County Health Director says it may be quite sometime before concerns about COVID-19 virus are behind us. She says it is possible we may be dealing with the virus for another year, depending upon when a vaccine will be introduced to the public.
Governor Reynolds To Visit Le Mars To View TestIowa Site
(Des Moines) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will be visiting Le Mars on Friday. The governor’s office announced through their public schedule that Reynolds along with Lt. Governor Adam Gregg will make a stop at Floyd Valley Healthcare on Friday morning to visit with the officials at the TestIowa clinic. The TestIowa clinic has been in operation for nearly a month at the
Floyd Valley facilities. Earlier this week, Governor Reynolds had announced during her news conference that both the Orange City Health Systems and Sioux Center Health Center would also be starting a TestIowa COVID-19 testing sites. During the past few weeks, northwest Iowa has had the highest positivity percentage of COVID-19.
Two Separate Accidents Reported On Highway 3
(Le Mars) — Authorities are investigating two separate vehicle accidents that occurred last evening that happened on Highway 3. One of those accidents resulted in a fatality. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was advised of an accident on the east edge of Remsen at about 5:45 p.m. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 3 and Highway 140 near the
Golden Pheasant restaurant. A north bound passenger car failed to yield from a stop sign and pulled into the path of an east bound minivan. Three people were taken to Floyd Valley Healthcare by the Remsen Ambulance. Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office confirms that one person had died as a result of the
accident. No additional information is being released at this time until the investigation has progressed and the next of kin has been notified.
Assisting at the scene were the Remsen Fire Department, Remsen Ambulance, Remsen Police, Kingsley Police, Le Mars Police, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, and Iowa Department of Transportation Maintenance. Immediately following the accident, Highway 3
was closed with detours in place. The accident remains under investigation by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Le Mars Police Department’s accident investigation team.
(Cherokee) — The other accident also happened on Highway 3 in Cherokee County between Remsen and Marcus involving a semi truck and a vehicle. Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reported in their traffic accident investigation summary that at about 4:28 p.m. on Highway 3, near C Avenue, 73-year old
Rapheal Marx of Remsen was heading eastbound on Highway 3 and slowed down because of a vehicle ahead of him indicated it was about to make a turn.
Following Marx was an International semi truck with a trailer being driven by 21-year old Dreysen Lindgren of Kingsley. According to the report, Lindgren said he was distracted, and then noticed the Marx vehicle had slowed down.
Lindgren says he then locked up his brakes and rear-ended the Marx Nissan pickup truck causing Marx to spin around on the highway. Lindgren’s semi truck and trailer then jack-knifed into the south ditch. Marx was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare by the Marcus Ambulance with what was believed to be serious injuries.
Le Mars Fire And Rescue Department Issues September Report
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department has issued its September monthly report. All total, firefighters responded to 58 calls in September.
Of the 58 total, there were 14 fires and 15 rescues. 21 times the Le Mars Fire Department was asked to conduct an investigation consisting of odor investigations, alarms, or illegal burning. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department assisted the Oyens Fire Department twice during September for mutual aid responses. The local fire department had requests for services on
six different occasions. During September, 67 people were taught and certified in confined space entry, that included city staff and industry staff.
Purchasing Reusable Bags At Hy-Vee Will Benefit Fire Department
(Le Mars) — During the entire month of October, when you purchase a red colored Hy-Vee canvas reusable shopping bag, you will be helping the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department. The bags cost $2.50 each, but with every bag purchased, one dollar will go to the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department.
Sioux County Fire Departments Busy With Field Fires
(Sioux Center) — Field fires have posed a problem for Sioux County fire departments this week. Due to the extreme dry conditions, and combined with the strong winds from the last few days, firefighters have had to battle at least five large fires that have destroyed numerous acres of cropland. Dave Van Holland is the fire chief for the Sioux Center Fire Department. He says
with the fires that occurred on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday, seven different fire departments were called to assist with those fires. He says many times the farmers may not even realize their equipment is starting a field fire.
Van Holland says firefighters have been assisted by farmers with large four-wheel drive tractors hooked up to large tillage disks. However, he says with all the smoke that is produced with the fires, he worries about the safety of those farmers wanting to help.
Van Holland offers a suggestion to farmers who feel they need to harvest during these extreme dry days with strong winds blowing.
The Sioux Center fire chief estimates with all the field fires from this week he believes that more than 100 acres have been burnt.
University of Iowa President To Retire
(Iowa City, IA) — University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld has announced he is retiring and will do so as soon as the Board of Regents can name a replacement. Harreld’s retirement announcement comes as the U-I struggles with budget issues that began before, and were made worse by the COVID-19
pandemic. Harreld became the University of Iowa’s 21st president in November 2015. The hiring process came under fire from the faculty and one of the members of the Board of Regents at the time — who said it looked like the hiring was predetermined. The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet next
Monday to discuss the search process.
Des Moines School Board Approves Plan For In-Person Learning
(Des Moines, IA) — The Des Moines Public Schools will start returning for in-person classes on October 12th with pre-school kids and other grade levels will return in the following weeks. Des Moines was the only district in the state to not have a plan that meets state guidelines. The district’s school board voted six-to-one last (Wednesday) night for a set of guidelines about
when classes should shift back to online only. That metric is a two-week average showing at least 15 percent of people in the county who’ve taken tests are found to have Covid. Until Des Moines Public School classes are in-person at least half of the time, school days won’t count toward the state’s required instructional time.
Cool Weather Could Bring Frost
(Johnston, IA) — The first night of October 2020 will be a chilly one. Forecasters say a cold front is moving over Iowa today (Thursday) in what may be the beginning of the end of warm weather for the season. National Weather Service Meteorologist, Craig Cogil (COE-gill), says a frost advisory is now posted across the northwestern two-thirds to three-quarters of Iowa for tonight. He says temperatures will drop down into the low to mid-30s under clear skies. He says the frost we’re expecting tonight and is not a hard or “killing” freeze that signals the end of the growing season.
Casey’s Rolls Out New Branding
(Ankeny, IA) — The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store chain is rolling out a new logo and look. The new logo has a script Casey’s over a red background and it drops the previous “general store” wording that had been on the old logo. The chain is using the new logo for its 22-hundred stores in 16 states. The stores will use the “Here for Good” tagline which the company says shows they are ready for expansion through enhanced online ordering and delivery services, curbside pickup.
