Fire Prevention Week Focuses On Kitchen Fires
(Le Mars) — During this National Fire Prevention Week, now is a good time to check your home, and make certain it is safe against fires. Nearly half of the fires that start in a home are from the kitchen. Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department has had to respond to a number of kitchen-related fires.
Schipper offers some tips as to how people can help keep their home safe from fires.
(photos contributed.)
The Le Mars Fire Chief reminds people that to frequently check your smoke detectors and to always make certain the smoke detectors are in working condition.
Schipper reminds families to have two ways of escaping your home in case of a fire, and to practice home fire drills, and to establish a common meeting place that each of your family members know where to gather.
State Officials Pleased To See A Budget Surplus
(Le Mars) — It may have been a bit of a surprise to state government officials when the Revenue Estimating Commission announced last week that Iowa had a surplus of revenue funds. Many had thought with the COVID-19 virus, and the disruptions it has caused, including large unemployment, that the state’s revenue numbers would have been in the negative. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during her visit to Le Mars last Friday spoke to KLEM news about the budget surplus.
Reynolds says Iowa’s economy has been able to rebound much quicker from the COVID-19 virus than many other states.
Corrections Testing At Clarinda Prison
(Clarinda, IA) — The Iowa Department of Corrections is conducting mass testing at the Clarinda prison to gauge the scale of a potential coronavirus outbreak. Staff conducted mass testing Tuesday according to Department of Corrections Director Beth Skinner. As of October 4th, a total of 38 prisoners and five staffers there had contracted COVID-19. Additional testing is also being done at the prison in Mount Pleasant, where some 438 were infected, though the department says a majority are considered recovered. The department says four prisoners have died after contracting the disease.
Charges Filed Against 2 People In Death Of Indianola Newborn
(Indianola, IA) — Warren County prosecutors have filed charges of child endangerment resulting in death against two people. Thirty-one-year-old Amber Nicole Phillips and 29-year-old Gregory Burton Rodee were charged in the June death of a newborn child in Indianola. Authorities were called to a home about a child who had stopped breathing. Emergency responders say the parents denied care and transport for the infant who had been born about 20 minutes earlier. An autopsy found the child had drugs in its system. Doctors said the concentrations were consistent with the mother being addicted to drugs – and those drugs caused a respiratory failure for the victim.
Teacher Placed On Leave For Assaulted Student Who Was TPing His Home
(Van Meter, IA) — A middle school science teacher and assistant football coach in the Van Meter School District has been placed on leave for allegedly assaulting a student. Investigators say Joel Bartz confronted a group of students as they were trying to cover his home in toilet paper. Bartz has been charged with assault and criminal mischief. He’s accused of tearing one teenager’s shirt, then hitting him in the head several times. The extent of the injuries suffered hasn’t been released.
Teens Caused Dallas County Explosion Heard Miles Away
(Woodward, IA) — The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office says it started receiving multiple calls about an explosion people had heard Tuesday at about 8:00 p-m. The blast was heard from miles away. An investigation revealed a group of teenagers had blown up some Tannerite on private property near Woodward. No injuries or damages were caused. Reports about the explosion were submitted from as far away as Madrid and Perry. Authorities say no charges will be filed.
