Home News KLEM News AM Update April 6, 2010

KLEM News AM Update April 6, 2010

(LE MARS)–No one was injured during a fire at a house in southeast Le Mars Monday afternoon.

Le Mars Fire-Rescue and Police Departments responded to the fire at the Dustin Johnson residence at 435 Third Avenue Southeast about 4:15 Monday afternoon.

Fire-Rescue Chief Wayne Schipper says Johnson reported the fire.

“The owner was home, smelled smoke and he noticed the fire when he went to the basement so he got out of the home and notified the fire department,” Schipper explains.

Schipper says the fire was in the basement of the two-story house.

“Some wiring had shorted out and got the ceiling joist on fire and a little bit of the dropped ceiling. It was confined to that. The house received quite a bit of smoke, though,” Schipper says.

Firefighters were out on the call for about an hour but most of that time was spent de-smoking the house. MidAmerican Energy assisted the fire-rescue department.

(LEMARS)– A public hearing date for comments on plans to issue just over three-and-a-half million dollars in General Obligation Local Option Sales Tax Refunding Bonds will be set by the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors at their regular meeting Tuesday morning. The supervisors will review leases for county facilities with the Pride Group’s Residential Care Facility and Pride 1. Also on the agenda, a proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness month. The board will review the 5-year Road Program proposal prepared by Engineer Tom Rohe. Proposed zoning changes, including wind turbines and fees for zoning. will be presented by zoning administrator Alan Lucken. The Board will also consider a proclamation for “Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”

The Board of Supervisors will meet at 9:30 am Tuesday morning in the lower level of the Plymouth County Courthouse. (News report by Dave Ruden)

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Agenda:

9:30 AMJim Henrich, Plymouth County Board Chairman
Call meeting to order
Approve this agenda (Action)
Approval of prior Board meeting minutes (Action)
Approval of claims and payroll (Signatures)
Committee Reports (Discussion)
Old Business
A.Review RCF and Pride I leases for approval (Discussion & Action)
New Business
A. Set public hearing date to propose to take action for the issuance of not to exceed
$3,520,000 General Obligation Local Option Sales Tax Refunding Bonds (Action)
B. Open and review mail/correspondence (Discussion)
C. Open public forum (Informational)

10:00 AMBoard of Supervisors – Read proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness month (Informational)

10:15 AMAlan Lucken, Plymouth County Zoning Administrator – Present zoning ordinance amendments for approval and rate changes (Discussion and Action)

11:15 AMBoard of Supervisors – Discuss placement of rural mailboxes on county roadways (Discussion and possible action)

11:45 AM Tom Rohe, Plymouth County Engineer
(Action Items)
None

(Discussion Items)
Questions/Discussion of the Secondary Road Department
1. Review the construction program

(Informational Items)
Update on construction projects

www.co.plymouth.ia.us

(LE MARS)–The Le Mars City Council today considers solutions to traffic congestion on Lincoln Street Southeast.

According to the Council agenda, the congestion has become a concern because of the parking on both sides of the street and the numerous streets and alleys that enter Lincoln Street Southeast. A recommendation to reduce that will be given to the Council at the meeting by city staff.

An option to reduce the cost of borrowed money will be considered. The council will be asked to set a hearing for comments from the public on a loan agreement not to exceed two-million 150-thousand dollars. The recommendation to refinance general obligation bonds issued in 2002 and 2003 is estimated to save 91-thousand dollars.

Regulations that keep water out of the city of Le Mars sewer system will be discussed during the Council’s noon meeting today.

City code does not allow sump pumps to be drained into the sanitary sewer system. City staff will provide information on sump pump regulations and enforcement at the meeting.

The council is expected to close its meeting to the public to discuss the purchase of real estate and employment conditions for city employees who are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.

Other agenda items include leases for public works equipment and a contract for earthwork in industrial areas by Northwest Iowa Community College students.

 

NOTE: AGENDA ORDER SUBJECT TO CHANGE

LE MARS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010, 12:00 P.M. AGENDA

A. CALL TO ORDER – MAYOR ROLL CALL – CITY CLERK COUNCILMEMBERS: NELSON_____, KNAPP_____ REXWINKEL_____, LEONARD______, IHRKE_______

B. GENERAL DISCUSSION

1 Citizens

2. “Thumbs Up” Award

C. CONSENT ITEMS

All items listed under “Consent” Agenda will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on those items unless a request is made prior to the time the Council votes on the motion.

1. Approval of March 16 Regular & March 19, 2010 Special Meeting Minutes

2. List of Bills for Period Ending 3/31/10

3. Appointment

4. Renewal of Liquor License (Red Hanke)

5. Request to Close Street

6. Request for Signage at Ponds

7. Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) – Le Mars Water Department

8. Northwest Iowa Community College Earthwork Contract

9. Public Works Equipment Leases

D. ACTION ITEMS

1. STP Capital Project – Iowa 3 East Widening Project

2. Financing –Advance Refunding Previous Bond Issues

3. Lincoln Street Parking (Central to Plymouth)

4. Sump Pump Regulations/Enforcement

E. DISCUSSION

1. Council/Mayor

2. City Administrator/Public Works Director

 3. Assistant City Administrator

F. CLOSED SESSION 1. Purchase of Real Estate

G. ADJOURNMENT Employment Conditions (Per Iowa Code 21.9) The City Council will enter into a session to discuss matters relating to employment conditions of employees of the governmental body who are not covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement. This session is exempt from the open meetings law. Next Resolution No. 10-5 Next Ordinance No. 887

www.lemarsiowa.com/citygov/councilmeetings.htm

(LE MARS)–Volunteers for a Le Mars care provider will be honored.

Good Samaritan Society Le Mars will host a Volunteer week Luncheon April 21st at 2:30 p-m.

According to Amy Harnack of Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars, there are many volunteers who spend more than 100 hours a year in various tasks. They include delivering weekly snack carts to residents, calling out monthly bingo, or just coming in to reminisce. Many of the volunteers have been making a difference for more than 40 years.

(WASHINGTON)–Congressman Steve King is postponing two town hall meetings.

King’s press secretary announced the meetings planned for Wednesday will be rescheduled to April 19th. The town hall times for meetings in Sioux City and Council Bluffs will be determined later.

Both town halls will be open to the public.

WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Chuck Grassley says the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $517,078 in grants to two Iowa school districts.

According to Grassley, the money is coming from the Education Department’s foreign language assistance program.

The Bondurant Farrar Community School District will receive $214,102 for a project offering international courses to elementary students.

The Mid-Prairie Community Schools in Wellman will receive $149,538 for a project that teaches students about China and its language, and $153,438 for a project that teaches Spanish culture and language.

The Education Department says the intent of the grants is to help establish, improve, or expand innovative foreign language programs that show the promise of being continued for an extended period.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Des Moines police say they have charged a 25-year-old man with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife.

Police Sgt. Chris Scott says officers responding to a call of a domestic dispute Monday afternoon found 23-year-old Randi Gilmore dead of a gunshot wound in the rental home she shared with her husband and three children.

Scott says the husband, Donte Gilmore, was arrested in the yard and was being held Monday night at the Polk County Jail. Scott did not know if Donte Gilmore had an attorney.

Scott says the three children were home at the time of the shooting, and have been sent to live with relatives.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Linn County authorities say a 44-year-old Cedar Rapids-area man wanted on prostitution, pornography, and other charges has turned himself in.

Randal Mauderer turned himself in on Monday morning. He was booked into the Linn County Jail on charges of dissemination or exhibition of obscene materials to a minor, prostitution, and distribution of a controlled substance to persons under 18. He remains jailed on $24,300 cash bail.

Cedar Rapids Police Sgt. Christy Hamblin says Mauderer was found to have shown photographs of nude males in sex acts on his computer to a 15-year-old male, offered a 15-year-old male money in exchange for a sex act, and provided marijuana to a 15-year-old male on numerous occasions.

Linn County authorities say they do not know if Mauderer has an attorney.

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) Authorities in the Iowa City area say they arrested a Chicago man for eluding deputies at speeds of 120 miles per hour and attempting to strike one of them with his car.

An off-duty Johnson County Deputy reported a vehicle driving recklessly on Interstate 380 Sunday evening. An on-duty deputy located the vehicle, driven by 38-year-old Ronnelle Thurman, and attempted to pull him over.

Police said Thurman initially complied, but then drove off, reaching speeds more than 120 miles per hour. The chase ended when Thurman crashed his car, but he allegedly attempted to hit one deputy with the disabled vehicle.

Thurman was charged with drunken driving, reckless driving, eluding, assaulting police officers with a weapon, interference with official acts and possession of drug paraphernalia.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) An Iowa man who possessed child pornography on his computer has entered a guilty plea in federal court at Cedar Rapids.

Thirty-year-old Kyle Conry of Dyersville entered the plea Monday to one count of possessing child pornography.

When he is sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda Reade, Conry faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Johnson County authorities say the trial for a 17-year-old transient charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of an Iowa City landlord has been reset for September 20.

Court officials set the new court date Monday for defendant Charles William Curtis Thompson.

Thompson, who has no permanent address, was charged following a nearly four-month investigation after 64-year-old John Versypt, of Cordova, Ill, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head last Oct. 8 in the hallway of a building he owned.

Iowa City police Sgt. Denise Brotherton says several witnesses identified Thompson as being involved in the homicide. Brotherton also says Thompson’s clothing matched that of one of the people seen fleeing the area after Versypt was shot.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) An autopsy has confirmed that a body found at Coralville Reservoir is that of missing snowmobiler Martin Davis of rural Cedar Rapids.

The State Medical Examiner’s office used dental records Monday to identify the body of the 52-year-old Davis. The test shows that he died from drowning and that Davis’ death was accidental.

A kayaker found the body in the Coralville Lake early Friday afternoon.

Davis was last seen by his girlfriend on Jan. 3, 2010 when he had told her that he was going out for a ride on his snowmobile. Area law enforcement, plus dozens of volunteers, spent days searching the fields and ditches in the Coralville Lake area, but found nothing.

Authorities and family had worried that Davis’ snowmobile had fallen through the ice.

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) Floyd County has a new county attorney.

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors on Monday appointed Normand Klemesrud to succeed Jesse Marzen, whose law license has been suspended.

Klemesrud was named a special prosecutor by the board in March following Marzen’s suspension. He has filed papers to run for county attorney this year.

Marzen’s law license was suspended by the Iowa Supreme Court after it ruled he broke the rules when he engaged in a sexual relationship with a client before his election in 2006.

The court’s ruling cited a January 2006 child custody case filed by Victoria Nehls, who initiated the ethics complaint against Marzen, who has denied the charges.

Without a valid license, Marzen is not eligible to serve as county attorney under Iowa law.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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