(LE MARS)–The process to recover the costs of recovering from a severe winter storm in Le Mars is in progress.
Assistant city administrator Bill Cole was part of a meeting with State of Iowa and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff in Le Mars. Cole says the purpose of the meeting that also included Remsen and Kingsley was to make sure the cities could start compiling all the data that is needed.
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“The next step now within the next couple of weeks will be to actually meet with a project manager from FEMA. At that point we’ll go through all the line item detail. The way the disaster aid works is the disaster period is actually from December 23rd to December 27th. But for FEMA you’re only allowed to pick a 48 hour period so we selected Dec. 26th and December 27th. So that’s what we base our numbers off of –any overtime that occurred during that two day period,” Cole explains.
Cole says the city has collected all the data with one exception.
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“There was some damage done to the Fire Station roof and we’re still waiting to hear from the insurance company as far as how much of that will be covered, and, if we can we recoup any of that from the FEMA money,” Cole says
President Obama added Plymouth County to a Disaster Declaration March 19th.
(LE MARS)–A recommendation to fill the City of Le Mars Fire Chief will be considered by the City Council tomorrow.
The vacancy will occur when Fire Chief Wayne Schipper retires.
Thirty-one people from 15 states applied for the full-time position. Five finalists were selected by the Fire Chief Interview Committee and were in Le Mars for a full day of interviews and tours earlier this month.
According to the Council Agenda, the committee is recommending Dave Schipper as the next fire chief with details about pay, benefits and timing to be available at the meeting tomorrow prior to any vote.
Dave Schipper of Spencer is a deputy state fire marshal, is a Le Mars native and is the son of the current fire chief.
(SIOUX CITY)–There’s a new record for membership in the Western Iowa Tech Community College Institute for Lifelong Learning.
The institute offers classes, trips, events and opportunities to socialize.
In the current school year, 854 people have enrolled as members which is up from an all-time record of 844 a year ago.
Fiona Valentine is the coordinator for the institute and says the growth reflects the wide range of programs which increase in number every year as well as people’s desire for discovery and adventure. According to Valentine, you can study everything from Buddhism to architecture.
She says another factor driving the rise in membership is a shift in the outlook and lifestyle of baby boomers.
(SIOUX CITY)–A Siouxland college will honor two men for their contributions to the school.
Morningside College will present honorary degrees in addition to about 460 graduate and undergraduate degrees at its 112th spring commencement May 8th.
Graduation is slated for the campus lawn in front of the Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Learning Center.
Featured speakers are Douglas Palmer of Sioux City and Scott Bennett of Urbana, Illinois. Both men will receive honorary degrees.
Palmer is receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree after serving as chair of the Morningside College Board of Directors from 2002 to 2004 and serving on the college board from 1993 to 2007. He is president of Tegra Corporation, formerly known as Terminal Grain.
Scott Bennett will receive the Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his work to help plan the renovation of the college’s library and his library space planning collaborations with colleges and universities throughout the United States and internationally.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Republicans and Democrats say the numbers are shaping up in their favor in the quest for control in the Legislature.
In the House, where Democrats now hold a majority, there will be 15 races with no incumbent on the ballot. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy notes that Democrats now hold nine of those seats.
For Republicans to gain a majority, they would need to pick up 13 of those seats, assuming all incumbent Democrats win.
In the Senate, Republicans note that Democrats will defend 19 seats and Republicans just six.
Those numbers plus a climate many think will benefit Republicans has Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley feeling optimistic.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) It’s Des Moines Navy Week.
Free events start Monday and run through Saturday. The idea is to increase understanding of the Navy and showcase officers and sailors who serve in the local community.
That includes concerts, skydiving jumps by the Leap Frogs Navy Parachute Team, community service activities and music clinics with Horizon, the Navy rock band.
About 20 similar weeks take places in cities nationwide each year.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Here’s your chance to help clean up Cedar Rapids. City officials are holding a community cleanup day on May 1.
The city’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division is encouraging volunteers to clean up neighborhoods and I-380 on that day.
Until then, the agency says it is offering several other volunteer cleanup programs.
Participants in the Mint-Green Bag Program complete an application and get mint-green color bags and gloves for picking up waste throughout the year. The bags are picked up with regular garbage at no extra charge.
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) Authorities are investigating a car accident that left an 86-year-old Mason City man dead.
Mason City police say Roger Kingland lost control of his vehicle around 3 p.m. Saturday and crashed into a utility pole. He was the only person in the car.
Kingland was taken to Mercy Medical Center and pronounced dead.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) The flood-damaged Czech Slovak Museum and Library has a temporary new home in Cedar Rapids.
The museum is located on the banks of the Cedar River, which has made it vulnerable to flooding. In 2008, eight feet of water inundated the building and destroyed many valuable piece of the museum’s collection.
Museum officials say the old building will be upgraded and expanded to withstand higher water levels. The move back is scheduled for 2012.
The temporary location is the Kosek Building in Cedar Rapids. Hundreds attended the opening on Saturday.
The temporary location includes a new multimedia exhibit called “Rising Above: The Story of a People and the Flood.”
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URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has called for a new economic bill of rights he says will trim back government he believes has spiraled out of control and grown too large.
The Republican stopped Saturday in Iowa, the state which traditionally launches the presidential nominating season.
He says President Barack Obama has breathed new energy into the conservative movement within his first year in office.
Pawlenty’s latest swing through the state took him before a “Tax Day” meeting of the group Iowans for Tax Relief, a large anti-tax group that’s a powerful force in the state’s Republican politics.
He pointed to his record in Minnesota, and vowed to spread those efforts.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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