Home News KLEM News PM Update May 20, 2010

KLEM News PM Update May 20, 2010

(LE MARS)–A Le Mars Community School District administrator is being honored at a retirement open house this afternoon.

Dave Horken has served as an elementary principal in the Le Mars Community School District for 27 years. He’ll retire at the end of this school year.

A retirement open house, open to the public, is at the Education Service Center, Large Board Room, this afternoon from 4-5:30.

(LE MARS)–Plans for the Plymouth County Courthouse annex were finalized at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday morning. Architect Dale Mc Kinney of M+ Architects, Sioux City, updated the board on last minute adjustments to the annex plans.

“But, everything that we talked about at the last meeting, including the storage underneath the ramp and stairs, that’s all been done. And I think we have all of I-T Shawn’s Olson’s things covered as well,” McKinney told the board.

“I think it looks good,” Supervisor Jim Henrich said.

“I think it looks great,” Supervisor Craig Anderson, the board’s liaison for the project said

“I like it,” Supervisor Don Kass added.

“What’s the roof material?” Auditor Stacey Feldman asked.

“Steel, raised metal steel,” Anderson answered. “Twenty-two to twenty-four gauge steel,” Kass added

Supervisor Craig Anderson asked Mc Kinney about the next steps.

“What’s next, Dale?” Anderson asked.

“I think if we’re ready to go it would be pulling the trigger on when we want to take bids,” McKinney said. “I think in past projects we’ve done together we’ve set a Wednesday or a Thursday bid date with Stacey at the auditor’s office accepting those bids and then put the package together and attended the following Tuesday board meeting with recommendations to you for you to review and accept or reject, whatever you choose to do.”

Bids for the board’s review are due by 2 pm, June 17 at the Plymouth County Courthouse. (News report by Dave Ruden)

(See the exterior building concept on the slide show on the home page of the KLEM Web page)

 

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) An Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company considering a wind turbine plant in Sioux City says it’s cutting jobs at its plant in Newton.

TPI Composites announced Wednesday it will reduce the workforce to 233 as it restructure operations. The company didn’t say how many workers would be affected.

TPI is required to create about 500 jobs in Newton by July to meet requirements for $2 million in state incentives for the plant.

The company says it plans to rehire and raise its Newton workforce to 400 by October and 500 by February.

TPI wants to build a plant employing 500 workers in Sioux City. On Thursday, a state board approved a $2.5 million forgivable loan for the Sioux City project. Members were optimistic the company would hit its promises in Newton.

(COPYRIGHT 2010 BY ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Clarke County Attorney Ronald Wheeler has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly lying to bankers about his finances during the purchase of a home in Ankeny.

Wheeler was indicted yesterday on two counts of making false statements to a financial institution. He pleaded not guilty.

Also charged is Russell Blessman, whose company bought and repaired properties.

Court documents say Wheeler conspired with Blessman to lie on bank documents about Wheeler’s bank balance and income.

The U.S. attorney’s office says Blessman is expected to make a court appearance in the next few weeks.

Wheeler said he would print a statement in a community newspaper next week and asked residents to “withhold judgment until the full story comes out.”

BOONE, Iowa (AP) Authorities have released the names of two teens involved in a deadly all-terrain vehicle crash near Boone.

The Boone County sheriff’s office say 17-year-old Adam Brekke of rural Boone was killed on Tuesday when the ATV he was driving came too close to a ravine, rolled off the edge and dropped 14-feet into a creek.

Brekke died at the scene.

A passenger, 17-year-old Alex Appenzeller of Boone was injured. He was taken to a Boone hospital where he was treated and released. IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Faculty members from the University of Iowa have embarked on a tour of the southeastern part of the state in an effort to learn more about areas outside of the Iowa City campus.

This week’s trip is called Faculty Engage-ment Corps and it’s the fifth annual trip to a different region of Iowa. This year’s two-day tour started Wednesday and will take 16 faculty members to Fort Madison, Burlington and Columbus Junction. On Wednesday the group visited a Siemens Energy plant and met with community leaders in Burlington.

On Thursday they plan to visit schools in Columbus Junction and visit Southeastern Community College. The trips started in 2006 as part of the Year of Public Engagement.

BROOKS, Iowa (AP) A teenager arrested after a standoff in Adams County where a homeowner and a deputy were shot faces additional charges.

Sixteen-year-old Daniel Beardsley is charged as an adult with two counts of attempted murder. He now faces robbery and assault charges.

Beardsley, a resident of a center for at-risk youths in Clarinda, surrendered after the standoff Monday night. He’s accused of shooting Matthew Herring and Deputy Jason Swanson. Both men are recovering.

Authorities say Beardsley was in a pickup truck on a trip away from the Clarinda Academy when he allegedly assaulted the driver and another passenger and then drove off in the truck.

Beardsley is charged with second-degree robbery and three counts assault in that incident.

NASHUA, Iowa (AP) Authorities say a worker at a grain elevator in northern Iowa was hospitalized after falling in an empty grain bin.

Officials say the worker fell about 60 feet and landed on the concrete floor. The accident happened on Wednesday at The Mill Inc. in Nashua.

 
Police Chief Ernie Willsher identifed the man as 18-year-old Keegan Henry, of Nashua.

Workers searched for nearly two hours before they found him.

Chickasaw County emergency management coordinator Ken Rasing says rescue crews had to lift Henry to the top of the silo and lower him back to the ground. He was taken to a Waterloo hospital.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) Interim North Dakota State University President Richard Hanson will be the next president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities made the appointment on the recommendation of Chancellor James H. McCormick. The 60-year-old Hanson on July 12 will replace Jon Quistgaard, who is retiring.

Hanson last December replaced Joseph Chapman, who resigned at NDSU after criticism of his spending. Hanson unsuccessfully applied to be Chapman’s permanent successor.

Hanson previously has worked at Waldorf College in Iowa; Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D.; and California State University, Chico.

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