Home News KLEM News July 17, 2010

KLEM News July 17, 2010

(LE MARS)–Food donations are being accepted at the Plymouth  County Farm Service Agency office in Le Mars.

Jeff Davis of the Plymouth County Farm Service Agency says the food drive is part of the “Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families” program.

The food drive began as a response to the United We Serve Act encouraging the public to dedicate their summer to community service. The summer months are times when school nutrition programs come to an end until fall. U-S-D-A employees are stepping in to help meet the demand for non-perishable food.

Davis says the goal is to collect 1.2 million pounds of food nationwide. He describes the food drive as a great opportunity to give back to the communities.

Food donations may be dropped off at the F-S-A office at 1100 12th Street Southwest form 8-4:30 Monday through Friday through August 31st.

Boy Scout project for military families

(LE MARS)–A Le Mars Boy Scout is planning a free, overnight weekend campout for area military families next month.

Troop 188 Boy Scout Spenser Harms chose “Camp Noble Cause”‘  to honor military families as a project for his  Eagle Scout award. 

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Harms hosts the camp for military families  at Little Sioux Scout Ranch, about 40 miles from Sioux City, August 7-8.

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He began the project planning in February to get approval from the Scout organization. He received a donation from Wells’ Dairy that includes promoting the project.

Harms cites leadership as one skill he’s honed with the Eagle Scout Project.

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To register, visit https://macsecure.waittinteractive.com/forms/form45.aspx.

Information is available by emailing eaglebound23@hotmail.com

The son of Michael Harms and Dawn Harms will  be a sophomore at Le Mars Community this fall.

November Gala for Floyd Valley Hospital

(LE MARS)–The first Floyd Valley Hospital Foundation Gala is this fall.

The hospital foundation and Gala Committee Friday announced plans for the November 6th fundraiser at the Le Mars Convention Center.The community event is a benefit for hospital services.

The theme for the fall Gala is “Shall We Dance.” Music will be provided by Hundred Proof Band of Sac City. The band plays 50′-90’s rock, with a little new rock, country and blues. The community event is a benefit for hospital services.

Hospital and Foundation Board member and Gala co-chair Larry Petersen says “building and promoting the hospital foundation strengthens not only the local hospital, but the entire community.” Co-chair Bill Bomgaars says, “Past efforts have helped the hospital purchase equipment and offer additional services for the community.” Looking ahead, the foundation wants to be sure the hospital can continue to serve the community with all their health care needs.

Tickets for $50 each are available from Ruth Farley or Elvira Nielsen.

Contractor smoothing out the bumps on Business Highway 75

(LE MARS)–Fresh asphalt paving is part of summer road work in Le Mars.

City administrator Scott Langel says Barkley Asphalt will repair a curb and gutter section near the Le Mars Convention Center on Third Avenue East/South as well as hardsurfacing a road in Resthaven Cemetery. The contractor is repairing Business Highway 75, too.

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Langel asks drivers to be courteous to asphalt workers on Business 75 describing it as a moving train of work from the south end to the north and then turning around to do the southbound lanes.

Knife River is the contractor for the intersection of Highways 3 and 75 and city officials asked that the contractor begin after the Plymouth County Fair.

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Langel expects that work to start in mid-August.

Bishop’s Dinner to be chaired by Storm Lake couple

(SIOUX CITY)–A Storm Lake couple will lead a fund raiser for Catholic education in SIouxland.

Each year, Bishop Walker Nickless of the Diocese of Sioux City chooses a couple to chair the dinner based on involvement with one or more of the eight Catholic high schools and 17 grade schools in the Diocese.

Dr. Troy and Grace Ivey of Storm Lake will chair the 14th annual Bishop’s Dinner October 10th.

The Iveys have four children and the family is active at St. Mary’s Catholic School and parish. They say they believe Catholic schools are a vital part of a child’s education. Dr. Ivey, a general surgeon in Storm Lake, says the Iveys feel Catholic education develops a real, strong respect in their children as well as the core values that they need to go on in life.

The Rev. Joe Krupp will deliver the keynote address at the Bishop’s Dinner. The annual fundraiser supports more than six-thousand students who attend Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City. Ticket sales begin August 23rd.

Dems paid for ads calling Branstad liberal

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Advertisements that labeled Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad a liberal before June’s primary were paid for by Democrats.

A group called Iowans for Responsible Government paid for the ads, which argued that Branstad should stand with leading Democratic figures Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton.

Leaders of the group wouldn’t identify financial backers, but a federal disclosure report filed Thursday says nearly $800,000 in funding came from the Democratic Governors Association.

Branstad won June’s Republican primary with 50 percent of the vote, beating Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts.

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

Propane grill blamed for Urbandale fire


URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) Investigators have determined a gas leak in a propane grill caused a fire that displaced dozens of residents of a Urbandale condominium.

Investigators say the fire started on the balcony of a third floor unit of a building in the Plumwood Terrace Condominiums.

The fire was ignited when a resident tried to light the grill. The fire spread from a valve area to the building.

Urbandale Fire Chief Jerry Holt said Friday the blaze, which required more than 77 firefighters and EMS personnel from 12 departments to bring under control, caused about $2.5 million in damage.

The third floor of the building sustained heavy fire damage, while the lower two floors had heavy smoke and water damage.

The underground garage also sustained heavy water damage.

Thefts from boats reported on Clear Lake

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) Authorities in Cerro Gordo County say a string of thefts from boats on Clear Lake continues.

Sheriff Kevin Pals says two more thefts were reported Friday, bringing to 13 thefts from boats reported since June 5.

According to Pals, the thieves have taken radios, stereos and in one case, a boat seat.

Pals says a witness on Thursday reported he saw an unfamiliar adult male walking away from a dock, but his identity could not be determined.

Authorities say putting a stop to the thefts is made difficult by the inability to lock the boats.

Pals is urging boat owners to be aware of the thefts, but to not become involved if they believe a theft is in progress.

Group: 2 KC boys found in Iowa pool couldn’t swim

PELLA, Iowa (AP) A spokesman for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes says two boys who apparently drowned at a pool in Pella could not swim.

Police identified the boys as 14-year-old Gael Paulette, also known as Gael Chrispin, and 15-year-old Nehmson Sanon, both from Kansas City, Mo.

Organization spokesman Tom Rogeberg (ROW’-guh-berg) on Friday says both boys told officials as well as team leaders at the pool that they could swim. But permission forms signed by the boys’ parents said they were “non-swimmers.”

Rogeberg says the waivers were not brought to the pool for Wednesday night’s swim at the Pella Aquatic Center.

The boys were attending a sports camp at Central College organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Warnings of military care package scam
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ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) Authorities are warning western Iowa residents about a possible scam involving care packages for military members serving overseas.

Sgt. Dwayne Ritchie of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department says two people, one brandishing military ID, were spotted this week going door-to-door asking for care packages for those serving in Iraq. In some cases, the men asked for money in lieu of a care package.

Ritchie says while the military does conduct such fundraisers to support the troops, it doesn’t do it the way the men in question were doing. He says the men went to the Underwood City Hall to inquire about a permit to solicit door to door, but didn’t receive one.

Ritchie says anyone suspecting servicemen or those claiming to be servicemen conducting unauthorized solicitations should contact police.

Landlord fined for discrimination
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WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says an administrative law judge has ordered an Iowa landlord to pay $52,000 in damages and penalties to resolve a discrimination case.

In November 2008, a mother of three alleged Cedar Rapids landlord Robert Miell refused to rent her a three-bedroom apartment and unjustly charged her a higher security deposit because of her sex.

Although HUD found no evidence of sex discrimination, it claimed Miell and a management company unlawfully retaliated against the tenant by terminating her lease and attempting to evict her because she filed a housing discrimination complaint.

An administrative law judge awarded the tenant and her family $20,150 in damages and assessed a civil penalty of $32,000 against Miell and his management corporation.

Telephone calls to Miell for comment went unanswered Friday.

Before Special Olympics in Neb., an aerial ballet

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) A massive airlift requiring intricate and graceful moves that officials liken to a ballet will bring athletes from around the country to Lincoln on Saturday to participate in the Special Olympics.

During a news conference Friday, Jack Pelton, CEO of airplane maker Cessna, described the airlift as an “amazing, complex set of logistics.”

A plane will land at the Lincoln Airport about every two minutes carrying some of the 3,000 athletes competing in the Special Olympics. There will be about 160 landings at the airport, all done by pilots volunteering their time and money to help put on the event.

Among those pilots will be actor Harrison Ford.

The opening ceremony for the Special Olympics is Sunday. Competitions also begin then.

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

Submit your news release, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm.net, by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.