(LE MARS)–Choices for designs for a park area in southwest Le Mars may be narrowed to a smaller number by the Le Mars Park Committee today.
The Park Committee is prioritizing designs from I-S-U Landscape Architecture students who studied the city land as a class project. They visited the community, the area south of West Floyd Park, and hosted a public meeting to gather ideas earlier this year.
City Administrator Scott Langel expects the the Park Committee to provide direction for some specific I-S-U landscape architecture class proposals for the public’s thoughts.
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After those Park Committee choices, Langel says the I-S-U College of Design will formalize those three or four in a large poster to be placed in public places such as City Hall, the Council Chambers and Library.
(LE MARS)–Weather will determine when the Plymouth County Courthouse Annex building construction is complete.
The general contractor for the 637-thousand dollar office, storm shelter and storage building is H-C-I of South Sioux City. H-C-I construction manager Tom Koob has broken the project down to about 160 days, but he says it could spread out to 250 days, depending on winter weather.
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Koob explained the wall construction plans.
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To facilitate construction, the Recycling Dumpster was relocated to the north side of the Emergency Management location at 127 Third Street Northeast.
Courthouse parking will be most available on the north and west side of the building now because a contractor is replacing windows in the Courthouse. The southeast door to the lower level has been opened as an entrance so those entering from the south and east won’t need to walk through the window work underway on the east side of the historic building.
Santorum makes northwest Iowa stops
(SIOUX CITY)–Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum visits Iowa this week. He’ll start his fifth round of appearances in the state with stops in northwest Iowa.
The Republican is chairman of America’s Foundation. The foundation’s website describes the foundation as the political action committee of the former Senator who is committed to helping candidates and causes who share his commitment to conservative principles.
Santorum will join Congressman Steve King for an event for King’s Political Action Committee, Conservative Principles. King and Santorum will be at the Stoney Creek Inn from 5:30-7 tonight (Monday).
Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning Santorum attends a breakfast on behalf of Republican candidate for Attorney General, Brenna Findley. The campaign event is at the Ridge Golf Course in Sioux Center from 8-9 Tuesday morning.
He’ll be in Milford, Ames and Des Moines later this week. The visit ends after stops at both the Iowa Pork Producers tent and the Republican Party of Iowa’s booth at the State Fair Wednesday afternoon.
UNMC, Northeast Community team up for nursing
NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) The University of Nebraska Medical Center has partnered with Northeast Community College for a new nursing program in Norfolk.
Courses at the new J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh College of Nursing on Northeast’s campus will be offered starting this fall.
The college will offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from UNMC, as well as house Northeast’s two-year nursing program.
UNMC says the 43,747-square-foot nursing facility was paid for through a $11.9 million capital campaign.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Names of victims in fatal Iowa crash released
COLFAX, Iowa (AP) The Iowa State Patrol has released the names of four of the six people killed in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 in Jasper County.
Spokeswoman Courtney Greene says it appears that 19-year-old Do Taw of Utica, N.Y., fell asleep at the wheel of a westbound minivan Saturday morning, hit a semi and crossed the median.
The van was then struck head-on by an eastbound car.
The driver of that car, 41-year-old Kenneth Payetta of Whitby, Ontario, was killed, as was a 16-year-old passenger whose name wasn’t released.
Three others killed were: 18-year-old Hai Seu Moo of Albany, N.Y.; 20-year-old Ba Du La of Utica, N.Y.; and 19-year-old Toh Toh of Pittsburgh.
A 6-year-old was also killed, and a 14-year-old is in critical condition.
Taw was also injured.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Public preschool is pricey for some Iowa parents
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) For some Iowa parents, the state’s push for public preschool will come at a high cost.
Districts statewide will be charging tuition for 4-year-old students this fall, and some schools are charging more than $100 a month.
The charges come despite nearly $65 million in taxpayer funding for public preschool.
Critics say parents shouldn’t be footing the bill for something the state has promised to pay for.
Gov. Chet Culver, a former teacher, signed a multimillion-dollar package of legislation in 2007 that was intended to make preschool available to most 4-year-olds in Iowa.
Under the legislation, participation is voluntary, and parents aren’t required to send children to preschool.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
The tap water in Ames is safe to drink again.
(AMES, Iowa)–Ames officials lifted the boil order at a news conference Sunday.
The city was forced to shut down its water system Wednesday after broken water mains were discovered as a creek and river flooded large swaths of the city.
By Thursday, residents were allowed to use small amounts of water for showering or flushing toilets. Crews have repaired or isolated the broken mains.
John Dunn, the city’s water and pollution control director, says there are no remaining restrictions on water.
Officials say residents should clear their plumbing systems by running faucets until the water turns cold.
Dishwashers should be run once with no dishes, and the first two batches of ice from icemakers should be discarded.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
2 Iowa men charged after rescue from flooded car
BRIGHTON, Iowa (AP) Two eastern Iowa men face trespassing charges after authorities rescued them from a submerged vehicle in Brighton.
Authorities say emergency crews in boats rescued 19-year-old Jake Franckowiak, who was driving, and his 20-year-old passenger, Michael Dice late Saturday. Both are from Washington.
The men had driven into water over a Brighton roadway that authorities had closed.
A third person who called 911 for the men said they heard yelling coming from the car.
Both men were charged with trespassing. Franckowiak was also charged with failure to obey a traffic control device.
It was not immediately clear whether the men have attorneys.
A day earlier, a 17-year-old Brighton driver was rescued from the same location. He was not charged.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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