(LE MARS)–Thunderstorms brought brief heavy downpours, high winds and hail to Siouxland late Wednesday afternoon and early Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service issued two Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for Plymouth County beginning at 5:15 Wednesday afternoon. The second warning was issued as the storm moved quickly through the area into the eastern part of the county.
Pea-sized hail was first reported at Akron. In the Brunsville area just after 5:30, wind gusts with the thunderstorm movement were estimated at 50-60 miles an hour. The high wind report was repeated at 6:15 Wednesday evening six miles northwest of Kingsley along with pea-sized hail.
Four miles south of Cleghorn winds gusting up to an estimated 60 miles an hour were reported. A weather report from the Washta area also included high winds and pea-sized hail.
Enrollment expected to change
(LE MARS)–The number of students in Le Mars Community School District classrooms this fall is down about 50.
The district takes an official count of students October 1 and reports that number to the Iowa Department of Education. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carl Turner says the student count this fall will include the Preschool enrollment. Although there are 20 students in the new program, the actual number the district can include in the report is 12 students.
School staff is working with open enrollments into and out of the district as they prepare for the enrollment count next month.
A factor in the decline is the difference between Kindergarten classes this fall and the class of 2010 this past May. Turner points to 173 students graduating last May and 130 in Kindergarten classrooms this fall.
Turner said the way the district counts home schooled students has also changed.
Chalk Art Festival returns to Le Mars this weekend
(LE MARS)–This weekend you’ll have the chance to draw on the streets and sidewalks of Le Mars! The Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Chalk Art Festival begins at 11am on Saturday morning.
Randy Becker of Le Mars is one of the featured artists this year. Last year Randy drew the Beatles, this year he said he’s sticking with the music theme by putting Jimi Hendrix on the pavement.
Listen here
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For Becker, chalk art is a new thing. His creation last year was his first time working with the medium. However, he is an artist by trade.
Listen here
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No stranger to chalk art is Mary Campbell of Bertram, Iowa. Mary is a retired art teacher who loves to work with pastels and got started with chalk about 4 years ago. Her works last year in Le Mars were President Obama and Jay Leno. She’ll make the 5 hour trek to Le Mars, from her home near Cedar Rapids, as one of the festival’s featured artists.
Listen here
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The featured children’s artist is Sydney Rand from Le Mars.
Come out to watch the artists or pick up some chalk and draw with friends and family. The Le Mars Chalk Art Festival is this Saturday 11am-6pm and Sunday 12n-5p at the Olson Cultural Events Center. There will be food vendors and live music on-site all weekend. If showers are threatening the day of the event, participants should bring a plastic drop cloth to cover their art. (News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)
Chalk art entertainment planned
(LE MARS)–Dancers, vocalists and bands will entertain during the 2nd annual Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Chalk Art Festival this weekend. Performances are at the Olson Cultural Event Center in downtown Le Mars.
According to Mary Reynolds, manager of the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Main Street program, B-L-T begins the musical performances Saturday morning at 11 followed by the Jammers at noon with hourly performances through 4 p-m. On Sunday, vocalist Allyn Anderson opens entertainment at noon followed by C-2-C and performers through 4 p.m.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
11 a.m. BLT
Noon The Jammers
1 p.m. The Turn Around
2 p.m. Last Chance Weekend
3 p.m. Sachem
4 p.m. Sachem
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Noon Allyn Anderson
1 p.m. C2C
2 p.m. BLT
3 p.m. The Dance Studio
4 p.m. Flute quartet
Fall clean up days offered through Saturday
(LE MARS)–This is day three of the city of Le Mars fall clean up days. Today through Saturday, Le Mars residents may take up to one-thousand pounds of throw away material to the rural Le Mars landfill without a fee.
Hours today and tomorrow are from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon. Saturday, the final day of the fall clean up, hours at the landfill are from eight in the morning until noon.
The fall clean up days were offered two days last week as well.
Iowan sentenced in accident that killed Neb. man
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) A Sioux City man accused in a deadly hit-and-run that killed a Nebraska man has been sentenced to 25 years.
Associated Press reports Ryan Deming was sentenced on Tuesday after pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in Woodbury County District Court.
Deming was charged in the death of 61-year-old Edward Miller, of Jackson, Neb., in December.
Police say Deming hit Miller as Miller was walking across a street in Sioux City. Police later found the car suspected of hitting Miller, and arrested Deming.
(COPYRIGHT 2010 BY ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
Senate leader predicts nonpartisan district maps
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal says the Legislature is likely to again approve new legislative and congressional maps drawn by nonpartisan staffers even though in the past that has resulted in a shift of power at the Statehouse.
The Council Bluffs Democrat says the process is already under way but it will likely be next summer before the job is completed, raising the possibility of a special legislative session to vote on the maps.
Nonpartisan staffers use census data to draw new boundaries as close as possible to being equal in population. They are prohibited by law from considering voter registration data or the location of an incumbent.
Lawmakers must approve or reject the maps. If they can’t agree, the maps are redrawn up to two more times before they can be amended.
UPS worker killed in Des Moines airport accident
Driver struck by trailer
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Police say a United Parcel Service employee is dead after he was hit by the trailer of a semi-truck at the Des Moines International Airport.
Police say 64-year-old Daniel Raber was opening a gate so the truck could make a delivery when the trailer struck him early Wednesday.
Raber was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Edwards says Raber was pinned by the trailer against a guard shack but not crushed. Raber then fell, and the rear wheels of the trailer ran over his legs.
Police say the 29-year-old semi driver was a student driver. His instructor was a passenger in the truck.
An autopsy was scheduled.
Northern Iowa man faces meth charge
RUDD, Iowa (AP) A northern Iowa man is under arrest and facing a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Law officers descended Wednesday on the home of 58-year-old David Neve near Rudd.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s says Neve was taken to Cedar Rapids and was awaiting a federal court hearing.
The Globe Gazette of Mason City reports the investigation involved local law enforcement, the FBI and federal narcotics officers and search dogs trained to look for explosives.
Court records say numerous weapons were found on the rural property during the search. The weapons appeared to be positioned to defend the property, and many were loaded with ammunition.
Court records also say a large amount of suspected “ice” methamphetamine was seized from a burn pile in the backyard.
Police investigate Cedar Rapids office burglaries
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Cedar Rapids police are investigating a string of office burglaries.
Police say electronics were taken from 22 offices in a downtown building over the weekend.
The Gazette of Cedar Rapids reports at least seven businesses at the Armstrong Centre were hit between late Friday and late Sunday.
Police reports say several laptop computers and a few digital cameras and TVs were taken from offices on the second floor.
Investigators don’t have any suspects and don’t know if more than one burglar was involved. Only a few of the offices had signs they were broken into.
The offices were not damaged.
Cedar Rapids parkade exit ramp deemed historic
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) A flood-damaged car park in Cedar Rapids headed for the wrecking ball could keep standing, for now.
The First Street Parkade in downtown Cedar Rapids was slated for demolition this fall. But the City Council learned Tuesday night that the 49-year-old structure may still be standing until next summer because of its historic status.
According to The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ruled last week that the parkade’s corkscrew-like exit ramp makes the structure historically significant.
Sandy Pumphrey, an engineer in the Public Works Department, told the council that doesn’t mean the parkade can’t and won’t be demolished, but developing a memorandum of agreement with FEMA could take up to nine months.
Shaw Newspapers to become Shaw Media in October
DIXON, Ill. (AP) Shaw Newspapers has announced it will change its name to Shaw Media starting Oct. 10.
The company publishes 60 newspapers, magazines and websites in Illinois and Iowa. Company officials said in a Monday news release that the new name will better reflect the company’s growth and strength in emerging media forms.
CEO Tom Shaw says newspapers are still at the core of the company, but the future will increasingly include various publishing platforms.
In 1851, Benjamin Flower Shaw published the first issue of The Dixon Telegraph and Herald and became the newspaper’s owner and editor.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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