(LE MARS)–Construction work to convert an former research and development building in downtown Le Mars into a medical service center begins tomorrow (Thursday).
Mike Donlin of the Le Mars Area Dialysis Services (LADS) Board expects a project superintendent for New Hope Builders to be in Le Mars for three or four months. New Hope Builders is a general contractor specializing in projects such as dialysis services.
On Tuesday, Donlin gave an update to the City Council which provided Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds for the remodeling project. Council member John Rexwinkel asked Donlin if budget numbers looked good.
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The Wells’ Dairy Tech Center donation by Wells’ Dairy to Le Mars Area Dialysis Services (LADS) was announced in June of 2008. The Board of Supervisors authorized a revolving loan of 250-thousand dollars from Plymouth County’s share of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) for the dialysis project last month (August). Supervisors were told the loan was the final piece of fund raising needed before remodeling could begin.
Le Mars residents threw it away
(LE MARS)–Le Mars residents threw away just over 83 tons of material during the Fall Clean Up Days this month.
According to a report from assistant city administrator Bill Cole, 304 citizens participated by taking or having up to one-thousand pounds of throw away materials taken to the rural Le Mars landfill. The fees are paid by the city.
The Plymouth County Solid Waste agency weighed 166-thousand 700 pounds of material during the amnesty.
The number of Le Mars residents who used the service is up about 100 from the 210 in the fall of last year. The weight of the materials, 83 tons, nearly doubled from 45 tons in 2009. The weight is the heaviest among both spring and fall clean up days since June of 2008.
The next clean up service in Le Mars is October sixth when household hazardous waste will be collected. The collection by the Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency is for Oyens and Le Mars residents and does not carry a fee
The Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency will collect household cleaners, home improvement supplies, pesticides, automotive products and other items such as batteries, pool and photo chemicals and artists paints. There is no charge for the service, but appointments will be needed by calling 548-4958.
The collection for Oyens and Le Mars is only on October 6th from 10 am to noon and from 1-5 p.m. at the City of Le Mars Street Department building.
Mayor: ‘Thumps Up’ for assistant library director
(LE MARS)–A tradition of “Thumbs Up awards during the Le Mars City Council meeting started by Council member Rex Knapp continues.
Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff Tuesday honored Roseann Hoss of the Le Mars Public Library staff. Kirchoff says Hoss, the assistant library director, will be honored for her 14 years of service during an open house next week.
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According to Kirchoff, Hoss will retire on September 30th which is one day after the open house at the Le Mars Public Library.
Egg CEO takes the fifth
WASHINGTON (AP) The owner of one of two Iowa egg farms linked to as many as 1,600 salmonella illnesses is citing the Fifth Amendment in declining to testify at a House hearing on the outbreak.
The CEO of Hillandale Farms, Orland Bethel, wouldn’t answer questions from the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on investigations.
The owner of the other farm, Austin “Jack” DeCoster, has told Congress that he was horrified that his products may have sickened so many people. His son is suggesting that the outbreak may not be their company’s fault.
The two companies together recalled more than a half-billion eggs in August.
Storm damages roof of Iowa school
SULLY, Iowa (AP) Clean up is under way at a middle school in the central Iowa town of Sully after a thunderstorm damaged the roof on the gym.
KCCI-TV reports the storm hit shortly before 1 p.m. on Tuesday during gym class and lunch. No one was hurt.
The National Weather Service says an air exchanger was ripped off the roof and about .25 of the roof was peeled back. A section of the roof was tossed 50 to 100 feet from the building. A window was also blown out.
Lynnville-Sully School Superintendent Shane Ehresman says classes will be held as normal on Wednesday, but areas deemed unsafe will blocked off.
Sully is about 50 miles east of Des Moines.
Inspection of Iowa pools to include lights
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A state official says inspections of Iowa’s swimming pools will include a check of the overhead and underwater lighting used a night.
The change comes after two boys drowned in July at the Pella Aquatic Center after dark.
At least half the of the pool’s lighting in the deep end didn’t meet state requirements. It’s unknown what role inadequate lighting played in the boys’ deaths.
The Des Moines Register on Wednesday reports that state officials say pool lighting plans have been reviewed only when state regulators review construction plans. No one has been checking during annual inspections to ensure that lights work.
Michael Magnant of the Iowa Department of Public Health says that’s an oversight.
The department is creating an inspection form that includes a section for pool lighting.
Iowa motel evacuated after crash
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) Waterloo police say crews have capped a natural gas line that ruptured at a motel after it was hit by a van that crashed into the building.
The crash happened at the Pine Tree Motel about 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Capt. Tim Pillack says the motel was evacuated, but no one was hurt. He says the guests weren’t allowed back and were given housing for the night.
Pillack on Wednesday says the driver of the van, Lionel Clark, of Cedar Falls, got into an argument with his girlfriend. He allegedly hit her, jumped into her van and then hit the motel.
Clark is charged with simple assault, drunken driving and operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. Clark remains in the Black Hawk County jail on $3,600 bond. Pillack did not know if Clark had an attorney.
Flood-damaged Cedar Rapid library on FEMA’s radar
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Federal disaster officials are due in Cedar Rapids to talk about federal support for the city’s plans to replace its flood-ruined public library.
The downtown library was damaged when the Cedar River swamped 10 miles of the city in 2008.
The city wants to build a new library away from the river, and has come up with three options. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the least-costly plan is a fourth option tearing down the existing library and rebuilding a new one there but on higher ground.
The city believed FEMA excluded that idea months ago.
The Gazette says Mayor Ron Corbett asked to meet with a regional FEMA official after the agency’s Iowa representatives said they couldn’t support the city’s decision. The meeting is on Wednesday.
UNI reading program receives $3M federal grant
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) A reading program at the University of Northern Iowa has received a more than $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The university in Cedar Falls announced the grant for its Reading Recovery Center. The school says more than 10,000 first graders who have trouble reading will receive literacy assistance over the next five years. The program runs for between 12 and 20 weeks and prepares teachers to work with students.
Salli Forbes is director of UNI’s Reading Recovery program. Forbes says with the funding the group can now prepare 50 new teachers to help 2,250 Iowa first graders every year for the next five years.
Iowa City OKs permit process for piano project
Iowa City, Iowa (AP) Look for more pianos on the sidewalks in downtown Iowa City.
The public-piano project is a hit, and the City Council on Tuesday approved a permit process to allow more pianos to be rolled out.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen says businessmen Marc Moen and Mark Ginsberg anchored two pianos to downtown sidewalks in July for anyone to play. The men are eyeing other locations.
The piano permits run from March 1 to Nov. 30 at city-approved locations.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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