Home News KLEM News AM Update September 28, 2010

KLEM News AM Update September 28, 2010

 (LE MARS) Plymouth County Supervisors get an update on construction projects during the weekly meeting today.

Engineer Tom Rohe is shortening the list of projects to follow as bridge, paving and culvert projects reach completion for the construction season.

Treasurer Linda Dobson will meet with the board to discuss a tax refund.

The board’s meeting at the Courthouse begins at 9:30 this (Tuesday) morning.

AGENDA 

Tuesday, September 28 2010

9:30 AMJim Henrich – Plymouth County Board Chairman
1.Call meeting to order
2.Approve this agenda (Action)
3.Approval of prior Board meeting minutes (Action)
4.Approval of claims and payroll (Signatures)
5. Committee Reports (Discussion)
6. Old Business
7. New Business
A. Open and review mail/correspondence (Discussion)
B. Open public forum (Informational)

10:00 AMLinda Dobson, Plymouth County Treasurer – Refundment of Erroneous Tax (Action)

10:15 AMTom Rohe, Plymouth County Engineer
1.Permits-CT Communications for Qwest Communications
Sec 16 Perry Twp
Sec 33 Perry Twp
Sec 35 Perry Twp
Sec 32 Washington Twp

(Discussion Items)

(Informational Items)
Update on construction projects

Forecast for record high river level at Akron downgraded

(AKRON)–There’s still a flood warning for the Big Sioux River at Akron and Hawarden, but the record river level prediction has been reduced. 

Volunteers were asked to help in Akron last night to fill sand bags for two areas on the city’s west side. The river at Akron is about seven feet above flood stage. The most recent reading was just below the stage where higher levees on the Iowa side of the river are in danger of being overtopped.

According to the National Weather Service at Sioux Falls today (Tuesday),  most locations along the Big Sioux have crested and river levels are beginning to slowly fall.

Moderate to major flooding will continue along the river through late week.

Emergency management and law enforcement continue to remind drivers they should not drive through water or on roads closed due to flooding.

CVB position change is designed to be “revenue neutral”

(LE MARS) Advertising is one of the steps to fill a new city of Le Mars employee position.

The City Council last week accepted a recommendation to change the Convention and Visitors Bureau manager contracted position. The change is to a city employee.

KLEM News asked city administrator Scott Langel about advantages of making the change. Langel answered the primary one was in keeping with IRS rules and also pointed to relationships.

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Langel said funding for the city employee position will be the same as it has been as a contractual position.

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Asked if the change will result in new costs due to expenses, such as fringe benefits city employees receive, Langel explained the position was recommended as revenue neutral.

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The job opening will be posted for city employees and also advertised.

Chamber is accepting photo entries for cover child for Visitors Guide

(LE MARS)–The deadline is Thursday for photos of children who will be considered as a cover child for the 2011 Le Mars Visitors Guide and Business Directory.

According to Mary Reynolds of the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce , the child must be four to seven years old; attend a Le Mars-based school or pre-school; and be a resident of Le Mars or the surrounding rural area.

Color five-by-seven photos are to be submitted to the Chamber by Thursday.

On October fourth, an announcement will be made of the twelve semi-finalists who will represent the Chamber as Little Ambassadors. After balloting October 13th through October 22nd, the winner will be announced October 26th.

Obama starts three-day, four-state trip in N.M

WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama is embarking on a four-state tour featuring three more of the backyard visits with American voters that have become a campaign staple of his.

The president flew Monday to Albuquerque, N.M., where he planned to spend the night. He will meet Tuesday morning with several people at a private home to discuss the economy and education. Obama plans similar backyard visits Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa, and Richmond, Va.

Tuesday night he will attend a Democratic campaign rally in Madison, Wis.

Obama carried all four states in 2008, although some of them narrowly. All of them have competitive congressional races this fall.

Biden to stump for Boswell in Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Democratic incumbent Rep. Leonard Boswell three weeks before the general election.

On Monday, Boswell’s campaign announced the luncheon rally and fundraiser with Biden will be Oct. 12 in Des Moines. Ticket prices range from $1,000 to $150.

Boswell is running for his eighth term in Congress representing Iowa’s 3rd District, which includes Des Moines. He faces Republican state Sen. Brad Zaun, a 48-year-old businessman and former mayor of Urbandale. The most recent financial disclosure reports available in August showed Boswell has $733,991 in reserves, compared to $100,400 for Zaun.

There are 151,112 registered Democrats in the 3rd District, compared to 127,519 Republicans and 124,210 voters with no party preference.

Poll: Iowans still like Grassley in Senate race

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A poll shows Republican Sen. Charles Grassley with a huge lead over challenger Roxanne Conlin, but the Democrat says she’s not intimidated by long odds.

The poll for The Des Moines Register shows 61 percent of likely voters would support Grassley, while 30 percent would select Conlin. Three percent would choose Libertarian John Heiderscheit, and 6 percent aren’t sure.

Conlin held a news conference Monday to say that despite the poll, she still has a chance of winning. She says Democrats hold a four-to-one lead in absentee votes and the election isn’t over until every vote is counted.

Grassley spokesman Eric Woolson says the poll speaks for itself.

The telephone poll of 803 adults was conducted Sept. 19 to 22 by Selzer Co. Inc. of Des Moines. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Former Iowa police chief sentenced to probation

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The former police chief in the central Iowa town of Van Meter has been sentenced to two years’ probation stemming from felony misconduct charges.

Michael Merritt was sentenced Monday in Polk County court. KCCI-TV in Des Moines reports that according to court records he pleaded guilty to three counts of felonious misconduct. Merritt apologized to his family and friends and said this wasn’t the way he wanted to end his 28-year career in law enforcement.

The charges against Merritt came after an investigation into a salvage theft inspection program. The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Merritt wasn’t conducting necessary stolen parts database checks and was charging an extra $10 fee for examinations.

He was Van Meter’s only police officer. He also has to pay restitution.

Iowa gets disaster funding to create jobs

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa Workforce Development is to receive at least $2 million in federal grant money to create temporary jobs to assist in the cleanup after storms, flooding and tornadoes that hit the state in June.

The money was announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Labor from its National Emergency Grant program. The department said in a news release that $2 million will be released initially but Iowa is eligible for up to $5.8 million if the need for assistance continues.

Fifty-seven counties in Iowa were declared eligible for disaster funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after storm damage between July 29 and Aug. 23.

NRA endorses Democrat Culver for Iowa governor

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The National Rifle Association has endorsed Democratic Iowa Gov. Chet Culver.

The NRA’s political action committee issued the endorsement Monday for Culver over Republican candidate and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. A new Des Moines Register poll shows Branstad leading Culver by 19 percentage points in the race leading up to the November general election.

Culver says he has “never hesitated” to support Second Amendment rights. In its endorsement, the NRA’s Political Victory Fund pointed to Culver’s support of right-to-carry legislation.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said Monday that the Republican has “vast, overwhelming support” from Iowa NRA members and said Branstad is a longtime hunter, gun owner and NRA member.

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

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