(LE MARS)–The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and Le Mars Fire-Rescue responded to a traffic accident and truck fire early Saturday night.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident.
School offers cold relief for walkers starting next month
(LE MARS)–There will be relief from cold walking conditions starting next month in Le Mars.
Le Mars Community School will offer indoor walking at the Middle School and High School.
According to information frOm Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt, times for indoor walking are the same as last year.
In the Middle School, hours are six to eight in the morning and four to six in the afternoon.
Walkers can follow the route at the High School from seven in the morning until eight and in the afternoon from four to five.
Walking is only allowed on days when school is in session.
The walking course is posted in the Middle School
Foundation awards scholarship to Utesch
(LE MARS)–A scholarship from the Iowa Health Care Association Foundation has been awarded to a Le Mars care center employee.
Plymouth Manor Care Center assistant director of nursing Kristi Utesch received the one-thousand dollar scholarship.
Utesch has worked at Plymouth Manor since 1990. A licensed practical nurse, Utesch plans to use the scholarship for classes at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon. She expects to graduate as a registered nurse.
In an essay for the scholarship, Utesch said the greatest reward for her is to see the residents smile. In her words, “A smile makes me feel like I have accomplished something.”
The Iowa Health Care Association is a trade association representing long-term care providers.
UNI/NCC partner on admissions
(SHELDON)–A Sheldon school is partnering with the University of Northern Iowa on admissions.
The transfer process to the Cedar Falls college will be streamlined for Northwest Iowa Community College students.
U-N-I President Ben Allen said the new partnership with Northwest Iowa Community College gives students a direct link to U-N-I from the day they sign up for the Admissions Partnership Program.
Allen expects the partnership to make earning a bachelor’s degree a reality for more students
Northwest Iowa Community College President Bill Giddings says the partnership is one additional way N-C-C serves the educational needs of the area.
Family weekend includes Renaissance at BCU
(SIOUX CITY)–A Renaissance Fair and and carnival are part of Family Weekend at Briar Cliff University Friday through Sunday.
The annual reunion for Briar Cliff University students, parents and siblings begins with bonding over bingo and board games on Friday evening.
The Renaissance event Saturday is a travel back in time to the 16th century for themed activities, games, and contests.
The alumni basketball game is Saturday night at the Newman Flanagan Center.
Briar Cliff University choirs present “Sing a Mighty Song” Fall choral Concert at First Presbyterian Church, 608 Nebraska Street in Sioux City, at three next Sunday afternoon. The concert follows a Liturgy in the Chapel of Our Lady of Grace Sunday morning.
Pastor is Nelson Scholars speaker
(ORANGE CITY)–A New York pastor will speak at Northwestern College next month.
Reverend Taylor Holbrook is lead pastor at Hopewell Reformed Church in Hopewell Junction, New York.
He is a graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary. He’ll speak at morning chapel November 1st at 10:05 and November 2nd at 11:05.
Reverend Holbrook’s chapel presentation is part of the Ronald R. Nelson Scholars and Artists in Residence program named after a former Northwestern history professor.
Rendell is optimistic going into November
MOINES, Iowa (AP) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says Democrats focused on the November election are motivated by Republican candidates they view as extreme.
Rendell told The Associated Press that polls all over the country are showing Democrats narrowing the gap and that’s because the party’s base voters are tuning in.
While many Republicans are gleeful about what they see as the biggest potential gains since 1994 when they seized control of Congress, Rendell said there are clear differences.
He said few Democrats saw that shift in control coming, but there’s been a relentless focus on the issue since last summer. And he said that attention has motivated many Democrats into action.
Rendell was in Iowa raising money for the Iowa Democratic Party and touting Gov. Chet Culver’s bid for a second term.
Iowa store’s liquor license revoked after killing
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa officials have revoked a Des Moines grocery store’s liquor license after a man was shot and killed in the parking lot.
Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division officials stopped liquor sales Friday at University Groceries.
Des Moines officials and neighbors say the availability of alcohol has encouraged loitering and other criminal activity in the area.
The store is in a strip mall that also houses a coin-operated laundry.
Police say 29-year-old Martin Turks, of Des Moines, was killed late Thursday in front of the strip mall near Drake University.
Store owner Tony Dassan says he’s being unfairly blamed for the violence.
Dassan says he’s tried to make the property safer by adding security cameras and increasing lighting.
Child’s death investigated as murder
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) Police say the death of a three-year-old Davenport boy has been ruled a homicide.
WQAD-TV in Moline, Ill., is reporting that Addison Baldwin was taken to a Davenport hospital on Tuesday by the boyfriend of the child’s mother.
Police on Friday said an autopsy shows the child died from blunt force trauma.
Police say the investigation into the child’s death is continuing.
Iowa teens turns self in after hit-and-run crash
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) A 15-year-old Cedar Falls teen has turned himself in to police in connection with a hit-and-run accident that injured two women.
Cedar Falls police say the teen came to the station Friday after hearing about the Sept. 24 accident.
The teen told officers that he thought he hit something after leaving the Cedar Falls High School football game that night, but his windows were fogged over, and he wasn’t sure.
Two sisters, including 72-year-old Geraldine Lehn, were hit in the accident.
Lehn was transported to an area hospital with undisclosed injuries. Her condition isn’t known. Lehn’s sister had minor injuries.
The teen is charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
DNR recommends Rockford dam be breached
ROCKFORD, Iowa (AP) An Iowa Department of Natural Resources water specialist is recommending that a hole be punched in the Shell Rock River dam near Rockford to relieve pressure on the leaking structure.
The Charles City Press is reporting that Jon Garton of the DNR Water Resources Section suggests the dam be breached until it can be repaired or removed.
Floyd County Conservation Director Doug Schroeder says a 2003 inspection of the 138-year-old dam indicated it was in poor condition and in need of extensive repairs. The dam further deteriorated in August when the river began to undercut the structure, prompting another inspection in September.
Garton’s report following the September inspection says the dam is in a state of failure.
Special ed teacher training will be funded with grants
(IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) The University of Iowa says two of its associate professors have received a $1.25 million federal grant to help train graduate students to become special education teachers.
The school says the money comes from the U.S. Department of Education and will fund a four-year effort to double the number of university students who seek doctorate degrees in special education. Associate professor William Therrien says there’s a shortage of special education teachers across the country.
Therrien says the grant money will help students because they won’t have to work while they’re pursuing higher education. Currently the university’s program has eight students but school officials hope that number rises to 16.
Iowa tests new snow plows
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa transportation officials will test some new snow plows this winter.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says the plows can clear snow and ice from two lanes of traffic with just one pass, which means less time for snow removal.
Three plows were recently delivered and will be used in pilot projects in Des Moines, Waterloo and Sioux City.
The department will hold a demonstration during a training exercise on Wednesday in the Des Moines suburb of Grimes.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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