(LE MARS)–Garbage and recycling collections will rotate weekly beginning in January in Le Mars.
The City Council Tuesday considered two motions on solid waste. But tie votes kept the June decision to move away from weekly garbage pickup to encourage recycling in place effective with the first of the year.
Four Le Mars residents brought volume odor and quality of life concerns to the Council meeting. Ruth Vaske said her family of two adults and six children recycled. Vaske asked about a location to take garbage to due to odor concerns from every other week pick up.
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Council member John Rexwinkel made a motion to keep weekly garbage collection and continue to educate the public. The motion failed to pass. Rexwinkel asked citizens to recycle.
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The lack of understanding about the blue bag and blue tote recycling and what goes in the those containers concerned Council member Rex Knapp.
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The solid waste discussion took place behind a table filled with items that can be placed in recycling containers in front of the council members.
A move to every other week garbage collection with roll offs on public property was an effort John Leonard put into a motion that included a quarterly review of the change to every other week garbage collection. Leonard saw returning to weekly collection likely in summer months due to odor. Knapp backed Leonard’s motion, but it also ended in a tie.
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Council member Ken Nelson who serves on the Solid Waste Committee was absent Tuesday.
For recycling information go to the city of Le Mars web site: https://www.lemarsiowa.com/citygov/services/waste_recycling.htm
The Council approved a monthly maintenance contract with T-J Templeton of Le Martian Studios for the www.lemarsiowa.com web site. The cost, including city code updates, is one-thousand dollars a month.
The Council set November 16th at noon as the date and time for a hearing on updating the long term lease with Weinberg Investments for Floyd Valley Apartments at 110 Sixth Avenue Northeast.
(LE MARS)–An order from the State Fire Marshal’s office bans open burning in Plymouth County beginning this (Wednesday) morning at eight.
The process for the ban due to dry conditions began with Fire Chiefs in the county and Supervisor Craig Anderson and was approved by the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
On behalf of all the county’s fire chiefs, Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief David Schipper asked for the ban.
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A ticket for violating the burning ban can be issued by the Sheriff’s Office or a fire chief. The charge is a simple misdemeanor which includes a fine for a conviction.
Schipper told supervisors rural residents can still use grills or outdoor fireplaces.
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Schipper also updated the Le Mars City Council Tuesday afternoon on the burning ban. Schipper explained city residents can continue recreational use of fire.
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The open burning ban is in effect until the fire chiefs ask to lift the restriction. Anderson asked that the restriction be placed on the agenda to be considered by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The vote by supervisors was unanimous. Supervisor Jim Henrich was not absent and chaired the meeting.
Health fair begins in Le Mars this afternoon
(LE MARS)–Well Aware–an annual health awareness event coordinated by Floyd Valley Hospital and Wells’ Dairy is offered this (Wednesday) afternoon in Le Mars.
About 50 exhibitors will provide information from two this (Tuesday) afternoon until 6:30 tonight at the Le Mars Convention Center.
Floyd Valley Community Health offers flu shots as part of its fall ongoing clinics to immunize the public against this season’s flu strains, including H-1-N-1.
Ideas to adapt a home for universal access are featured by Iowa State University Extension in Plymouth County. The trailer with a ramp entrance will be located outside the Convention Center and will be staffed for those with questions.
Le Mars Police and Le Mars D.A.R.E. will coordinate a collection of prescription medication known as Project Safe Meds. Unused prescription drugs may be dropped off in their original container at the Project Safe Meds collection site in the Convention Center. The program was begun in response to a growing abuse of prescription medication by young people.
Groups and businesses offering health-related services will have displays and information during the Well Aware Health Fair.
KLEM 1410 AM and 96.9 FM will broadcast from the Health Fair this afternoon.
‘Judge Bus Tour’ will travel through 45 counties
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Iowa U.S. Rep. Steve King will lead a bus tour to urge voters not to retain three Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined last year’s unanimous decision legalizing gay marriage in the state.
The Family Research Council, a conservative public policy foundation, announced the “Judge Bus Tour” Tuesday along with the National Organization for Marriage. The tour is to start Monday at the Iowa Capitol and end Thursday at the Iowa Supreme Court. In between, the tour will make 20 stops, travel 1,300 miles and pass through 45 counties.
If the effort succeeds it would be the first time since Iowa adopted its current system for appointing judges in 1962 that voters opted to remove a Supreme Court justice.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Moose wanders in northwest Iowa
SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) Iowa wildlife experts say residents in the northwestern part of the state have been seeing a moose wandering the countryside.
Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say the latest sightings were last week near Sibley in Osceola County and near Langdon in Clay County on Monday. The sightings have prompted wildlife experts to warn Iowans that moose are a protected species and illegal to hunt.
Department wildlife bureau chief Dale Garner says the animal is likely a young male bull that has wandered south from Minnesota. Garner also warns motorists to be on the look out for the moose because the animal is dark colored and “tough to spot.” Garner says a wandering moose is usually seen in Iowa every three to five years.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Iowa Gov. Culver calls for middle class tax cut
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Gov. Chet Culver is calling for a $120 million tax cut for middle class Iowans, saying his plan stands in contrast to Republican Terry Branstad’s support for business tax breaks.
Culver on Tuesday announced plans to cut taxes for individuals who earn $100,000 annually or less, or couples who make $200,000 a year or less. Culver says his plan would mean a tax cut for 980,000 of Iowa’s 1.5 million tax filers.
He ways the state can afford the tax cut because revised revenue forecasts indicate that the state will collect $300 million more in taxes than initially projected for the current budget year.
Culver says he wants to return money to taxpayers, while Branstad support business tax cuts.
Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says Culver’s proposal was an effort to pit Iowans against one another.
Charles City offers Czech tire company tax rebate
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) A tire company from the Czech Republic will receive a development agreement from the city of Charles City.
The Charles City City Coucil on Monday approved the agreement with CGS Tires, giving the company a 90 percent rebate on its annual property taxes for nine years. The Globe Gazette newspaper in Mason City reports the agreement already was approved by the Floyd County Board of Supervisors.
The company also is to receive a payment of $192,500 from the Southwest Bypass Urban Renewal Tax Revenue Fund.
The plant would be built in Charles City, in northern Iowa. Company officials plan to invest $43 million to build the plant. The company says the plant would create 159 new jobs. Production is expected to begin in 2012.
Waterloo hires airport consultant to woo carriers
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) City leaders in Waterloo have hired a consultant with the goal if improving service at the Waterloo Regional Airport.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Tuesday that City Council members unanimously voted Monday to approve a one-year, $24,000 contract with Texas-based Trillion Aviation. The city hopes the company will attract more carriers to the airport and negotiate for more flights.
A $19,200 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation will help pay for the contract and the city of Waterloo will use hotel-motel tax revenue to fund the rest.
Airport director Brad Hagen says the company can provide airline-specific data and can help negotiate incentive packages.
Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, https://www.wcfcourier.com DISASTER RECOVERY-IOWA
FEMA inspecting homes, issuing grants in Iowa
BOONE, Iowa (AP) Federal Emergency officials say they’re inspecting homes damaged during severe summer storms, tornados and flooding in Iowa’s Boone, Calhoun and Shelby counties.
The trio of counties were added to a presidential disaster declaration last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that it has approved more than $177,000 in grant money for the counties so far. The deadline to register for FEMA assistance is Nov. 12.
In total 38 Iowa counties were declared disaster areas and FEMA says so far more than 12,000 registrations have been received. FEMA says it has approved about $23.4 million in grant money statewide.
FEMA also said Tuesday that it will open a disaster recovery center Friday in Shelby County at the Harlan Fire Station.
Body found in Mississippi River identified
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) A body pulled from the Mississippi River has been identified as a Dubuque man.
The Dubuque County Sheriff said Tuesday that the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office identified the man as 39-year-old Gregor Wardle of Dubuque. The sheriff’s office says Wardle was last seen in April 2009 after reports of a man jumping off the Julien Dubuque Bridge.
Barge workers found Wardle’s body Monday morning in an area where Catfish Creek meets the Mississippi River.
According to the sheriff, Wardle’s car was found in the parking lot of the East Dubuque Library, near the bridge. Wardle was ruled officially deceased by the courts three months later.
Iowa sees fewer workplace deaths in 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) New federal statistics show there 78 workplace fatalities in Iowa during 2009.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the numbers Tuesday, saying they show there were 15 fewer workplace fatalities in 2009 than in 2008. The bureau says the most common fatal workplace events were highway incidents. Also high on the list were falls and being struck by an object or equipment.
The bureau says highway incidents accounted for 41 percent of Iowa workplace deaths, the highest since 1992. Nationally the bureau says highway incidents account for 20 percent of all workplace fatalities. Statistics also show 95 percent of the workers who died were men and nearly half were between the ages of 25 and 54.
The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector saw the largest number of fatalities.
Henry’s Turkey workers stay in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa human services officials say two-thirds of the mentally disabled men who were abused and underpaid while working at an Iowa turkey processing plant have remained in the state.
The Iowa Department of Human Services said Tuesday that nine of the 14 men who are still in Iowa have found jobs and 13 have permanent housing. The men lived in dilapidated bunkhouse while working at Henry’s Turkey Service in Atalissa.
The state fire marshal closed the bunkhouse in February 2009 and in August a judge ruled the Texas company must pay a nearly $175,000 fine for failing to pay the workers a minimum wage.
The 14 men are among 21 workers who were removed from the bunkhouse. Iowa officials say the seven other men have returned to live with relatives or receive services in Texas.
Chemical to be used to rid Iowa lake of shad
KEOSAUQUA, Iowa (AP) State fisheries biologists say they’re going to try to rid Lake Sugema of gizzard shad by using a chemical in the water that is toxic to fish.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday that they will use rotenone in the Van Buren County lake during the week of Nov. 15. Fisheries biologist Mark Flammang said the chemical will be used slowly and deliberately at 3 percent of the normal dosage to create a drawn out fish kill targeting the gizzard shad.
Flammang says that would spare as many game fish as possible in the southeastern Iowa lake, which contains largemouth bass, bluegill, walleye, muskie, crappies and catfish. He says biologists will return in the spring to see the chemical was successful.
Officials say the low-dosage application has been successful in other states.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Submit your news release, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm.net, by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.
