(LEMARS)–The Le Mars Water Department will be flushing water mains and fire flow testing in the southeast part of Le Mars starting Tuesday, November 15.
The work in southeast Le Mars will last about three days. Anyone living in the southeast part of Le Mars is asked to refrain from washing clothes during the time the flushing is underway.
Computer upgrades get foundation funds
(LE MARS)–Gehlen Catholic students have new technology tools.
Outdated computers , tables, and other equipment have been replaced with what’s known as the Cyber Jays’ Cafe’.
Gehlen Catholic’s Technology Committee studied technology and learning concepts as part of the transition to the new technology.
Upgrades put in place include expanded memory and better performing programs, a five-user desktop; and three new visual presenters.
The goal of the Cyber Jay’s Cafe’ is enhancing the faculty’s ability to capture and retain the students’ attention.
School officials attribute donations from an alum, Premier Foundation, Siouxland Community Foundation and the WalMart Foundation for the technology transformation.
Fire damaged church to reopen for Mass
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) A historic Sioux City church damaged by fire is ready to welcome back its congregation.
St. Joseph Catholic Church has been empty since the fire in July 2009, which was caused by a welding torch on the roof.
The Sioux City Diocese decided to rebuild the church, which will reopen this week.
The Rev. Michael Erpelding said that much of the damage was fixable thanks to improvements made during another fire at St. Joseph’s in 1924.
A ribbon cutting will be held on Thursday, with the first Mass on Saturday.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Utility crews work to restore power after heavy snowfall in parts of northwest Iowa
(Estherville)–Some northwest Iowa residents are still without power after the first major snowstorm of the season.
Snowfall amounts varied widely from the storm that struck late Friday and early Saturday. Estherville and Spencer received six inches of snow while Emmetsburg recorded the highest snowfall at 14 inches. The snow combined with high winds created extremely hazardous driving conditions.The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office received numerous reports of cars in the ditch or stuck on the highway. No serious injuries were reported.
Utility crews were busy restoring power to thousands of customers who lost power during the storm due to a combination of the heavy wet snow and high winds. Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative said that as of late Sunday power had been restored to nearly all its customers. Since early Saturday morning, the Cooperative’s line crews have repaired nearly 30 broken poles as well as miles of burned downed wires. (News report by Radio Iowa)
Iowa House Democrats select leaders
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa House Democrats are meeting to select new leaders and assess their strategy as they prepare to open a session where Republicans have a commanding margin in the chamber and with a new Republican governor.
Outgoing House Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, is not seeking a leadership post, but current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat from Des Moines, is taking that step.
Democrats meet on Monday in the final caucus in the Legislature to pick new leaders. They will also begin discussing issues for the upcoming session that begins Jan. 10.
Republicans will control the House by a 60-40 margin. Democrats will run the Senate by a 26-24 edge.
Soldier from Iowa to get Medal of Honor
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Friends and family of Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta say they are not surprised the Iowan performed heroically in combat and will be awarded the nation’s highest military honor.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday will present Giunta with the Medal of Honor.
Giunta, of Hiawatha, was serving as a rifle team leader in Afghanistan when his platoon came under attack in 2007. He exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a soldier back to cover. He also shot two insurgents who were trying to carry off a U.S. soldier.
In Cedar Rapids, one of Giunta’s best friends, Jared Dolter, told The Gazette that Giunta has always been loyal and that’s the quality that stood out.
Giunta is now stationed in Italy.
Sendoff set for Iowa National Guard troops
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A community sendoff will be held next week for several units of an Iowa National Guard aviation battalion heading to the Middle East.
The guard says a sendoff will on Monday, Nov. 22, in Davenport for about 75 soldiers with the 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion.
The soldiers will report to Fort Hood in Texas for additional training before heading to Iraq.
The units fly, maintain and refuel CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The guard says the units’ mission includes air movement support of personnel and equipment, air assault operations and humanitarian relief missions.
2 charged in stabbing death in southwest Iowa
HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) Two young women have been charged in the stabbing death of a 19-year-old man in Hamburg in southwest Iowa.
The Fremont County sheriff’s office says Douglas Brake, of Sidney, died after he was stabbed during a fight with the teens outside the Hamburg Post Office about 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
An autopsy is pending.
According to Atlantic radio station KJAN-AM, the sheriff’s office say a 17-year-old from Hamburg has been charged with second-degree murder and an 18-year-old from Sidney has been charged with going armed with intent and accessory after the fact.
A dispatcher at the sheriff’s office did not know if the teens were charged as adults.
Trial delayed in hatchet killing in Iowa
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) The trial of a northern Iowa man accused of killing a friend with a hatchet has been delayed.
Lucas Faulkner, of Eagle Grove, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Devin Resh, of Webster City, in May.
Faulkner is accused of killing Resh while they were fishing at an old gravel pit northwest of Eagle Grove.
Wright County Attorney Eric Simonson told KIMT-TV that Faulkner’s trial, which had been set for Tuesday, is now scheduled for April 4.
Simonson on Monday says one of the prosecutors had a conflict with the original trial date.
A judge earlier moved the trial to Bremer County because of pretrial publicity.
Car hits house in Dubuque
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) Authorities say no one was seriously hurt when a car barreled into a house in Dubuque and landed in the living room.
The Dubuque County sheriff’s office says the accident early Sunday when the driver went through a stop sign and crashed into the house.
Homeowner Ron Heim told the Telegraph Herald that he, his wife, Jean, and their 15-year-old son were sleeping when they were awakened by the sound of the crash and yelling around 1:15 a.m.
Heim says the occupants of the car vanished before he reached the living room.
The sheriff’s office says the driver and a passenger received minor injuries in the crash. They fled the scene but were located a short time later.
Authorities say charges are pending.
Not enough mental illness training for Iowa police
BOONE, Iowa (AP) Boone Police Chief William Skare says there’s no generic response for officers who have to deal with situations involving someone with a mental illness, and that additional training may not be the answer.
According to The Des Moines Register, Iowa has had seven police-involved shootings since January 2008 involving someone with a mental illness. Three involved officers in Boone County.
The newspaper says most of Iowa’s law enforcement officers have had a two-hour training by the state academy in dealing with those who may have a mental illness.
Some national experts says it’s not enough. They say standard techniques such as shouting orders and drawing a weapon often increase the chances of violence.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
