(LE MARS) More treasure than trash is one way to describe recycling of construction materials hauled to the rural le Mars landfill.
New equipment was purchased for what Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency manager Mark Kunkel calls a new program of “c” and “d” recycling.
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Kunkel sees at least two benefits from recycling more construction and demolition materials.
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You could be driving on waste that was once buried.
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Concrete is another material that is sorted out and crushed for the roads within the landfill.
Kunkel successfully applied for a 20-thousand dollar forgiveable loan from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. That’s matched with a 20-thousand dollar in-kind contribution. With an equipment trade, the actual cost to the landfill is 97-hundred dollars.
The sorting has been done manually. With the new equipment, Kunkel expects the find more material that could cause future landfill problems.
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The equipment is expected to be delivered this month.
FVH Auxiliary Goodies sweeten the holidays
(Le Mars) 160 pounds of caramels, lots of white fudge, chocolate fudge and peanut clusters galore…it’s candy time for the Floyd Valley Hospital Auxiliary.
Nearly 50 volunteers have spent at least 8 days over the last month hand mixing, cutting, wrapping, and packaging candy for the sweet tooths of Le Mars area residents.
One of those volunteers is Bob Kenaley. He got his arm twisted to come help when organizers mentioned that they could use some braun to cut caramels and fudge.
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Betty Dutcher is one of the chair people of the Candy Sale committee and has been involved with the candy making for over a decade. She says that the number of orders increase every year because store bought candy just isn’t the same as the real thing.
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The sale has gotten so big they had to do two rounds of ordering to accommodate the demand, and to make sure people could have the candy for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Many people in town will be picking up their orders tomorrow (Friday), but if you didn’t get a chance to pre-order, there may be some treats leftover at Saturday’s Goodie Sale. The Goodie Sale has leftover candy as well as breads, cookies and snack mixes. There is also a gift shop and caramel rolls and coffee available to snack on while you shop.
The Floyd Valley Hospital Auxiliary Goodie Sale is this Saturday, 8am to noon in the conference rooms at the hospital. Proceeds from this years Candy and Goodie Sales will go toward ER waiting room renovations at Floyd Valley. (News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)
Families with children helped through “Adopt-A-Family”
(LE MARS)–Families with children will be helped through the holidays by the Christian Needs Center.
As Christian Needs Center director Jessica Larson explains the annual “Adopt-A-Family” program for families facing financial challenges helps brighten Christmas for children.
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Larson says those families in need may call the center at 546-9428. Application forms are filled out to meet the needs of those served through the Christian Needs Center “Adopt-A-Family” program,
There are ways to be an “adopter” for the families.
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Financial contributions are accepted.
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Food donations should be checked to be sure they’re not outdated.
The center will accept clothing donations again beginning January third due to the space needed for “Adopt-A-Family” program. The center will be closed from Dec. 18th through January third.
Police investigation leads to assault charges
LE MARS)–A Le Mars man is free on bond after a Le Mars Police investigation of an assault.
Police were called to an apartment at 327 Memorial Drive where a female was reported to have been assaulted. Authorities were also told a man was threatening others with a knife.
Twenty-one-year-old Steven Wayne Brown of Le Mars was arrested Sunday on charges of serious assault, aggravated assault and criminal mischief.
Report: Flood of problems led to Iowa dam breach
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A multitude of problems likely led to the breach of an eastern Iowa dam last summer that drained a 9-mile long lake.
Three independent engineers released their findings Wednesday in Des Moines, saying design and construction issues, areas where seepage could have occurred and a flood gate that failed to fully open likely contributed to the failure of the Lake Delhi (Dell-High) dam on July 24.
The dam gave way after heavy rains caused the lake to rapidly rise, destroying 16 homes and washing years of silt and 100 boats downstream.
The engineers also say dam inspectors for the state should have strong backgrounds in dam engineering. They say there were design weaknesses in the dam that an experienced engineer would have recognized and would have led to additional inspections.
GOP plan targets sabbaticals for Iowa professors
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Republican lawmakers in Iowa want to reduce spending by cancelling paid research leaves for university professors, but the Board of Regents will consider the leaves when it meets next week.
Incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen says taxpayers cannot afford faculty sabbaticals, but professors say eliminating them would cost universities grant money and productivity.
During sabbaticals, professors still are paid but can write books, conduct research and create classes. At a time when other employees are facing pay cuts, they have become a target for critics and an area for universities to cut to show they are making sacrifices.
The University of Iowa has cut its sabbaticals in half over two years. An official says the school is asking regents to approve 58 sabbaticals for next year, a slight increase.
Ousted Floyd County attorney appeals to high court
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) Former Floyd County Attorney Jesse Marzen has appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court to get his job back.
County supervisors declared Marzen’s office vacant earlier this year after the high court suspended his law license. The court said he broke the rules when he had a sexual relationship with a client before he was elected in November 2006.
A district judge in October ruled the Board of Supervisors was within its rights to vacate the position.
The Globe Gazette says Marzen has now appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. Marzen argued that there was no vacancy and that the board acted beyond its authority in replacing him.
Normand Klemesrud was appointed acting county attorney, and was elected to the job last month.
UI closes investigation into researcher on leave
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) A University of Iowa researcher charged with faking his stabbing in Chicago won’t face additional charges in a separate university probe.
UI spokesman Tom Moore said Wednesday that UI police finished the investigation into Gary Hunninghake and local and federal prosecutors declined to bring charges.
The university has never said what it was investigating and Moore declined to elaborate, noting search warrants served in April have been kept under seal.
One day after the warrants were served, Hunninghake told police in Chicago he was robbed and stabbed by three strangers while jogging. Authorities now say he stabbed himself, and he has been charged with filing a false police report.
Hunninghake and his attorney did not immediately return messages. He remains on paid leave earning $360,000 per year.
Des Moines police officer injured in scuffle
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Des Moines police say an officer suffered a broken leg during a struggle with a man after a traffic stop.
Police say Officer Brady Carney was injured last Thursday night. Sgt. Jeff Edwards says there were three men in the car, and officers spotted a backseat passenger trying to hide something under an infant car seat.
Edwards says when police got the man out of the car, he tried to flee. Carney and the man struggled, and Carney suffered a broken leg. The man fled the area. Police on Wednesday were still searching for him.
Edwards say police found two loaded handguns in the car. The driver and another passenger were arrested on weapon charges. The driver was also charged with an improper brake light. MENINGITIS-ISU
Iowa State student hospitalized with meningitis
AMES, Iowa (AP) Iowa State University says a student is hospitalized in stable condition after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
The school said Wednesday that public health officials are contacting those who had close contact with the student, including roommates. A school nurse says a preventive antibiotic is being administered to them. She says the student’s classmates are not considered at risk.
Meningitis is an infection that can cause fevers, headaches, nausea and sleepiness. Its bacteria is spread through droplets from the nose and throat and from saliva.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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