(LE MARS)–Money to finance an estimated nine-point-four-million dollar school project may be raised with a bond sale in late February.
The Le Mars Community School Board of Education reviewed projected costs for borrowing, interest rates and time lines at a meeting Monday night.
Matt Gillaspie of Piper Jaffrey and Company outlined options for the Phase 2 School Facility Construction project.
Based on the information presented to the board, February 14th would be the date construction bids are opened for improvements in art, music and athletic facilities. Bonds, to be repaid with school sales tax, would be sold February 28th.
The bond issue is estimated at nine-million 615-thousand dollars with the actual amount determined by interest rates and project costs. The district would receive the money April first.
The proposal Pipe Jaffrey is making would allow the district to call the bonds early–in 2016/2017.
Two motorgraders will be purchased; Kingsley mayor’s election is official
(LE MARS)–Kingsley has a new mayor.
The special election results are official after a review by the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.
Auditor Stacey Feldman reported 169 votes, including one absentee ballot. The cost of workers, notice to the public through a newspaper publication and paper ballots was 470 dollars. The city of Kingsley will be billed to reimburse the county.
By using paper ballots, Feldman told supervisor the cost was reduced. She estimated the electronic voting machine costs would have been 28-hundred dollars.
Rick Bohle was the voters choice to fill the vacancy after Wayne Plendl resigned.
Budget requests were submitted by letter or in reports from committee and organization meetings supervisors attend in addition to their weekly Tuesday meeting.
They requests include Emergency Management where supervisor Don Kass said the request from the general fund is about 41-thousand dollars. That’s about seven-thousand dollars less than the current county support for the disaster services department.
No decisions have been made on budget requests or revenue.
Holiday tree collection in Le Mars is January 10th
(LE MARS)–There’s a way for Le Mars residents to remove Christmas greenery.
The Public Works Department staff will pick up Christmas trees at curbside next month. The work will be done Monday, January 10th, weather permitting.
As in the past, the city asks that ornaments, tinsel, plastic bags and stands be removed from the trees before they’re left at curbside for collection January 10th.
The city crews will make one pass over the entire city on January 10th.
Valentine’s Day Dance is Dialysis celebration
(LE MARS)–A celebration is planned for the fourth annual Valentine’s Day Dance in Le Mars.
Le Mars Area Dialysis Services Board Chair Randy Reardon says the renovation of a building for the new health care service in downtown Le Mars is nearing completion.
According to Reardon, it’s been a long road, exactly five years, but it’s been worth every step. He says the Dialysis Board is looking forward to celebrating with everyone that helped to make this dream a reality.
Board member Steve Ohm says the featured entertainment for the evening will be “The Singer Boys.” They are nephews of Norbert “Nubs” Gotto who was instrumental in lining up the band before he died in October. Gotto and his family members were involved in dialysis fund raising.
The Valentine’s Day Dance is Saturday, February 12, 2011 at the Le Mars Convention Center-Upper Level from 7:30-11:30 p.m.
Le Mars Area Dialysis Services board members have tickets for the Valentine’s Day Dance. Ticket sales begin today. They’re also available by calling 546-3492. With a donation of 25 dollars or more, the ticket holder has a chance to win either a 42-inch HDTV or a Riccar Brilliance Vacuum. Although the drawings are during the dance, you do not need to be present to win.
Smith heads MHI at Cherokee
(CHEROKEE)–A state human services campus in Cherokee has a single administrator.
Jason Smith has been appointed superintendent of the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. The 44-year-old Smith has served as interim superintendent since the resignation of Dan Gillette last fall.
Smith is the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders administrator. He’s held that position since 2003.
Iowa Department of Human Services administrator Charles Krogmeier announced Smith’s appointment.
The sex offender and mental health services share the campus, but the programs are completely separate. They have a combined budget of 22-million dollars and 250 employees.
The Cherokee facility is a high security program for sexual offenders with 80 patients. No one has left the program since it accepted its first sex offender in 1999. All have been required to be at the facility after serving prison sentences.
The mental health unit has 43 beds, with 31 devoted to the care of adults with acute mental illness. Most of the adults are admitted involuntarily. There are also 12 beds for children and adolescents with mental health issues. Most patients stay for weeks.
MidAmerican plans more wind power
(DES MOINES)–Iowa’s largest utility is making a larger investment in wind energy. MidAmerican Energy is announcing plans to build another 258 wind turbines in five Iowa counties. They’ll be able to generage nearly 600-megawatts of power, enough to light 190-thousand homes. The turbines will be going up in northwest Iowa’s Calhoun County, in Marshall County in central Iowa, and in Adams, Cass and Adair counties in the southwest. When the project is complete and running, the Des Moines-based utility says it’ll have about 36-percent of its total generation capacity in renewable and non-carbon energy sources. (Radio Iowa)
Senate seat nominating convention set
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Democratic Party has scheduled a nominating convention to fill the state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Larry Noble.
Noble, a Republican, has been appointed Gov.-elect Terry Branstad to serve as the director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky says the nominating convention is scheduled for Jan. 3 in Ankeny. Gov. Chet Culver set the date for the special election for Jan. 18.
Iowa Senate District 35 covers the northern half of Polk County.
Noble, who lives in Ankeny, was elected to his second term this year.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Branstad raps state workers’ health care coverage
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The next governor of Iowa suggests that one way the state can cut looming deficits is sharing health care insurance costs with more state employees.
Gov.-elect Terry Branstad says the state needs a “lifestyle change” in the way it provides salaries and benefits to its employees.
At a budget briefing Monday, Branstad said the 10,000 state employees who don’t add family members to their health plans get that insurance for free. He says that’s too costly for Iowa and says “it’s only fair and reasonable that they pay something toward their health insurance.”
Estimates of next year’s state budget deficit range up to $700 million.
4 Cedar Rapids officers hurt in scuffle
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Four Cedar Rapids police officers are recovering after being injured in a scuffle while responding to a domestic abuse call.
The Gazette says the officers were responding to the call Tuesday morning. No one answered the door at the home but a neighbor came and let them inside.
Officers found 21-year-old Kevin Herring Jr. inside holding one of his two children. Police say the officers also found that Herring had hurt the children’s mother and wouldn’t let her leave.
They say Herring put the child down but became combative with officers, who suffered injuries including cuts and bruises.
Officers used a stun gun to subdue Herring.
Herring faces charges of false imprisonment, assault with injury on a peace officer, domestic abuse assault and violating a no-contact order. He remains held on no bond. The jail did not know who his attorney is.
1 person dies in southwest Iowa mobile home fire
BLOCKTON, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Public Safety says one person has died in a mobile home fire near the small southwestern Iowa community of Blockton.
The fire was reported about 5:15 a.m. Monday and when firefighters arrived they found a mobile home engulfed in flames.
Officials say one person died in the fire. The state Medical Examiner’s Office was conducting an autopsy Tuesday. Officials declined to name the victim until a positive identification could be made.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Taylor and Ringgold County sheriff’s offices as well as the State Fire Marshal Division. Officials say there is no evidence of foul play.
Neighbor helps rescue man from Des Moines fire
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A neighbor and emergency responders helped a Des Moines man flee flames that had erupted at his house.
A neighbor, Robert Smith, says that as he arrived home from work around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, he saw smoke coming from the home of Gary Beem.
Smith says he went over to check it out, then he and another man went inside to help Beem escape. Smith says Beem has a physical problem that limits his mobility.
Firefighters soon arrived and helped the men with Beem.
Beem was taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
The fire cause is being investigated.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Submit your news release, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm or by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.
