(LE MARS)–A “Teacher of the Year” for the Le Mars Community School District will be honored with the Decades of Excellence Crystal Bell award.
Nominations are being accepted for the honor for a teacher who represents the many great teachers exemplifying the Le Mars Community School District and its educational goals.
Nomination materials are available at the Superintendent’s Office as well as any of the principals’ offices.
The application should be completed and submitted by March 25th. Anyone with questions may contact the Superintendent’s Office by calling 546.4155.
(LE MARS)–Northwest Iowa cities, including Le Mars, are part of the Branstad administration’s “Jobs for Iowa Tour!”
In a news release, Governor Terry Branstad says he and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds look forward to sharing their vision to create 200-thousand new jobs for Iowans.
The jobs plan includes corporate income tax rate cuts, commercial property tax rate reductions, a public-private partnership for the Iowa Department of Economic Development and a sunset of rules and regulations every four years to determine their effectiveness . The proposal also includes a jobs impact statement with every new proposal that affects economic growth in the state.
Branstad and Reynolds will include Sioux City in their northwest Iowa stops March 4th at 9 in the morning at the Sioux City Library’s downtown location.
He’ll be at the Le Mars Convention Center’s lower level at 10:30 next Friday morning. Stops are also planned at Pizza Ranch in Orange City and Frontier Bank basement in Rock Rapids. The Orange City Jobs Tour meeting is at 1p-m followed by the Rock Rapids location at 3 p-m.
(LE MARS)–A rural Le Mars woman was taken to Floyd Valley Hospital after a one-vehicle accident five miles northwest of Le Mars.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office reports 33-year-old Amy Bock of rural Le Mars was driving west on County Road C-16 when she lost control on a curve.
The vehicle left the roadway, struck a sign, crossed railroad tracks, became airborne after going into the ditch and and then back onto the roadway. The driver then turned south onto the northbound lane of Highway 60
The accident was reported about 10:30 Wednesday night by a motorist who reported a vehicle being driven the wrong way on Highway 60.
Bock was taken to Floyd Valley Hospital by emergency vehicle. Her injuries were listed as non-incapacitating . According to the report Bock was driving under the influence. She was listed on the Plymouth County Jail Roster today.
(LE MARS)–Le Mars Community Guidance Counselors and the College Planning Center are offering a “Junior Information Night.”
High School Guidance Counselors Barry Borchers and Jim Boyd ask juniors and their parents to plan to attend March 7th to get vital information.
The presentation begins at 7 in the evening in the high school cafeteria.
ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) An eastern Iowa man has been arrested for allegedly holding his girlfriend captive for two days and beating her.
The Gazette in Cedar Rapids says Michael Switzer, of Anamosa, was arrested Wednesday night after the woman reported the incidents. She says they occurred Tuesday and Wednesday.
Police Chief Bob Simonson says Switzer allegedly forced the woman from her vehicle and threw her to the cement. She also said Switzer pushed her head through a wall. Simonson says the woman refused medical attention.
Switzer is charged with domestic assault with injury and false imprisonment. He was released from the Jones County jail on Thursday without bond.
Switzer’s case is not on the online court system, and isn’t known if he has an attorney. A telephone call to Switzer was not returned.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A measure that would bar Iowa county officials from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples faces a bleak future as it sits in a House committee.
Top Republicans on Thursday said they have no plans to debate the issue, viewing it a nod to the party’s social conservative wing. Top Democrats argue the measure is unconstitutional. They say it violates a 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision striking down a state law defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.
Backers say introducing the measure is one more opportunity to voice their displeasure with how the marriage issue has been handled.
Republican Rep. Betty De Boef says the issue has been handled badly and that some lawmakers want to take every opportunity to make that point.
URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) Urbandale police say two people sought in the shooting of a California man near Merle Hay Mall have been captured in Texas.
A news release from the Urbandale Police Department says U.S. marshals picked up 25-year-old Jerry Espey and his girlfriend, 25-year-old Danielle Patterson, on Wednesday near Victoria, Texas. Their 5-week-old baby was traveling with them and is being cared for by authorities.
Urbandale Police had issued a warrant on Monday for Espey. He’s accused of attempted murder, of robbery and possession with intent to deliver narcotics. Patterson is suspected of being an accessory after the fact.
Police say 21-year-old Mario Herrera-Rodriguez of Fremont, Calif., was shot Feb. 17.
Urbandale police say they’ll be pursuing extradition of Espey and Patterson back to Iowa.
GRANT, Iowa (AP) Residents in the small southwest Iowa town of Grant want to keep their post office open.
According to Shenandoah radio station KMA, Grant’s office is one of 2,000 the U.S. Postal Service has slated for closing.
At a meeting Wednesday night, Postal Service representative Rich Watkins told postal customers that decreasing mail volume and revenue is forcing the service to consider the office cutbacks.
Watkins says the fate of each office is being considered individually and that no final decision has been made on Grant’s office.
Census figures say Grant’s population has slipped nearly 11 percent since 2000, to around 90 people.
Rare birth: Marshalltown cow delivers triplets
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) A Marshalltown farmer got quite a surprise when his 7-year-old cow delivered twins: She had triplets instead.
Kenny Jensen says he’s been around cattle most his life and has never seen anything quite like it.
The Times-Republican in Marshalltown says triplet calves occur only once in every 700,000 births.
Jensen says he didn’t know ahead of time that the cow, named Dottie, was going to have triplets. He says a typical newborn calf weighs about 75 pounds. Each of the triplets weighs around 50 pounds.
A veterinarian from the nearby town of Union who treated one of the calves says he’s never seen triplets in his 40 years of veterinary work.
Jensen says Dottie and her calves, which were born Sunday, are doing fine.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Submit your news release, photo, confidential news tip or news idea by email klemnews@lemarscomm or by calling 712.546.4121 or 712.546.9672 fax.
