(LE MARS) — The 4 inches of rain that fell on June 26th is causing problems in Le Mars. The drainage way on the west side of Business Highway 75 adjacent to McDonald’s has been a topic of concern by many city entities.
The estimated cost to repair the area is $75,000 to $100,000. The city council unanimously voted earlier this week to extend the culvert and eliminate the failing retaining wall, improve the erosion problem, fill the ditch and install sidewalks.
Additionally, some Le Mars residents are experiencing water and drainage issues in their homes as a result of last months storm. Water has also been affecting places like the golf course and recreational trails. City Administrator Scott Langel said that a storm that produces 4 inches of rain is hard to control regardless of the drainage system.
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Southdale Drive and the area north had residents affected in this last storm, that area is on the list for future repair to the stormwater system.
Summer Theater in Okaboji
(OKABOJI) — Summer in Okaboji means boating, sun and theater…yup, theater. Each week the Stephens College Okaboji Summer Theater puts on a new show in Spirit Lake.
So far the group has had three shows that have come and gone this summer and they are currently showing a brand new “nun” show. The musical comedy “Nunset Blvd” is showing this weekend. Coming on Tuesday, July 12th, they’ll switch gears and present Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys.”
Beth Leonard is in her 14th season as the Artistic Director for the group. She says the late July shows may not be as well know, but they’re a lot of fun.
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“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams will be staged beginning August 2nd. Leonard says the the season concludes with an exiting musical.
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The start date for Evita is August 9th. Each show at the Okaboji Summer Theater runs from Tuesday-Sunday. Stephens College theater students and professional actors make up the casts for all the shows. Tickets are available everyday of the week at the theater box office. For more information visit https://www.stephens.edu/news/stephensevents/okoboji/
Bachmann heading back to Iowa to open campaign HQ
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Republican Michele Bachmann will spend her third consecutive weekend in Iowa during a three-day swing that includes the opening of her presidential campaign headquarters there.
The Minnesota congresswoman has events scheduled in the Des Moines area and also plans to make her way to far western Iowa. The trip includes a ceremonial opening Saturday of her Iowa headquarters in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale. Later, she’ll attend an Iowa Barnstormers football game, a team part owned by the state GOP chairman.
Bachmann is seen as a top contender in the state that holds the first stage of the White House nominating contest. She spent part of the last weekend of June in Waterloo for her campaign launch and returned for a bus tour over the Fourth of July weekend.
Senators seek hearing on Missouri management
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) U.S. Sen. John Thune says a bipartisan group of 14 senators in Missouri River states is requesting a Senate hearing to look into the Army Corps of Engineers management of the river before recent historic flooding.
The South Dakota Republican says the group has sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee requesting a hearing. The letter was signed by senators from South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.
The corps has been criticized for its management of Missouri River reservoirs in the Upper Midwest that have been swollen by heavy spring snowmelt and rains. Some dam releases have been at record levels. The corps has said the reservoirs were in good shape to handle spring runoff until record rains fell upstream in May.
Former Garner billing clerk charged with theft
(Information in the following story is from: KIMT-TV, https://www.kimt.com)
GARNER, Iowa (AP) A former Garner city billing clerk has been charged with six counts after being accused of stealing from city coffers.
Mason City television station KIMT reports that Tammy Brant faces up to 33 years in prison if she’s convicted of the charges, which include first-degree theft and money laundering.
The 48-year-old Brant is being held in the Hancock County Jail on $10,000 bond.
A state auditor’s report found about $112,000 of collections that had not been deposited into city accounts. The report found that city customers had also been overbilled for services.
Iowa golf coach pleads guilty to drunken driving
(Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com)
FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) A former high school golf coach charged with being drunk while driving her team to a tournament has pleaded guilty to drunken driving and one count of child endangerment.
The Des Moines Register reports that Susie Lynn Steinbeck entered the plea Thursday as part of a deal with Lee County prosecutors. Assistant Lee County Attorney Dave Andrusyk says that in exchange for Steinbeck’s plea, prosecutors dropped three child endangerment counts and a charge of failure to possess a valid driver’s license.
The 59-year-old Steinbeck was the girls golf coach and middle school computer applications teacher for the Fairfield Community School District when she was pulled over the morning of May 10.
Court records say her blood-alcohol level was .212 more than twice Iowa’s legal limit to drive.
Judge: Iowa district can stop paying ex-principal
TIPTON, Iowa (AP) A small Iowa school district will not have to pay its former high school principal while fighting a ruling that she be reinstated.
District Judge Nancy Tabor on Friday suspended her March decision ordering former Durant High School Principal Monica Rouse to be reinstated.
Tabor allowed the school district to post $119,000 in bond representing one year of Rouse’s pay and benefits so she can later be paid if the district loses its appeal.
Rouse had been getting paid since March, but the district had refused to give her the principal’s job back despite Tabor’s order. It has since hired someone else to be the principal for the coming school year.
Tabor ruled in March the district failed to provide evidence supporting the reasons stated for Rouse’s dismissal.
Missing Iowa inmate back behind bars
(Information in the following story is from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, https://www.press-citizen.com/)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) An inmate who failed to return to a work release facility in Coralville has been caught after more than three weeks on the run.
The Press-Citizen in Iowa City reports that 27-year-old Alajuwon Shamar Johnson was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Thursday.
Johnson was allowed to leave Hope House on June 13 to find a job. He never returned.
Johnson is serving a five-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter out of Johnson County. Johnson was convicted in the 2009 death of 20-year-old Kylie Perkins. She was shot in the chest by a handgun Johnson allegedly brought to her apartment. Police say the two fought for possession of the gun and it went off, hitting her in the chest.
Memorial service set for fallen Iowa soldier
(Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com)
JEFFERSON, Iowa (AP) A memorial service has been set for U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Nielson of Jefferson.
The 27-year-old Nielson was killed June 29 in Badrah, Iraq, during a fire attack by insurgents. Two other soldiers also died.
Nielson was born in Omaha, Neb., and lived in Lincoln, Neb., before moving with his family to Iowa, where he grew up in Jefferson. He graduated cum laude from the University of Northern Iowa in 2008, then joined the Army.
The Des Moines Register reports that Nielson’s memorial service will be held noon Sunday at the Greene County Community Center in Jefferson. Visitation will be held Saturday afternoon, as well as an hour before the Sunday service.
Nielson will be buried at 4 p.m. at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter.
Iowan buys Turkey Island in Rock River
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (AP) An Iowa man is now the proud owner of an Illinois island, but the purchase has his wife a tad puzzled.
Dan Weber of Mediapolis, Iowa, stopped by the auction in Rock Island, Illinois on Thursday to watch Turkey Island being auctioned off. But he ended up being the highest bidder.
For $51,000, Weber gets the 43-acre island located near where the Rock and Mississippi rivers meet.
Wife Carla Weber says it’s a beautiful property, but she’s trying to figure out what her husband will do with it. She calls it “an unexpected purchase.”
Dan Weber says he bought the property because the price sounded good. He says it’ll be a good place for hunting this winter.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
