(LeMars) – State Rep. Chuck Soderberg of Le Mars was recently recognized by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry as having a 100 percent voting record and supporting policies that promote job growth.
According to the Association of Business and Industry, legislators are rated on their votes on bills and amendments that impact Iowa’s business climate. There are a total of ten votes scored ranging from key issues such as property tax reform, regulatory reform, and initiatives to improve Iowa’s job climate. Soderberg received a 100 percent ranking.
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Soderburg says he is pleased to have the distinction of supporting Iowa’s businesses 100 percent of the time. He also says “In this time of economic uncertainty, it is important for state government to get out of the way of small businesses so they are able to hire more Iowans. I will continue to work with Iowa’s job creators to find innovative ways to put Iowans back to work.”
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An attorney for a Sioux City man charged
in a deadly fight wants to keep statements his client allegedly
made to police about a previous fight out of court.
Bradley Gregg is charged with involuntary manslaughter and
assault. He’s accused of punching Joseph McDonald, of Ida Grove,
outside a bar in October 2010. McDonald was knocked out and later
died.
Gregg’s trial is to start Tuesday in Woodbury County District
Court. Defense attorney Michael Williams plans to use self-defense
and intoxication as his defenses.
Williams has asked a judge to prevent prosecutors from mentioning
an alleged altercation Gregg had a week before the incident
involving McDonald. The judge didn’t issue an immediate ruling on
the matter.
(Sioux City) — Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) will seek renewal of its current physical plant levy Sept. 13 on the school election ballot. Western Iowa Tech officials say the levy is not a new tax. It has been in place since Western Iowa Tech was established in the late 1960s. It costs less than one half cent for every dollar paid in property taxes. It is a levy that Western Iowa Tech Community College must take to the voters every ten years. It is used for instructional buildings and labs, instructional equipment and infrastructure maintenance.
Total distribution of the property tax dollar may vary slightly by county but it is true across all Siouxland communities that less than 0.5 percent of the property tax or less than ½ cent of every dollar paid goes to WITCC’s plant fund levy. Public support of the levy over the years has provided a huge array of educational facilities and tools available for community use in all six counties served by the college including the main campus in Sioux City and campuses in Denison and Cherokee and centers in Mapleton and Le Mars.
(Washington) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley will be holding open office hours in northwest Iowa next week. Jacob Bossman, regional director for Senator Grassley will be in Sioux, Lyon, Osceola, O’Brien, Clay and Plymouth counties on Tuesday, September 6th.
The office hours provide an opportunity for Iowans to obtain casework assistance or to express views. Bossman is scheduled to be in Boyden Public Library between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and he will be at the Plymouth County Courthouse lower level between 5 and 6 p.m. Grassley’s offices in Iowa regularly help constituents contact federal agencies to sort through problems with Social Security payments, millitary service matters, immigration cases and other issues. Grassley says he hopes anyone with federal agency related casework will take advantage of his staff’s local visits.
AMES, Iowa – Sept. 2, 2011 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has set a proactive course to get traffic moving again in western Iowa just as quickly as possible now that the Missouri River flood waters are beginning to recede.
A multitude of activities are underway, some are behind the scenes and others are already visible. For instance, contractors started this week removing tons of debris and power washing the sticky layer of muck from sections of Interstate 29 in Fremont and Pottawattamie counties. Yesterday, the I-29 and Hamilton Boulevard in Woodbury County was fully reopened to travel.
(LeMars) — School is back in session and for many parents they may worry whether their child will be the target of ridicule from a bully. LeMars Community School Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt says bullying is a concern. Wendt says the administration, faculty, and even the staff work hard to eliminate any bullying behavior. He says the school district addresses the issue when children are young.
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Wendt says when bullying is identified, the school tries to visit with the student and conveys how hurtful the comments or actions are to other students.
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With today’s modern technology involving text messages, blogs, and the internet, Wendt admits bullying is sometimes harder to detect. The school superintendant says that presents a challenge to school officials simply because bullying or harrassment may occur without their knowledge or awareness of the issue. He urges students, parents, and everyone to report any bullying behavior that is witnessed.
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