Fire Officials Determine Cause of Monday’s Fire
(Le Mars) — Investigators with the State Fire Marshall’s office along with the Le Mars Fire Department have determined the cause of Monday’s fire to be accidental in nature. The area of origin for the fire was determined to be in the northwest third floor upper level above the second floor northwest apartments. A failure with a furnace is being blamed for the inferno that destroyed the three-story Victorian style apartment building. According to fire officials, the fire spread across the open attic area very quickly and down the open balloon construction walls into the second floor. The fire penetrated the roof above the
furnace following the furnace vent ducting. That fire completely destroyed the building. There were eight people displaced as a result of the fire.
County Boards Examine Comprehensive Plan
(Le Mars) — Members of the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors, Plymouth County Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Plymouth County Board of Adjustment met Monday afternoon to discuss the Comprehensive Plan for Plymouth County. Jeff Ray of the J-E-O consulting firm from South Sioux City presented the comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan examines the county’s facilities, transportation, industries, agriculture, housing, business, education, and even parks to help determine the growth trends for the next 20 years. A final version of the Plymouth County Comprehensive Plan will be presented to the county supervisors on December 18th.
Last Day For Tree limbs, Grass, & Leaf Disposal
(Le Mars) — Today, (Wednesday) will be your last chance to dispose of tree limbs, twigs, grass clippings, or leaves at the city’s disposal site located on the west side of town near the Riverview ball parks. City officials say the site will be open until 5:00 p.m. then it will be shut down until next spring.
City Reminds Residents of Winter Odd/Even Parking Ordinance
(Le Mars) — City officials want to remind Le Mars residents that winter will soon be here and with that is the city’s ordinance for odd and even parking when a snow emergency is declared. The ordinance stipulates that residents park their vehicles on the odd numbered side of the street on odd calendar days and the even numbered side of the street on even calendar days. The calendar day begins at 6:00 p.m. the previous day and ends at 6:00 p.m. the day of. To clarify, after 6:00 p.m., you park for the following day.
Ottumwa High School Students Contribute To Food Drive
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) – A food drive by students at Ottumwa High School was so successful that a crew that arrived to pick up the items had to leave in order to get a bigger truck.
1,000 students contributed more than 11,000 food items.
Teacher Megan Wetrich says the students were motivated by stories in the local newspaper about empty shelves at the Food Bank of Southern Iowa.
Classes at the school competed, and they stacked up the food in the cafeteria.
A crew drove out in a panel truck on Monday to pick up the 9,200 pounds of food, but the food bank’s Neil Abbott says they expected about a quarter of what was gathered. They immediately turned around to get a bigger truck.
—
Troops To Receive Iowa Christmas Trees
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – More than 80 Christmas trees are headed from Iowa to U.S. servicemen and women and their families overseas and at stateside bases.
More than 20 Iowa Christmas tree farms donated trees to the Trees for Troops project, which is a program of the Christmas Spirit Foundation. The foundation says that since the program’s beginning
in 2005, more than 103,000 free trees have delivered by FedEx to more than 60 military bases in the U.S. and overseas.
Army veteran Gary Harman says he remembers a lonely Christmas he spent in what was West Germany in 1968. That’s why he cut down two trees at his Indianola farm on Tuesday, hauled them to the Iowa State Fairgrounds and added them to the outbound pile.
—
Decorah Bald Eagle Dies
DECORAH, Iowa (AP) – A bald eagle that was part of a Decorah family of birds watched by millions of Internet viewers has been electrocuted.
The bald eagle, fitted with a satellite transmitter and known as D14, died Monday near Rockford. That’s about 50 miles southwest of the nest where it was born at the Decorah Fish Hatchery.
The eagle was found at the base of a power pole.
D14 is the second known death of the 14 eagles hatched at the Decorah nest, where a camera set up by the Raptor Resource Project streams the birds’ actions over the Internet.
Raptor Resource Project director Bob Anderson found the bird after transmitter data showed no movement.
Anderson says the death demonstrates the dangers faced by raptors.
—
Electrolux Leaving Webster City
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Appliance maker Electrolux is moving 80 jobs in its division developing better clothes washers and dryers from Iowa to its North American headquarters in North Carolina.
Electrolux said Tuesday that product design and testing will be discontinued at the company’s Webster City, Iowa, site in the third quarter of next year. The move will increase its employment in
Charlotte to more than 800.
The Sweden-based appliance maker moved its North American headquarters from Georgia to Charlotte in July 2010 in return for state tax breaks and grants worth up to $26 million, plus more from
local governments. The company said last month it surpassed its hiring requirements under that deal.
