Sioux City Police Searching For Missing Woman
(Sioux City) — Sioux City Police is asking the public’s assistance in locating a female who is reported as missing. 24 year old Jasmine Kleve, a white female from Sioux City is described as five foot – 120 pound woman with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a tan waist length coat, black pants and carrying a pink backpack. She was last seen in the general area of the Southern Hills Mall on December 5, 2012. Police don’t expect foul play is suspected in her disappearance, but her welfare is in question.
Cow on Roadway Causes Auto Accident
(Remsen) — Plymouth County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an auto accident that was the result of cattle being on the road. Jacob Pierce, 18, of Remsen was driving on County road L-14 on Saturday evening. The road was 100 percent ice covered when Pierce saw a cow on the road and several others in the ditch. Pierce swerved to miss the cow, but lost control of his vehicle. The vehicle rolled a couple of times and ended in the ditch on the car’s top. Pierce was able to extricate himself and a passenger. He suffered injuries and was transported to Floyd Valley Hospital by the Remsen ambulance. A 17 year old female from Le Mars was a passenger in the car and also suffered some injuries and was transported to Floyd Valley Hospital by the Remsen ambulance.
Deputies Make Drug Arrests
(Hinton) — On Sunday, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a suspicious vehicle in the area of K42 and 310th St. southeast of Hinton. Upon arrival, Plymouth County deputies found that the vehicle had a flat tire and was disabled. The passenger, Tony Allen Soule, age 29 of Sioux City, was arrested for a Woodbury County warrant. He was also in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Soule was jailed at the Plymouth County Jail and charged with possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense (Class D Felony) and possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor). His bond was set at $5,000.
School Board Presented Financial Comparisons of Schools
(Le Mars) — During last evening’s Le Mars Community School Board meeting, School Superintendent, Dr. Todd Wendt reviewed the financial comparison of the Le Mars Community School District with the other school districts within the Lakes Conference and of Plymouth County. Wendt says Le Mars Community compares well with other schools. Le Mars school district has a total tax rate of $13.19 which is the third lowest in the conference. Only Spirit Lake at $9.51 and Emmetsburg at $12.82 have a lower tax rate. But Wendt says you also need to compare other numbers.
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Comparing instructional Support Levy per student, Le Mars has a rate of $224 per pupil, which is second lowest in the conference behind Storm Lake’s $147 per student rate. Le Mars Community has a per student net value of $280,748 which falls in the middle of the conference with three other school districts with a higher amount and three schools with a lower amount. When compared to other Plymouth County school districts, Le Mars Community has the lowest instructional support levy rate at $224 per student, while others are all above the $400 level. Le Mars Community also has a low total tax rate compared to other Plymouth County school districts. Only Remsen-Union has a lower tax rate than Le Mars with a tax rate of $11.68. The state average for the tax rate is $14.49 and the valuation per pupil state average is $286,169. Wendt says the goal of the local school board is to save the property owner some money.
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Plymouth County Wants To Get Healthy
(Le Mars) — When you see that Iowa has 29 percent of its population as being listed as obese, compared to the national average of 27.9 percent. One in four Iowa adults are physically inactive, one in 12 people in Iowa suffer from diabetes, and slightly more than 20 percent of the state’s population smokes cigarettes, it is easy to see why Iowa’s Healthiest state ranking dropped four positions to number 20. Because of these startling statistics, organizers within Plymouth County are wanting to recruit at least 2300 people to team up, get active, eat well and live healthy with the Live Healthy Iowa ten-week Wellness Challenge. Plymouth County Extension Coordinator Carol Schneider says Plymouth County ranks low within the state as far as being healthy. She says the program, Live Healthy Iowa, has been around for ten years.
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Schneider says the 2300 participant goal represents ten percent of the Plymouth County population.
Schneider says there is an entry fee of $20 for the ten-week healthy wellness challenge with a five dollar coupon, making the cost of the program an affordable $15. Schneider says the program will begin in late January, but she encourages people to sign up early.
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An informational meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 17 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Floyd Valley Hospital Conference rooms. A complimentary lunch will be provided. Floyd Valley Hospital, Le Mars YMCA, and the Plymouth County Extension and Outreach are sponsoring the local wellness challenge. Interested participants can enroll at either the Le Mars YMCA or at the Plymouth County Extension.
Emerald Ash Borer Found in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Destructive insects known for killing ash trees have been found in northeast Iowa.
The state Department of Natural Resources says insect larvae consistent with the emerald ash borer have been found in two trees in Allamakee (AL’-uh-muh-KEE’) County. The larvae were collected in late October.
The county has been under quarantine since 2010 when the insect was discovered along the Mississippi River.
Officials say the discoveries are the furthest west the invasive pests have been spotted. It also is the first time emerald ash borer has been found in a sentinel tree in the state. More than 400 of those trees are being checked as part of a surveillance effort.
Nearly 1,200 insect traps were placed this summer, mostly in eastern Iowa.