Home News Tuesday News, December 11

Tuesday News, December 11

Supervisors Have Light Agenda

(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning at the county courthouse.  The supervisors have a light agenda as they will hear from attorney Bob Brock seeking approval of Klingbeil Addition, a minor subdivision in Henry township.  The supervisors will also hear from County Engineer, Tom Rohe.

 

Floyd Valley Hospital Trustees To Meet

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Hospital Trustees are scheduled to meet this evening.  The trustees will hear financial reports, medical staff reports, and an administrative report from Hospital Administrator, Mike Donlin.  The trustees are expected to review and approve capital acquisitions and review and approve Buildings and Ground Committee recommendation for representative.

 

Le Mars Community School District Compares Well With Other 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.  Le Mars school district has a total tax rate of $13.19 which is second lowest in the conference.  Only Spirit Lake has a lower tax rate at $9.51.  When you compare the Instructional Support Levy per student, Le Mars has a rate of $224 per pupil, which is again 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.

 

Correctionville Plane Hit Trees Before Crashing

CORRECTIONVILLE, Iowa (AP) – A preliminary accident investigation report says a small plane hit some trees before fatally crashing short of a grass airstrip near Correctionville in
northwest Iowa.
The National Transportation Safety Board says in the report issued Monday that despite the foggy conditions the evening of Dec. 1, the pilot told air traffic controllers that he had the airstrip in sight.
The crash killed two passengers, 53-year-old Lee Schroeder, of Oto, and 55-year-old James Smith, of Correctionville. The pilot, 70-year-old Gaylen Knaack, also of Correctionville, was taken for treatment of his burns to a hospital in Lincoln, Neb.
The NTSB says the Beech P35 had taken off from Correctionville that morning and flew to Grand Island, Neb., to pick up one of the passengers. It crashed when it returned to Correctionville.


King Comments On Lame Duck Session

(Sioux City) — Congress is in its lame duck session and many issues still remain unresolved.  Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King says some type of an agreement between President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner needs to occur before the pending mandatory budget cuts and tax increases occurs sending the nation’s economy over the so-called financial cliff.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/December 2012/King lame duck.mp3{/audio}

King says other legislation, such as the pending farm bill, may be held hostage to whether an agreement can be reached involving the sharp budget cuts and pending tax increases.  King says he doesn’t like the direction that Congress is proposing with the farm bill.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/December 2012/King lame duck2.mp3{/audio}

The Republican Congressman says he is not certain whether or not the farm bill will be passed on its own merits, or if it will be thrown in with several other pending legislative bills.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/December 2012/King lame duck3.mp3{/audio}


Organizers Want Plymouth County To Get Healthy

(Le Mars) — When you see that Iowa has 29 percent of it 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.  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.

 

Fort Dodge Man Charged With Threatening Governor Branstad

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A 47-year-old Fort Dodge man has been charged with sending a threatening letter to Gov. Terry Branstad.
Jerry Springsteen was arrested Monday. A complaint filed in U.S. District Court says Springsteen sent the letter on Oct. 18. The complaint says the letter included a line that said Springsteen had
“a clear shot” at the governor and said Branstad was a walking dead man.
Court documents say Springsteen told an investigator that he wrote the letter to get Branstad’s attention. Asked about the “clear shot” comment, Springsteen told the investigator that he
knew of a fire escape on a building near the governor’s mansion where he could take a rifle shot at the governor.
Springsteen remains in custody. His lawyer didn’t immediately return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.


Found Bodies Confirmed To Be Missing Cousins

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) – Evansdale police say an autopsy has confirmed that two bodies found last week in a wildlife area are those of Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook.
Police Chief Kent Smock says he received confirmation Monday from the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office that the bodies were the two cousins, who had been missing since July 13th. The full autopsy hasn’t been released to police.
Elizabeth was 8 and Lyric was 10 when they went for a bike ride in the northeastern Iowa community and didn’t return.
Hunters found their bodies last week in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Area in Bremer County, about 25 miles from where they were last seen.
Authorities closed the park while they searched for evidence connected to the case but now have reopened the area.

 

Iowa Asks For Flexibility With Medicaid

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa officials are asking the Obama administration for flexibility in complying with the federal health care act because of Medicaid cost increases expected even before
the new law takes effect next year.
Republican Governor Terry Branstad told reporters Monday that Iowa’s relatively low unemployment and expected increases state revenue have prompted federal officials to increase the share Iowa
must pay for Medicaid, a state and federal health insurance program for the poor.
Iowa officials say insuring existing Medicaid recipients is expected to go up $35 million in the current budget year, $57 million in the year that starts in July and another $31 million in another year.
Branstad says those extra costs complicate Iowa’s ability to finance the new federal law, which requires states to cover additional low- and middle-income people.