Supervisors Continue To Work On Budget
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning, and on their agenda, the board is expected to appoint Supervisor Don Kass to the EMA board as an alternate. The supervisors will appoint Wayne Pick as the clerk for Fredonia Township. Jeff Peters of Williams and Company will be on hand to discuss and review the 2011-2012 financial audit. The supervisors will continue their work on the next fiscal year’s budget.
Soderberg To Host Legislative Forums
(Des Moines) — State representative, Chuck Soderberg of Le Mars has announced he will attend two legislative forums scheduled for Saturday, February 2. Soderberg will be at the Habitue Coffeehouse and Creperie at Le Mars beginning at 10:00, and at 11:30 a.m. he will hold a legislative forum at the Remsen Public Library at Remsen. The legislative panel will be discussing various issues concerning the Iowa Legislature. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the meetings and address any issues that are of concern.
Good Samaritan Society To Host Spring Style & Fashion Show
(Le Mars) — The Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars has announced it will host the host the 7th Annual “Spring Fling” Brunch & Style Show Fundraiser on Saturday, March 16th, in the upper level Le Mars Convention Center. The morning will begin at 8:30 am with a silent auction, vendors for shopping, catered brunch, and raffle for a home décor item donated by Close to Home. Local spring and summer fashions will be modeled from local clothiers during a style show with emcee special guest Christy Batien, of KTIV News Channel 4.
Guest event speaker this year is motivational humorist, Theresa Rose. Theresa is going to provide her personal story of inspiration and motivation of how she transformed her life. In her one-of-a-kind joyful, humorous heart warming presentation, she will present how to unleash your full potential and find your missing mojo. Theresa is passionate about helping others find their mojo! Her natural habitat is the stage, her favorite teacher is the beloved hula hoop, and her mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire people to lead more fulfilling lives.
Begin reserving your tickets beginning February 6h by calling 712-546-2125, emailing aharnack@good-sam.com or by stopping in Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars, Hwy 3 east. All of the proceeds of the morning’s event, will support resident program and services in Cottage Center and for a new hand held communication system for the nursing department.
Flavors of Northwest Iowa
(Le Mars) — Flavors of Northwest Iowa is a local food summit scheduled for Thursday, January 31 and will be held at Northwest Iowa Community College at Sheldon. Plymouth County Extension Coordinator, Carol Schneider says the food summit has been popular in northeastern Iowa, and now it is moving to our part of the state.
Listen to
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Schneider says the summit will assist those people growing local food and wanting to know how to market their foods.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2013/Schneider food2.mp3{/audio}
Schneider says the food summit will feature some prominent speakers
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/January 2013/Schneider food3.mp3{/audio}
For additional information regarding the Flavors of Northwest Iowa food summit, you can contact the Plymouth County Extension office.
Regents To Evaluate University Presidents
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The board that governs Iowa’s public universities will evaluate the performance of University of Iowa President Sally Mason and other leaders during a closed session.
The Board of Regents meets Tuesday in Urbandale to conduct evaluations of Mason, outgoing University of Northern Iowa President Ben Allen and first-year Iowa State University President
Steven Leath.
The closed-door performance review for Mason is expected to get the most attention given that Allen is retiring and Leath was recently praised by Board President Craig Lang.
The review is the first of Mason since the board last year declined to renew her contract and ordered her to revise her goals to improve the university’s public relations. Mason has downplayed
any tension and still enjoys the support of key faculty, staff and student leaders.
Democratic Lawmakers Show Results of School Superintendent Survey
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Democratic lawmakers say a survey they sent to superintendents shows many expect teacher layoffs and class size increases if the Legislature doesn’t increase state aid by a
March 1 deadline.
Sen. Herman Quirmbach and Rep. Sharon Steckman held a news conference Monday to announce results of a survey sent to 348 school districts. They are Democratic leaders in education
committees.
They say 206 superintendents responded. Of them, 57 percent say they expected teacher layoffs, 72 percent expected class size increases and 68 percent thought they would postpone ordering
school materials if lawmakers didn’t increase state aid to schools by March.
Lawmakers have missed a March 1 deadline for setting allowable revenue growth in the past.
Quirmbach says state aid should be decided before taking up Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reforms.
Boone High School Placed On Lockdown
BOONE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in central Iowa say they kept a high school evacuated and briefly placed several other schools on lockdown because they received a threat.
The threat Monday afternoon was an unconfirmed report of an intruder at Boone High School. Officials say the threat was received by email.
The station reports a fire drill was under way at the school and the evacuation was continued following the threat. The Boone Community School District says other schools were placed on
lockdown as a precaution.
Authorities searched the school room-by-room. No injuries were reported.
High school students were taken to a local YMCA, where parents were later able to pick them up. Buses later took other students home.
Levin Pleads Not Guilty To Murder and Kidknapping
EARLY, Iowa (AP) – A 21-year-old Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing his mother and kidnapping another woman.
Kirk Levin submitted a written plea Monday. He faces charges of first-degree murder and
third-degree kidnapping.
Prosecutors say Levin repeatedly stabbed his mother, Marilyn Schmitt, at her farmhouse in Early on Jan. 3. They say he then kidnapped a 21-year-old woman who he tied up and put in the trunk
of a car. The woman escaped after Levin drove into a ditch.
Levin had been released from prison days earlier after serving time for burglary charges. Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman has defended the state’s release of Levin.
Des Moines Officials Continue To Evict Homeless
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines officials have posted eviction notices at two more makeshift camps set up by homeless people.
The city had posted eviction notices at three other camps on Jan. 17.
Three people ordered to leave one of the camps have filed appeals, with help from a local nonprofit group.
Jim Loveland says that for him and two other people living under the Raccoon River bridge the camp is “like our home. We feel comfortable down here.”
The Des Moines Register reports (https://dmreg.co/114x8Ki) that officials say complaints from the public about the homeless camps prompted the evictions. A city ordinance bars camping on public
property.
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