Le Mars Mainstreet Reviews 2012 and Sets Goals For 2013
(Le Mars) — The division chairs of the Le Mars Mainstreet organization met last evening to review 2012 and to set their goals for 2013. Jenni Smit, Vice President of the Mainsteet says overall the activities from last year were successful, and she says the Holiday Dollars program was enormously successful.
Listen to
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Le Mars Mainstreet coordinated a tour of downtown buildings last year, and Smit says there are many downtown buildings that have great potential.
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Smit says Le Mars did well when put to the test of recruiting new businesses to the community.
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Smit says the Design Committee will oversee one of the major projects for the upcoming year.
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As for Smit, herself, she will no longer be volunteering for Chamber and Mainstreet activities as she soon will be leaving the ice cream capital of the world for Bentonville, Arkansas.
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Plymouth County Supervisors Approve Budget
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors have finished their work for the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. The budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 is an increase of two million dollars more than last year’s budget. Plymouth County Auditor Stacey Feldman says the budget for expenditures is set at $24,032,962. A year ago, the budget expenditures was set at $22,553,852. Feldman says a major reason for the increase is the bridge and road construction projects that were approved for the Plymouth County Ethanol Urban Renewal project near Merrill. A public hearing has been scheduled for March 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Lawmaker Wants Names of Gun Permit Holders To Be Private
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The names of Iowans with permits to acquire or carry guns would become private information under legislation proposed by a Republican lawmaker.
Rep. Matt Windschitl, of Missouri Valley, sponsored the bill, which was debated by a House subcommittee Tuesday. Currently the names of permit holders are a public record.
Windschitl says he was concerned that public permit information could put Iowans in danger by leading criminals to guns or giving them information to target homes without guns.
The state Department of Public Safety says about 144,000 Iowans have permits to carry a firearm. Statewide data was not available on the number of permits issued annually to allow people to buy
handguns.
A lobbyist for the Iowa Newspaper Association argued against the measure, saying that government actions should be publicized.
Des Moines Lawyer Wants To Evict Homeless
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines’ lawyer says he’ll recommend that the City Council appeal a ruling that lets three homeless people stay in their camp.
City Attorney Jeffrey Lester said Tuesday that he will urge the council to take the hearing officer’s ruling to a district court.
Eviction notices were posted Jan. 17 at five makeshift camps, warning the homeless residents that city officials would forcibly remove or arrest individuals who remained by the end of the month.
But late Monday, hearing officer Cassandra Webster decided it was safer for the individuals to stay in their camps.
The ruling affects only the three people named in the appeal.
Other appeals have been filed, but it was unclear Tuesday how many camps and people were involved.
Bremer County Recorder Arrested For Theft
WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) – A county recorder in northeast Iowa has been accused of stealing office funds.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation arrested Bremer County Recorder Donna Ellison on Tuesday. She has been charged with a felony count of misconduct in office and third-degree theft.
Authorities say Ellison took more than $500 from office funds between May and February. Investigators also say she altered records to disguise her activity.
The 59-year-old Ellison has been Bremer County’s recorder since 1995. The office retains files on deeds, mortgages, contracts and other miscellaneous documents.
Court records to not list an attorney for Ellison.
Conservative Law Professor Arrested For OWI
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A conservative scholar embroiled in a lawsuit with the University of Iowa has been arrested for drunken driving.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen (https://icp-c.com/Z8OmVr ) reports Teresa Wagner was arrested Monday night after authorities found her inside a parked vehicle. She told police she had driven a short
distance.
Police say Wagner failed field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test showed her blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit. She faces a drunken driving charge.
Wagner filed a lawsuit against the University of Iowa in 2009, claiming she was passed up for jobs because of her conservative views.
Wagner is seeking another trial after a federal jury found the university did not discriminate against her. The jury declared a mistrial on the second count after failing to reach a verdict.
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