Le Mars Airport Conducts Survey
(Le Mars) — The city of Le Mars wants your opinions and comments regarding the Le Mars Airport. Residents and businesses alike are asked to complete a survey about the airport’s services. Earl Draayer is the manager of the Le Mars airport. He describes the questions found on the survey.
Listen to
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Draayer says the airport serves an important part of the entire transportation system that supports Le Mars, and for those who may wonder if the airport is being utilized he references the airport to that of a county gravel road.
Listen to
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Draayer says the majority of the air traffic at Le Mars is business related as opposed to recreational flying. Draayer says he would like to see the airport expand its runway to five thousand feet in order to remain competitive with other regional airports. However, Draayer admits before that can happen there would need to be some changes done to the Floyd River.
Listen to
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Those surveys are to be returned by February 27th.
Sioux City Man Arrested After Shooting Dogs
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City man accused of shooting and killing his two dogs faces weapons charges.
Jon Holloway was charged Wednesday with reckless use of a firearm and discharging a gun within city limits. Two animal abuse charges were dismissed due to a filing error, but authorities may
refile them.
The 51-year-old Holloway is accused of shooting the Labradors Tuesday with a rifle in his backyard. An affidavit says Holloway shot them after ordering them separately into their kennel.
Police say Holloway had been arguing with his sister about the dogs being aggressive.
The city’s animal control officers took the dogs. Their bodies will be examined.
House Approves Additional Funding For Mental Health Services
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – House lawmakers have approved a bill giving some counties a share of $11.6 million so they continue treatment of mental health patients as the state transitions to a
regional system.
The bill now moves to the Senate.
The measure approved Wednesday would give money to 26 of 32 counties seeking extra help to last through this fiscal year.
The Department of Human Services selected 26 counties whose budgets were hurting the most. Polk County, the state’s largest, and others wouldn’t get funding because officials say they can
manage without help.
An amendment by Democratic Rep. Lisa Heddens, of Ames, seeking $20 million to cover all counties seeking funding was rejected.
With the lower figure, Polk County mental health administrator Lynn Ferrell says 950 people in the county could lose treatment.
State Senate To Discuss Education Funding
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State senators are planning to debate a proposal to increase state funding to schools for the 2014-2015 academic year.
On Thursday the Senate was scheduled to vote on the plan. The Legislature is supposed to set school funding more than a year in advance. That didn’t happen last year, so the Democratic-controlled
Senate has already passed a bill that would increase funding for the coming school year by 4 percent.
Democrats have been at odds with Gov. Terry Branstad over education. Branstad is encouraging legislators in the Republican-majority state House to approve his education reform plan before discussing general school funding levels for the next two school years.
Branstad’s plan would boost minimum teacher pay and offer incentives to teachers who take on more tasks.
Lawyer Claims Age Discrimination For Reason Not Hired
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A court has refused to grant a new trial to a Michigan lawyer who claims the University of Iowa law school passed him over for a teaching job because of his age.
The Iowa Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that Donald Dobkin won’t get a second trial in his age discrimination claims, which a jury rejected last year.
Dobkin applied for a teaching position in 2008, citing experience leading a large immigration law firm and other qualifications. A 32-year-old was offered the position. Dobkin claimed he was passed over because he was 55.
Dobkin’s appeal argued that a judge erred by not allowing jurors to see an article by former North Dakota Attorney General Nicholas Spaeth about age discrimination in law schools.
The court says the article was inadmissible hearsay.
Waterloo Teachers Asked To Take Early Retirement
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – More than 100 teachers in Waterloo have been asked to consider early retirement.
Television station KWWL reports the Waterloo Community School District has mailed letters to 115 teachers about an incentive to retire early.
Spokeswoman Sharon Miller says the district needs to cut between $3 million and $5 million of its budget. She says eligible teachers should have received the letters by Wednesday.
Miller says the Waterloo School Board could approve the retirement incentives as early as February 25th.
Accounting Students To Help With Tax Forms
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – Accounting students at the University of Northern Iowa are helping people prepare their taxes.
The students are providing free income tax assistance through a volunteer program that began Wednesday and generally runs through April 10. International students can get assistance beginning March 11.
Sessions are Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is necessary, but organizers encourage taxpayers to arrive early.
Students will be available to electronically prepare and e-file federal and Iowa tax returns.
