Supervisors To Again Discuss Harvesting Of Grass Ditches Along Roadways
(Le Mars) — Plymouth county Board of Supervisors will meet today, and on their agenda the board is expected to appoint Nick Beeck (Beck) to the Loess Hills Alliance Board following the resignation of Dennis Sohl from the position last week. The Supervisors are expected to approve a resolution involving the Multi-jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan which is updated every five years. The plan was organizied by the SIMPCO. The county governing board is also expected to take action involving grass hay and
harvesting permits from county roadside ditches.
Mainstreet Organization Needs Volunteers For Alley Art Project
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Mainstreet Organization is seeking volunteers today to assist with the preparation of the alley walls for the alley art project. Priming of the walls will start this afternoon. Volunteers wishing to help with the alley art project should report to the alley located behind Claussens Mens Wear, or the alley between Central Avenue and First Street Northeast at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. The primer paint is being furnished, but volunteers are asked to bring brushes, rollers, and other essential painting supplies.
Floyd Valley Hospital Says Farewell To Dr. Duncan, Hello To Dr. Geha
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Hospital will host a Chamber of Commerce After 5 event today. The event will be held at the hospital’s conference rooms located on the lower level. The After 5 program is to honor Dr. Tom Duncan, and to thank him for his 29 years of providing health care to the community. Dr. Duncan is retiring and moving to North Carolina to be closer to family members. While we say farewell to Dr. Duncan, the afternoon event is also set to welcome the newest doctor to Le Mars. Dr. Andrew Geha is beginning his practice at Floyd Valley Hospital.
Semi Truck Overturns Barely Misses Premier Communications Building
(Le Mars) — A semi truck overturned on its side on Business Highway 75, yesterday, just missing hitting the Premier Communications Building by mere inches. The accident happened shortly after 2:00 p.m. The semi truck and trailer is operated by Westside Transport of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was driven by 48 year old Matthew Purdy of Cedar Rapids. The truck was hauling bales of cardboard as its cargo. Purdy lost control as he attempted to make the turn located next to the Family Table Restaurant and Premier Communications. Both the truck and the trailer ended on its side. Skid marks from the accident show the trailer coming within inches of striking the Premier Communications building. Purdy was not injured from the incident. The Le Mars Police Department, Le Mars Fire and Rescue, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Highway Patrol, and the Le Mars Ambulance all assisted at the scene. The Le Mars Police Department issued Purdy a citation of failure to maintain control.
Sioux City Council Undecided On Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Sioux City Council members have not found a way to make Martin Luther King Day a paid holiday for municipal workers in Sioux City.
The City Council discussed the issue on Monday, trying to figure out how to deal with different union contracts and pay extra money to maintain key city services on the holiday.
The Sioux City Chapter of the NAACP for 27 years has asked city leaders to recognize the slain civil rights leader’s birthday as a holiday. The county, state and federal governments already have done so.
Dick Hayes of the NAACP told the council that “it’s time to do the right thing.”
The city recognizes several holidays under which city workers get paid days off, depending on union contracts.
Study Shows Three Percent Of Iowa Children Have No Health Insurance
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A new study says that 3 percent of Iowa children do not have health insurance, one of the lowest rates in the nation that could nonetheless be improved.
The University of Iowa’s Public Policy Center says it conducted a telephone and Internet survey in 2010 and 2011 that concluded the rate of uninsured children was roughly unchanged from five years
earlier.
The study says that most of the uninsured children come from families that would be eligible for existing government programs such as Medicaid and hawk-i. Its authors are calling for continued
outreach to get them enrolled and are holding a webinar to discuss the report Tuesday.
The report notes parents will have incentives to get their children insured under the Affordable Care Act, which mandates that individuals obtain insurance.
Ernst Launches Senate Campaign
RED OAK, Iowa (AP) – A Republican candidate for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat is launching her campaign with a six-city tour.
State Sen. Joni Ernst announced last week she would seek the GOP nomination for the Senate seat held for decades by Democrat Tom Harkin, who decided not to seek re-election.
The 43-year-old Ernst will start her initial campaign trip Wednesday morning at the Montgomery County Courthouse in her hometown of Red Oak. She’ll continue with stops Wednesday and Thursday in Waukee, Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Davenport.
Other Republicans seeking the nomination include former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker, Sioux City talk show host Sam Clovis, attorney Paul Lunde and David Young, a former aide to Sen. Chuck Grassley.
On the Democratic side U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley is his party’s only candidate.
Branstad And Ray To Announce Location Of Ray’s Legal Papers
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad and former Gov. Robert Ray are set to appear together to reveal the plans for Ray’s papers.
Branstad and Ray have a news conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the State Historical Museum. They will announce the plans for Ray’s official papers.
Ray, a Republican, was governor from 1969 through 1983. During his time in office he served as chairman of the National Governors Association for two years and in 1979 he was part of a U.S.
delegation to the Special United Nations Conference on Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland.
Branstad served as lieutenant governor during Ray’s final term in office and succeeded him in office.
Egg Producer Settles Law Suit
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa egg producers blamed for a 2010 salmonella outbreak have settled a lawsuit brought by a California cooperative that lost profits as a result of the product recalls.
Quality Egg and Hillandale Farms reached the settlement last week with NuCal Foods, Incorporated to end three years of litigation in federal court in California. Financial terms weren’t released.
Quality Egg was owned by Jack DeCoster, who had a history of food safety, labor and environmental violations. Hillandale Farms received chickens and feed from DeCoster’s operations.
The companies issued recalls covering 550 million eggs in 2010. Thousands of customers were sickened by the outbreak.
NuCal contended the companies were aware their farms and chickens were contaminated with salmonella but kept selling tainted eggs anyway. Its attorney declined comment on the settlement.
