Chamber Holiday Dollars Sale A Success
(Le Mars) — The sale of Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Holiday dollars was again successful this year, according to Chamber president Brad Pick.
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Chamber representatives started selling the discounted dollars at 8:30 a.m. and within minutes one category was sold out.
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If you were unable to select holiday dollars today, Pick says people may still be able to purchase chamber dollars at the Chamber of Commerce office.
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Monthly Paper Recycling To End In May
(Le Mars) — At the paper recycling site Saturday morning, two awards of recognition were given
to long time volunteers. Steve Wick serves as the coordinator of the monthly paper drive.
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This month, more than 12,000 pounds of discarded newspapers and other paper products were donated.
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Wick says Le Mars citizens have shown they are environmentally conscious over the past 20 years, but unfortunately Wick says come May, the monthly paper drive will end.
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Fire Department Respond To Tractor Fire On Sunday
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire Department responded to two calls Sunday afternoon. The first
call came shortly after 2:00 p.m. at 1620 Willow Run Blvd. Firefighters arrived and entered
the home and located a smoke detector in a laundry room that had been activated. Steam
from a dryer was determined to be the cause of the alarm. Firefighters cleared the detector
and the fire alarm was reset. Firefighters were on scene for approximately 20 minutes.
The second call was at 3:10pm the Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department was called for a tractor on
fire north of Fedders RV on Hwy 75. Upon arrival the tractor was found located pulled off
the road at 15737 Hwy 75. The tractor was being driven by Bruce Kellen of Le Mars. There
was light smoke coming from the underside of the tractor. Firefighters used one hose hand
line to extinguish the blaze very quickly. It was determined that corn stalks were ignited
by the hot motor and hydraulics of the tractor. The only thing that burnt was the corn
stalks trapped around the motor and under the cab of the tractor. There was no damage to
the tractor itself. Firefighters were on the scene for 30 minutes and were assisted by the
Le Mars Police, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol.
Jim’s Burgers Moves To New Location
(Le Mars) — A familiar downtown restaurant has moved to its new location. Jim’s Burgers
moved their cooking equipment and headed west about five blocks. Starting today, Jim’s
Burgers will be utilizing what was the old Hardee’s restaurant located on a strip mall at 30
5th Avenue NW along Business Highway 75 north.
Branstad Hosts Bullying Summit
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Educators, parents and students will gather for Gov. Terry
Branstad’s second summit on bullying prevention.
The event will be held Monday in Des Moines. This year’s theme is “Mission Possible:
Stepping Up the Response,” and is a follow-up to last year’s summit, which drew about 1,100
people.
The summit’s keynote speaker is Emily Bazelon, author of the book “Sticks and Stones:
Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.”
During the summit, there will be sessions on how students and adults can make a
difference. Participants will explore good legal policy and support schools may need to
better deal with bullying.
The governor’s push for anti-bullying legislation meant to help school districts combat
harassment on social media sites failed during the last legislative session.
Bioengineering Workshop Scheduled For Ames
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Bioengineering representatives from various institutions are expected to
attend a workshop at Iowa State University.
The school’s new Crop Bioengineering Consortium will hold the two-day workshop
beginning Monday at the Gateway Conference Center. Three sessions are scheduled.
The workshop will highlight gene editing technology aimed at improving crops for food
and biorenewables. The workshop will also offer perspectives on regulation, technology
access and other issues surrounding the process of changing specific genes in a DNA
sequence.
The consortium was founded in June as one of the university’s presidential initiatives
for interdisciplinary research.
Urbandale Man In Coma Following Beating
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A 26-year-old man remained in a medically induced coma Sunday as
authorities investigated the assault that injured him.
The Urbandale man was beaten severely outside a Des Moines sports bar early Sunday morning.
Witnesses told police the victim had been arguing with a group of men inside the bar
before the assault.
Police found marijuana, a concealed weapons permit and firearms in the victim’s
vehicle, but they haven’t been able to talk to the victim.
Police identified a suspect in the case with the help of a tip from the public, but the suspect wasn’t immediately identified Sunday.
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Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion Gets Renovation
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Shiny new kitchen equipment, a modern furnace and fresh paintwork
are among the recent updates at the historic Iowa governor’s mansion thanks to a successful
fundraising campaign.
Just over $2 million has been pledged to a fundraising campaign led by the Terrace Hill
Foundation for improvements and to establish an endowment for the Victorian mansion. The
house was donated to the state in 1971 for use as the governor’s residence.
The fundraising has exceeded the $1.6 million goal set two years ago when the effort
began. Several renovation projects have already been completed, including a new
commercial-grade kitchen and an energy-efficient heating system.
Terry Branstad, who served as governor from 1983 to 1999 and then returned to office in
2011, is on his second stint living in the home.
