Koerselman Honored As Distinguished Alum
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community School Alumni Association and the Le Mars Community School District Foundation also honored long-time local journalist, Glada Koerselman as the Le Mars Community Distinguished Alum during an awards banquet held Wednesday evening. Koerselman, who graduated from Le Mars Community in 1947, says it was a neighbor and competitor that got her interested in working for a newspaper.
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Koerselman had served as the editor of the Le Mars Daily Sentinel for several decades. Koerselman was presented with a small bulldog statue for being named Distinguished Alum. She says she remembers the original bulldog mascot named “Beans”
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Koerselman says she worked hard while in school but mainly kept to herself, although she admits to attending many of the school dances. Koerselman says she really liked Le Mars Community School and the building, so much so, she invested a dollar to purchase the building to keep it from the wrecking ball. A short time later what was known as the Le Mars Community High School is now being utilized as the Plymouth County Historical Museum.
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As for being honored, Koerselman says she has mixed feelings about the attention.
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Fire Department Has Another Busy Month
(Le Mars) — First it was February with 31 calls, then came March with 44 calls, and now the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department has issued its monthly report for April, and again, the fire and rescue department had a busy month. The fire department responded to a total of 47 alarms in April, with 14 of those calls being fires. The fire and rescue department performed six resuce calls ranging from vehicle accidents, to machine entrapments, and a missing child. Four times the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department responded to a mutual aid call from the Merrill Fire Department to assist with grass and field fires. The local fire brigade was asked 13 times for request for services. Some of the other notable accomplishments from the fire department include : awards given to two Clark elementary school children for reporting a garage fire, and 25 of 27 firefighters now have a professional medical license certification for an EMT, paramedic, or emergency first responder.
Argosy Casino Distributes “Pink Slips”
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Argosy riverboat casino on Sioux City has sent layoff notices to all of its more than 300 workers.
The notices were sent Wednesday in accordance with a federal law that requires employers with more than 100 employees to provide at least 60 days’ notice of a workplace closing or mass layoff.
But Argosy’s parent company, Penn National Gaming Co., says it is not ending its fight to keep open the casino.
The Argosy’s pending closure stems from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision to allow a land-based casino in downtown Sioux City to replace the Argosy. Penn National lost its bid to operate the land-based casino to Sioux City Entertainment, which is building and will operate a Hard Rock Casino.
State Senate Still Not Done With Its Work
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Senate, after working all night to finish the 2014 legislative session, must return for one more day after a dispute developed involving subpoena powers.
Senate Democrats intend to pass a resolution granting subpoena power to the Senate oversight committee, but Republicans are resisting. The panel has been looking into allegations involving payments given to fired state employees and other matters.
The House adjourned just before 6 a.m. Thursday but senators remained to pass the resolution, which lets the oversight committee to subpoena witnesses and put them under oath to testify.
Because Republicans object to the plan, a Senate rule prevents the resolution from being debated Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal adjourned the session until 8 a.m. Friday, when a vote will be held and the session adjourned.
Midwest Economic Study Shows Record High For April
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly economic index for nine Midwestern and Plains states hit a three-year high in April, suggesting more economic growth over the next three to six months.
A report issued Thursday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose to 60.4 from 58.2 in March.
Looking six months ahead, the business confidence portion of the overall index jumped to 64.2 in April from 59.0 in March.
The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.
The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
Stolen Electronics
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines police are looking for a man accused of stealing electronics from a store and assaulting an employee at the business.
Sgt. Jason Halifax says 31-year-old Andrew Allen Bolden ran out of a Sears store in Des Moines on Monday. He is accused of leaving with $850 worth of electronics.
Police say Bolden attempted to get into a stolen car he left running nearby, but a Sears employee followed him. Bolden is accused of assaulting the employee then fleeing on foot.
Police say anonymous tips by phone and social media helped identify Bolden. He faces charges of second-degree robbery and second-degree theft. Police believe he is in Des Moines.
Pot Cookies
BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say four 13-year-old students in southeast Iowa’s Burlington have been charged after their scheme to bake marijuana-laced cookies in a home economics class was discovered.
The four were arrested and released Wednesday. Two are charged with felony delivery of marijuana and two with misdemeanor possession. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles accused of crimes.
Burlington police Lt. Jeff Klein says the four attended Edward Stone Middle School. Several other students knew about the plan and notified school officials that the pot had been mixed into the cookie dough Tuesday during the home ec class. Klein says the dough was stored overnight, but the scheme was thwarted on Wednesday before the dough was baked.
