New Wastewater Treatment Plant To Soon Begin Operations
(Le Mars) — Plans for a new Le Mars Wastewater treatment plant called for the new facility to be in operation by April 1st. However, some unforseen construction problems caused delays to the
plant’s expected start. But, Ron Kaiser, superintendent for the Le Mars Wastewater
Treatment Services, believes the new plant will soon start operations.
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Kaiser says a major delay for the new wastewater treatment facility was
when construction crews ran into problems while trying to bore underneath
a highway and the Floyd River.
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The wastewater superintendent says the new plant will be brought online gradually once it is ready for operations.
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Kaiser says the new wastewater treatment facility was constucted because
of production expansion for Wells Enterprises, Deans Foods, and other Le Mars industries. The companies are sharing 50 percent of the construction and production costs. He says the current facility is at full capacity.
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The new $19 million wastewater plant will be able to treat 500 thousand gallons of wastewater per day. Le Mars intends to use both its old and new treatment plants simultaneously in the future.
Law Enforcement Officers Killed In The Line Of Duty To Be Remembered
(Sioux City) — Woodbury County law enforcement officials will honor and remember those officers that were killed in the line of duty during a ceremony scheduled for Monday, May 12th. The program will begin promptly at noon at the Law Enforcement Memorial located between the Woodbury
County Courthouse and the Sioux City City Hall. The brief ceremony will include placement of the memorial wreaths, roll-call memorial address and a guest speaker. Eleven officers from the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office, Woodbury County Attorney, Sioux City Police Department, and one agent of the FBI who was from Sioux City will be remembered.
Hundreds Attend Opening Of New Food Co-op
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Hundreds of people have attended the opening of a
food cooperative in Dubuque, a major milestone for organizers who wanted
to create a market that focuses on local food.
The Dubuque Food Co-op opened its doors Monday for members, though
the public is encouraged to shop there. A grand opening for the community
will be held in late May or early June.
The 6,000-square-foot facility offers items found in traditional grocery stores, but there is a greater
emphasis on organic foods and locally grown products.
The co-op has been years in the making. A steering committee to
create it was formed in 2009. A membership campaign that launched in
February 2012 took more than a year to reach a $1.4 million fundraising
goal.
Judge Rejects Plea Agreement On Woman Charged With Postal Theft
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A judge has rejected a plea agreement calling for probation for a former Iowa postal employee who stole dozens of greeting cards that contained cash.
U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett ruled last week that sentencing Charmagne LaPoint to probation would ignore the non-economic harm she caused people who never received cards from loved ones.
He says LaPoint’s proposed sentence was based too much on the dollar amount of $1,200 that she admitted embezzling.
Bennett says that it’s one thing to steal money but another “to steal someone’s emotional support in times of joy, celebration, grief or danger.”
Bennett says he might accept an agreement calling for less than six months behind bars for LaPoint, a single mother who worked at the post office in the northern Iowa town of Wesley.
