Le Mars Fire Department Honored With Life Safety Achievement Award
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department has learned that it will receive the 2013 Life Safety Achievement Award. The award will be given to the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department on September 6, 2014 at the Annual Iowa Firefighters Convention which is being hosted in Grinnell, Iowa this year. This award is presented by the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. Since 1994 the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized Fire Departments throughout the United States for outstanding fire safety statistics and effective fire prevention programs during the preceding calendar year.
In recognition of these pro-active fire prevention efforts aimed at improving a community’s fire and life safety behaviors, a Fire Department may be eligible for the LSA award.
Criteria:
Zero fire deaths or a 10% reduction in fire deaths from the previous year.
Department shall have an active fire prevention program in place.
Dedicated commitment to fire prevention activities (financially and in-kind)
Evidence that fire prevention efforts are making a positive difference in the community.
Le Mars Fire-Rescue was awarded this achievement award for several reasons.
First, Le Mars had zero fire deaths in 2013. Second, Le Mars has a fire prevention program that is funded by business and individual donations which provides hand-outs and literature to over 1500 students annually. Third, the Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department speaks to over 450 children each year about fire safety during fire prevention week in October. Lastly, Le Mars was able to show how the program is working by awarding student of the year awards to two young girls who saw a fire on their way home from school and new exactly what to do and the fire was put out quickly by firefighters before it could spread. This is the second year in a row that the Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department has received this award. Le Mars Fire-Rescue was one of only nine Fire Departments in Iowa to receive this award in 2012.
Supervisors To Have The Week Off
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will be taking the week off as there will not be a weekly meeting scheduled for today, due to the lack of agenda items.
New Playground Equipment In Place
(Le Mars) — Over the summer, contractors assembled new playground equipment at each of the three Le Mars Community elementary schools. Now that school has started, Scott Parry, the principal at Kluckholn Elementary says the new playground equipment is in place and is being used by the students.
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The new playground equipment had a price tag of close to $360,000, but was partially financed through fund raiser efforts by the Le Mars Parent-Teacher-Organization, and other community civic organizations. Franklin and Clark school principal Floyd Athay says there is money left over to add more items.
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The old playground equipment was constructed from wood and steel and Athay says it had simply worn out. The new playground equipment is constructed from durable plastic.
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Parry says the new playground equipment is handicapped accessible and meets the safety requirements.
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And what about the elementary students? What do they think of the new playground equipment?
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Farm Progress Show Begins Today
(Boone) — Farmers from across the midwest will be heading to Boone, Iowa for the next three days in order to attend the Farm Progress Show. The exhibition has been referred to as a “farmer’s supermarket” showing the latest in agricultural technology. The show features the major names associated with farming from equipment to seed companies. Vince Kurtz with the Iowa Highway Patrol says the farm show is likely to create some traffic jams.
Listen to
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Three Commodity Organizations Form Water Alliance
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Three Iowa farm trade groups have formed an organization called the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to push farmers harder on the implementation of farm practices designed to clean Iowa’s water. The group’s goal is to get more farmers to participate in the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a voluntary program initiated Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration.
Environmental groups including Iowa Citizens for Community improvement want measurable and enforceable standards. They say the new alliance will do little to improve Iowa water. Iowa CCI says it’s a corporate public relations campaign that won’t change a thing.
Branstad announced the creation of the alliance Monday with officials from Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
The soybean group’s CEO Kirk Leeds is board chairman of the nonprofit alliance.
More Parents Refusing To Vaccinate Children
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa officials are concerned over the increase in parents choosing not to vaccinate their children.
Parents received vaccination exemptions in the 2012-13 school year for nearly 8,000 children. That’s more than triple the number from 12 years ago.
While the figure represents less than 2 percent of all Iowa children, health leaders say they’re worried about the rise in unvaccinated children.
Polk County’s public health director Rick Kozin says some parents might not realize that unvaccinated children could lead to a disease outbreak in schools.
Iowa laws allow two kinds of exemptions for medical or religions reasons. Some children have to avoid vaccinations for medical reasons such as allergies.
State Senate Government Oversight Committee To Question Workforce Officials
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Senate Government Oversight Committee is calling to testify under oath a number of judges that decide Iowa unemployment cases as part of its investigation into alleged abuse of power at Iowa Workforce Development.
Former Chief Administrative Law Judge Joe Walsh is the first witness to appear Tuesday. He’s filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the state claiming IWD Director Teresa Wahlert laid him off after he opposed her efforts to change his job to a political appointment and to favor employers over workers in unemployment decisions.
The committee has for months been investigating allegations of a hostile work environment at state agencies, questionable hiring practices and misallocation of funds in Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration.
Branstad, a Republican, says the committee run by Senate Democrats is motivated by politics.
U of I Student Appeared To Have Overdose Symptoms
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a University of Iowa student found disoriented at a residence hall appeared to be experiencing overdose symptoms.
Dan Stepleton with the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Narcotics Enforcement says officers found suspicious items in the student’s dorm room at Slater Hall. He added that some items are believed to be used in drug manufacturing, but he did not elaborate.
Officials responded to Slater Hall on Sunday night after the student was reported disoriented in the lobby. School officials say the 500-person residence hall was evacuated after staff reported chemicals and other suspicious items in the student’s dorm room. Residents returned to their dorms before midnight.
The student was hospitalized. An update on the student’s condition was not available Monday.
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U of I Student Sexually Assaulted
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A University of Iowa student says she was sexually assaulted in a residence hall just a few days before the start of the fall semester.
The female student told officials she was the victim of nonconsensual sexual contact by an acquaintance in a residence hall Friday. The student contacted officials Sunday.
UI spokesman Tom Moore says the student has decided not to file a police report at this time.
The school issued a “timely warning” Monday about the incident. They issued more than a dozen during the last academic school year. UI President Sally Mason released a six-point plan in February aimed at combating sexual assault.
