The “Pride of Dakota” Will Perform At Remsen
(Remsen) — The musical talents of the Pride of the Dakota’s will perform at Remsen today. The Pride, is the South Dakota State University Marching Band. The band is scheduled to perform during the Remsen-Union vs.Marcus Merriden-Cleghorn football game this evening, but a preview show is open to the public and will be held at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon as the members of the 200 plus band rehearse their music and their precision steps. The Pride will play before the game, at times during the game, and at halftime. Two members of the Pride are from Plymouth County. Scott Schroeder, the son of Tony and Shirley Schroeder of Remsen and Michelle Klein, the daughter of Jim and Mary Klein of Le Mars. Scott Schroeder is a sophmore at South Dakota State and he plays the trombone. Schroeder tells us what we can expect from the Pride’s marching band.
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Schroeder says he enjoys playing with the college marching band, and he says he feels a sense of pride to perform in front of his home town.
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Michelle Klein is a freshman at SDSU and plays the saxaphone for the Pride. She says her experience with the Gehlen Catholic marching band helped prepare her for the college marching band. She offers her thoughts about being a part of the Pride.
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Klein says the band learns new arrangements and new marching drills each week to be performed during the Jackrabbit home football games, and she explains the rehearsal schedule.
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Schroeder refuses to announce the musical selections the Pride will perform, but only to say the music will be familiar to everyone.
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If you are unable to watch the Pride’s performance tonight at Remsen, Schroeder says the marching band will perform the same number on Saturday afternoon during the “Star Fest” Contest to be held in Sioux City at Morningside College’s Olson Stadium.
Federal Audit Shows FEMA Made Mistakes With Cedar Rapids Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to follow its own disaster relief guidelines in deciding to replace four buildings in Cedar Rapids damaged in the 2008 flood, costing taxpayers $12 million in unnecessary spending, according to a federal audit report released Friday.
The report by the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security said the city’s Main Library, two buildings at the city’s Animal Control Facility and a park maintenance shop should have been repaired instead of replaced. The audit found repairs would have cost $8.6 million instead of the $20.6 million FEMA provided to construct new buildings.
The government is not seeking return of the $12 million it claims was spent in error because FEMA improperly approved the money and there is no evidence the city provided false or misleading information to FEMA.
The auditors, however, are recommending FEMA disallow the spending of more than $250,000 allowed in error for construction of the Animal Control Facility’s main building.
The city is one of many local organizations and government agencies across the United States that have dealt with FEMA’s practice of approving emergency funding only to later – sometimes years later – ask for the money back after auditors question the spending.
The University of Iowa and the Des Moines Water Works also have had to fight in the last few years to keep money FEMA initially approved and later tried to rescind.
