Extension And Chamber Host Retail Academy
(Le Mars) — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for Plymouth County along with the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce are hosting a Community and Retail Academy scheduled for today. The seminar will take place in the lower level of the Le Mars Convention Center and will begin at 9:00 a.m. Ann Schroenrock, co-program coordinator with Plymouth County Extension says the all-day conference will appeal to area businesses regardless of size.
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Schroenrock says after lunch the seminar will feature different break out sessions that will help small retail businesses with branding and marketing.
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The Plymouth County Extension official says the information to be delivered at the seminar is specific to northwest Iowa.
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Gehlen Students Selected For All State Music Festival
(Le Mars) — A total of nine current Gehlen Catholic musicians and vocalists and two Gehlen Catholic alumni have been selected for the Opus and All State Music Festivals in Ames scheduled for November 20th–22nd.
Gehlen 6th graders chosen to represent the school for the 29th Annual Opus Honor Choir Festival include :
• Zachary Kraft, son of Loi and Rita Kraft of LeMars;
• Easton Macklem, son of Mike and Jenny Macklem of LeMars;
• Nathan Nemmers, son of Doug and Rita Nemmers of LeMars; and
• Trevor Oloff, son of Ryan and Anne Oloff of LeMars.
This is Nathan’s and Trevor’s second year; Zach’s and Easton’s first year. The four boys will sing in the 5th and 6th grade choir. 3,557 vocalists auditioned for the 180 vocalists position for the four honor (5th & 6th grade, 7th & 8th grade boys, 7th & 8th grade girls, and 9th grade mixed) choirs. Opus is designed, by the Iowa Choral Association, to further the development of 5th through 9th grade choral programs and achieve the excellence and pride that develops from singing in Honor Choirs. Opus will be held Thursday, November 20th, at 4:00 p.m. in CY Stephens Auditorium at the Iowa State Center in Ames.
Four Gehlen Catholic high school vocalists were also selected for the All State Honor Choir, which will perform Saturday, November 22nd, at Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State University Campus. They are:
• Senior, Abigail Chagolla, 1st Soprano, daughter of Adolfo Chagolla and Maria Quintanilla of LeMars;
• Senior, Josie Schipper, 1st Soprano, a private student of Mr. Frank Summerside, and daughter of Dave and Alissa Schipper of LeMars;
• Freshman, Carlyn Bretey, 2nd Alto, private student of Mr. Summerside, daughter of Keith and Teri Bretey of LeMars; and
• Senior, Ben Fuentes, 1st Bass, son of Jim and Margaret Fuentes of LeMars. All four Gehlen choir students have Ms. Terra Falkena as an choral instructor.
This is Josie and Ben’s second time selected for All State and Abi and Carlyn’s first year. Carlyn was selected for both Opus and All State. She has chosen to sing with the All State Choir instead of the 9th Grade Opus Choir.
Instrumentally, senior, Michaela Bretey, daughter of Keith and Teri Bretey of LeMars, was selected for 1st Cornet for the All State Honor Band. This is Michaela’s second year being selected for the All State Honor Band. Michaela is the student of Mr. Paul Niebuhr and Mr. Cliff McMurray. She has studied privately with Retired Naval Commodore, Mr. Justin Kisor. 2014 marks the 68th anniversary of the Iowa All State Music Festival. Auditions for the 281-piece All State Band, 201-piece All State Orchestra, and 601-member All State Chorus were held Saturday, October 25th in six locations throughout the state. Approximately 17% of the students who auditioned were selected for membership in the All State ensembles. The All State Music Festival is under the auspices of the Iowa High School Music Association and Iowa Music Educators Association.
The Gehlen Catholic Instrumental Music Department is under the direction of Mr. Paul Niebuhr and Mr. Cliff McMurray. The Gehlen Catholic Elementary Vocal Music Department is under the direction of Mrs. Beverly Evans; and the 7-12 Vocal Music Department is under the direction of Mrs. Terra Falkena.
Finally, two Gehlen Catholic alumni will perform Saturday afternoon, November 22nd, during the 21st Annual Iowa Intercollegiate All Star (All State) Honor Band. Iowa Lakes Community College Professor of Instrumental Music, Mrs. Carol Ayres, announced Elias and Elisabeth Niebuhr were selected for trumpet and tuba, respectively, for the second year in a row. Dr. Myron Welch, Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa is this year’s conductor. 100 musicians from 18 Iowa post-secondary institutions were selected for this year’s ensemble. The concert is in conjunction with the Iowa Music Educators Association. Elias and Elisabeth are the children of Paul and Lisa Niebuhr of LeMars.
Le Mars Good Samaritan Society Wins Honor
(Des Moines) — Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars was recently honored with a Quality Program Award by the Iowa Health Care Association and Iowa Center for Assisted Living at their annual convention of long term and post-acute care providers in Des Moines. The Quality Program Awards recognizes programs that put quality into action within the long term care setting. Good Samaritan Society received the award for Quality Care Program for their Cottage Center Sensory Room.
In the development of a Sensory Room, the facility sought to create an environment that comforts and reduces the anxiety of residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related disorders. The Sensory Room’s special programing offers many different types of low stimulation including music with water falling or nature-like sounds, bean bag chairs that cradle restless limbs, weighted blankets and weighted vests that provide the feeling of being swaddled, soothing lighting, and a fireplace for extra warmth. Kerri Patchin, RN Cottage Center Neighborhood Coordinator says “The Sensory Room has been a wonderful addition for our residents living here in the Cottage Center. The room and the programs have been very effective and are ensuring that residents needing to find another place for comfort, is available to them.”
Records Siezed From Iowa Home Health Care
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Company officials say federal agents are investigating records seized from Iowa Home Care offices in West Des Moines, Clive and Fort Dodge.
Agents from the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were seen carrying boxes of records from the West Des Moines office on Tuesday afternoon.
Pete Deegan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Northern Iowa would not comment other than to say the agents were conducting official business.
The company says it “looks forward to cooperating fully with state and federal authorities regarding any questions related to our record-keeping practices.”
Iowa Home Care offers home health care services in 36 Iowa counties.
Semi Truck Crashes Into Overpass On Interstate 29
SALIX, Iowa (AP) – The driver of a semitrailer was sent to a hospital after his vehicle struck an Interstate 29 overpass in Iowa.
The crash happened Tuesday morning at the Port Neal Interchange near Salix. A sand silo being carried by the semitrailer struck the bottom of the overpass.
The silo went into the medium and struck two parked cars. The semitrailer continued on for about 100 feet and hit a construction crane.
The driver was taken to a local hospital, but additional information was not released. The crash affected traffic for the southbound lanes for several hours.
Murder Trial Begins For 17 Year Old Boy Accused Of Killing 5 Year Old Foster Brother
LOGAN, Iowa (AP) – A murder trial has begun for an 18-year-old charged in the death of a 5-year-old boy outside a rural home where they were foster children.
Lawyers for Cody Metzker-Madsen plan to use an insanity defense in the 2013 death of Dominic Elkins.
Authorities say Elkins was killed while the boys were playing outdoors at their home near Logan, in western Iowa. He died as a result of blunt-force head injuries and drowning.
Elkins’ body was found at the bottom of a ravine.
Metzker-Madsen has pleaded not guilty and has waived his right to a jury trial. A judge will make the final ruling in the trial that began Tuesday and is expected to last two weeks.
Legal experts say that Metzker-Madsen will not be released from jail if found not guilty. He will likely face years in state care.
Republicans Believe They Are Making Great Strides With Early Voting
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Using robo-calls from the popular governor, mailers adorned with pictures of Uncle Sam and a small army of door-knocking activists, Iowa Republicans are making a serious push to encourage early voting – a strategy they have not emphasized in past elections.
For years, Democrats have dominated early voting in Iowa, while Republicans largely focused on Election Day turnout. But this year, the GOP has invested millions to get conservatives to cast ballots early. The investment may prove vital to Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst in her tight race against Democrat Bruce Braley.
Through Monday, just over 322,000 ballots had been cast early in Iowa, with 41 percent coming from Democrats and 40 percent from Republicans. The gap was much wider at this point in 2010.
Hillary Clinton To Campaign For Braley
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Hillary Rodham Clinton will campaign with Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Braley in Iowa as the election nears.
The former first lady, senator and secretary of state planned to appear Wednesday at events in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. She was expected to stress early voting.
Clinton came to Iowa in September to headline retiring Sen. Tom Harkin’s last annual “Steak Fry” fundraiser. She has kept up a busy schedule this fall, campaigning for Democrats in close races.
On Saturday, former President Bill Clinton will appear at two events in Iowa for Braley.
Braley, a four-term congressman from Waterloo, is locked in a tight race against Republican Joni Ernst, a state lawmaker and lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard. Ernst will campaign Wednesday with Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Fort Dodge to Resume Air Service
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Commercial air flights will return to Fort Dodge with Air Choice One offering trips to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
Fort Dodge has been without air service since Great Lakes Airlines stopped flights in February, because of a lack of pilots.
The Fort Dodge Messenger reports that it’s not yet known when the new flights by Air Choice One will start. The airline’s chief administrative officer, Cindy Stork, says a starting date hasn’t been finalized.
But Rhonda Chambers, the aviation director of Fort Dodge Regional Airport, says she expects the service will start in about 60 to 90 days. Chambers says the airport’s commission is excited commercial flights will be offered again at the Fort Dodge airport.
