County Supervisors To Meet Today
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning at the County Courthouse boardroom. The supervisors will decide whether to approve the new 2014 Family Farm Applications. The county governing board will take action involving a deed for sale regarding the Plymouth County Recreational subdivision. The supervisors will hear from Jim McCrystal as he is seeking approval for a minor subdivision in Perry Township. County engineer Tom Rohe will appear before the supervisors to update the county’s construction projects, and to submit permits from Northern Iowa Telephone and Neutral Path Communications.
Le Mars City Council To Open Bids On Downtown Rennovation Project
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council is expected to open bids for the downtown facade rennovation as part of the Community Development Block Grant. The winning contractor is expected to start the project yet this fall. Also on the city council’s agenda is a proposed increase in the sewer rate ordinance as part of the costs associated with the new waste water treatment facility. The city will be asking Wells Enterprises to share the cost of $20 million and Dean’s Foods will pay $5.1 million dollars. The user agreement is for a period of 20 years.
Soderberg To Chair House Appropriations Committee
(Des Moines) — State Representative Chuck Soderberg of Le Mars has again been appointed by the House majority leader Kraig Paulson to lead the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Soderberg also chaired the State House Appropriations Committee during the last session of the Iowa legislature. Other northwest Iowa state representatives with leadership posiitions include Sioux City Republican Ron Jorgensen who will chair the House Education Committee, and Sioux Rapids Republican Megan Jones will chair the House Environmental Protection Committee.
Charitable Organizations Seeking Donations
(Le Mars) — We have “Gray Thursday”, “Black Friday”, Small Business Saturday”, “Cyber Monday” and now “Giving Tuesday”. Each of the first four days are focused on bargain shopping for the holidays. However, the purpose of “Giving Tuesday” is to donate eitherr items or cash to local charities. This time of year food banks and charitable thrift organizations are in need of food and clothing. Barb Waltz serves as the coordinator for the Christian Needs Center in Le Mars. She says she is hopeful people will be generous, and donate items of need.
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Waltz says Le Mars has always been a generous community.
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This year, Waltz says the Christian Needs Center distributed its Christmas baskets a little differently than from previous years.
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The Christian Needs Center serves Plymouth County residents, but Waltz says the center will not turn its back on anyone in need.
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The Christian Needs Center is open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 noon and again from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Mid-Sioux Opportunity Accepting “Mittens”
(Remsen) — Another local organization assisting the under priviledged is Mid-Sioux Opportunity of Remsen. For the past six years Mid-Sioux has collected mittens and gloves that are distributed to needy families within five counties of northwest Iowa. People can purchase a “mitten” at area businesses for a dollar donation. Mid-Sioux then collects the money to purchase mittens, scarfs, gloves and other necessity items for people living in Plymouth, Sioux, O’Brien, Cherokee, and Ida Counties. In Remsen, you may purchase a mitten at Mid-Sioux, Opportunity, Mrs. B’s Convenience store, Iowa State Bank, and American Bank. In Akron, you can purchase a mitten at Maynard’s grocery store.
NIPCO Accepting Coats For Kids
(Le Mars) — Continuing our theme about giving, local power utility cooperative NIPCO is a sponsor of the “Coats for Kids” campaign and Angela Catton says it has been a successful campaign for the last five years.
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Catton explains why NIPCO, and its member affiliate Rural Electric Cooperatives, have joined in with the Coats for Kids campaign.
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The utility spokesperson explains besides the Le Mars NIPCO offices, there are several other locations where people can donate a slightly used coat.
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Coats can be donated until January 6th.
Cattle Producers Hold Beef Quality Assurance Certification Meetings
(Le Mars) — Consumers are placing additional demands on the cattle industry, and cattle producers are having to make some modifications to their production techniques. For this reason, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, along with the Iowa Cattlemen Association are hosting three separate meetings today to address beef quality assurance issues. Beth Doran serves as the Iowa State University Extension Beef Specialist for northwest Iowa, and explains the purpose of the meetings.
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Doran says the beef packing companies have indicated they will conduct audit checks with producers to make certain they are in compliance.
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The Le Mars Convention Center is hosting the Beef Quality Assurance meeting today, and the two-hour meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. Doran says there isn’t any registration fees. Similar meetings are scheduled for Holstein at 2:00 p.m. and the Palo Alto County Extension office at Emmetsburg starting at 7:00 p.m. Doran encourages all area cattle producers to attend one of the meetings. She says the goal is to have all Iowa Cattle producers be 100 percent certified.
Branstad Pleased To See Christie Vetos Animal Crate Bill
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is praising Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a ban on crates for sows but says the New Jersey Republican’s action wasn’t influenced by the 2016 Iowa caucuses.
On Monday, Branstad called Christie’s veto on Friday of legislation outlawing gestation crates a “good decision.” Branstad says the veto allows farmers to protect young pigs from being crushed by heavy sows.
New Jersey has few hogs but Iowa raises more than 20 million hogs annually. Some argue Christie’s veto was influenced by Iowa’s early voting status. Christie is weighing a bid for the Republican presidential nomination
Branstad, a Republican, says he has discussed the issue with Christie but doesn’t think politics factored into the matter.
Branstad said, “I give him credit for listening.”
People Express Comments Regarding Proposed Oil Pipeline
FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – Supporters and opponents of a proposed oil pipeline that would cut across Iowa have spoken at a public hearing in Fort Madison.
Representatives from the Iowa Utilities Board, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Energy Transfer Partners were present Monday to discuss the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline.
The proposed $3.78 billion project would stretch from the Bakken formation in North Dakota, to Patoka, Illinois.
The Burlington Hawkeye reports some people expressed concern about property damage. Others said they were worried about potential water contamination. Others expressed full support for the project because they believe it could bring jobs to the area.
Officials are holding several meetings about the pipeline across the state. Energy Transfer Partners wants to have the pipeline built and working by the end of 2016.
