Home News Wednesday Afternoon News, December 17

Wednesday Afternoon News, December 17

City Unveils Recycling Brochure

(Le Mars) — At the Le Mars City Council meeting held on Tuesday, city officials unveiled a colorful brochure that is intended to assist residents to better understand what items can be recycled and what items need to be thrown away.  The brochure is titled simply: “Recycling and Solid Waste Services Brochure.”    Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole explains why the city created the informational brochure.

Listen to
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Cole says the brochure contains photos of examples of items that can be accepted for recycling purposes.

Listen to
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 The brochure also offers a listing of fees associated with the disposal of certain items, as well as contact information including the city hall, Van’s Sanitation, and the Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency.  Cole says the new brochure can be obtained at city hall, the Le Mars Public Library, the Le Mars Daily Sentinel, and here at KLEM radio.  The city official says Le Mars now serves as a model for other communities to follow in terms of a successful recycling program.

Listen to
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Floyd Valley Hospital Reports On Common Baby Names

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley hospital is reporting that so far, in 2014 there have been 104 births, with 53 girls and 51 boys.  Among the girls names, there were seven repeated names accounting for 17 of the girls.  Two girls were named Adelynn, four were named Avery, two Camilas, two Coras, two Hazels, and three Kallie and two girls went home with the name Kinlee.  As for the boys, there were only three repeats accounting for six boys.  There were two Benjamins, two Matthews, and two Silas’.  Hospital officials say there were 36 unique girl names and 45 unique boy names that have not been repeated in 2014, so far.

 

Mapleton Man Faces Gun Charges

 MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in western Iowa say a man faces gun charges after another man was found with a gunshot wound.
     The Monona County Sheriff’s Office says 22-year-old Joshua Beam was arrested Tuesday night in Mapleton after authorities found a man with a gunshot wound to the head.
     The wounded man, 22-year-old Eric Franco, was taken to a local health center with non-life-threatening injuries.
     Authorities say Beam and Franco consumed alcohol then began to wrestle. Beam is accused of pulling out a handgun and firing several shots.
     Beam faces several charges, including intimidation with a dangerous weapon and going armed with intent. Court records do not list an attorney.

 

Food Banks To Receive Grants

 AMES, Iowa (AP) – Three Iowa food pantries are among 75 across the country that will receive $20,000 grants from Walmart to help pay for renovations and new equipment.
     The Iowa organizations receiving the grants are the Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Adel, Food at First in Ames and Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank in Mason City.
     The winning pantries were selected by a vote on Walmart’s website over the past two weeks.
     The grants will help pay for renovations and purchases such as new refrigerators, ovens, storage units and refrigerated trucks.
     The U.S. Department of Agriculture says as of last year, 49 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households. Of those people, nearly 16 million are children.

 

Teacher Accused Of Sexual Exploitaion Of Students

    TREYNOR, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa teacher faces additional charges in a sexual exploitation case involving several former students.
     Pottawattamie County Attorney Dan McGinn says 45-year-old Michael Travis is charged with four counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts. A hearing on the additional counts is scheduled for Dec. 31.
     A motion has been filed to consolidate the charges for a trial set at the end of January.
     Travis is an elementary school teacher and a high school softball coach for Treynor Community Schools. He is on paid administrative leave.
     One former elementary school student and three former softball players say Travis inappropriately touched them between 2001 and 2006. Another student stepped forward with an allegation, but the statute of limitations expired.