Supervisors Hear About Semi Trailer Used As A Billboard
(Le Mars) — A semi trailer located along Highway 60 that has been used as a billboard for signage promoting a local motorcycle dealership was the topic of discussion during Tuesday’s meeting of the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors. County Attorney Darin Raymond presented information to the county board indicating the semi trailer was in violation of zoning ordinances.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Raymond1.mp3{/audio}
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Raymond2.MP3{/audio}
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Raymond3.MP3{/audio}
House Movers Prepare Log Cabin To Be Moved
(Le Mars) — Soon the Joy Hollow log cabin will be ready to be moved from the Plymouth County Fairgrounds to its new home at the Plymouth County Historical Museum. The Morrow House Movers Company of Jackson, Nebraska is blocking up the cabin preparing it for its upcoming move. Dale Morrow says the cabin offers some challenges, but he believes it is worth saving and restoring.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Morrow1.mp3{/audio}
Morrow explains the process of getting the cabin ready for the move across town.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Morrow2.mp3{/audio}
Morrow estimates the work will take at least a couple of days to adequately prepare the cabin for its move. He says he wants to make certain everyone involved with the move is ready.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Morrow3.mp3{/audio}
The house mover says they will place the cabin on a set of dollies, and try to keep it as low as they can while they move the fragile structure. Morrow did not give a specific date as to when the cabin would be moved, only to say it will happen when everyone is ready.
LEEP To Donate Funds To School Technology Intergration
(Le Mars) — The LeMars Community School District has announced the LeMars Educational Enhancement Project (L.E.E.P.) is partnering with them in working towards the district’s goal to increase the level of technology integration in the school district’s classrooms.
Dr. Todd Wendt, Superintendent of schools, explained that recently the Board of Education approved a plan to increase the school district’s financial commitment to technology integration $150,000 each of the next two years. This increase, combined with the existing annual budget of $100,000, will bring the district’s yearly spending on technology to $250,000 in the 2015-16 school year and in the 2016-17 school year.
To assist in allocating the added funding of $150,000, the district developed an application process giving teachers the opportunity to submit applications to purchase devices for classroom use. Thirty-four applications were submitted and reviewed by a committee consisting of the district’s technology instructional coaches, the technology 2 director, and the superintendent, of which twenty-three were approved to receive monies for the 2015-16 school year.
“Unfortunately, there were two more applications identified as quality applications that the district was unable to fund,” commented Dr. Wendt. “Consequently, we were thrilled to learn that the members of L.E.E.P. decided at their May meeting to partner with us and donate $16,000 to LeMars Community Schools to fund these two applications. This level of financial commitment made by L.E.E.P. to increase the integration of technology into district classrooms is greatly appreciated. Without their support, the funding of these two applications would not have been possible.”
Officers of the L.E.E.P. organization, Gayle Vonk, Julie Beitelspacher, and Lorraine DeJong, will be presenting a check in the amount of $16,000 to the LeMars Community School District’s Board of Education at the school board meeting scheduled for May 26.
Plymouth County Hires New Emergency Management Director
(Le Mars) — Starting July 1st, Plymouth County will have a new Emergency Management Director. Duane Walhof has been hired to replace Gary Junge, who has retired. Walhof is currently employed as a Federal U-S Marshal.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Walhof1.MP3{/audio}
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Walhof2.MP3{/audio}
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/May 2015/Walhof3.MP3{/audio}
Four More Cases Of Bird Flu Detected In Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa agriculture officials say bird flu has been found on another turkey farm in Buena Vista County, two more chicken farms in Sioux County and in a backyard flock of chickens.
The four new cases announced Tuesday raise the state’s total to 60 and boosts the number of chickens dead or dying to about 26 million. The latest turkey farm has 24,000 birds raising turkey losses in Iowa to more than 960,000.
One chicken farm has 150,000 egg laying hens and the other 100,000 pullets, younger chickens that were to be egg layers. The backyard flock had 15 chickens.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed more than 39 million birds in 15 states with the H5N2 virus that scientists believe came to the Midwest this spring with migrating waterfowl.
Lake City Students Return To School Following Tornado
LAKE CITY, Iowa (AP) – Students have resumed classes this week in Lake City after their high school was damaged by a tornado.
Students of South Central Calhoun High School attended classes Monday at various locations, including churches, a public library and a bank.
The last day of school for everyone in the district is next Thursday. Principal Randy Martin said he’ll leave it up to the teachers to decide whether students would be given end-of-the-semester tests.
An EF1 tornado on May 10 damaged the school’s roof, making the building unusable for the rest of the academic year.
Iowa State Capitol Evacuated, Again
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Weeks after burned macaroni and cheese emptied out the Iowa Capitol, a charred pizza crust has done it again.
The crust burned Tuesday morning in the Capitol cafeteria, prompting a brief evacuation.
Department of Administrative Services Spokesman Caleb Hunter says property was not damaged and no one was injured.
The Iowa Legislature is still in session, but many members were not at the Capitol on Tuesday.
About three weeks ago, the Capitol was evacuated when someone burned a macaroni and cheese lunch in a microwave behind the Senate chambers.
