Good Samaritan Society Of Le Mars To Help Install Safety Features In Seniors Homes
(Le Mars) — Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars and The Le Mars Rotary, along with various local businesses, will again be partnering together in giving back to seniors living within our community by installing grab bars, raised toilet seats, improved lighting and other equipment to help reduce the risk of seniors falling in their homes.
The project day is scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd and is in conjunction with the Good Samaritan Society’s Founder’s Day Service Project. The Le Mars center is joining Good Samaritan Society locations nationwide that have organized similar projects to mark the anniversary of the organization’s founding on Sept. 29, 1922.
Amy Harnack, marketing development director for Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars, says “The volunteers had such a great experience last year, we felt it was important to do it again!” Assessment of homes will again be completed in the months of July and August. Materials will then be purchased with donations.”
Good –Samaritan Society Le Mars would like to select three to six homes this year for improvements and are looking for qualifying senior homes to complete projects.
Individuals and organizations who would like more information about qualification, want to make a donation, or to volunteer should contact Harnack at (712) 546-2125.
Sioux City’s Welcome Arches Come Down
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The three giant Gateway Arches that for 35 years told travelers that they were in Sioux City have come crashing down.
Each 40-foot-tall, 36-ton structure was pushed over on Wednesday after dirt was dug from the base beneath them. Now they’re no longer in the way of a new Nebraska Street exit to be built as part of the ongoing Interstate 29 project
The estimated $165,000 cost of moving and installing the arches elsewhere in the city ruled out proposals to save them.
Joanne Grueskin led the community drive to build the arches in 1980, and she says they helped spur development of the Anderson Dance Pavilion and the riverfront bike trails. She says the arches well-served their purpose.
Groups Opposing Oil Pipeline Submit Letters Of Petition
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Groups opposing plans to build an oil pipeline across Iowa say organizers have submitted more than 2,600 written statements against the project.
Representatives for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition gathered Thursday morning outside the offices of the Iowa Utilities Board to submit the paperwork
The board is scheduled later this year to decide whether to approve the pipeline, which would transport up to 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a distribution center in Illinois.
The groups say the pipeline will affect the rights of landowners and hurt the environment.
The project was proposed by Dakota Access, LLC, a unit of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners. A Dakota Access spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
University Of Iowa Health Care Services Doctor Improperly Billed Insurance Companies
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The state auditor’s office says a former doctor for University of Iowa Health Care improperly billed insurers and diverted nearly $1.9 million in collections into his personal bank accounts.
The office said in a news release Thursday that the university had requested a special investigation into actions by Dr. Brian Adams. He worked in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation from December 1992 until resigning last August.
Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Adams by phone and email were unsuccessful. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney. Online court records don’t show any charges against Adams.
The auditor’s office filed copies of its report with law enforcement, including Johnson County prosecutors. A representative for the prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately return a call.
University Officials Implement Program To Pronounce Names Of Chinese Students
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa has implemented a new program to help the increasing number of Chinese students feel like a part of the university community by teaching professors how to pronounce their names.
The program pairs Chinese-speaking student tutors with faculty and staff in one-on-one sessions at the start of every semester.
One student, Ya Qiong, chooses to go by the English name of Irene because it’s easier for her professors and classmates to pronounce. She hopes the program will help because she wants to be known by her real name. Qiong said that being able to pronounce her name correctly is a way to show respect and feel cared for.
Kevin Den Adel, an accountant lecturer, said that he still does not pronounce names perfectly, but he can see students’ appreciation for his effort.
Judge Rules Apartment Company’s Lease Terms Are Illegal
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa judge has ruled this week that an apartment rental company’s lease provisions were illegal.
District Judge Chad Kepros approved on Wednesday the certification of a class action lawsuit filed by Iowa Tenants Project against Apartments Downtown.
Apartments Downtown was accused of charging illegal fees and withholding unreasonable amounts from security deposits. It’s Iowa City’s largest off-campus student housing provider.
Kepros had granted the plaintiff’s request for a partial summary and declaratory judgment, meaning that his ruling is based on existing facts in the case without it going to trial.
An attorney for the tenants’ rights group says that ex-tenants who rented under the lease in question will be owed damages.
