Fair Board Elects Directors And Officers
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Agricultural and 4-H Society held its annual meeting last evening. Members elected nine directors to the Plymouth County Fair Board. Re-elected were Brett McNaughton, Michael Beitelspacher, Dan Sheehan, Tom Bainbridge, Keith Koerselman, Terry Reuter, Rich Benson, and Tom Lehner. Newly elected to serve on the Plymouth County Fair Board is Chance Klemme. New officers for the Fair Board include : Rich Benson as president, Loren Schnepf was elected as vice president, Michael Beitelspacher was re-elected as the treasurer, and Gail Schoenrock was selected again to serve as the fair board secretary. Long-time fair board director and past president, Tony Schroeder decided to retire from the fair board and not to seek re-election.
Floyd Valley Hospital To Be Named Floyd Valley Healthcare
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Hospital will soon be known as Floyd Valley Healthcare. Recently, the hospital board of trustees approved the name change, after conducting some research into the subject. The Le Mars City Council will hold three readings of the proposed change, before it becomes official. The city council has already approved the first reading during its latest city council meeting. Administrator Mike Donlin says the name change is a result of the expanding health care services.
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He says when you look at other regional health care facilities within the area, they too, have incorporated some version of the words “health care” as part of their formal names. Donlin says the name change coincides with the new addition. He says the timing was right since new signs will need to be posted once the addition is ready to be utilized.
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Along with the formal name change, Donlin says a new logo will be implemented. Hospital staff were asked to decide between two proposed logos that were created by a marketing agency. However, as Donlin says, a third logo emerged. Donlin says the logo was created by one of Floyd Valley’s own nursing assistants.
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The new logo is a modified version of what is presently used, showing the mother holding the child, but incorporates the letters F-V-H with the letter “V” looking like a heart. Donlin says Floyd Valley will still utilize the teal or aqua colors as its official colors symbolizing the health care center.
Plymouth County To Upgrade E9-1-1 Communications System
(Le Mars) — In case of an emergency we all have been taught to dial the numbers 9-1-1. But the current E9-1-1 system needs an overhaul, according to Plymouth County 9-1-1 coordinator Shawn Olson. Olson says because of the popularity of cellular phones are on the rise, while more people are dropping their landline phones, and because technology is constantly evolving and improving, there is a need to upgrade the state’s 9-1-1 communications system. Olson calls it the “new generation of 9-1-1.
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Olson says each county, including Plymouth County, is required install the new system.
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The county 911 coordinator talks about some of the capabilities of the new generation 911 system.
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Olson says the protocol of 9-1-1 calls should remain the same as it was when first installed back in the 1980’s.
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The Plymouth County 911 coordinator says the cost is over $100,000, but the state is stepping in with the vast majority of funds.
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Museum Seeking Nativity Scenes
(Le Mars) — Christmas nativities are needed at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars for the annual exhibit in the Study Hall.
Anyone with a nativity to loan should deliver it to the Museum by Wednesday, Nov. 18. A memorial also will honor friends and family who have passed on.
The “Museum Manger” will run from Nov. 27 through Epiphany in the Museum’s Study Hall.
Anyone needing information about the nativities may call or e-mail the Museum: 546-7002 or pchmuseum@gmail.com.
People Share Both Sides Of Opinions On Proposed Pipeline At Public Hearing
BOONE, Iowa (AP) – Months of tension over the potential construction of an oil pipeline across Iowa has come to a head at a public hearing in Boone, where people who both oppose and support the project testified about their opinions.
Dozens of people crammed into a building Thursday at the Boone County Fairgrounds to speak to the Iowa Utilities Board. Some expressed reservations about the project’s environmental impact, while others spoke of the financial boost from creating thousands of temporary construction jobs.
Some individuals noted a large portion of people who support the project are from outside Iowa.
The utilities board is overseeing an application by Dakota Access LLC, a unit of Dallas, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, to build a roughly 1,100-mile pipeline from North Dakota through South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.
