City Water Crews To Work On Water Main
(Le Mars) — City water crews will be working on a water main today. Gayle Sitzmann, the city’s water department superintendent, says crews will be working on a broken water main located on 3rd Avenue. He says water will be shut off from Plymouth Street to 2nd Street southeast and from 1st street between 2nd Avenue and 4th Avenue. The water break is located at the intersection of 1st Street and 3rd Avenue southeast. Sitzmann isn’t certain how long the water will be off.
Christie And Rubio Campaign In Northwest Iowa
(Le Mars) — Two republican presidential candidates campaigned in northwest Iowa over the weekend. Florida Senator Marco Rubio held a rally in Sioux Center on the Dordt College campus Saturday evening, and New Jersey governor, Chris Christie was at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream parlor in Le Mars on Sunday afternoon. Christie spoke to a gathering of about 150 people that filled the upstairs meeting room. Christie spoke of his past experience, and reminded the gathering that the United States can no longer afford to elect a president that needs to have “on the job training.”
Christie reminded the group that he is the only presidential candidate with experience dealing with terrorists attacks. Christie informed the gathering that this nation needs to have someone who is unafraid to make decisions, and someone that is accountable. Christie says he knows how to fight, and he knows how to get policy passed when dealing with a Democratic legislature. Christie was asked by a member of the audience if businessman Donald Trump is really qualified to run the country? Christie responded by saying “business experience can only take you so far”. The New Jersey governor says Donald Trump knows how to fire people when they don’t agree with him, but “you can’t fire the speaker of the house when he votes against you”. Taking a jab at President Obama, and fellow candidates Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Christie says history has shown the most effective presidents are not those with legislative experience, but rather those with executive experience as a governor. “Whether it was Ronald Reagan from the Republicans, or Franklin Roosevelt from the Democrats, governors have done a much better job of running the White House”. Christie was asked a question from a 14 year old about what he would do as president to help those who suffer from autism? Other questions from the crowd focused on college debt, abortion and right-to-life, appointments to the courts, entitlement reform, and education, specifically the “Common Core”?
(Sioux Center) — Republican presidential candidate and Florida Senator Marco Rubio brought his campaign to northwest Iowa on a cold January Saturday evening. The reception he received was much warmer than the temperatures outside. Several times during the 20 minute address, the crowd of nearly 400 people applauded Rubio for his comments referencing family values, and the need to return to family values. Rubio informed the republican supporters that 2016 will be a “turning point” in America. He continued by saying President Obama has nearly destroyed everything that this nation believed in when the founding fathers created the Constitution. The young Florida Senator says President Obama has ignored the Constitution, undermines religious liberties, views the United States as an arrogant empire, which he has to constantly apologize for its actions. Rubio continued to say President Obama has cut the military to dangerous levels. Rubio says the federal government really has only one job, and “that is to protect its people and keep us safe from our enemies”. Rubio reminded the Saturday evening gathering that in less than five years during Obama’s administration, the United States has the smallest army since World War II, the smallest Navy, and the smallest Air Force. Rubio pledged he would re-build our military forces. Rubio also said, if elected to president, he would take care of our veterans. “They took care of us and placed themselves on the front lines for this great nation, it is time we take better care of them”.
The 44 year old presidential candidate asked the crowd “are we going to stay on this road, or, choose another path?” The descendant of Cuban immigrants reminded the crowd that he was raised in a modest family as the son of a bar tender, and he knows what it is like to live from paycheck to paycheck. He asked the crowd, “how can Hillary (Hillary Rodham Clinton) lecture me?” The Florida Senator informed the gathering that when he is elected to president, on day one, he would repeal all of President Obama’s illegal executive orders, cancel the Iranian nuclear deal, and form a “Convention of States”. Rubio reassured the people that he wouldn’t go near the First or Second, or the Fifth Amendment. But he would advocate a balanced budget amendment. The Republican presidential candidate says he would ask the people to adopt a plan to have term limits for all elected officials, including House of Representatives and Senators. He also says the nation needs to place term limits for our judges. Rubio says he want to “fix our tax code”. Rubio reminded the people that all of the other Republican presidential candidates talk about repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, known better as “Obamacare”, he is the only candidate that has successfully did something against “Obamacare”. Rubio says he was able to dismiss the “bailout fund” that was to help insurance companies that was a part of the Affordable Healthcare Act.
During his address, Rubio says he favors more vocational schools and suggests many people look at vocational schools as a viable option for training for career opportunities. Rubio says the cure to poverty is a good paying job, and he says there are many vocational careers that offer good paying jobs.
The Floridian says that he is the only republican candidate that can defeat Hillary Clinton. Rubio says she lied to America about her emails, she lied to America about the Libyan massacre on our ambassador and U-S troops.
Saturday Night Roll-Over Accident
(Le Mars) — Local rescue units had to brave the extreme cold temperatures and strong winds Saturday evening as they responded to an auto accident located on Highway 60 near 140th Street. Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a motor vehicle accident. The caller reported that the vehicle had flipped several times. Plymouth County Sheriff’s deputies, Le Mars Fire and Rescue and the Le Mars Ambulance Services were dispatched to the location. Upon arrival, deputies located a 1992 Cadillac Deville several hundred yards in a field east of Highway 60. The car was upside down resting on its top. The driver of the vehicle was unresponsive and trapped inside the vehicle. Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department personnel freed the driver and Le Mars Ambulance transported the subject to Floyd Valley Healthcare. He was then transferred by helicopter to a Sioux Falls hospital with serious injuries. The driver has been identified as 56 year old Joseph Chacon of Le Mars. The vehicle is listed as being totaled. Chacon had been traveling southbound on Highway 60 north of the intersection of 140th Street. The vehicle left the roadway and entered the median, then crossed the northbound lanes and entered the east ditch. Upon entering the ditch, the vehicle vaulted and began to roll several times, finally coming to a rest on its top. The accident remains under investigation and charges are pending. It is believed that alcohol played a factor in this accident.
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Fatal Accident In Buena Vista County
(Storm Lake) — Buena Vista authorities are reporting a fatal auto accident happened on Friday evening located on Highway 71 and 615th Street in Buena Vista County. The accident involved a northbound vehicle that collided with a southbound semi-truck and trailer. It was also discovered a southbound vehicle also collided following the semi-truck and trailer also was damaged due to debris from the initial collision. The driver of the northbound vehicle was 25 year old Anthony Bruhl of Storm Lake, had to be extricated from the vehicle by rescue personnel from the Storm Lake Fire Department. Bruhl was pronounced dead at the scene by Buena Vista Regional Medical Center paramedics. The driver of the semi-truck was identified as 54 year old Geoffrey Sonnemaker of Omaha, Nebraska did not suffer any injuries. The driver of the third vehicle that collided with the debris on the roadway, was identified as 29 year old Krysten Tatum of Sac City reported having possible minor injuries, but was not transported to the hospital by ambulance. The accident is still under investigation. The Buena Vista Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Buena Vista Sheriff’s Reserves, Storm Lake Police Department, Storm Lake Fire Department, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Ambulance, and the Buena Vista Medical Examiner.
Traditional Republicans Fear Their Candidates Will Lose Election
HOLLIS, New Hampshire (AP) – After months of predicting a comeback for their preferred candidates, Republican establishment leaders now concede the first two contests on the presidential election calendar are Donald Trump’s and Ted Cruz’s to lose.
Many GOP traditionalists fear that each candidate would be a disaster in the November general election.
That leaves many pinning their White House hopes on a feat no Republican has pulled off in modern political history: securing the nomination without winning in Iowa or New Hampshire.
It’s a risky strategy. And it’s left party officials hoping weaker candidates will drop out of the race after New Hampshire’s primary February 9th, to help voters coalesce behind a mainstream alternative.
The strategy is also driven by necessity, given Trump and Cruz’s strong standing in the early states.
