Fire Department Receives Donation From Ag Partners
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department was given a donation of $250
from Ag Partners L.L.C. on Wednesday afternoon. According to Le Mars Fire Chief
Dave Schipper, the donation will be used to help equip the new Brush Fire pick-up
truck rig which was put into service this past May.
Donna Miranda of Ag Partners says the grain company accepts grant applications and
then a committee within the company determines which grant requests will be
funded. Miranda says Ag Partners does make donations to different fire
departments from time-to-time, but Wednesday’s donation was above and beyond the
normal donations, saying donating funds to a fire department is always a good
cause.
Miranda says Ag Partners is glad to see the funds to be utilized for the Brush
fire pick-up truck, which is primarily used for the rural fires.
The new Brush fire pick up truck rig was purchased and equipped using entirely
private donations. Schipper says the pick up truck was needed based on the number
of rural grass and field fires within the past few years. Schipper says the Le
Mars Fire and Rescue Department is grateful for the donation, and the fire
department is always looking at different grants. In addition to the Le Mars Fire
and Rescue Department receiving funding, the Ag Partners representative also
stopped at Gehlen Catholic School to give a $1000 donation to be used for the
Gehlen science classes.
Gehlen To Receive Grant From Farm Credit Services
SIOUX CITY, IOWA –Gehlen Catholic School will receive on Friday, September 2nd,
during half time of the first home football game, a $770 “Working Here” Fund grant
to grow Wisconsin fast plants. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services
of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund.
The grant will fund the Wisconsin fast plants development and reproduction Ag
Science classroom kits and the necessary equipment to grow the plants. High school
agriculture students will receive a basic understanding of plants and their growth
to assist them in furthering their agriculture education and careers.
Jeff Alesch, Gehlen Catholic High School Principal says “The students will
replicate the methods of Dr. Williams research in Mrs. Ashley Langel’s AgScience
labs. The curriculum’s goals are to enhance student understanding of the plant
development and pollination processes, various lighting systems, and fertilizers;
identify and describe over 150 genetic traits in the aspects of plants and their
development; serve as a launching point for investigations at the post-secondary
level, which will ultimately lead to advances in cellular and molecular plant
research.” Alesch says, “Students can apply their hands-on knowledge to the needs
of plants in our area, specifically corn, soybeans and wheat.”
Gehlen Announces Homecoming King And Queen Candidates
(Le Mars) — Gehlen Catholic has announced its Homecoming King and Queen
candidates for this year’s Homecoming festivities. There are four queen
candidates and four king candidates and they include: Jade Goergen,
Amanda Richardson, Kaylee Schmit, Catalina Uribe, Gerardo Beltran,
Cooper Davis, Dustin Schmit, and Colin Wise. Gehlen Homecoming is scheduled for
Friday, September 16th.
Le Mars Public Works Department Submits Quarterly Report
(Le Mars) — Le Mars City Public Works Department has submitted its quarterly
report. Among the list of accomplishments detailed by the department include: •
Finished 1st Ave. S.E. landscaping by Fire Station # 2
• June Storm, Clean up branches and downed trees (10 Days)
• Asphalt overlay, ground joints, cut and remove bad spots for Knife River
• Mahogany walk trail, work to get it to grade for concrete, backfill and
seed for Troy A.
• Keeping 3 contractors busy with fixing streets and intakes that are bad
• Postal Play House parking, hauled 138 loads of dirt out , 23 loads of
crushing’s in, final grade for concrete
• Painted all crosswalks by schools, all Handicap parking’s, some parking
stalls throughout town, some middle lines.
• Maintenance on Equipment
• Fix 267 potholes
• Sirens, upgraded and reprogramed all 6 sirens with Danko so we can do both
an AC/DC test on our monthly test which was never done since we added battery back
up!
• Seeding: (14th Ave. S.E., New water tower, Blue Diamond Drive) Done.
Museum To Hold Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Historical Museum plans to hold a ceremony
celebrating its latest induction into the County Hall of Fame. Dr. John Conley of
Le Mars will become the 28th person to be inducted into the Plymouth County
Historical Museum’s Hall of Fame. The reception and program for the veterinarian
will be from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23, in the Museum’s “Old Central” Gym.
The Museum, which began in 1965, inducts worthy individuals who have contributed
to society and made a difference.
Dr. Conley just celebrated his 55th year as a veterinarian in Le Mars and has no
plans to retire from the Town and Country Veterinary Clinic. He will mark his 85th
birthday in October and still makes calls in rural Plymouth County.
Bob and Ruth Kenaley and the Merrill Lions Club nominated Dr. Conley for the
honor. The Museum Board of Directors voted unanimously Aug. 10 to approve the
nomination.
The reception for the public Oct. 23 will feature a 3 p.m. program when several
people will make comments about Dr. Conley.
Judge Suspends Sentence For Girl Who Sold Synthetic Drugs
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A judge has suspended the prison sentence of a Sioux
City woman serving 10 years for selling synthetic marijuana that caused the death
of another teen.
District Judge Patrick Tott on Wednesday suspended 19-year-old Rose Mouw’s remaining prison term and placed her on four years’ probation.
Mouw was sentenced in May after pleading guilty in Woodbury County to
involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance.
Mouw admitted to buying the synthetic marijuana in Nebraska, then selling it
to 18-year-old Austin McCloud, who was a senior at West High School in Sioux City.
He died in April 2015 after smoking the drug with three other boys, who were also
hospitalized, but recovered.
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Iowa Tourism On The Increase
(Des Moines) — A new report shows tourist attractions and tourism-related businesses were busier than ever last year. Jessica O’Riley is spokesperson for the Iowa Tourism Office.
Low gas prices are getting much of the credit. The annual study is conducted by the U.S. Travel Association. It shows tourism-related expenditures in Iowa in 2015 totaled $8.06 billion.
The large increase in state tax receipts was fueled by a 10 cent per gallon hike in the gas tax that took effect last year. O’Riley noted there are indications more people are making plans to travel to Iowa.
. The report indicates tourism in Iowa supported 67,400 jobs, comprising 4.2 percent of total non-farm employment in 2015.
O’Riley says state tax receipts topped a record $466.7 million. That’s a 25 percent increase over 2014.
Trial Set For Mother Who Tried To Flush Newborn Baby Down A Toilet
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A February trial has been scheduled for an Iowa woman who authorities say tried to flush her newborn down a toilet and then left it for dead in a trash can.
Court records say Ashley Hautzenrader has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and child endangerment. Her trial is set to begin Feb. 14.
University of Iowa police have said Hautzenrader gave birth to the child May 8 in a bathroom at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Police say Hautzenrader tried to flush the baby and then put it in a pillowcase and left it in a trash can. The child was soon found.
Hautzenrader, who lives in Davenport, told authorities she left the baby in the trash because she thought the child had died.
Survey Says Business Conditions Show Slight Improvement
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Figures from a survey of supply managers in nine Midwest and Plains states have risen slightly but still suggest slow or no economic growth ahead.
A report issued Thursday says the Mid-American Business Conditions index inched up to 47.8 in August from 47.6 in July.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says he expects the regional economy to underperform the national economy because of the region’s heavy dependence on manufacturers linked to the weak sectors of agriculture and energy.
The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.