Central Avenue and Plymouth Street Intersection Nearing Completion
(Le Mars) — Construction on the Central Avenue and Plymouth Street intersection is nearing completion. Scott Kniep, the city’s public works and streets superintendent says they need to wait a few days to allow the new concrete to dry and cure. Kneip says he hopes the downtown intersection will be open for
traffic beginning on Wednesday, November 2nd.
Chamber Of Commerce Trick And Treating Event Scheduled For Saturday
(Le Mars) — Halloween is Monday, but the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Organization will hold its Halloween Fun For Children trick or treating event on Saturday morning at the Olson Cultural Event Center. Candy treats will be distributed to children beginning at 11:00 a.m. Following the trick or treat
event, children are urged to continue their walk to the Le Mars Public Library. Library Director Shirley Taylor explains.
The Le Mars Library Director says it is important to get books in the hands of children, even if they don’t yet know how to read.
Taylor says the library will offer a large variety of different books, and not every child will receive the same story.
Following the visit to the library, the trick and treaters are encouraged to go to the Le Mars Art Center for some pumpkin painting. Le Mars Art Center Director Judy Marienau says the pumpkin painting will begin at 12:00 noon and continue through 3:00 p.m.
Museum Hosts Quilt Display Exhibit
(Le Mars) — Last week the Plymouth County Historical Museum featured a quilt exhibit display at the study hall. More than 250 quilts, all owned by Mary Valentine of Le Mars, were featured. Valentine says her extensive collection and interests with quilts began with a quilt made by her grandmother.
Many of the collected quilts owned by Valentine shares the common theme of featuring animals, with several showing various renditions of either dogs or cats.
Valentine says there are many different techniques and styles of piecing a quilt together.
The quilt collector says there are also various styles of stitching associated with quilting.
Valentine says she purchased a quilt through the Siouxland Humane Society’s auction which dates all the way back to the late 1800’s. She says its unfortunate, but quilting is becoming a lost art that hasn’t been passed on to the younger generations.
Valentine believes as the younger generation ages, she hopes they will take an interest in quilting. Sunday was the final day of the quilt exhibit featured at the Plymouth County Historical Museum.
County Recycling Receptacle To Move To Van’s Sanitation
(Le Mars) — The recycling receptacle at the Plymouth County Emergency Management Administration Building at 231 2nd Ave. NE in Le Mars, will be moved to a new location.
As of Saturday, October 29, 2016 the recycling receptacle that has been located at the EMA building will move to Van’s Sanitation at 1553 18th St. SW in Le Mars.
This recycling receptacle has been and will continue to be for the rural citizens of Plymouth County to deposit their recycling into.
The reason for the change in location is for better monitoring by Van’s Sanitation personnel of the items being put in the bin.
The bin is for clean recyclable materials, not garbage or furniture etc.
Moving the recycling receptacle was suggested by Van’s Sanitation and supported by the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors and County Auditor.
Grassley To Be Guest At King’s Pheasant Hunt
(Akron) — Senator Chuck Grassley is scheduled to be the guest of honor for this year’s Congressman Steve King’s annual Colonel Bud Day pheasant hunt to be held at the Hole in the Wall near Akron. The annual pheasant hunt will take place on
Saturday and Sunday. Grassley will be King’s special guest for breakfast on Sunday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. The Colonel Bud Day Pheasant Hunt has regularly attracted national leaders who attend for the opportunity to hunt, as well as to interact with King’s supporters. The annual pheasant hunt is named after Colonel George E. “Bud” Day who was a native of Sioux City, and was the nation’s most decorated war hero at the time of his death in 2013. A Medal of Honor recipient, he also received some 70 military decorations, including the
Air Force Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple awards of the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. As a young Marine, Col. Day served in World War II, then later the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Captured during the
Vietnam War, Col. Day was a prisoner for over 5 and a half years and survived unimaginable treatment at the hands of his captors, at what became known as “Hanoi Hilton”.
State Farm Insurance Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
State Farm Insuance Agent, Derek Winkel is shown cutting the ribbon to their new offices located at 210 Plymouth St. SW. An open house was held on Wednesday, October 26.
Gehlen Music Students Qualify For Opus And All-State Festivals
(Le Mars) — A total of nine Gehlen Catholic students qualified for the Opus and All-State Music Festivals scheduled for November 17th through the 19th in Ames.
Opus is designed, by the Iowa Choral Association, to further the development of 5th through 9th grade choral programs and achieve the excellence and pride that develops from singing in Honor Choirs. The 2016 Opus Honor Choirs will perform
at 4:00 p.m., November 17th, in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in the Iowa State Center in Ames.
The following 5th through 8th graders were selected, among the more than 3,000 students who were nominated and audition, were selected for the 720 positions in the four Opus Honor Choirs.
• 6th grader Kaylee Linden, daughter of Scott and Stevette Linden of
LeMars, was selected for her second year;
• 6th grader Josie Scheitler, daughter of Toby and Mindy Scheitler of
Remsen, was selected for her second year;
• 6th grader, Aiden Spangler, son of Cory and Jaime Spangler of LeMars,
was selected for his second year;
• 6th grader, David Begnoche, son of Edward and Tina Begnoche of LeMars,
was selected for his first year;
• 7th grader, Dylan Lehmann, son of Dan and Melissa Lehmann of LeMars, was
selected for his first year;
• 8th grader Zachary Kraft, son of Loi and Rita Kraft of LeMars, was
selected for a third year; and
• 8th grader, Easton Macklem, son of Mike and Jenny Macklem of LeMars; was
selected for his second year.
Two Gehlen Catholic high school vocalists were also selected for the All State
Honor Choir, which will perform Saturday, November 19th at Hilton Coliseum on
the Iowa State University Campus.
• Junior, Carlyn Bretey, daughter of Dr. Keith and Teri Bretey of LeMars, was selected for a third year.
• Sophomore, Christopher Fuentes, son of Jim and Margaret Fuentes of LeMars, was selected for the first time.
Iowa Work Force To Receive Grant To Update System
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa department that processes unemployment checks
will receive a $500,000 grant from the federal government to improve fraud detection and to modernize outdated computer systems.
The U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday it is distributing more than $30 million in grants to 39 state agencies including Iowa.
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Portia Wu says the goal is to ensure system integrity and to improve efficiency.
The money can be used by states to develop strategies to prevent and detect improper payments to individuals that continue to claim benefits after returning to work and to improve accessibility to the program.
In addition, Iowa is in a three-state consortium with Idaho and Vermont that will receive $14.5 million for projects designed to improve overall quality, performance and integrity.
