County Supervisors To Hear Budget Requests
(Le Mars) — Budget requests will occupy the majority of time for today’s Plymouth County Board of Supervisor meeting. Kathy VanMaanen and Margaret Sanders from the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence will appear
before the county board to submit their budget request for fiscal year 2017- 2018. Dick Sievers of the Mid-Sioux Opportunity will also appear before the county supervisors to formally submit his budget requests. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will also hear from Jessica Trobaugh as she updates the board on the county wellness program. County engineer Tom Rohe is scheduled to appear before the county supervisors to discuss current and future road and bridge construction projects.
Fire and Rescue Department Responds To Two Calls
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Fire-Rescue responded to two calls on Monday morning December 12th.
The first call came in at 9:44am for a Carbon Monoxide alarm going off at 220 9th Ave. SE.
Firefighters checked the home and found no levels of Carbon Monoxide. Owners were advised to replace their detector.
The second call came in as a fire alarm at Park Place Estates at 900 Lincoln St. NE at 11:41am.
Upon arrival all residents had been evacuated to areas of refuge in the facility. Firefighters encountered smoke in the building on the first floor in the east hallway of the facility.
A fire was located in the elevator equipment room in this area. Firefighters disconnected the electrical service to the elevator equipment and had to ventilate smoke from the room and the first floor east hallway. The fire rendered the elevator unusable. An elevator equipment repair company was contacted to come repair the elevator. No one was injured and damage was
contained to the elevator equipment.
Firefighters were assisted at the scene by Floyd Valley Hospital maintenance staff.
Firefighters were on the scene for 40 minutes.
Huseman To Chair House Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Committee
(Des Moines) — House Speaker Linda Upmeyer (R-Clear Lake) recently announced that Rep. Dan Huseman (R-Aurelia) will serve as the Chairman of the House Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals budget committee.
Meanwhile, Upmeyer has also named State Representative Skyler Wheeler of Orange City as the vice chairman of the House Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals budget committee.
“Both Representative Huseman and Representative Wheeler are experienced leaders who will work to control government spending while also funding Iowans’ transportation and infrastructure priorities,” said Speaker Upmeyer.
Huseman was also appointed to the following committees: Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Transportation.
The legislative session begins January 9, 2017.
Iowa Cattle Producers Approve State Beef Check-off
(Le Mars) — Iowa cattle producers have recently voted to start a state-wide check-off program on all beef sales. Many commodity organizations already implement some type of a check-off program, including cattle producers. Since
the 1980’s the nation’s cattle producers have contributed one dollar per head at the time of sale for a national check-off program. An example of the use of the check-off for beef promotion is the popular slogan: “Beef…Its What’s for
Dinner”. What’s different now is, Iowa cattle producers voted by a 56 percent to 44 percent margin to start up a fifty-cent per head state-wide check-off program. So, in addition to contributing a dollar per head to the national beef
check-off program, Iowa cattle producers will contribute an additional fifty cents per head for the new state beef check-off program. Lowell Vos is a cattle producer from Kingsley. He serves as the Regional Vice President of the Iowa
Cattlemen Association representing northwest Iowa. Vos says Iowa cattle producers want to see additional efforts to promote and market Iowa beef.
The new fifty-cent per head beef check-off is mandatory for all cattle producers, including dairy producers, at the time of sale of cattle at either the packing companies, livestock auctions, or private sales. Vos says producers do have the opportunity to file for a refund of check-off investments. Vos has
high hopes the new state beef check-off program will encourage additional exports of Iowa beef to foreign nations.
Iowa Cattle producers just finished up with a series of state-wide meetings. Vos says producers are deeply concerned with the low price for cattle at $105 per hundred weight. He says cattle producers are losing as much as $400 per head.
The Plymouth County cattle producer says many are worried about the outlook for the future.
That new Iowa beef check-off program will begin on March 1st, 2017.
Iowa To See Lower Revenue Projections
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state panel has lowered Iowa’s revenue projections for the current budget year by roughly $96 million.
The three-member group known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday that Iowa will take in about $7.21 billion during the budget year that began in July. That’s down from a $7.31 billion projection in October.
Iowa Department of Management Director David Roederer said the state’s revenue is growing but not at the expected rate. He pointed to a range of issues but not one key reason.
Roederer said the state will need to plug in the deficit when the GOP- controlled Legislature convenes in January.
Ben Hammes, Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman, declined to provide details on how that would be achieved. Hammes emphasized that K-12 school funding would not
be cut.
Iowa State’s Leath Apologies For Mis-use Of Airplane
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – The board that governs Iowa’s public universities is letting Iowa State University President Steven Leath keep his job after he admitted mistakes in using university airplanes.
Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter is commending Leath for taking responsibility for problems identified in an audit of his use of planes.
Rastetter says that he’s disappointed in the actions that required the audit and that “we can and must do better.”
But Rastetter says Leath’s apology and decision to refund an extra $19,100 in trips that were questionable shows that Leath “deserves our continued trust and support.”
Rastetter spoke after the regents met for 90 minutes in a closed session to evaluate Leath.
Man Dies After Trying To Save His Dog On Icy Lake
BOONE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities believe a man died after trying to save his dog from an icy lake near Boone.
Deputies were called Saturday morning to a lake at Don Williams Recreation Area, about 10 miles northwest of Boone.
They found a man’s body floating in the lake. The Boone County sheriff’s office identified him as 56-year-old Michel Carr, of Ames.
Authorities believe he died after attempting to rescue his dog after it fell through ice on the lake.
Rescue crews recovered the dog, which survived.
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