Home News Thursday Afternoon News, March 16th

Thursday Afternoon News, March 16th

Floyd Valley Trustees Approve Replacing Air Handler Units

(Le Mars) — The Floyd Valley Healthcare Board of Trustees approved the replacement of air handling systems for the hospital during its last meeting held on Tuesday. Administrator Mike Donlin says the trustees accepted the bids from two contractors, and he explains why the air handlers are being replaced.

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Donlin says the replacement of seven air handler units with three new units will cost a little more than $500,000.

Donlin says the new air handling units will be far more efficient, and maintenance will be easier and not as costly.

Floyd Valley Healthcare North Addition

The hospital administrator says the trustees were also informed of a new website that was introduced. Donlin says the new Floyd Valley website uses the same previous web address, but people will notice it is more focused on Le Mars and the region.

Donlin says patients will find many of the previous services are still available on the new website, but additional services have been added.

 

 

Le Mars Community School Board To Hold Special Meeting

(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will hold a special meeting scheduled for Monday, March 20th at 5:00 p.m. During that meeting, the school board will accept the initial bargaining proposal from the Le Mars Education Association for the 2017-2018 contract. Following the regular meeting, the school board will then conduct a negotiation strategy session. The strategy session is exempt from the Iowa Open Meetings Law. The next regular meeting of the Le Mars Community School Board will be held on Wednesday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m.

Le Mars Community School Board

 

Cattle Producers Plan For Saturday Annual Banquet

(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Cattlemen Association will hold its annual banquet this Saturday at the Le Mars Convention Center upper level. Mike Jurrens of Le Mars is the president of the Plymouth County Cattlemen Association. He says the social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the banquet meal to begin at 7:00 p.m.

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Jurrens says following the steak banquet meal, representatives from the Iowa Cattlemen Association will update local cattle producers on some of the issues impacting the cattle and beef industries. Jurrens says musical entertainment will be provided by Brian Detmers of Sioux Falls. The Plymouth County Cattlemen
president says after years of low prices, the cattle industry is beginning to “balance itself”, providing opportunities for nearly everyone involved in the cattle business.

The Plymouth County Cattlemen president further explains his position.

Jurrens says demand for beef products has rebounded, and he anticipates a strong consumer demand heading into the back-yard Bar-b-que season.

The Plymouth County cattle producer credits the Iowa Cattlemen Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Beef Center for educating the consuming public about the benefits of eating beef. He believes the new state beef check-off of 50 cents a head, in addition to the established national beef check-off of a dollar per head at the time of sale, will also help with the promotion of beef products.

Jurrens says because of lower grain prices, and the availability of distilled dried grains as a by-product of ethanol production, northwest Iowa has witnessed a return of the cattle feeding business.

The banquet is open to the public with tickets to the cattlemen’s annual banquet selling at $25.

 

Sierra Club Appealing To Supreme Court Over Dakota Access Lawsuit

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club is appealing to the Iowa Supreme Court its lawsuit challenging the Dakota Access Pipeline.
In documents filed Thursday, the environmental group says the Iowa Utilities Board refused to consider whether the crude oil pipeline will promote public convenience and necessity, a requirement in Iowa law.
Sierra Club attorney Wallace Taylor says the utilities board did not discuss the need for, or benefits from, the service alleged to be provided Iowans by the oil pipeline which originates in the Bakken oil fields in northwest North Dakota and carries oil underground through South Dakota, Iowa and into southern Illinois.
The Supreme Court will be asked to review the public benefits of the pipeline to Iowans.
A district court judge rejected the argument in February.

 

The Town of Badger Ready For Growth

BADGER, Iowa (AP) – The little Webster County city of Badger is looking to grow in response to the upcoming construction of a giant pork processing plant near the 550-person community.
The Messenger (https://bit.ly/2mwijvO ) reports that officials have purchased land and plan to build roads and other infrastructure to accommodate housing.
The city plans to open bids Aug. 10 for the work’s first phase, which will include 16 housing lots in the northernmost part of the addition and a stormwater retention pond. It’s expected to cost about $914,000.
The whole project, done in three phases, is expected to cost about $2.45 million and add 35 total new housing lots.
Prestage Foods has plans for a $250 million pork processing plant about 13 miles east of Badger.

 

Lee County Supervisors Approve Minimum Wage Increase

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – Supervisors have moved toward raising the minimum wage in Lee County despite pending state legislation that would undo their decision.
The Fort Madison Daily Democrat reports (https://bit.ly/2nefLXJ) that the board passed the county measure at its first reading Tuesday. The measure faces two more board votes in the affirmative before raising the wage to $8.20 an hour
on May 1.
The Iowa House has approved and sent to the Senate a measure that would ban local governments from raising the minimum wage.
Supervisor Don Hunold says that if the board increases the minimum wage now and the state reverses it, the board’s vote will have been a waste of time. But he says that if the state measure doesn’t pass final muster, “Then fine, we’ll
move on.”