Oyens and Le Mars Fire Departments Respond To Combine Harvester Fire
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars and Oyens Fire Departments responded to a combine harvester that caught on fire Thursday afternoon at about 4:00 p.m. The fire was reported near 125th Street and Noble Avenue. The combine’s engine is where the fire started. Fire officials were able to extinguish the fire fairly quickly, and kept the fire from spreading to the nearby field of
crops.
Photo contributed by Le Mars Fire Department
Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County Awards 33 Grants To Local Communities, Organizations, and Clubs
(Le Mars) — Last evening, the Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County handed out 33 different grants amounting to nearly $123,000 to various organizations, clubs, and communities, all from Plymouth County.
Kelly Nashleanas serves as the president on the Foundation’s Executive Board. She says the money is derived from gaming casino revenue.
Nearly every Plymouth County community has benefitted from the grants, including first-time ever recipient, Westfield. The small town on the western edge of Plymouth County was awarded $10,000 to build new playground equipment.
Although the recipients of the grants are wide and varied, Nashleanas says there are some criteria that must be met in order to be eligible for the grants.
Nashleanas explains the types of grant requests that are common for the foundation’s review.
Josh’s Ride is a new organization, created only a few years ago that provides specially designed bicycles for handicapped children. They started in Le Mars, but has since broaden its reach to other Plymouth County communities. Nashleanas says interested organizations in applying for grants need to have submitted those applications before August 15th.
The complete list and photos of those organizations and communities that received the Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County are listed on the feature page of the KLEM website.
Hinton Area Grant Recipients include: City of Hinton, Lucky Leprechauns, and Beautification Bay.
Le Mars Area Grant Recipients include: Le Mars Police Department, Le Mars Ambulance Services, Le Mars YMCA, Life Skills Training Center, Iowa SIDS Foundation, Le Mars Arts Center, Franklin Elementary, Josh’s Ride, Le Mars Lions Club, and Bethany Christian Services.
Remsen area grant recipients include: Remsen St. Mary’s, Mid-Sioux Opportunity, City of Remsen, MMCRU, and Remsen Heritage Museum.
Westfield area grant recipient was the City of Westfield.
Akron area grant recipients included: Akron Children’s Center, New Horizons, Akron Public Library, Akron Fire and Rescue, and Akron Parks and Recreation.
Oyens area grant recipients include: Oyens Fire and Rescue Department, and the City of Oyens.
Merrill area grant recipients included: Merrill Lions Club, Merrill Fire Department and the City of Merrill-Kissenger Community Center.
Brunsville area grant recipients included the City of Brunsville.
Kingsley area grant recipients include the Kingsley Community Action Club.
ACT College Entrance Exam Scores Decline
(Des Moines) — College entrance exam scores are on the decline in Iowa.
About 68-percent of Iowa students in the graduating class of 2018 took the ACT last year and they averaged a composite score of 21.8 out of 36. That’s slightly better than the national average score of 20.8, but the data released by the Iowa City-based ACT organization shows scores in Iowa have now dropped three years in a row. The percentage of Iowa students meeting
math benchmarks has dropped from 48 to 44-percent since 2014. Just 45-percent of Iowa students who took the test last year are considered ready for college-level science, according to the ACT report. Thirty-percent of 2018 graduates in Iowa met all four ACT college readiness benchmarks.
A total of 24,208 Iowa students took the ACT last year. Twenty-six (26) of those students posted perfect scores. The Le Mars Community Board of Education will learn Monday evening about the ACT scores from Le Mars Community students. Curriculum Director Rachel Leavitt will present the latest findings to the school board.
U-S Highway 20 Four-lane Project Now Completed
(Holstein) — It has been a long wait, but Highway 20 is finally completed its construction project with now a four-lane highway stretching from Sioux City all the way across the state to Dubuque. This afternoon, a dedication ceremony is being planned to be held near Holstein. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Congressman Steve King are among the dignitaries scheduled to speak at the dedication.
Gannon Makes Campaign Visit To Le Mars
(Le Mars) — The Democratic candidate seeking the position of Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture made a campaign stop in Le Mars this morning. Tim Gannon says he wants to put profitability back in the farmers’ hands.
Gannon says he would also like to see the waivers given to oil refineries be thrown out, which he says has hurt rural Iowa because of the decrease in ethanol and biofuels production.
Gannon says he would like to see more funding go to Iowa State University for research on corn and soybeans to develop more new industrial uses from Iowa’s grains and oilseeds.
The Democratic candidate offers an example of how corn and soybeans can be processed and converted for new uses.
Gannon says if Iowa was to utilize more uses from corn and soybeans, it would mean additional jobs, and be better for the environment.
Gannon farms with his father in central Iowa, and is a former aide to Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, and followed Vilsack to the nation’s capital when Vilsack was appointed as U-S Department of Agriculture Secretary.
Hy-Vee Recalls Meat and Potato Dishes
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Hy-Vee has recalled six meat and potato products for possible salmonella and listeria contamination.
The company says the potential danger was discovered when McCain Foods, a Hy-Vee supplier, announced it was recalling its caramelized mushrooms and fire-roasted tomatoes, which are ingredients used in the Hy-Vee products.
No illnesses have been reported.
The Hy-Vee products are:
– Hy-Vee Bacon Wrapped Cowgirl Chicken Grillers – 8 ounce each, UPC
Code 023092600000
– Hy-Vee Fire Roasted Tomato, Spinach, Mozzarella Twice Baked Potato –
5 ounce each, UPC Code 023755400000
– Hy-Vee Cowgirl Chicken Griller Patty – 6 ounce each, UPC Code
023100200000
– Hy-Vee Gourmet Steakhouse Mushroom & Swiss Burger – 6 ounce each, UPC
Code 023168400000
– Hy-Vee Ground Beef Sliders Mushroom & Swiss – 2 ounce each, UPC Code
023164300000
– Hy-Vee Ground Beef Sliders Mushroom & Swiss – 12 count, 30 ounces,
UPC Code 023266600000
The products have a “best if used by” date of Oct. 22, 2018, or sooner.
The items can be returned to Hy-Vee stores for a full refund.
Baby Giraffe Dies At Des Moines Zoo
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials at Des Moines’ Blank Park Zoo say the attraction’s youngest giraffe, Lizzy, has died, just weeks before what would’ve been her second birthday.
The Des Moines Register reports that the zoo made the announcement Thursday; Lizzy died Tuesday. Officials say initial results from a necropsy showed the giraffe had ‘internal abnormalities” and had also recently suffered from a minor gastrointestinal illness that may have contributed to her death.
Lizzy was born at the zoo on Dec. 6, 2016, to Uzuri. Uruzi’s pregnancy was unexpected because she was older, at 19, and was thought to be unable to conceive.
Blank Park Zoo spokesman Ryan Bickel says the zoo now has five giraffes: one male and four females.
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