County Supervisors To Hear Budget Requests
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will hear several requests for funding during this morning’s meeting scheduled at the County Courthouse Board Room. The first report will be from members of the County Compensation Committee as they submit their recommendations for the elected
county officials salary increases. Next up will be Judy Bowman with the Plymouth County Historical Museum as she will present the museum’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. Following Bowman will be Val Smith with the Plymouth County Library Association. Smith will also submit the county libraries’ financial requests for the fiscal year 2019-2020. The supervisors will then hear from Cathy VanMaanen with the Council of Sexual
Abuse and Domestic Violence, as she will appear before the county governing board to offer a report, and to make the annual budget request. Mid-Sioux Opportunity Executive Director, Dick Sievers will also present his budget request for the county supervisors. The county supervisors will also hear a
report from County Engineer Tom Rohe.
City Council Expected To Approve Skateboard Park Contracts
(Le Mars) — During today’s Le Mars city council meeting scheduled to begin at 12:00 noon at the council chambers, the city council is expected to approve the commercial solid waste collection licenses for 2019 for Gill Hauling, Orange City Sanitation, and Van’s Sanitation. The council will
discuss the proposed contracts for the Community Betterment Project 2 with regards to the new skateboard park projects. The council is expected to act on the contracts for Sioux City Skateboard Association and Artisan Skateparks in the amount of $264,000. The skateboard park project will be completely constructed using $275,000 of donated funds. The new skateboard park will be located in the O’Toole Park area. The city council will decide whether to demolish the former police station headquarters, and turn the area into a parking lot. Demolition could begin as early as February with the completion of the parking lot by June. The council will also act on a new policy provision explaining how city-owned surplus property is to be
disposed. The city council will decide whether it wishes to expand the current tax increment financing area to include the expansion of the Wellness Center, or YMCA, the police department building phase 2, the 12th Street South Corridor Reconstruction, the outdoor pool upgrades, and the convention center upgrades. The city council will also approve the committee assignments for each council member for the upcoming year 2019.
The city council is already beginning work on the next fiscal year’s budget with city department heads required to submit their preliminary budgets to city administration officials by today’s deadline.
Huseman Elected To House Leadership Position
(Des Moines) — Rep. Dan Huseman (R-Aurelia) was elected by House Republicans as a House Majority Assistant Leader in advance of the 2019 legislative session.
Huseman says he is “honored and humbled to be elected by his peers to serve in this role.” Huseman says he looks forward to getting back to work for the people of Cherokee, O’Brien, Plymouth, and Sioux counties in January.”
Huseman says, “House Republicans are committed to growing Iowa’s economy, strengthening our schools, and finding solutions that improve health care for Iowa families.”
The 2019 legislative session begins Monday, January 14.
Castana Man Pleas Not Guilty To Killing His Grandmother
ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa man has pleaded not guilty in the death of his grandmother.
21-year-old Eliot Stowe pleaded not guilty Monday in Monona County District Court. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 66-year-old Cheryl Stowe, whose body was found June 27 wrapped in a rug in an area near her home in the tiny community of Castana.
Authorities found Stowe’s body after being contacted by co-workers, who were concerned she hadn’t shown up for work. An autopsy found she died due to “complex homicidal violence.”
Eliot Stowe, also of Castana, was already in custody on an unrelated case when he was arrested Nov. 20 on the murder charge.
Iowa DNR Questions Water Testing Company’s Results
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reviewing water testing done for nitrates in 43 public water supplies after discovering some results which didn’t look right. D-N-R environmental specialist, Kathy Lee, says the problem happened with samples tested by Mangold Environmental
Testing in Storm Lake.
Lee says they asked Mangold to stop doing samples and have been working with them to try and determine what went wrong.
Lee says the water supplies are periodically tested to be sure the nitrate levels meet acceptable federal standards.
Lee says Mangold has been cooperating with them as they try to figure out the issue. She says the D-N-R does requires notification within 15 days when new equipment is placed into service at testing facilities and Mangold didn’t let them know for a couple of months. Lee doesn’t know yet if the
company will face a penalty for the late reporting.
The D-N-R and Mangold each sent letters to the operators of the water supplies to notify them of the issue. The 43 entities impacted are: Akron Water Supply; Battle Creek Water Supply; Breda Water Supply; Danbury Water Supply;
Dow City Water Works; Early Municipal Water Supply; E-Stop (Council Bluffs); Evangelical Covenant Church; George Water Supply ; Gilmore City Waterworks; Grand Jct Municipal Water Dept; Hamburg Water Supply; Holstein; Humboldt Country Club; Ida Grove Water Utility; Iowa Cage Free; Kingsley Water Supply; Lake View Water Supply; Lewis And Clark Monument;
Linn Grove Water Works; Livermore Water Supply; Mallard Water Supply; Mapleton Municipal Water Plant; Marathon Light & Water Department; Oakland Municipal Water Utility; Pierson Water Supply; Quimby Water Supply; Rembrandt
Enterprises Inc (Rembrandt); Rock Valley Rural Water District; Schaller Water Supply; Schuler Manufacturing; Shenandoah Water Dept ; Sidney Water Supply; Sioux Rapids Water Department; Southern Iowa Rural Water Association – Corning/Brooks ; Southern Iowa Rural Water Association #2
(Creston); Smithland Water Supply; The Learning Journey ( Council Bluffs); Tobey Jacks Mineola Steak House; Twin Lakes Utilities; Ute Water Supply; West Central RWA; Woodbine Water Department.
Fort Dodge To Use Fireworks Fines To Pay For Professional Pyrotechnics
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – The Fort Dodge City Council has approved a plan use a portion of fireworks fines to help pay for professional pyrotechnics show on Independence Day.
The Messenger reports that the council voted 5-1 for the plan
Monday. The city will give to the fireworks show whichever is greater: $5,000 or half of the fireworks fines collected each year.
City ordinances say people may use fireworks from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. July 1-3 and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. July 4. They also may be used between 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1.
People convicted of violating the fireworks rules can be fined $500.
Fort Dodge police officers responded to 604 fireworks complaints
between June 1 and July 8 and issued 49 citations.
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School Districts To Teach Gun Safety
GREENE, Iowa (AP) – Two rural northeast Iowa school districts intend to offer firearms safety courses for middle school students this spring.
Joel Foster is superintendent for both the Clarksville and North Butler school districts, and he says he hopes the courses will prepare students in both districts to react in the event of an active shooter situation.
Students will use inoperable guns with replica ammunition to learn how to load and unload bullets and hold and care for firearms. Foster says they’ll also learn how to safely carry guns and how to recognize when firearms are loaded.
The hunter safety courses are expected to last about a week as part of the physical education curriculum and will be taught by a naturalist from the Butler County Conservation Board. Parents can opt to have their children sit out the courses.
