Authorities Respond To Saturday Evening Accident
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department and the Le Mars Ambulance Service, responded to a motor vehicle accident Saturday evening, at about 11:40 p.m., at Highway 75
and county road C-12 in rural Plymouth County. At the scene, the defendant, Jorge Gomez-Badillo, age 22 of Hull, Iowa, was found to be operating the vehicle that caused the accident. Witnesses advised he was traveling in the opposite lane of travel and side swiped multiple vehicles. He showed several signs of intoxication and was unable to complete standardized field
sobriety tests due to his inability to stand unassisted. He was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare to be checked on by medical staff. After being released from the hospital, he was then charged with OWI first offense and held at the Plymouth County Jail. Bond was set in the amount of $1,000.
Plymouth County Deputies Involved With Eluding Chase
(Le Mars) –Last Monday evening, January 7th at approximately 8:30 p.m., a Plymouth County deputy attempted a traffic stop on a white Impala on county road C60 in Plymouth County, Iowa. The vehicle attempted to elude police and a short pursuit took place in southeast Plymouth County. The driver of the vehicle, Tayler Peterson, age 19 of Cherokee, Iowa, was apprehended and placed under arrest.
Upon further investigation, Tayler Peterson was found to have a valid arrest warrant out of Cherokee County, Iowa. Peterson was then transported to the Plymouth County Jail and booked for felony eluding, possession of a controlled substance 2nd offense marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended and interference with official acts. Peterson was also given citations for speeding, failure to obey a traffic control device and failure to provide proof of financial liability.
Le Mars School Board To Discuss Purchasing Nazarene Church Property During Board Meeting
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Board of Education will meet this evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Education Service Center. The school board will hear reports from each of the school’s principals. The board will also discuss the upcoming school board and administrator retreat scheduled for January 28th. School board president, Todd Lancaster will distribute
superintendent evaluation forms which are to be returned by February 1st.
School superintendent, Dr. Steven Webner will provide an overview of the district’s hiring procedures manual. The school board will act on two resignations. Curt Ohrlund will resign from his position in order to retire from the school district at the conclusion of the school year in May. The other resignation the board will act upon is from Susan Irwin who has asked
to resign from her head coaching duties of the high school volleyball program. The school board will act on two contracts. Andrea Medinger as an ELL teacher, and Kristin Fober as a TLC mentor for the remainder of the school year. The school board is expected to name the Le Mars Daily Sentinel as the official newspaper. The school board will consider entering into a real estate contract to purchase property located adjacent to the
high school and currently owned by the Iowa District Church of the Nazarene.
Iowa Legislature Begins 88th General Session
(Des Moines) — With the sound of the gavel, the Iowa legislature came to order for the opening of the 88th General Session. The chief clerk of the House of Representatives, Carmin Boal, then administered the oath of office to the 100 state representatives.
Senate President Charles Schneider administered the oath of office to 25 state senators who were elected in November.
One of the key issues expected to be debated will
be a reform of property taxes. Republican State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull was at Le Mars Friday evening. Feenstra is the chairman of the State Senate’s Ways and Means Committee, the committee which oversees tax policy.
Feenstra was the architect of the individual tax reform bill that passed during the last session. He says he expects the State Senate will approve a property tax reform bill.
Feenstra says when lawmakers go to approve the state’s budget, there is a little more money to work with since the state’s revenue did show a slight increase. However, Feenstra admits legislators may have a difficult time setting the state’s budget. The Hull Republican wants to make certain two
areas are adequately funded.
The Iowa Legislature has convened for the 2019 session with Republicans continuing to hold a majority of seats in the House and Senate.
Leaders say property tax reform, privatized Medicaid funding, the method of choosing judges, and training more people for today’s workforce are among issues they’ll consider.
The session may be defined by how willing Republican leaders are to push policies strongly supported by their conservative base.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says GOP lawmakers would pursue a “pro-growth agenda” for businesses, schools and communities.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will release her priorities in a Condition of the State address on Tuesday.
Further limits on abortion and expansion of gun rights also are likely issues, along with required budget bills.
Crop Advantage Meeting To Be Held In Le Mars
(Le Mars) — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host the annual Crop Advantage meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, January 22nd at the Le Mars Convention Center. The program will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. Joel DeJong, Iowa State University crops specialist for northwest
Iowa says the session will begin with Dr. Elwynn Taylor, ISU Extension Climatologist, and conclude with Dr. Chad Hart, ISU Extension Agricultural Economist.
DeJong says farmers and other attendees will have the opportunity to pick from three different session featuring three different speakers and timely topics.
Registration is $60 for the Le Mars session. The Extension Crops Specialist says when farmers look back on 2018, the word they may choose to describe the crop year will be “frustrating.”
DeJong says that frustration continued into the autumn when the crops were ready to be harvested, and northwest Iowa had an abundance of rainfall, which led to wet fields and flooding.
The extension agronomists says last year’s rains does mean the soil moisture levels are full which should benefit farmers for this crop year.
Authorities Identify Victim Of Council Bluffs Apartment Fire
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Western Iowa authorities have released the name of a man whose body was found by firefighters in an apartment.
The Council Bluffs Fire Department said in a news release Monday that the man had been identified as 59-year-old Charles Ruckman. A preliminary autopsy report says Ruckman was killed by smoke inhalation.
Council Bluffs Fire Chief Justin James says firefighters were able to get the blaze under control shortly after it was reported Tuesday afternoon. They found the body once they got inside the apartment.
