Wells Enterprises Unveils Renovated Visitors Center And Ice Cream Parlor
(Le Mars) — Wells Enterprises offered a sneak preview on Thursday morning to the area media of the new Wells Visitors’ Center and Ice Cream Parlor. Adam Baumgartner is the Vice President of Retail Sales. He says the ice cream company hopes to deliver a “fun experience” for its visitors.
The ice cream parlor has served as an important Iowa tourist attraction, bringing in annually more than 200,000 people. But, Baumgartner says with the renovations and expansions, along with the interactive displays, they hope to have the ice cream parlor become an even larger attraction, as part of the goal of “Destination Le Mars.”
Baumgartner spoke of the recently completed $3 million renovation, and says Wells has re-branded the destination in order to attract even more visitors to Le Mars.
The Wells official says the ice cream parlor has expanded its menu to include additional specialty dishes, as well as adding many different flavors.
Visitors can now choose from a choice of 37 different ice cream flavors.
Two examples of the new ice cream dishes include the lemon meringue ice cream shake, and the Monster Peanut Butter Cup Sundae. The Wells Visitors Center has an event center for meetings, a theater showing the history of Wells Enterprises, and an outdoor patio seating area overlooking Central Avenue and
downtown Le Mars. The newly renovated ice cream restaurant also features several interactive displays.
Baumgartner shared some interesting facts about the new visitors center and ice cream parlor. The facility was able to expand from the 11,266 feet to now nearly 19,000 square feet. Seating capacity is at 157 diners with 49 people that can enjoy the rooftop seating. The new facility will also have a staff of 40 full-time employees, where previously it was at 25. The ice
cream facility will hold a soft opening on Saturday, and Wednesday, the start of Ice Cream Days, and the Le Mars Sesquicentennial celebration will be the grand opening during the Chamber Coffee.
Baumgartner says Governor Kim Reynolds will be on hand for the grand re-opening.
Sesquicentennial Committee Gathering Items For A Time Capsule
(Le Mars) – As part of the Sesquicentennial celebration, officials are creating a time capsule which will be buried in Foster Park with the intention of being opened another 100 years from now. Rich Ziettlow is one of the co-chairs for the Sesquicentennial committee, and overseeing the time capsule project. He says today (Friday) is the deadline if anyone wants to submit an item for the time capsule.
Ziettlow says organizers have not placed a limit on the size or weight of items to be submitted to the time capsule. But he says it will need to fit inside a standard size vault. That vault is being donated by Joel and Nicki Johnson.
The co-chair of the Sesquicentennial celebration says he has not yet had the opportunity to view the items that have already been submitted for the time capsule, but he says several organizations have contributed items.
Ziettlow says the time capsule will be buried, with a ceremony, Wednesday evening at approximately 7:30 p.m. at Foster Park, just prior to the Municipal Band concert.
Anyone still wanting to contribute an item of interest to the time capsule will need to bring their item to the city hall offices by the close of business today. Officials ask that you complete a short submission form with the donated object. If possible, Ziettlow suggests people seal their items inside a plastic air-tight container, much like a Tupperware dish.
Governor Reynolds Rushed To Hospital After Experiencing Chest Pains
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was taken to a hospital after experiencing chest pains but has returned to work at the Capitol.
The governor’s office released a statement saying Reynolds noticed chest pains early Thursday and was taken to a hospital emergency room “out of an abundance of caution.”
A doctor checked Reynolds and she was given blood tests, a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram test, which is commonly used to evaluate the heart. After all the tests came back normal, the governor was released.
Lawsuit Filed Against Polk County Requesting Records Of Fatal Shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An open government group has filed a lawsuit seeking to force Polk County to release recordings and additional information about the fatal shooting of a motorist from Wisconsin.
The lawsuit filed by the Iowa Freedom of Information Council contends that the county has refused to explain why a deputy stopped 25-year-old Isaiah Hayes outside of Des Moines last July. It says the county has not clarified whether Hayes was armed when he was killed and how many shots were
fired at him.
A grand jury declined to pursue charges against the deputy, Ryan Phillips, who has returned to work. The county says he acted appropriately but has refused to release recordings and information about the shooting, including dash camera video and audio. The county says those are “investigative reports” that can be withheld from the public indefinitely.
The sheriff’s office has said Phillips saw Hayes exit the stolen car
he was driving and flee on foot. Phillips reported Hayes had a weapon and that he fired at Hayes when he refused orders to drop it. Investigators have refused to say, however, whether any weapon was found.
State Treasurer Returns Money To Red Cross
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald has returned more than $12,000 to the American Red Cross – one of thousands to see unclaimed property held by the state turned over to rightful owners.
Fitzgerald presented a check for $12,300 Thursday to the humanitarian assistance group.
Fitzgerald’s office says more than $377 million in unclaimed property in Iowa is waiting to be claimed. That included more than $61 million in Polk County alone.
The program has returned over $263 million to more than 592,000 people since Fitzgerald started the program in 1983.
Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property’s owner.
State law requires them to annually report unclaimed property to the state treasurer’s office.
Drunk Driver Going Wrong Way On Interstate Is Sent To Prison
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A man who authorities say was drunk when he drove into oncoming interstate traffic and collided with another vehicle has been imprisoned.
Polk County District Court records say 39-year-old Zlatan Vukasinovic, of Des Moines, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison. He’d pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while intoxicated. Prosecutors had dropped another charge in return.
The collision occurred a little after 3 a.m. on Nov. 10. The Iowa
Department of Public Safety says Vukasinovic’s pickup truck was headed east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Des Moines when it struck a vehicle driven by 31-year-old Frank Sylalom, who died. He lived in Grimes.
Court records say Sylalom was 16 in 2003 when he lost control of a car he was driving and it crashed into a utility pole in Des Moines, killing three teenagers with him. He was convicted in juvenile court of vehicular homicide.
