City To Hold Open House As Rexwinkel Retires From City Council
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will hold an open house for long-time council member John Rexwinkel this morning prior to the council meeting.
The open house is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and will continue until 11:30 a.m. inside the city council chambers. Rexwinkel has served the city of Le Mars as a council member for the last 20 years. Earlier this year, he announced his intentions to retire from the council. Today’s council meeting will be Rexwinkel’s last council meeting.
Swearing In Oath Ceremonies To Be Held Prior To Council Meeting
(Le Mars) — Mayor Dick Kirchoff will perform the oath of office for Le Mars newest council member, Mike Donlin during a ceremony today prior to the start of the Le Mars city council meeting. The swearing-in ceremony will begin at 11:45 a.m. Also to be administered the oath of office will be Councilman Steve Wick, along with the three Floyd Valley Healthcare Board of
Trustees that were re-elected during the November election. They include: Ralph Klemme, Danna Schuster, and Janelle Bixenman. State law dictates newly elected officials be sworn in prior to 12:00 noon on January 2nd.
Plymouth County Board Of Supervisors To Hear Additional Budget Requests
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will hear from several organizations as they request funding from the county as supervisors begin their work on determining the budget for fiscal year 2020-2021. Larry Petersen, the chairman of the Plymouth County Compensation Board will appear
before the supervisors to offer the recommended salary increase for the county elected officials. Last week, the county compensation board approved a rate of 3 1/4 percent raise for the county auditor, treasurer, recorder, sheriff, and county attorney. The compensation board approved an increase
of 2 1/4 percent increase for the Board of Supervisors. The county governing board will hear from Matthew Horihan representing the CAASA, along with Dick Sievers representing Mid-Sioux Opportunity, and the Plymouth County librarians will also appear before the board to request funding for the next fiscal year. Sherwin Lassen with the Plymouth County Weed
Commission will present to the board’s attention the weed commission’s budget. Plymouth County Engineer, Tom Rohe will submit some permit requests for tile crossing, as well as a contract for the purchase of lots in Akron.
Rohe will also answer questions relating to road construction projects in Plymouth County. The county board of supervisors are expected to enter a closed session. Following the closed session, the supervisors will announce the two board members appointed to the bargaining committee. The supervisors will present Plymouth County’s initial wage proposal for the
Plymouth County Secondary Road Bargaining Unit.
Federal Investigation Into Glenwood Resource Center
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Few details are being released about a federal investigation into allegations that sexual arousal experiments were done on residents of a state-run Iowa institution for developmentally disabled residents. The U.S. Department of Justice notified Gov. Kim Reynolds in November that investigators will see if there are law violations at Glenwood
Resource Center, an investigation first reported by the Des Moines Register.
The investigation is focusing on whether residents were subjected to harmful and uncontrolled human experiments and whether they had inadequate medical and nursing care. Investigators also will look at whether there have been
harmful restraint practices and needless injuries.
Nativity Scene Will NOT Return To Courthouse Lawn
CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) – A Nativity scene removed from a county courthouse lawn in southern Iowa won’t be returning. The scene was erected Nov. 18 outside the Appanoose County Courthouseáin Centerville, but some residents complained that a religious display should’t be placed on government property. It was moved away Dec. 9. Other residents soon called for its
return. The county owns the building and the land underneath; the city owns the lawn. The Daily Iowegian reports that City Administrator Jason Fraser said at Monday’s council meeting that the Nativity scene location was just an agenda discussion item, so the council could’t vote on the issue.
State Auditor Questions Money Paid For State Trooper’s Move
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The state auditor on Monday criticized $40,000 in relocation benefits that helped a veteran Iowa State Patrol supervisor relocate his family home farther away from his new assignment in western Iowa. State Auditor Rob Sand concluded that there was no “public benefit” for taxpayers to cover closing costs and other expenses on the sale of Lt.
Joel Ehler’s home in Adel. Sand’s office investigated the matter after The Associated Press reported on the benefits in May. An internal investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Safety found that the benefits were appropriate and that Ehler did nothing wrong.
Carroll Man Arrested For Killing A Rabbit At Animal Rescue League
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Deputies have arrested a Carroll man on charges that he used a stick to kill a rabbit at a Des Moines animal shelter. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday night charged 64-year-old Bobby Carothers with animal torture after the death of the rabbit at the Animal Rescue League of Central Iowa shelter. According to a criminal complaint, Carothers admitted he killed the rabbit, named Petunia. The Des Moines
Register reports staff identified Carothers as being the last person in the shelter Sunday night. He was asked to leave and a short time later employees found the dead rabbit. Carothers was held at the Polk County jail.
Chances For A White Christmas Are Slim
(Des Moines) — The snow that dropped on Iowa Sunday is
not expected to stay around long. The two-and-a-half inches reported near Centerville in southeast Iowa’s Appanoose County was the heaviest amount — with most of the state seeing just a dusting. National Weather Service meteorologist, Brooke Hagenhoff, says snow of any depth won’t hold up with
what the forecast shows.
The forecast covers the next seven days.
The end of that forecast is two days before Christmas Day. Hagenhoff says a sneak peak ahead would go against a white Christmas.
However, It is Iowa and that could change.
State Climatology records show Iowa usually has a 50 percent chance of a white Christmas.
