Like other years, 2019 was an interesting year that included flooding, shootings, and the Le Mars Sesquicentennial celebration. These are the KLEM news stories that made the headlines in 2019.
Top Stories From 2019
- Hy Vee Employees Shot During An Attempted Robbery
- Flooding
- Le Mars Sesquicentennial Celebration
- Stadium Construction and the Delays
KLEM radio is interested in knowing which are your top news stories for 2019? Go to the KLEM Facebook page and submit your comments regarding the stories you will long remember.
We begin in January when Wayne Marty, a former professor of Westmar College, and a community volunteer was selected as the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year.”
The “Business of the Year” award was given to Le Mars’ Public Safety entities including the Le Mars Ambulance Service, the Le Mars Police Department, and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department.
The crowning of the Le Mars Sesquicentennial queen also occurred in January with Chloe Calhoun given the title.
It was January when Le Mars Police Officer Justin Daale was promoted to the position of Assistant Police Chief, and the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department hired Steve Schwartz as the new position of Battalion Chief.
Jeff TeBrink was promoted to the position of Chief Deputy with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office.
Total Motors, and Premier Communications made large pledge donations with naming rights for the new football stadium.
January was when we were introduced to a new judge for Plymouth County…Daniel Vakulskas.
It was also January when Thomas Bibler was found guilty of fatally stabbing his sister from June of 2016.
Turning our attention to the events of February…we again mention Thomas Bibler. Although Bibler was found guilty of killing his sister in January, it was February when Judge Jeff Neary handed down the sentencing of Bibler. Neary sentenced Bibler to a term of 50 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of his sister Shannon Bogh.
It was February when the two suspects accused of robbing the Iowa State Bank of Le Mars pleaded not guilty to federal charges of robbing a bank. The suspects, Phillip White and Karen Merrick would later change their pleas and would be sentenced in November.
Sioux Center voters approved a $25 million dollar bond to build a fourth building as part of the school system. The Sioux City Catholic Diocese released a list of 28 priests that were suspected of sexual abuse. The Le Mars Police Department began wearing body cameras as part of their daily patrol duties.
It was March when we became inundated with flooding. Locally, the Floyd River had water rise above its banks with water that could be seen for as nearly as the eye could see.
Ice jams made for even a worse scenario. Again, the Le Mars Little League ballparks were under water as they had suffered from flooding.
The flooding spread through western Iowa and eastern Nebraska causing many farms to become islands, and causing grain bins to burst spilling grain into the flooded waters. Dams, levies, roads and bridges were damaged and in some cases, were wiped out due to the flooding. Unfortunately, many people living in southwest Iowa are still suffering from the flooding as the water has not completely receded ten months after the initial flooding. It was March when the Le Mars Police Department introduced its newest K9 dog officer “Ace” to the Le Mars city council.
An early morning major fire destroyed parts of the Hawke and Company implement at Alton.
John and Debra Ahlers were honored by the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce as the recipients of the “Outstanding Service To Agriculture”
and Jason Vacura assumed the duties of the Le Mars City Administrator.
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