Le Mars Police Present “Blue Line” Award To Hy Vee
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department presented officials with the Le Mars Hy Vee store with the “Blue Line” award during a small ceremony held Thursday morning . Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte says the award was given to Hy Vee in response to the tragic event last May when two employees were shot from an attempted robbery.
Randy Ritts is the store manager of the Le Mars Hy Vee, but at the time of the incident last spring, Ritts was employed at the South Sioux City, Nebraska Hy Vee store. However, following the shooting, Ritts was one of the first people from surrounding Hy Vee stores that came to Le Mars to offer a hand. He speaks about what the award means to Hy Vee.
This was the third year the Le Mars Police Department has presented their “Blue Line” award.
Dordt University Decides To Extend Spring Break To Fight COVID-19
(Sioux Center) — Dordt University of Sioux Center has decided to extend the spring break by another week in order to help with the coronavirus. The administrative team met last evening and made the decision to close the campus.
Dordt University’s COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response Task Force has been monitoring the situation on a daily basis. As of Thursday, March 12, there are 14 reported cases in Iowa; there are no confirmed cases on the Dordt campus and surrounding community. Dordt is following the recommendations of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of State, World Health Organization, and state and local public health agencies. We join in the extraordinary efforts of national and global communities to limit the spread of this virus.
The Dordt leadership team has made the following determinations:
Dordt will extend spring break by one week. Although courses were originally scheduled to resume on Tuesday, March 17, they will now begin on Monday, March 23. As of March 23, courses will be held online until Monday, April 13, when we currently anticipate that in-person classes will resume. A decision
regarding this possibility will be made and communicated on or before April 3. During this time, offices will remain open and campus operations will continue in support of our students.
To do our part in helping to reduce the impact of this virus, we will offer limited on-campus housing and dining options. For those who are able, we would ask that you live at home or off-campus through Sunday, April 12. We will work with international students, students with regional for-credit
internships or field placements, and those with extraordinary circumstances to remain in on-campus housing. These students must request permission to live on-campus using by Friday, March 13, at 2 p.m. CST, if possible.
Students not remaining on campus will have an opportunity in the week ahead to collect personal items necessary for online learning, such as laptops. We are asking that students make every attempt to complete this process by Tuesday, March 17. Class resources, including online texts, will be provided as part of online instruction.
Through these efforts, we seek to prioritize the safety and health of our students, employees, and the broader community.
State’s Revenue Estimation Commission Says It Is Too Early To Know How The Coronavirus Will Affect Iowa Economy
(Des Moines) — A three member panel says it is too soon to calculate what, if any, impact the coronavirus pandemic may have on state tax revenue. Dave Roederer, the governor’s budget director, is on the panel.
(photo contributed.)
Legislative Services Agency director Holly Lyons says these are
unprecedented times.
David Underwood, a businessman from Clear Lake, is the public member of the Revenue Estimating Conference. He says the fundamentals of the economy are solid.
The panel actually raised their estimate of state tax collections for the current state fiscal year by 76 million dollars. The group did reduce its guess for the NEXT state budgeting year by 12 million dollars, However, lawmakers who’ll use these figures to craft next year’s state budget will have a more than eight-point-two BILLION dollar total to work with. Underwood says there will be an impact at some point, with as much fear as there is
about Covid-19.
Lyons admitted to being a bit stressed out, but she says the group is doing the best it can with the information it has.
If the economy does slip, the group will reconvene. Any new estimate of state tax receipts that the panel might make would have an impact on state budgeting decisions.
State Legislature To Continue With Session
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Republican legislative leaders say they are not planning on curtailing the legislative session due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. Some Iowa Democratic senators have encouraged Republican leaders to consider suspending the current session or going home
early. Iowa has 16 people who have tested positive but the risk to the public in Iowa remains low. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver and House Speaker Pat Grassley say plans are for the session to proceed as usual. It’s scheduled to run through April 21. The Capitol remains open to the public.
Des Moines Schools To Close Due To Coronavirus
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district, will cancel all classes and activities for at least 17 days starting Friday evening. The news Thursday came as health officials announced two new cases of COVID-19 in Iowa, bring the state’s total to 16. In a letter sent to staff, Superintendent Thomas Ahart announced Thursday that classes
wouldn’t immediately return after spring break next week. Ahart expressed hope that classes could resume March 30 but given the “dynamic situation,” officials would have to adjust as needed. The move will effect the district’s 33,000 students and 5,000 employees. The school district’s decision comes as many colleges are taking similar actions.
Judge Orders Psychological Evaluation
HARLAN, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa judge has ordered a psychological evaluation of a Kansas man who asked the judge to let him engage in a sword fight with his ex-wife and her attorney so that he can “rend their souls” from their bodies.
David Ostrom, of Paola, Kansas, said in a Jan. 3 court filing that his former wife in Harlan, Iowa, and her attorney had destroyed him legally. She subsequently asked the judge to suspend Ostrom’s visitation rights and order an evaluation. The judge granted both requests last week. Ostrom told The Des
Moines Register that he has an appointment scheduled with a psychologist.
Defendant Says He Is Not Guilty To Woman’s Death Due To Drugs
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A former Waterloo resident has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the drug death of a woman. Court records say Eric Griggs entered the pleas Tuesday in Cedar Rapids. The charges: distribution of heroin resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute and use of
communications facilities to facilitate a drug felony. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that authorities have said the heroin Griggs distributed resulted in the death of Abigail Wilder, a 19-year-old who lived in Cedar Falls. Her body was found Sept. 1, 2018, at the home where she lived with a friend and the friend’s mother.
