Home News Wednesday News, October 21st

Wednesday News, October 21st

Firefighters Respond To Armel Acres For Report Of Smoke In Mobile Home

(Le Mars) — Le Mars firefighters were called to Armel Acres on Cherry Street for a report of smoke being detected inside a mobile home. Firefighters responded to the scene at approximately 6:08 a.m.  Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the smoke was the result of an electrical problem.  Schipper says an electrician was called and notified of the problem.  The fire department ventilated the smoke from the mobile home.

 

 

 

City Officials To Delay Closing 6th Avenue Southwest

(Le Mars) — Plans had called for the closing of 6th Avenue SW beginning this morning, but now city officials say the contractor, Wiltgen Brothers Construction, has notified the city, indicating they will delay the work on 6th Avenue SW.  The new plans call for the repair work to begin on Monday, October 26th.  The street will be closed between 8th Street S.W. and 11th Street S.W.

 

 

 

Kelli Flack Named As New Hospital Trustee

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare has named a new trustee member to fill the vacancy of retiring trustee member, Bill Young. Floyd Valley Healthcare C-E-O, Dustin Wright made the announcement during Tuesday’s Le Mars city council meeting.

Wright says Flack has an extensive healthcare background that will be beneficial for the Floyd Valley Healthcare Board of Trustees.

Bill Young indicated he wanted to retire from the hospital board of trustees prior to the end of his term. Flack will assume the duties as a hospital trustee beginning in January and will serve for one year. November of 2021 will be the next election for a four-year term, at which time Flack can submit her name as a candidate, or choose to walk away from being a trustee.
At that time, other people interested in the position can submit their name as a possible candidate for the Floyd Valley Healthcare Board of Trustees.
Flack will join the current trustees that include: chairman Ralph Klemme, Craig Bauerly, Janelle Bixenman, and Danna Schuster.

(photos contributed.)

 

 

 

Floyd Valley Healthcare Scores High Marks From Financial Audit

(Le Mars) — Representatives from Denman Company LLP presented the results of the financial audit for Floyd Valley Healthcare to the Le Mars city council.
Officials indicated the Floyd Valley Healthcare is in good financial shape, especially when you consider the federal funding from the COVID-19 relief package.

Councilman Rex Knapp inquired if the local hospital has a plan for the additional income? He suggested that hospital officials may want to use a portion of the money to pay off part of the loan debt to the U-S-D-A Rural Development.

 

 

 

City Council Approves Dog Park Project

(Le Mars) — In other action, the city council approved the dog park improvement project which will be constructed adjacent to the pond behind Walmart and across from the Wings R-C area. Grading for the project was completed as part of the 2020 Industrial Park Grading project. The city council have established November 3rd as the date for the public hearing, with bids to be received by November 24th, and the awarding of the contract
will be announced during the December 1st city council meeting. Construction on the dog park project will get started by May 1st, and with completion date of June 30th of 2021. The estimate of bid items is listed at $86,000 with park features to be purchased by the city at $35,000. The total budget through the Community Betterment Project – and Le Mars Area Betterment Foundation is listed at $175,000.

 

 

 

Floyd Valley Healthcare Shares Information To Determine The Difference Between Influenza, COVID-19, And Allergies

(Le Mars) — As we begin to enter the influenza season, and still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, along with those who suffer from allergies, Floyd Valley Healthcare has issued a statement that is designed to help clarify the differences with the symptoms associated with each health problem. Floyd
Valley officials say the cause of the flu can be caused by a number of different flu viruses, whereas, COVID-19 is caused by only one virus.
Allergies happen when the body reacts to something like pollen, dust, mold, insect bites and stings, and pet dander, and many other things that don’t cause a reaction in other people. The spread of both influenza and COVID-19 can both be spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
COVID-19 might also be spread when tiny droplets hang in the air, even after the ill person leaves the room. Allergies can be something you are born with. Adults usually don’t lose their allergies, but some children outgrow them. They cannot be passed from person to person like the flu or COVID-19.
Health officials say the prevention of the flu and COVID-19 may be prevented by properly wearing a mask, washing your hands often, coughing into your elbow, staying home when sick, and staying away from ill people. Allergies cannot be prevented, but avoiding allergens and taking medication as prescribed can help. A flu shot can prevent some of the more dangerous types
of flu, or reduce the seriousness if you do get it. Work continues on creating a COVID-19 vaccine, but there are none as of now. Allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, can reduce allergy attacks, but there is no allergy vaccine.

 

 

 

Grassley Wants Congress to Vote on Smaller Coronavirus Relief Package

(Washington, DC) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the 300-billion-dollar coronavirus relief package Senate Republicans plan to vote on this week could be a starting point for negotiations. Grassley said, “since we can agree on these items that are not part of a total package, but things that have broad
bipartisan support, we feel that we ought to move ahead with them in the Senate.” President Trump’s treasury secretary unveiled a one-point-eight-trillion dollar pandemic relief package on October 10th. That’s six times larger than the Senate G-O-P bill. Grassley says “going bigger and bigger”
creates problems. He says Congress should vote now on a smaller bill that includes items of agreement rather than wait for negotiations between House Democrats and the White House to come up with a larger pandemic relief package.

 

 

 

Grassley Says Iowa May Play A Major Role In Determining The Presidential Race

(Washington) — Iowa has been known as a political swing state for many years, with nearly half the population listed as Republican and the other half listed as Democrat. In recent election years, the state has voted for George W. Bush and Donald Trump for president under the republican ticket,
while also voting for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama with the Democratic ticket. For many years, the state had Conservative Chuck Grassley and Liberal Tom Harkin represent the state in the U-S Senate, with both being admired and respected. So, with only six electoral votes, Iowa may play a major role in deciding the next president. Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley during his weekly news conference held Monday, is predicting Donald Trump will again win the Hawkeye state, but perhaps not with the same margin as was four years ago.

Grassley shows the example of when George W. Bush was elected and how Iowa’s electoral votes made a big difference in the presidential race for that year.

Grassley says recent polls show Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a virtual tie in terms of the percentage of Iowa voters on how they intend to cast their vote.

 

 

 

Naig And Pate Encourage Iowa FFA Members And Alumni To Work At Polls During Election Day

(Des Moines) — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Secretary of State Paul Pate are encouraging Iowa FFA members and young alumni to take an active role in the 2020 election by
helping to staff polling locations.

Polling places around the state rely on precinct election officials to help ensure the election runs smoothly. The pandemic is creating recruiting challenges because most precinct officials are over 60 years old and at increased risk for complications from COVID-19. Young Iowans should consider staffing the polls on Nov. 3 to help protect high-risk populations.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary, Mike Naig says, “Now more than ever, it’s critical for our young leaders to play active roles in the election process.
I’m challenging Iowa FFA members and young alumni to assist in some way at their local polling places on Election Day,” said Secretary Naig. “Not only is this a great way to protect the most vulnerable Iowans, but it’s also an opportunity to serve your communities while witnessing democracy in action.”

Secretary Pate says, “This is a great opportunity for FFA members to serve their community, state and nation. It’s an important job,”. “They’ll be helping ensure Election Day runs smoothly across Iowa. I hope many FFA members will step up.”

Each precinct has an election official who helps check-in voters, answers their questions, guides them through the voting process and guards the integrity of the election. To be a precinct election official, an individual must be registered to vote in Iowa, at least 17 years old, and a resident of the county in which they are working. Precinct election officials will also participate in a training session before Election Day to learn more about
voting rules and setting up the venues.

Iowa FFA members and alumni who are interested in serving as a precinct election official can sign up at pollworker.iowa.gov, and a representative from the County Auditor’s office will follow up with more information. For more information about the 2020 election and how to get involved, visit pollworker.iowa.gov.

 

 

 

Early Voting Continues At Record Pace

(Undate) — Early voting continues to be way ahead of past numbers in the final two weeks before Election Day. More than 827-thousand Iowans asked for an absentee ballot so they could vote early either in-person at their county auditor’s office or by mail. The Iowa Secretary of State’s website shows
nearly 571-thousand Iowans have already voted. Fifty-three percent of them are Democrats, 30 percent are Republicans and the remaining 16 percent are registered as “no party” or independent voters. The latest voter registration data shows there are about 13-thousand more registered Republicans than
Democrats in Iowa.

 

 

 

MidAmerican Inspecting Turbines After Two Blades Came Off

(Paton, IA) — A spokesman for MidAmerican Energy says the company is inspecting the blades on some wind turbines after the second case of a blade coming off a turbine. Spokesman Geoff Greenwood says the latest blade issue happened last week at the Beaver Creek Wind Farm just southeast of Paton in
Greene County. He says this followed a similar problem in September when the same type of turbine had a blade failure in Adair County. The two turbines have the same type of lightning safety system in them that channels lightning from a strike near a wind turbine blade down into the ground. Greenwood says
they are checking out some 46 other turbines that were made by the same company and have the same lighting system.

 

 

 

Settlement Lets Closed Emmetsburg Ethanol Plant Off The Hook For Millions

(Emmetsburg, IA) — A settlement agreement with the state of Iowa lets a closed Emmetsburg ethanol plant off the hook. The plant received millions of dollars in tax incentives based on its promise to produce millions of gallons of ethanol from crop waste. The Iowa Economic Development Authority gave its
approval to the settlement with Poet D-S-M Advanced Biofuels. Fifty-two workers were laid off when Poet stopped operations in July. The company had received about 20 million dollars through grants, forgivable loans, sales tax refunds, and tax credits. All that was based on a promise the plant would employ 35 workers through 2024. The authority has agreed not to try to pursue repayment of those benefits.

 

 

 

Iowa Sets Another Daily Record For COVID-19 Hospitalizations

(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting another daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations. The state’s coronavirus website shows 501 patients are hospitalized with the virus. 122 patients are in intensive care units and 45 are on ventilators. 727 new COVID cases were reported Tuesday and 14 additional deaths. Coronavirus complications are now blamed for 1,548 deaths in the state. More than four-thousand tests were processed over the last 24 hours. Fourteen Iowa counties currently have a 14-day rolling average
positivity rate at or above 15 percent.

 

 

 

Hawkeye Player Says He Will Kneel During National Anthem

(Iowa City, IA) — After months of discussion since charges of racial disparities in the University of Iowa program surfaced this summer — at least one Hawkeye player says he will kneel for the National Anthem before the season-opening football game at Purdue Saturday. Iowa sophomore wide receiver Tyrone Tracy says it’s very big to him personally, just because he knows “how African Americans are treated in the United States.” Tracy says
he believes the program is addressing the race issue the way it should — and says there could be other players who join him in taking a knee. Coach Kirk Ferentz says their discussions included a letter from a veteran who felt very strongly about nobody kneeling — and they also had a Navy seal who gave a
very different answer –saying it’s all about Americans being their authentic selves, doing what they feel is best and staying true to their beliefs.