Renovation Work Is Completed At Le Mars YMCA
(Le Mars) — Construction is wrapping up on the renovation and expansion of the Le Mars YMCA Community Wellness Center. Todd Lancaster, the executive director of the local Y says from start to finish, the project took about a year to complete.
Although phase one of the construction project is now complete, Lancaster says work is still being performed on what is being referred to as phase 2.
Lancaster says with the new addition, both with the upstairs and the lower level, the YMCA has added approximately 6,000 more square feet of space. He talks about the expansion and changes to the local wellness center.
Lancaster talks about some of the other changes to the building.
The renovation project has been primarily financed through contributions to the Le Mars Area Betterment Foundation.
Lancaster says they hope to someday be able to hold an open house for the YMCA, but in the near term, those plans need to wait due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
Wells Family Helps Support Little Yellow Dog Auction
(Sioux City) — The 85th annual Little Yellow Dog Auction pulled in a winning bid of $17,000 Saturday for Charli, a mini Australian Shepard. It is not known who won the dog for the Sioux City Journal’s Mr Goodfellow children’s toy fund, because the high bidder, or bidders, are remaining anonymous. Charli’s winning bid was doubled by the Wells Family in Le Mars. Mike Wells, CEO of Wells Enterprises, called in on the auction and said his family would match the winning bid in memory of his late father, Fred Wells, who was a long-time supporter of the Little Yellow Dog foundation.
The auction was moved to the Warrior Hotel this year, and held virtually because of the pandemic.
FCC Spending $143M To Extend Broadband Internet To Rural Iowa
(Washington, DC) — The Federal Communications Commission will spend 143-million dollars to extend broadband internet service to rural Iowa. The money comes from the federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Many of the areas to be served have insufficient or non-existent internet access.
Governor Kim Reynolds calls access to high-speed internet “an essential part of everyday life.” Work will start immediately to provide consumers in rural areas download speeds of up to 100 megabits-per-second.
Anonymous Donor Gives $13K For Teenagers Cancer Treatment
(Des Moines, IA) — An anonymous donor has given 13-thousand dollars toward the cost of cancer treatment for a Des Moines teenager. Eighteen-year-old Konner Mongar has been diagnosed with cancer for the sixth time. His first battle with cancer started in 2005 when he was four years old. The family
says he was diagnosed with leukemia again in September. Doctors are worried about new chemo treatments since radiation has deteriorated his vital organs.
There is an experimental treatment, but insurance won’t pay and it costs 40-thousand dollars. The anonymous donor helped the family’s GoFundMe page reach its goal to cover that cost by Sunday night.
February Trial Scheduled For Teen Accused Of Shooting Girlfriend
(Ankeny, IA) — A trial date for the teenager accused of shooting his girlfriend to death has been set for February. Seventeen-year-old Mia Holmes was killed in early August. Authorities say 18-year-old Donault Logan turned himself in about a month later. The victim’s unborn child also died. Logan
is charged with non-consensual termination of pregnancy, sexual exploitation of a minor, involuntary manslaughter and several other charges. The victim’s mother says she thinks the shooting was an accident.
Trial For Man Accused Of Killing His Mother Put On Hold
(Bedford, IA) — The trial for a 32-year-old southwest Iowa man accused of killing his mother has been put on hold. The Taylor County court had canceled a pretrial conference a few weeks ago. Christian May faces charges of first-degree murder and willful injury. Authorities say his mother, 62-year-old Penny Sue Godfirnon, was stabbed to death in her Bedford home last
June. She was dead when officers arrived. Court papers indicate May will receive inpatient competence restoration treatment at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.
