Floyd Valley Healthcare Releases Information Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination Schedule
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare appreciates our communities’ willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19. At this time, Floyd Valley Healthcare is not taking additional appointments for vaccine clinics as we await further
allocation of the vaccine. We also appreciate your patience and
understanding as we work through the detailed process to provide clinics as soon as we can.
Once we are able to schedule additional vaccine clinics, we will post information on that process. Following guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), we will continue to vaccinate those in the 1A Priority group and those that are 75+ years of age who live in or doctor with primary care providers in Plymouth County. At this time, we do not have the allocations needed to expand through the remainder of the 1B Priority group
including the 65+ age group as recently added by Governor Reynolds. Many of you have had questions about underlying medical conditions. At this time, only age and occupation have been addressed in the priority groups.
For those that have general questions about the COVID vaccine, we ask that you utilize the IDPH COVID Hotline by calling 211. At this time, we ask that you do not call Floyd Valley Community Health or Floyd Valley Clinics as they are not staffed to answer the volume of calls that are being generated and will not be able to schedule you for vaccination. Once available, we will
post the phone number you may call to schedule an appointment.
We have received numerous calls about the vaccination processes in other states. Please know that the Iowa Department of Public Health is working to vaccinate as many Iowans as possible with the vaccine allocations they are receiving. Other states will be following recommendations by their public
health officials as we all work towards the common goal of providing vaccinations. Other states have named their priority groups in a different manner, but it appears we are all in a similar place in relation to vaccinations.
Marcus-Merriden-Cleghorn School District Voters To Decide On A $20 Million Bond
(Marcus) — Residents living within the Marcus-Merriden-Cleghorn school district will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed bond issue, that if it passes, will mean a new constructed elementary school, and renovations to the high school building, as well as the construction of a new day-care
facility. School Superintendent Dan Barkel says the bond issue will only be voted upon by residents within the MMC district. Those living in the Remsen-Union school district will not be voting on the measure. Barkel says this will be the second time voters will decide on the proposed bond.
Barkel says the project would require an increase in the tax levy rate of at least four dollars from the present tax levy rate that is set at $9.38.
The MMC-RU school superintendent says the construction costs estimates for all of the proposed projects would exceed $20 million dollars, which he says is needed to upgrade the aging facilities.
Barkel says this coming Thursday, the school district will hold a general media informational meeting, with a community meeting scheduled for Monday, February 22nd to be held at the Marcus High School gymnasium beginning at 7:00 p.m. Barkel says a super majority of 60 percent approval is needed to pass the bond. He says the ballot will consist of three questions. Barkel
says construction may not get started until spring of 2022. Election for the school bond measure will take place on March 2nd.
Plendl Feed Store Purchases Chet’s Grocery Of Kingsley
(Kingsley) — A feed store will be taking over the grocery store in Kingsley. Plendl Feed Services has announced it has purchased Chet’s Grocery effective February 1st.
The store, under the new ownership, will be closed for four weeks to do a store reset, interior improvements, making relationships with multiple vendors, and acquiring the proper state licenses.
On March 1st the grocery store will reopen as Hometown Pantry. Plans call for receiving deliveries twice a week and the installation of a new cooler that will increase the quality and freshness of our produce and meat products.
The new grocery store owners say they will implement a phone app, as well as taking orders by phone, so customers can place an order, and have curbside pickup. The Kingsley Hometown Pantry will also make deliveries Plendl Feed Service believes a small community cannot lose a business, especially the grocery store, because of the domino effect it will have on other businesses within the community. In 2009, Plendl Feed Service purchased Clark’s Hardware for the same reason.
They plan to be priced fairly and keep the produce and meat fresh, so it will not be worth the time, travel, and fuel to drive to Sioux City, Le Mars, or Cherokee.
The new owners say, “Hometown Pantry will be another enhancement to our community. We are very excited to take this challenge on and we will succeed with the help of our
community\surrounding communities who have lost their local grocery stores.”
This will bring Plendl Feed Services payroll up to around 28 employees.
(photograph courtesy of Hallie McNaughton)
Pork Producers To Decide On Four Resolutions During Annual Meeting
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Pork Congress is normally held during this week in Des Moines, but this year, because of the COVID-19 virus, many of the scheduled events will be held on a virtual basis. However, delegates from the county pork producer associations are in our state’s capital for the annual board meeting. Iowa Pork Producers president, Mike Paustian of
Walcott says delegates will debate four different submitted resolutions Tuesday. The first having to deal with premise identification.
The Iowa Pork Producer president says another resolution to be voted upon deals with supporting a new futures pork contracts with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which Paustian says will better assist pork producers with risk management. A third resolution deals with a new project referred to as the U-S Swine Health Improvement plan.
The fourth resolution to be discussed by pork producers will be the strategic investment program, that was approved by the national board last spring.
The pork president believes there may be some opportunities available in 2021 that will allow U-S pork producers to expand trade into new markets, while remaining competitive with other pork producing nations around the world.
Paustian says there are other southeastern Asian nations that look promising in terms of increasing U-S pork exports.
Pork producers can register with the Iowa Pork Producers Association in order to view the informational seminars that will be featured virtually online.
Travel Not Recommended For Much of Iowa After Major Snowstorm
(Des Moines, IA) — Travel is still not recommended on many roads across the southern two-thirds of Iowa following the latest winter storm. National Weather Service Meteorologist Chad Hahn says some areas of central and southwest Iowa had very heavy snow. Hahn said, “generally speaking, across the state, ten to 14 inches is going to capture most areas. As you go north, less, but certainly from Ames, the Des Moines metro and south, ten to 14
would capture most of those.” Strong winds are blowing that snow today (Tuesday), reducing visibility and causing snow drifts. Hahn says Iowa is in an active pattern and will have to shovel snow again Wednesday. He says the moisture expected tonight will be nothing like what we just experienced.
Southern Iowa could see an inch by tomorrow morning.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Drops to 3.1 % in December
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Workforce Development is reporting the state’s unemployment rate fell from three-point-eight percent in November to three-point-one percent last month. I-W-D director Beth Townsend said the drop in December’s unemployment rate, as well as the increase of an additional 22-
thousand-800 Iowans finding work, is a good sign for Iowa’s economic recovery. The number of unemployed Iowans declined by ten-thousand last month. Private employers in Iowa added 97-hundred jobs in December. The job growth was fueled 54-hundred positions added in retail. The U-S jobless rate was six-point-seven percent in December.
Storm Lake Man Accused of Assaulting 2 Police Officers
(Storm Lake, IA) — A Storm Lake man is accused of assaulting two police officers early Monday. Investigators say 43-year-old Javier Duarte hit one officer in the face and bit the other officer on the leg. Police were called to the home on a report of a man threatening to harm himself. Duarte is charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer and interference with official acts causing injury. One of the officers was treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
