Home News Friday Afternoon News, February 5th

Friday Afternoon News, February 5th

Le Mars Community Starts Cancer Awareness T-Shirt Campaign 

(Le Mars) — “Stronger Together” is the theme for a new fund raising campaign being coordinated by Le Mars Community High School student council. The idea according to Shaniah Temple and Kylie Dreckman is to call attention and awareness to people with cancer by wearing a t-shirt. Kylie Dreckman says
the campaign will focus attention on those Le Mars Community students that have been diagnosed as having cancer. The t-shirt will feature the “Stronger Together” logo on the front, and people have the opportunity to include specific names on the backside of the t-shirt.

Shaniah Temple is the cousin of Tyra Thompson, who has recently been diagnosed as having a form of cancer. Temple tells of her cousin’s ordeal, currently as a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The two students say the Le Mars Community student body are the greatest supporters of the campaign, with many purchasing the t-shirt in honor of the “cancer warriors.”

The students are encouraging everyone to participate with the cancer awareness campaign by submitting a name of a cancer warrior that will be featured on the back side of the shirt.

The cost to purchase a “Stronger Together” cancer awareness t-shirt is $15. T-shirts can be ordered at the school, or on-line.

The Le Mars Community High School Students say people can choose the color of the ribbon featured on the front side logo of the t-shirt, to reflect the type of cancer they wish to acknowledge. T-shirts come in either black or white. The deadline to order a “Stronger Together” cancer awareness t-shirt
is Wednesday, February 17th.

 

 

 

Floyd Valley To Resume Vaccination Phone Line

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Community Health is anticipating additional COVID-19 vaccine shipments in February.  With that knowledge, the COVID-19 vaccine phone line will be activated on Monday, February 8th at 8 a.m.  Those that are 65+ and live in or doctor with healthcare providers in Plymouth County may call 712-546-3646.  Please leave a message as directed with your name and contact information and you will be placed on the waiting list to be called once we receive future allocations of vaccine.  Please only call once as we will call you as soon as we are able to get you scheduled.

For those coming in for their vaccinations, please DO NOT arrive early as we need to observe social distancing while others are receiving their vaccine AND waiting in their 15 minute observation period.  Appointment times are spaced accordingly to limit the numbers in the vaccination clinic.  Also, please remember to wear your mask, bring your driver’s license and your insurance card to your appointment.

 

 

 

Reynolds Pushes For High Speed Broadband Internet For Entire State

(Le Mars) — A goal of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is to expand high-speed broadband internet capabilities to all locations of Iowa. The governor’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board also mentioned the importance of having broadband with the release of their report. KLEM radio was given the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with the Governor, Friday morning. Reynolds has put together a budget that would allocate $150 million dollars a year, for the next three years to be used for the implementation of broadband internet through the entire state. Reynolds was asked how will Iowa implement such a plan, and how will we pay for the program?

Reynolds says Iowa needs high speed broadband internet in all areas in order for our state to remain competitive, and to attract and retain people to the state.

Reynolds says her plan will help leverage funds from both the state and the private sector, as well as using federal grants.

The governor equates the implementation of high speed broadband internet throughout Iowa as having the same importance when electricity and telephone service was introduced in rural Iowa.

We will feature our exclusive interview with the governor’s comments on the KLEM website.

 

 

 

 

Woman Pleads Guilty In Scheme To Reveal Informants

(West Des Moines, IA) — A West Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty for her role in what prosecutors describe as an effort to reveal informants in a drug trafficking case. The U-S Department of Justice says 33-year-old Rachel Manna had an acquaintance who was a paralegal in the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. Manna asked that woman to find documents about a federal drug case. Prosecutors say the friend found information about at least two people who had cooperated in the investigation and took at least 30 pictures of the documents with her cell phone. Manna got the photos, posted them on Facebook, and the information wound up on a Facebook page dedicated to outing snitches in the Des Moines area. Both women have now pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.

 

 

 

Congresswoman Introduces Bill Exempting Some Unemployment From Taxes

(Washington, DC) — Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne is sponsoring legislation that would exempt some unemployment benefits from income taxes.
The bill would waive federal income taxes on the first 10-thousand-two-hundred dollars of unemployment benefits someone received in 2020. Axne says a lot of people covered by unemployment insurance often don’t realize they have to pay taxes if they receive benefits. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is
sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate. Axne says she hopes the proposal is added to the pandemic relief package that President Biden is negotiating on with Congress.

 

 

 

Lawmakers Plan To Reward Schools Which Stay In-Person

(Des Moines, IA) — Republican lawmakers say they will reward public schools that held classes in-person this fall with more 65 dollars more in state money per student. Democrats describe it as a slap at districts that held classes online. House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford says House Republicans may calculate the extra state aid based on the number of days a district had all students inside classrooms. He says there are added costs
for every day in the classroom. Representative Jennifer Konfrst (KAHN-first), a Democrat from Windsor Heights, says under the plan, Des Moines would be the only district in the state that wouldn’t get extra state funds.

 

 

 

Some Roadways Still Not Good For Travel After Storm

(Iowa City, IA) — The state D-O-T says travel is still not advised on several roads around Iowa City and Clinton after Thursday’s blizzard. Some 40 cars and trucks were involved in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 80 near Newton during the storm. Another accident on Highway 20 near Wellsburg
involved more than one dozen cars and trucks — including a tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid.