Ewing Awarded “Teacher Of The Year” Honor
(Le Mars) — On Friday evening during a concert, the Le Mars Community School District surprised a music teacher by naming him the “Teacher Of The Year”.
Randy Ewing was presented the honor. Ewing was awarded the annual Decades of Excellence Crystal Bell award. Ewing has served the Le Mars Community School District as its high school vocal music teacher for the past 15 years.
Ewing’s nomination was coordinated by parent Christy McInnis and her son, Jack McInnis, and supported by colleagues and other students of Mr. Ewing.
The Decades of Excellence Crystal Bell award is co-sponsored by the Le Mars Community School District Foundation and the Le Mars Community School Alumni Association. The award is presented annually to honor outstanding teachers
who have dedicated their careers to the education of our children. Our congratulations go to Randy Ewing for being named as the 2021 “Teacher of the Year.”
Feenstra Disappointed Democrats Removed Derecho Relief Amendment From COVID Relief Bill
(Washington) — Iowa’s U-S 4th District Republican Congressman, Randy Feenstra is upset that Democrats stripped his amendment for derecho disaster relief for Iowa from their latest COVID-19 pandemic relief bill. Feenstra says his amendment was stripped for one simple reason…it was led by a
republican.
Feenstra says it’s clear Democrats have never been interested in “unity” and says they’re only interested in advancing their agenda…an agenda that benefits coastal states and leaves Iowans behind.
Feenstra says the non-partisan parliamentarian ruled his amendment was germane to the relief bill, but it was still removed. Feenstra called Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s policies out of touch. Senator Chuck Grassley also condemned the House action and says Democrats have turned their backs on Iowa.
Hinson Says Truck Drivers Should Be Considered “Essential Workers”
(Washington) — Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says truckers need to be moved up in the line for Covid-19 vaccinations.
The U-S Census Bureau estimates that are three-and-a-half million truck drivers in the country. Hinson says they’re critical to maintaining the food supply and to manufacturers who depend upon the prompt delivery of parts.
The next tier of people eligible for vaccinations, perhaps as early as next month, are so-called “essential workers.” However, officials in the State of Iowa have indicated that with a limited supply of shots, only employees who cannot socially distance at their job site will be included. Hinson says she’s interested in finding a way to get truckers on the “essential worker”
list. Hinson is in Washington, D.C., where the House is expected to vote on the one-point-nine TRILLION dollar pandemic relief package Democrats have developed.
In January, Hinson announced she’d vote against the package if it included increasing the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour.
The minimum wage increase remains in the House version, however it’s unclear if it will stay in the package when Senators vote on it.
Axne Is Only Member Of Iowa Congressional Delegation To Vote For COVID-19 Relief Bill
(Washington, DC) — The lone Democrat in the Iowa delegation was the only House member to vote for the one-point-nine-trillion-dollar COVID-19 relief package. Democrat Representative Cindy Axne said before the vote the plan puts money in the pockets of those who ae struggling. Iowa Republican
Representatives Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Ashley Hinson, joined other Republicans in voting against the measure. Feenstra said in a statement that he was disappointed to see Democrats in the House remove his provision that would have allowed the money to be used for disaster relief for the derecho that hit Iowa last year.
Iowa Returns The Favor, Helping Texas After Texans Helped Us
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — Three nonprofit organizations in eastern Iowa are teaming up to help Texans devastated by record-breaking cold temperatures and snow last month. The three spent a week gathering donations of food and money to fill a big trailer headed for Texas. Volunteers with Together We
Achieve, Bridge Under the Bridge, and the Iowa Giving Crew say Texans came north after the derecho to offer help when Iowans needed it. The trailer was pulled by a semi to the Glen Heights, Texas Police Station – where the donations were handed out.
Fort Dodge Man Charged With Robbing Bank
(Scranton, IA) — Authorities investigating the robbery of a bank in Scranton say the 27-year-old suspect who has been taken into custody had just been released from jail. Zachary Wailes is charged with felony robbery and theft in Greene County. Wailes is accused of entering the Peoples Bank last
Thursday with what appeared to be a handgun and taking an unspecified amount of money from the tellers last Thursday morning. He was arrested Saturday.
He had been released from the Boone County Jail on February 5th where he had been held for about a month.
Accused Killer Of Convenience Store Worker To Be Arraigned Next Week
(Marshalltown, IA) — The man accused of killing a Marshalltown convenience store worker is scheduled to be arraigned next week. Prosecutors say Rocky Trujillo the Third was caught on surveillance video walking into the Casey’s
store at about 3:00 a-m February 15th. He is accused of murdering 48-year-old Michael West. Witnesses say Trujillo put a gun to one customer’s head and demanded their cell phone, then hit another employee with his gun in the parking lot as he left. He was taken into custody later the same day.
