Le Mars RAGBRAI Committee Announces Entertainment Line Up
(Le Mars) — Last evening more than a couple hundred people gathered at the Uptown Events Center and Iowa BBQ to listen to some music and enjoy good food, but perhaps more importantly, they were there for the unveiling of the entertainment that has been lined up for when RAGBRAI visits Le Mars. Mitch Christoffel and Mike Wells are both on the executive committee for Le Mars
RAGBRAI. Wells says there is going to be a variety of entertainment all day long during RAGBRAI’s visit.
Wells says when Le Mars hosts the cross-state bicycle ride, our community will become a destination, regardless whether or not you are riding a bicycle. He says there will be several food vendors along Central Avenue which will add to the fun. Christoffel tells of the variety of musical acts that will perform either at the Olson Cultural Events Center, or at the stage located at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds camping site.
Some of the musical acts include a tribute to Madonna and Lady Gaga, as well as a tribute to Tom Petty with Free Fallin, and an AC/DC tribute band that goes by the name Shoot to Thrill. The headliner band is from Los Angeles, California which is an 80’s and 90’s musical group called Flashback Heart Attack. Wells tells us what we can expect with that musical group.
Christoffel says volunteers are still needed to assist with the major event, and Le Mars RAGBRAI merchandise can be purchased at Get Branded 360.
RAGBRAI will begin its cross-state journey from Le Mars. An estimated 20,000 plus people are expected to come to the Ice Cream Capital of the World on Saturday, July 24th.
Remsen Stand-off Ends Peacefully
(Remsen) — Law enforcement officials representing various agencies were in Remsen Friday afternoon for a stand-off situation. At approximately 11:45 a.m. officials responded to a trailer home park located on the northeast side of Remsen where
a male subject had barricaded himself inside a trailer and was threatening to harm himself. Negotiators from the Iowa State Patrol were brought to the scene to talk with the subject. Lt. Mindy Coe with the Iowa State Patrol spoke with KLEM news at about 1:00 p.m. to offer an overview of the situation.
Responding to the scene were the Remsen Police Department, Le Mars Police K-9 unit, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and even the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement. The situation at Remsen was resolved peacefully shortly before 2:00 p.m. Plymouth County
Sheriff Jeff TeBrink says there were no criminal charges filed, and the individual was taken to the hospital. The individual’s name has not been released.
Eagles Club Offers Reward For Museum Vandalism
(Le Mars) — As reported here on KLEM radio, earlier this week the Plymouth County Historical Museum suffered damage because of vandals that had thrown rocks through the windows, and not only breaking the window panes, but also damaging some display cases. Total Motors donated one thousand dollars to the museum to help with the costs of the repairs to the windows and display cases. Now, the Le Mars Eagles Club have stepped up to offer some assistance. Clark Goodchild is a past president of the local Eagles and says the members of the Eagles were troubled when hearing the news regarding the vandalism done to the museum. Goodchild says the Eagles want to start an awareness campaign.
Goodchild says anyone with information of the vandalism needs to share the information with the Le Mars Police Department.
Goodchild says the Eagles hope their involvement will put an abrupt halt to any vandalism done within our community.
The Eagles official says any information should be directed to the Le Mars Police Department by calling 546-4113.
This Weekend Is Designated As “Free Fishing Weekend”
(Le Mars) — This weekend, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has designated as “Free fishing weekend”, meaning anglers are allowed to go fishing at their favorite fishing hole and not need a license. Since COVID cancelled many activities last year, there has been a resurgence of interest for fishing by all age groups. David Skou is the owner of Beginner’s Luck Bait and Tackle shop located in Le Mars. Skou says many people enjoy fishing because of the memories it makes.
Skou says he has seen several people visit his store to take advantage of the free fishing weekend.
Skou says many of the newcomers to the sport inquire about the best lures and bait to use for the specific type of fish they hope to catch. As for when is the best time to go fishing, Skou says either early morning or near sunset are perhaps the best times of the day to go fishing.
The Beginner’s Luck Bait and Tackle store owner says people enjoy fishing at the nearby lakes of Okoboji, Big Spirit, Lake View or even Storm Lake, and as for rivers, the Missouri River, Big Sioux, and even the Floyd are popular areas. He says water conditions and temperatures may determine the type of fish that are most likely to be caught.
The “Free fishing” weekend continues through today and Sunday.
New Wardens Hired For Anamosa, Fort Dodge and Rockwell City Prisons
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Board of Corrections approved the hiring of two new prison wardens, including one at the Anamosa State Penitentiary where two staffers were killed in March. Incoming Anamosa warden Kristofer Karberg most recently worked for the South Dakota Department of Corrections. He was part of the team that reviewed the facility after a correctional officer and a nurse were murdered. Karberg said, “I was down in Anamosa back in April. I was the group that came in down there and I know it’s not an easy assignment.” In early April, the warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison was temporarily assigned to oversee the Anamosa facility. Iowa Department of Corrections director Beth Skinner said things are “gradually transitioning” back to normal at the Anamosa prison. The other warden officially hired today (Friday) will oversee the state prisons in Fort Dodge and Rockwell City. Nicholas Lamb has spent more than two decades in corrections, working in New Mexico and Illinois prisons.
Supreme Court Rules in Okoboji Car Restoration Case
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in the case of a six-figure renovation of a classic car. Al and Deb Poller of New Jersey sent their 1931 Chevy to Okoboji Classic Cars (OCC) in 2013 for restoration after Deb saw the company’s work in a visit to family. The final bill came to more than 112-thousand dollars. The Pollers had already paid 45-thousand and sued, saying they had a verbal agreement that amount would be the limit. The district court ruled O-C-C was due the remaining 67-thousand dollars. But the Iowa Supreme Court reversed that ruling, saying O-C-C had violated the law requiring an estimate of the work and has no basis to keep the car or be paid the balance. The Supreme Court also ruled the Pollers suffered no damages from the dispute and are not due attorney fees.
UI Receives Grant to Help Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Rate in Small Towns
(Iowa City, IA) — The University of Iowa is getting a half-million-dollar federal grant to find ways to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in smaller towns. The yearlong project will look at ways to break down barriers and encourage people to get vaccinated. U-I researchers hope to find out why there’s a resistance to COVID shots in rural areas.
Pheasant Blamed For Fatal Car Accident in Greene County
(Jefferson, IA) — The Iowa State Patrol says a pheasant is to blame for a fatal accident in Greene County. The report says 30-year-old Theodore McGinnis of Des Moines was driving on a county road near Jefferson when evidence shows a pheasant hit the car around 4:30 a-m today (Friday). The investigation shows McGinnis veered to the shoulder and then overcorrected before entering the ditch. McGinnis was found dead at the scene. State troopers say he was buckled up.
