City Street Department To Close 4th Street SW For Tree Removal
(Le Mars) — Starting Monday June 28th 2021 at 6:30 a.m. the Le Mars Street Dept. will close 4th St. S.W. between 2nd Ave. S.W. and 3rd Ave. S.W. and reopen it at around 5 p.m. that night . The contractor DK Tree Removal will be taking 4 trees down in that block . See attached picture of street closure.
Sheriff’s Deputy Arrest Woman Charged With Stealing A Pickup Truck
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was able to arrest a woman connected to a pickup truck reported stolen on Wednesday evening. At approximately 9:11 p.m. a red 2003 Chevrolet pickup was reported as being stolen from Le Mars. The information was entered into a national data base for law enforcement. On the same night at about 10:33 p.m. a Plymouth County Deputy observed this vehicle to be heading north on Highway 75 just outside of Hinton. The vehicle entered the east ditch and came to a rest on the railroad embankment just shy of the railroad tracks. A foot pursuit ensued. The deputy was able to apprehend the individual a short distance away from the
pickup. Crystal Marie Finchum, age 30, of Le Mars was placed under arrest for Theft in the 2nd Degree for the possession of the stolen vehicle. She was transported to the Plymouth County Jail for booking. A search warrant was issued and executed on the pickup. Multiple items of interest were seized in connection to drug charges and possible stolen property. Ultimately, Finchum was charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree, Driving while license suspended, Operating while under the influence – second offense, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Hinton Police Department.
Knapp To Have Competency Hearing
(Le Mars) — A competency hearing has been set for a Merrill man charged with First Degree murder and Domestic assault. 83-year old Thomas Knapp of Merrill is charged in the shooting death of his stepson, Kevin Juzek, and assault of Knapp’s wife at their rural Merrill home in May of 2020. Knapp’s defense
attorney maintains he is not competent to stand trial. Knapp is also hard of hearing. Court records state that Knapp allegedly shot Juzek in the abdomen and chest with a 20-gauge shotgun, and struck his wife in the head, and broke bones in her hand, during the same disturbance. The competency hearing is
scheduled for August 10th in Plymouth County District Court. Meanwhile, Knapp is scheduled to stand trial on August 24th.
Hail Informational Meeting Scheduled For This (Friday) Morning
(Le Mars) — A hail information meeting is scheduled for this morning beginning at 9:00 a.m. That meeting will be located just to the north one mile and east a half a mile from the county roads intersection of C-44 and K-64. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crops Specialist, Joel DeJong will visit with farmers and address their questions relating to their available options. It is probably too late for farmers to re-plant their corn crop, but depending on herbicide restrictions, and other considerations, farmers may be able to re-plant their soybeans. However, as DeJong says, it is likely to have yield reductions.
DeJong says cover crops may be considered.
DeJong again tells of the informational meeting’s location.
Northwestern College And Northwest Iowa Community College Enter Agreement On Social Majors Program
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Northwestern College has recently formalized an articulation agreement with Northwest Iowa Community College (NCC) in Sheldon that will allow students graduating with an associate’s degree from NCC to seamlessly
continue their education to complete a bachelor’s degree in social work at Northwestern.
The agreement lays out the academic path that will enable a student who has graduated with an Associate of Arts degree at NCC to complete Northwestern’s social work program in two years. A total of 124 credit hours will need to be completed for graduation from Northwestern.
“We are excited about this opportunity to help train more students for a career in social work,” says Donna Van Peursem, associate professor of social work at Northwestern. “Getting a four-year degree can look intimidating, and we want to communicate to NCC students that you don’t have to start over if
you choose to continue your social work education at Northwestern. We can get you to where you want to be in the helping professions.”
Northwestern College’s social work department is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, which helps graduates expedite their Master of Social Work degree. The program provides students with the theory and real-life experience necessary for meeting the needs of individuals and communities.
Students learn from faculty who have extensive experience as social workers in settings like group homes, domestic violence programs, governmental and nonprofit agencies, and therapy and counseling centers.
The social work articulation agreement joins agreements Northwestern College and Northwest Iowa Community College have for business administration and elementary education majors.
Reynolds Sending Iowa State Troopers to Help With Border Security
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds is sending Iowa State Patrol officers to assist with security and law enforcement at the southern U-S borders in Texas and Arizona. The Republican governors of those two states requested emergency assistance with border security on June 10th. Reynolds
said in a statement that Iowa law enforcement officials are recovering drugs and weapons being smuggled across the nation’s southern border by drug cartels. Iowa’s G-O-P governor also said, “my first responsibility is to the health and safety of Iowans and the humanitarian crisis at our nation’s southern border is affecting all 50 states.” She has not revealed how many
state troopers are being reassigned to duty at the U-S/Mexico border.
Twenty-four Iowa National Guard soldiers are there now assisting law enforcement agencies.
Governor Signs Deal to Buy At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds signed a deal to buy COVID-19 test kits that Iowans can take at home. The move is intended to be in place as the Test Iowa program is being phased out. Reynolds did not disclose the purchase
price and the Iowa Department of Public of Health hasn’t released details on how to get the kits. The first drive-through Test Iowa sites were established in late April of last year as Covid cases began to spike here. By this spring, just five state-run testing sites remained. The Council Bluffs site closed Wednesday. The site in Cedar Rapids will close at the end of testing late this afternoon and the Waterloo Test Iowa location is closing Friday at 4 p-m. The final two locations in Davenport and Des Moines will close for good in mid-July.
DNR Water Summary Shows 44% of Iowa in Severe Drought, Some Improvements
(Des Moines, IA) — The latest D-N-R Water Summary Update shows the entire state of Iowa in some form or dryness or drought. Precipitation remains two inches below normal with seven days remaining in June. Severe drought now
covers nearly 44 percent of the state – up from eight percent at the start of the month. D-N-R hydrology coordinator Tim Hall said, “current and near term projected rainfall should help ease drought conditions, although the U-S Drought Monitor this week doesn’t include any rain that fell after Tuesday morning.” Hall says they are anticipating improved conditions next week.
Several parts of the state received much need rainfall while some areas also had hail and strong winds. Officials warn that a return to hot and dry weather could reverse this change.
Iowa Board Of Regents Proposes Tuition Hikes At 3 Public Universities
(Iowa City, IA) — The Iowa Board of Regents is expected to vote on a plan to increase tuition at all three public universities when Regents meet July 28th. The increases for in-state students would range from 115 dollars a year at the University of Northern Iowa to 280 dollars a year at the University of
Iowa and Iowa State. Officials say the price increases are necessary after Iowa lawmakers declined to increase state funding during the legislative session.
27 Cars Of Union Pacific Train Derail In Ames
(Ames, IA) — Authorities in Story County say one of the 27 rail cars that went off the tracks in Ames was leaking propane Thursday afternoon. No injuries were reported in the derailment reported at about 1:40 p-m. A portion of the immobilized train blocked streets at four locations for several hours. All were reopened by evening. A Union Pacific spokesperson said eight
cars were derailed. The cause is under investigation. Just last month, 47 rail cars on a Union Pacific train derailed in Sibley. A hazmat team was called to the scene to deal with the leak.
Semi Carrying Hogs Tips Over in Waterloo
(Waterloo, IA) — A semi truck carrying hogs tipping over is blamed for major traffic delays Thursday morning in Waterloo. The trailer rolled around 6:40 a-m but fire officials decided not to unload the pigs. Crews worked for several hours with jacks to get the semi upright and a crane helped pull it up. Officers say no humans were injured. No word on whether the pigs inside
the trailer were hurt. The driver apparently took a corner too quickly on the way to a Tyson facility.
Report On Priest Abuse Called “Positive Step Forward”
(Des Moines, IA) — The former Iowan who pushed the Attorney General to investigate cases of priest abuse says the report just released is another positive step forward. Tim Lennon was living in Sioux City when he got involved in the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP. Lennon
says 20 years ago every victim of sexual abuse would come forward as an individual — now they come forward as organizations, as a movement. He says the report and Iowa’s recent change in the law that lifts the statute of limitations on child sex abuse charges are examples of the progress made.
Floyd County Group Seeks Special Election
(Charles City, IA) — A Floyd County group known as the Coalition for Better County Government has filed a lawsuit seeking a special election to determine how the county elects its supervisors. The lawsuit come after the supervisors
voted to reject a petition with more than 11-hundred signatures on it asking for the special election. The coalition’s petition that the county be divided into three districts, with voters in that district voting only for the supervisor living in that district. Voters across the county now vote for all three supervisors.
