Le Mars Police Department Honors “Blue Line” Award To Susemihl
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has awarded its “Blue Line” Award to former mechanic Tom Susemihl. Susemihl, prior to his retirement, had for years serviced the Le Mars Police squad vehicles, and always helped get the cars back on the road as quick as possible. Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte presented the award to Susemihl on Wednesday.
Police Department Looking For Missing Girls
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Police Department posted on their Facebook page that two teenage girls from Le Mars are reporting as missing. Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte tells us more about the disappearance of the girls.
Vande Vegte believes the two girls may still be somewhere within the general area.
Both girls have dark hair and are of medium height. Vande Vegte says anyone that may have seen the girls, or perhaps know of their location are asked to contact the Le Mars Police Department.
Le Mars Community Theater To Present “Vintage Hitchcock”
(Le Mars) — Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast of the master of suspense’s earlier films. The Le Mars Community Theater will feature Vintage Hitchcock with live performances scheduled for Thursday, September 9th through Sunday, September 12th.
With “The Lodger”, “Sabotage” and “The 39 Steps”, Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play is a triple feature, complete with vintage commercials, that recreates a daring train chase, a serial killer’s ominous presence, and a devastating explosion through the magic of live sound effects and musical underscoring. Evening performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee will have the curtain rise at 2:00 p.m. Reservations to the public will be available starting on September 1st. All seats are general admission only. Instead of the Postal Playhouse, performances will be held at the Plymouth County Historical Museum at the Old Central Gymnasium and stage. Tickets can be purchased at the Postal Playhouse Monday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The box office will be closed on Labor Day. You can also go online at www.lemarslive.org.
(image contributed.)
Firefighters And EMT Personnel Utilize Tower For Training
(Le Mars) — Each Wednesday evening, the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department conducts training, and during the past couple of Wednesdays, firefighters and emergency medical technicians alike, have performed their training utilizing a four-story tower. The tower is available to any Iowa fire department and was purchased through the use of FEMA grants. Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department Dave Schipper explains how Le Mars was able to use the portable tower for their training purposes.
Reynolds Threatens Legal Action if White House Tries to Overturn Mask Mandate Ban
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds says she’ll go to court if the Biden Administration tries to overturn the law she signed that bans mask mandates in Iowa schools. Biden has asked the U-S education secretary to determine if the mask bans in Iowa and five others states violate federal law. Reynolds told reporters today (Thursday), “I think it’s incredible that he’s coming after me when we led the country in getting our kids back to school and doing it safety and responsibly.” The governor says the ban on mask mandates in schools promotes the “social and emotional wellbeing” of children. The C-D-C is recommending that everyone in schools wear face coverings as the Delta variant of Covid is far more contagious and most students have not been vaccinated. Reynolds said Biden needs to stop “dictating” how states respond to Covid and the governor indicated she’s not concerned about losing federal funds if there is a dispute over this pandemic-related policy.
Indy Car Series Returning to Iowa Speedway in Newtown
(Newton, IA) — Indy Car racing will return to the Iowa Speedway in Newton. Hy-Vee C-E-O Randy Edeker announced today (Thursday) that the company will be the lead sponsor of races in mid-2022. The Hy-Vee Deals-dot-com 250 will be on Saturday, July23rd, followed by the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 on Sunday the 24th of July. Edeker said sponsoring Indy Car racing at the Newton track will be a showcase for Iowa, since the races will be broadcast internationally. Newton Mayor Michael Hanson said after a one year hiatus, Indy Car races won’t just benefit Newton, but the economic impact will reach all of central Iowa. There had been concern the Iowa Speedway might close and the mayor said he’s been working for the past 14 months to secure Indy Car racing’s return to Newton.
Drought Conditions Worsen in Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) – Drought conditions are getting worse in Iowa. The latest U-S Drought Monitor says more than ten percent of the state is now in extreme drought – which is up from seven percent last week. The driest areas are in north-central Iowa and along the Minnesota border. Severe drought increased from 32 to 35 percent while 55 percent of Iowa is in at least moderate drought. The map also shows the areas considered normal decreased from 24 to 21 percent.
Iowa Homes Selling at Record Pace, But Inventory Remains Low
(Des Moines, IA) — Houses are still selling at a record pace in Iowa while the number of homes on the market is significantly lower than in 2020. The Iowa Association of Realtors reports homes sold in an average of 30 days in July — an all-time record. It’s slightly faster than the average time homes were on the market in June. More than eight percent fewer homes were sold in Iowa last month compared to July of 2020 — but the median sales price was about 11 percent higher than a year ago. The association reports the number of homes for sale is low in all price ranges. About 94-hundred homes were on the market in July — that’s nearly 24 percent fewer than in July of last year. The median price of a home sold last month was 205-thousand dollars — up from 185-thousand in July of last year.
Governor’s Office Accused Of Illegally Delaying Release Of Public Records
(Iowa City, IA) — A Utah publisher is suing the Iowa governor’s office, accusing it of illegally delaying the release of public records. Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa’s public records custodian are accused of violating open records laws. The suit is connected to an investigation by a Utah newspaper that is checking into programs like the 26-million-dollar, no-bid coronavirus testing contract in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health is named in the lawsuit. The Salt Lake City Tribune is seeking the records from programs in Iowa, Utah, Nebraska, and Tennessee.
Convicted On Hate Crime Charges, Iowa Woman Goes To Prison For 25 Years
(Des Moines, IA) — A white Iowa woman has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after her conviction on hate crime charges. Nicole Poole Franklin had said she drove her S-U-V into two children in December 2019 to try to kill them because of their race. She had already been sentenced to 25 years in state court on an attempted murder conviction. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the state punishment.
Fort Madison Man Arrested For Drug Possession During Traffic Stop
(Burlington, IA) — A Wednesday night traffic stop in Des Moines County has resulted in the filing of drug charges against a passenger in the vehicle that was pulled over. A deputy made the stop at 9:00 p-m after seeing a traffic violation. Anton Robert Kempker of Fort Madison was reportedly sitting in the front passenger seat. A search found Kempker had marijuana, meth, and drug paraphernalia in his possession. He was arrested and booked into the Des Moines County Jail.
Three Minnesotans Killed, Two Hurt In Southeast Iowa Crash
(Mount Pleasant, IA) — Three people from Minnesota are dead and two are injured after an accident Thursday in southeast Iowa. The State Patrol says a car driven by 55-year-old Chester Simmons from Minneapolis was southbound on Highway 218 in Mount Pleasant when it entered the median, went airborne, and struck a bridge pillar. The car landed on its top on a railroad track. Simmons died in the crash along with 44-year-old Robert Frost, and 66-year-old Johnatta Cook. Iowa state troopers say 49-year-old Yolanda Smith of Brooklyn Center and three-year-old Leo Simmons of Minneapolis were hurt. The report says their lives were saved by seatbelts.
