SIDS Fund Raising Memory Walk Scheduled For This Saturday Morning
(Le Mars) — Seven different fundraisers are planned across the state today for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, with one of those events to take place here in Le Mars. SIDS is the number one disease that claims the life of babies under the age of one. Pam Jeneary serves on the board of directors with the Iowa Association of SIDS. She and her husband Tom lost a child due to SIDS.
Jeneary has taken on an active role following her son’s death in calling attention to SIDS, including organizing fundraisers to help with SIDS research. Jeneary says researchers still don’t know the reasons why some babies die
She says the fundraising goes toward helping scientists and medical professionals trying to better understand the cause and a cure. There have been some steps taken to try and prevent the deaths.
Jeneary says statewide, the organization has a goal of raising at least 50-thousand dollars. Nearly two thousand infant deaths nationwide each year can be attributed to SIDS. The Le Mars SIDS memory walk and fund raiser will take place at the Municipal Park at the Shelter house with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and the walk to start at 9:30 a.m. There will be a silent auction and a meal provided by the Plymouth County Pork Producers and HyVee.
Health Officials Announce New Recommendations Against COVID-19
(Le Mars) — A resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and its Delta variant has been in the news lately with cases going up across the nation. Tara Geddes, the Plymouth County Community Health Director says Floyd Valley Healthcare has seen a rise in cases within the past few weeks. Geddes says although everyone is susceptible to contracting COVID-19 virus, it primarily is affecting those individuals that have not been vaccinated.
Geddes says health officials are making some recommendations to better protect yourself against the virus.
Geddes tells of when Plymouth County again started to see the resurgence with the COVID cases.
Geddes says with the resurgence, more people who had not previously been vaccinated against the virus are now stepping up and becoming vaccinated.
Law Enforcement And School Officials Remind Motorists To Stop For A Stopped School Bus
(Le Mars) — School has begun across Iowa, and officials want everyone to realize it is against the law to pass a stopped school bus when the lights are flashing and the stop sign extended. Law enforcement and school officials are concerned with the safety of students going to, and returning from school. Karie Yaneff with the Iowa State Patrol says it happens all too often. She says motorists need to remember that traffic on both sides of the school bus must come to a stop.
Yaneff says the exception is when driving on a four-lane highway. Vehicles traveling in the same direction of the school bus must come to a complete stop. However, vehicles moving in the opposite direction, on a four-lane road, do not need to stop for a school bus. According to statistics provided by Le Mars Community School District, the number of offenses of motorists passing a stopped school bus have been alarming. During the 2017-18 school year, there were 95 times when a motorist had passed a stopped school bus. The number increased to 120 times during school year 2018-19. 83 occasions a motorist passed a stopped Le Mars Community school bus during the school year 2019-2020. School superintendent Dr. Steven Webner reminds us that during that school year, classes were dismissed in mid-March due to the pandemic. He says it may have been possible to have an even higher number if school had not been cancelled. This past school year the number of people that passed a stopped school bus was down to 53. Webner says he is grateful for the decline, but adds the number of instances are still too high of a number. Webner says the number should be zero occurrences. Yaneff says unfortunately the number of reported vehicles passing stopped school buses by Le Mars Community is consistent with school districts across the state. Yaneff says people need to be alert to the fact students may be crossing the road.
The Iowa State Patrol trooper says the Iowa legislature has stiffen the laws with violators of passing a stopped school bus due to what is known as the Caiden’s Law.
Yaneff says it is becoming easier to arrest and prosecute offenders as many school buses are equipped with cameras.
Yaneff says the violators of passing a stopped school bus occurs with all age demographics. She says although it happens everywhere, many of the violations of passing a stopped school bus occurs more in town than on the rural roads.
Iowa Law Enforcement Part of 12-State Human Trafficking Operation
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Public Safety says several law enforcement agencies in the state were part of a 12-state human trafficking operation. D-P-S says Operation United Front involved simultaneous state human trafficking operations throughout the day on Thursday and into early this (Friday) morning. The report says Iowa officers executed ten search warrants, identified five businesses involved in sex trafficking, made 11 arrests, and seized a large quantity of cash. The operation was coordinated by Missouri and also included officers from Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
More Iowa Students Enrolling in Homeschooling Programs
(Johnston, IA) — The Iowa Department of Education reports more students are checking out home school assistance programs. Families are enrolling in the program due to rising COVID-19 cases across the state. Students in H-S-A-P can learn from home, but still participate in their school district’s extracurricular activities.
Mason City Pleads Not Guilty to Beating Woman in Hancock County
(Garner, IA) — A Mason City man will stand trial in late October for the alleged beating of a woman in Hancock County. Prosecutors say 28-year-old Blake Walderbach pleaded not guilty to willful injury causing bodily and domestic abuse assault. Walderbach is accused of getting into an argument with a husband and wife June 27th in Garner. The criminal complaint says Walderbach punched the woman in the face, then put her in a chokehold and told her to “get into the truck or everyone would be arrested.” The victim said he continued to punch her in the face and slammed her head into the dashboard. Investigators say she suffered a concussion, bruises to her face and arm and had cuts on her lip and head.
Filming Begins in November For Movie About World War II Camp Near Algona
(Algona, IA) — Filming is scheduled to begin in November for a movie about a World War II camp near Algona for German prisoners. The movie’s crew was in Kossuth County area last weekend, scouting possible filming locations. D-J. Perry is the C-E-O of Collective Development and author of the screenplay for “Silent Night in Algona.” Perry says they’re looking for homes and buildings that were around 77 years ago — during the fall and early winter of 1944. He says the film is about unity, it’s about patriotism — a lot of themes that are very relevant to what’s going on now as well and it’s important that things aren’t forgotten from the past. Lead actors for the film have been cast, but Perry says they’ll be looking for area residents to be extras and assist in other ways.
