Le Mars Conducting A Survey Regarding Child Care
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation (LBIC) in partnership with Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council (SIMPCO) has contracted with First Children’s Finance (FCF) to complete a child care study. The study will include research and analysis on: the needs of local families and children, the current supply of regulated child care, parents’ current and preferred child care, effects on employers caused by the lack of child care and child care providers’ challenges operating during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. The report will include the key findings of the research and analysis, the community’s child care gap and a recommendation on the number and type of child care spots that would be reasonable to meet the community’s needs.
The research being conducted by FCF includes a survey of parents that live or work in the Le Mars area to learn about their child care preferences along with child care challenges they may be facing. The survey can be accessed online through October 22, 2021, at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LeMarsParents.
In addition, local employers and child care providers are also being asked to participate in surveys to provide insight into the current child care supply and how it is affecting them.
“We are seeing significant changes in our workforce, families and child care needs, due in part to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a great opportunity to identify and implement solutions to create a solid future for child care in Le Mars.” – David Westergard, LBIC Executive Director.
Orange City Tulip Festival Announces Court Candidates
Orange City, Iowa — Orange City’s 2022 Tulip Court was elected on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Tulip Court members for the 2022 Tulip Festival include Maren Beaty, daughter of Craig and Shannon Beaty, Chloe Bilby, daughter of Joe & Becky Bilby, Catharine Hummel, daughter of Patrick & Julia Hummel, Naomi Mellema, daughter of Matt and Kristin Mellema, and Kate Van Der Werff, daughter of Jeff and Kara Van Der Werff. A Queen’s Tea and Pageant will be held in November to crown the 2022 Tulip Festival Queen. The Queen and Court will serve as ambassadors for Orange City’s 81 st annual Tulip Festival, set for May 19, 20, and 21, 2022. Tulip Festival news, event information, volunteer opportunities and more can be found on the festival’s website at www.octulipfestival.com.
Le Mars Community High School Celebrates Homecoming Week
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community Schools are celebrating Homecoming festivities this week with the pinnacle event occurring Friday evening with the football game against the Storm Lake Tornadoes. Nancy Isebrand is the faculty counselor with the Le Mars Community High School Student Union, and tells how the students are dressing in different outfits during this week. Isebrand says coronation ceremonies and pep rally will take place on Friday beginning at 1:00 p.m. inside the new competition gymnasium. Isebrand says the ceremonies will be video streamed to the internet. She recites the candidates of the royal court.
Following the king and queen coronation will be the annual Homecoming parade.
Isebrand says for anyone wanting to have an entry in the Le Mars Community Homecoming parade should contact the school offices.
The Le Mars Community school official says the royal court will be introduced during the game Friday evening. Following the game will be the Homecoming dance, and Isebrand says students need to know there is a dress code associated with the Homecoming dance.
KLEM radio will broadcast live the coronation ceremonies, as well as the parade.
Farmers Are Warned To Be Watchful For Field Fires Because Of Dry Conditions
(Storm Lake) — This is Farm Safety Week as harvest season gets rolling, all farm hands are warned to stay especially vigilant for field fires during the drought. Iowa State University Extension ag engineer Kris Kohl says after a series of rural fires in 2012, a study was conducted that focused on variables like temperature, humidity and wind.
Kohl suggests farmers use a leaf blower to blast the dust and debris off their hot machinery, especially when the weather is perfect for a wildfire.
Kohl recommends producers have a disc attached to a large tractor rather than trying to use water to battle any potential fire out in the fields.
COVID Hospitalizations Rise Nearly 10% in Iowa in 7 Days
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa health officials report a nearly ten-percent increase in COVID hospitalizations over the past week. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s website shows there are 638 COVID patients in Iowa hospitals and 25 percent of them are in intensive care units. State data show a dozen kids under the age of 12 are hospitalized with the virus. Among the Iowans who’ve tested positive for Covid in the past week, 26 percent are under the age of 18. That’s a slight decline from last week’s report. There were another 81 COVID-related deaths over the last seven days, increasing the state’s total to six-thousand-482 since the pandemic began.
Iowa Man Sentenced to 5 Months In Prison For Illegally Filing Unemployment Claims.
(Cedar Falls, IA). — An Iowa man is going to serve time in federal prison for applying for and receiving unemployment payments fraudulently. Prosecutors say 63-year-old Larry Neal Wells of Center Point got nearly 17-thousand dollars in pandemic-related unemployment benefits from Maine and New York. He kept some of the money himself and mailed some of it to others. He pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud. Wells pleaded guilty in April. He will surrender to U-S Marshals next month to begin serving his term in federal prison.
More Details Released From Investigation Of Death Near Hog Facility
(Algona) — More details are being released as the investigation of the accidental death of a Kossuth County man near a hog facility continues. According to the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation has determined that M&M Pumping LLC of West Bend was using the open concrete tank on the property south of Algona for the storage of peptones and soybean wash water. On September 4th, the contents of the tank began to foam over for an unknown reason. At that time, 33-year-old Randy Meyer of Whittemore was attempting to agitate or stir the contents of the tank with a tractor and auger when he was overcome by the gasses. The Iowa DNR is working with the EPA to collect additional air samples so they can more comprehensively identify and characterize the odors being emitted from the storage tank.
Iowa Falls Man Charged With First-Degree Murder In Infant Son’s Death
(Iowa Falls, IA) — An Iowa Falls father who admitted he was too rough with his infant son now faces a first-degree murder charge. Twenty-two-year-old Nicholas Cox is accused of causing the death of the child last March. The six-month-old victim was taken to a hospital where he died before doctors could save him. If no plea agreement is reached, Cox will go on trial in Hardin County Court. He’s being held on a bond of one million dollars. The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined the victim died of asphyxia and injuries to his neck and spinal column.
