Denny Callahan Awarded Hall of Fame Honor To Iowa Broadcasters Association
(Le Mars) — KLEM’s retired sports director, Denny Callahan was inducted into the Iowa Broadcaster’s Association Hall of Fame. Dennis Bullock, general manager of KLEM radio and Powell Broadcasting, and a board director with the Iowa Broadcasters Association conducted the honors
Dave Grosenheider, Sales Manager for KLEM radio nominated Callahan and narrated the accompanied video presentation.
Callahan was humble for the award presentation, and he thanked his family…both his immediate family, and the family at KLEM radio, and the family of athletes he has covered throughout the years.
Callahan was the sports director with KLEM radio for 48 years covering mainly high school sporting events, with focus on Le Mars Community, Gehlen Catholic, Remsen St. Mary’s, Remsen-Union which is now MMCRU, Hinton, Kingsley-Pierson and Akron-Westfield. He has broadcasted state tournament games for baseball, softball, football, mens basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, and events with the state track meet. As mentioned, he was selected as the Le Mars “Citizen of the Year” through the Chamber of Commerce, and the city and schools re-named the street that passes by the football stadium as Callahan Drive. Congratulations, Denny on being named to the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
Bowen Honored As School District’s “Employee Of The Month.”
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Community School District awarded its “Employee of the Month” honors to a Teacher Associate Wednesday morning. Yvette Bowen was presented the honor from Le Mars Community School District Foundation members Janelle Bixenman and Deb Ahlers. A room full of students, school faculty and staff, administration officials, and friends from the community gathered to congratulate Bowen on the honor. Bowen was joined by her husband Derek and their youngest daughter for the awards ceremony. Sue Reed submitted the nomination for Yvette Bowen for the recognition of “Employee of the Month”. Her nomination reads as follows: “She (Yvette) goes above and beyond for every student she assists. I have seen her print papers for them, sit in her off time and help a student copy and paste information for an assignment, and help them use headphones for an assignment, making sure they understand. She has the compassion, caring patience, and flexibility of needing to do her job, and it is always the student she is thinking of. She is always willing to help out, whether it be a teacher or fellow aide with anything they may need. She is one of the nicest, kindest, person I know.”
Fire and Rescue Department To Hold Annual Pancake Breakfast To Kick Off Fire Prevention Week
(Le Mars) — Fire prevention week begins on Sunday, October 3rd and continues through Saturday, October 9th. Once again, the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department will hold its annual pancake and sausage breakfast to help kick-off fire prevention week. Fire Chief Dave Schipper explains the details of the annual pancake breakfast.
Northwestern College Upgrades Athletic Facilities
(Orange City) — Northwestern College of Orange City held a dedication ceremony late Wednesday afternoon for the Bultman Center Phase 1 Renovation project. Dr. Micah Parker, the Vice President for Athletics explains how the $2.4 million dollars was utilized for improvements for the athletic facilities.
Parker tells of what is still yet to come as part of the gymnasium renovation project.
The Northwestern College Athletic official says there were over 60 families who donated the funds to make the renovation possible.
Parker says Northwestern College women’s volleyball team had to make some sacrifices waiting for the renovations, including the installation of a new gym floor, to be completed.
Northwestern College’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Kris Korver says the athletic department, coaches, and players are all appreciative of the upgrades. He says more memories will be made and the renovation will help with recruiting purposes.
The Northwestern College women’s volleyball team were the first to use the new gym floor that has been installed.
50% Increase In Des Moines Murders Matches Nationwide Trend
(Des Moines, IA) — A 50-percent increase in Des Moines murders last year matches a nationwide trend. The F-B-I has released its 2020 Uniform Crime Reporting stats. That report shows 21 murders in Iowa’s Capitol City, up from 14 the year before. Homicides were up by more than 29 percent across the U-S, the biggest yearly increase since the F-B-I began compiling those records in 1960. The state of Iowa reported a total of 111 homicides in 2020.
Grassley: Democrats Should Raise Debt Ceiling On Their Own
(Washington, DC) — U-S Senator Chuck Grassley says congressional Democrats should raise the federal debt ceiling on their own while they push new spending in areas not supported by his party. Grassley says Democrats have been told consistently that Republicans won’t help with the tax and spending spree being pursued. The Iowa Republican says Monday’s vote shouldn’t have been a surprise. The federal government could be shut down Friday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U-S will hit the debt limit October 18th and that could cause a default on its debt and bring on economic chaos.
Federal Prosecutors Announced Charges Against 19 On Gun-Related Crimes
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — Federal prosecutors are announcing charges against 19 people on gun-related crimes. The arrests were announced at a joint news conference in Cedar Rapids. They come as part of a nationwide effort to get illegal guns off the streets called Project Safe Neighborhood. Agents say the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the project’s effort to track gun criminals. All 19 arrests came in the Waterloo area – which had a 12-percent increase in violent crime last year.
Winnebago County Becomes 18th In State To Become Second Amendment Sanctuary
(Forest City, IA) — Winnebago County in northern Iowa becomes the 18th county to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary. The board of supervisors approved the resolution Tuesday. It stops local law enforcement agencies from enforcing any laws which infringe on the right to bear arms. Many of the counties adopting similar resolutions are taking the wording verbatim from a draft document produced by the Iowa Firearms Coalition. Hancock and Guthrie counties will vote on that resolution next week.
Just Over 60% of Eligible Iowans Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Public Health’s latest COVID update shows 60 percent of Iowans over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate among Iowans who are 65 or older is 83 percent. Over the past seven days, an average of 11-hundred people have tested positive for the virus and 24 percent are under the age of 18. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics infectious disease specialist Dan Diekema (DEEK’-uh-muh) says the spread is largely driven by virus activity in schools where students under age 12 aren’t eligible for a COVID shot. Diekema said,”… a lot of transmission that can happen, and then that transmission is carried over into the community when you have such a large percentage of your population that’s unvaccinated.” Hospitalizations have dropped slightly for the first time in 12 weeks.
Mental Health Counselor Accused of Drinking, Using Marijuana With Minor Client
(Des Moines, IA) — State officials are suspending the license of a mental health counselor accused of smoking marijuana and drinking in Woodbury County with a girl who was a client. The Iowa Board of Behavioral Science has accused 48-year-old Michelle Banks of Spirit Lake of unethical conduct. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report on the case. Banks was arrested in April and charged with smoking pot in a car with other passengers and Banks was a therapist for a minor in the vehicle. Police found an open bottle of rum in the car and Banks, who was a passenger, admitted she bought the rum for the group to drink. An administrative hearing related to her counseling license is scheduled in early December. Banks is also accused of sending an inappropriate text message to a client in January. State documents indicate Banks at some point stopped taking prescribed medication and that has had an impact on her behavior.
Ex-Eastern Iowa Police Officer Charged With Sexually Abusing Girl on Duty
(Eldridge, IA) — A former police officer in eastern Iowa is jailed for alleged sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl while on duty. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 24-year-old ex-Eldridge officer Andrew Denoyer was arrrested Tuesday and charged with third-degree sexual abuse. D-P-S says it was called into assist by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and Eldridge Police Department with a sex abuse investigation last Friday. The incident allegedly happened in May 1st. Denoyer has his first court hearing October 14th,
Northeast Iowa Police Chief Resigns Months After DUI Arrest
(Sumner, IA) — The Sumner Police Department in northeast Iowa is searching for a new police chief. The mayor says Chief Chad Koch submitted his resignation at Monday night’s city council meeting. Koch was named chief last October and has 16 years of law enforcement experience. He was arrested in April for second offense D-U-I and carrying dangerous weapons while under the influence in Hardin County. Koch also had a D-U-I in Polk County in 2015. He was certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 2005.
