Governor Reynolds Visits With Northwest Iowa Business Leaders
(Le Mars) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was in Le Mars Friday afternoon to listen to comments from about two dozen business and community leaders from northwest Iowa. She says the purpose of Friday’s meeting was to serve as a listening port to better understand how state agencies may be able to streamline their services to reduce duplication of services, and to build up Iowa’s workforce.
Reynolds says the business leaders emphasized a need for additional employees.
Reynolds says some of the comments from the business leaders is to look at offering various incentives to attract workers to Iowa. The governor says she had compiled three pages of notes from suggestions of the business leaders. Reynolds says daycare and affordable housing were also discussed during Friday’s meeting.
Some of the entities represented at the meeting included: Wells Enterprises, Schuster Trucking Company, Premier Communications, Wilson Trailer Company, V-T Industries, Seaboard Triumph Foods, Le Mars Community Schools, Sioux City Community Schools, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, Le Mars Chamber of Commerce, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Iowa’s Economic Development Director Says “We Need To Tell Our Story”
(Le Mars) — Iowa’s Economic Development Director, Debi Durham wants Iowans to “tell our story.” Durham was the guest speaker at a Le Mars Chamber of Commerce event on Friday. She informed the gathering that our state has great potential and opportunities, we just need to share the information with the rest of the world.
Because of the state’s potential, Durham says is the reason Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds launched “This is Iowa” campaign. The state’s economic development director says the campaign is to “showcase” Iowa to the world.
Durham says Iowa is often times overlooked since many corporate officials regard Iowa as simply as a “fly-over” state in between both coasts. She says it is good that Iowa doesn’t have a negative image. However, she says the problem is that we don’t have any type of image at all.
Durham says Iowa is known for its rich agriculture base, but she says we need to expand beyond the nation’s old fashion perceptions of agriculture.
The Iowa Economic Development Director says many national-based media outlets, such as U-S News and World Report, are beginning to recognize Iowa’s potential. She says the recent “Field of Dreams” major league baseball game held at
Dyersville also had the nation’s spotlight on Iowa.
Model Railroad Show Featured At Merrill Today (Saturday)
(Le Mars) — If you enjoy seeing model railroads, then you may want to consider going to Kissenger Community Hall in Merrill on Saturday as the Floyd Valley Model Railroad Club will be hosting a model train show as part of the Prairies and Lakes Division of the National Model Railroads Association. John Schneider is helping organize this year’s show and says doors will open at 8:00 a.m.
Schneider says the model railroad show will feature several displays or exhibits consisting of model railroad scenes.
Schneider anticipates the model railroad show will attract visitors from several states.
The local model railroad enthusiast says there are several different scale-size models that collectors like to discuss about model railroads.
Schneider says many people have a fascination with model rail roads simply because they themselves, or had relatives that worked for a railroad company, or also, like Schneider, the railroad passed by his farm as he was growing up.
Admission to the model railroad show is $3, and the show will continue until 3:00 p.m. at which time Schneider says the Prairie and Lakes Division of the National Model Railroader’s Association will hold its annual meeting.
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Against Iowa Law Banning School Mask Mandates
(Des Moines, IA) — A U-S District judge today (Friday) granted a preliminary injunction against a state law banning school mask mandates. Judge Robert Pratt had issued a temporary restraining order after a group of parents of students with disabilities and a disability rights group sued. The restraining order was set to expire Monday, but the preliminary injunction will now block the law for the duration of the lawsuit. Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement saying the decision has been appealed to the U-S Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The case will be assigned to a three-judge panel in the coming days. Iowa State Education Association president Mike Beranek said in a statement, “We are pleased the courts continue to recognize the importance of local control allowing local school districts to make important decisions about the health and safety of their students, employees and school communities.”
Reynolds Schedules Special Session to Consider Second Redistricting Plan
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds is scheduling a special legislative session October 28th for Iowa lawmakers to consider the second redistricting plan. The Iowa Senate rejected the first plan from the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency on Tuesday. Plan 2 is expected to be released on October 21st. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says he hopes the legislature can quickly agree on the second set of proposed congressional and legislative redistricting maps. The boundaries for legislative and congressional districts are redrawn every ten years.
Crews Put Out Fire at Ag Partners Grain Elevator in Albert City
(Albert City, IA) — Investigators in northwest Iowa are trying to determine what caused a fire this (Friday) morning at the Ag-Partners Cooperative in Albert City. Firefighters responded to the fire at the grain elevator that started near the top of the structure on a conveyor belt. Albert City Fire Chief Gary Hogrefe says something smoldering overnight started a couple of conveyor belts on fire. It took crews about two hours to put out the flames. No injuries were reported.
Sheldon Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Meth Sent Through the Mail
(Sioux City, IA) — A Sheldon man will serve at least ten years in federal prison for selling large amounts of methamphetamine in northwest Iowa. The U-S Attorney’s Office in Sioux City says 39-year-old Scott Demers pleaded guilty to receiving quantities of meth through the mail and redistributing it between July and September of 2020. Demers also admitted to possessing a gun during drug trafficking crimes. Demers faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and maximum life sentence and 250-thousand-dollar fine.
