Emergency Crews Respond To One-Vehicle Rollover Accident
(Le Mars) — Emergency crews responded to a one vehicle roll-over accident that happened late Monday afternoon. The accident was reported at about 5:30 p.m. and occurred on Mahogany Avenue, just north of the city limits near PGA Drive. Four teenage girls were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Only the driver suffered injuries that required additional medical attention and was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare by the Le Mars Fire and Rescue. The other three passengers were able to escape any serious injuries, and were taken home by their parents. Responding to the accident scene were the Le Mars Fire and Rescue, Le Mars Police Department, and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident.
Supervisors To Hear From Rural Water Official
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning at the County Courthouse Boardroom for their weekly meeting. The county governing board will hear a report from Rob Bixenman, as he discusses the county’s insurance plans, and the renewal of those plans. Surveyor, Dave Wilberding, will discuss with the county supervisors two separate sub-divisions. The first is Rolling Addition located at Elkhorn township, and the second proposed subdivision is the G and A second addition located at Stanton township. The county supervisors will hear from Russell Coons from the Southern Sioux Rural Water and Cherokee Water Associations. Coons is opposed to the underground carbon pipeline that is is being proposed to take carbon monoxide from the area ethanol plants to a storage area in North Dakota. The supervisors will also hear from County Engineer Tom Rohe, as he will submit a construction permit for the construction by Premier Communications within Elgin township.
City Council To Hold Public Hearing On Speed Limits For 7th Avenue Southeast/K-49
(Le Mars)– Le Mars city council will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed speed limit for County Road K-49 and 7th Avenue southeast as it relates to the expansion of the city limits that have included housing additions located on the southeast side of town. The proposed ordinance would have the speed limit lowered to 35 and 25 mph as motorists enter the city limits from the south and heading north. Outgoing traffic will see the speed limit from 35 mph to 45 mph. That public hearing will be held at 12:00 noon at the Le Mars city council chambers. The city council will also hold a public hearing regarding all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles on city streets. As for action items, the city council will hear an audit report concerning Floyd Valley Healthcare. The city council will consider approving Phase 2 construction project for the Le Mars Police Department. Phase 2 has an estimate of $1.2 million dollars. It is also expected the city council will appoint a new city clerk. Financial Director Jacob Widman had assumed those duties since Beverly Langel had retired as the city clerk earlier this spring. The city administration committee is recommending the city council formally hires Jan Feller for the city clerk position.
Floyd Valley Board Of Trustees To Meet This Morning
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare’s Board of Trustees are meeting this morning at this hour to review the hospital’s financial audit as prepared by Denman and Associates from Des Moines. The hospital trustees can either support and approve the auditor’s findings, or they can reject the audit report. The board of trustees will also be voting on a resolution to call for a public hearing regarding the proposed plans, specifications, contract, and estimate of costs for the new Specialty Clinic and Therapy Expansion Project.
North West REC and NIPCO Assist With Financing Allowing City Of Le Mars To Acquire Land To Expand Industrial Park
(Le Mars, Iowa) — One of the Touchstone Energy® core values is “Commitment to Community” and as Touchstone Energy electric cooperatives, North West Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) and its wholesale power provider, Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO), is proud to partner with the communities they serve to spark economic and community development projects and progress in northwest Iowa. In October, North West REC and NIPCO provided lending assistance to the City of Le Mars to support its acquisition of almost 237 acres of land located in Plymouth County. The parcel will expand the existing Le Mars Industrial Park to the south which will allow for additional commercial growth in that area. NIPCO, an electric generation and transmission cooperative that serves western Iowa, along with its member, North West REC, an electric distribution cooperative that serves rural electric consumers in the Iowa counties of Ida, O’Brien, Plymouth, and Sioux, each tapped their economic development loan programs to contribute a total of $800,000 in low interest loans to assist with the total purchase and development of the sites for future sale. This most recent acquisition of land, the fourth time the Le Mars Industrial Park has expanded its footprint, demonstrates the role Le Mars plays in promoting a viable and robust commercial economy in western Iowa.
Pictured from left to right: City Councilman Rex Knapp, Lyle Korver, Executive Director with North West REC; Angela Catton, Marketing and Development Director with NIPCO; Jason Vacura, Le Mars City Administrator; and Jacob Widman, Le Mars Financial Director.
Farmers Are Progressing With This Year’s Harvest
(Des Moines) — Iowa farmers are well on their way to completing this year’s harvest. According to the latest weekly crop harvest report as issued by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, farmers are more than 70 percent complete with the soybean harvest, and 43 percent done with this year’s corn harvest. The soybean harvest pace is one week ahead of the five-year average. Corn harvest is also running a week ahead of the five-year harvest average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was at 18 percent. Iowa’s corn condition is rated as 63 percent good to excellent. In terms of soil moisture levels, topsoil is rated as eight percent very short, 34 percent short, 57 percent adequate, and only one percent of the state’s soil has surplus moisture amounts. Subsoil moisture is listed as 16 percent very short, 38 percent as being short on moisture, 46 percent as having adequate moisture, and zero percent with any surplus of moisture levels.
Wichers Seeking School Board Position For District 4
(Le Mars) — We continue our profiles of candidates seeking positions with the Le Mars Community Board of Education. Wanda Wichers is a candidate seeking the director representing District 4 of the school district. Wichers is an employee at Bellisimo’s Coffee Shop, and she and her husband have resided in Le Mars for the past 27 years. Wichers says an issue she wants to address while serving on the local school board is improving the infrastructure of the school, mainly to look at the elementary building.
Wichers says she wants to help out our community and actually thought about running for the school board in the past. She says she is running this time around since she has more time to commit to school-related concerns.
Wichers says as a director on the Board of Education, she wants voters to know she will always listen to the concerns of parents, and other people with an interest in the local school.
The school board candidate says she is proud of the Le Mars Community School District for all of its accomplishments, and strong dedication to education, and she would like to see the track record continue.
Wichers expanded on her interest of improving the elementary schools. She says she would favor the construction of one large elementary school building and would like to see Clark, Franklin, and Kluckholn all join together. Wichers says the new combined elementary school building could be located on ground across the street to the west from the present high school and middle school and ball park facilities. She says the ground is already owned by the school district. Wichers shares her goal in terms of a timetable to have a new elementary school building.
Wichers offers voters some final thoughts as they ponder their decision for elected school board directors.
Senate Republican Leader Says State Income Tax Should Be Eliminated
(Des Moines, IA) — The Republican leader of the Iowa Senate says every taxpayer should get an income tax cut this year, but the ultimate goal should be eliminating that tax altogether. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says eight states don’t have an income tax right now. Republicans passed a tax reduction package three years ago that Democrats warned was fiscally irresponsible. They said it would lead to underfunded schools and reduced state services. When the last fiscal year ended June 30th Iowa had a billion-dollar surplus. Whitver and other Republicans say that money should be returned to taxpayers. His comments were made during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on P-B-S.
Newton Company Plans To Layoff Off 710 Employees
(Newton, IA) — Newton-based T-P-I Composites has announced plans to lay off 710 of its employees. The information has been posted on the Iowa Workforce Development’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act website. State law requires companies to disclose mass layoffs or plant closures within 60 days. Officials with the city of Newton announced last month the facility would be suspending production later this year. About 800 people work at the plant. T-C-I Composites was founded 58 years ago and has been producing wind turbine blades since 2001.
Des Moines Man Accused Of Taking Neighbor’s Child Without Permission
(Des Moines, IA) — A 21-year-old Des Moines man may have been drunk when he took a neighbor’s child without permission last weekend. Deng Kodok is charged with child stealing, intoxication and interference with official acts. Investigators say Kodok took the six-year-old child from his neighbor’s house just before 9:00 p-m Saturday and brought him to the Jordan Creek Mall. While they were at the mall, he refused to cooperate with mall staff members. They say he smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.
Report Says Union Reopened Negotiations With John Deere
(Rock Island, IL) — A spokesman for the U-A-W confirms contract negotiations have resumed with John Deere. Unionized John Deere workers went on strike last Thursday after rejecting the company’s contract offer. There are more than 10-thousand workers at 14 Deere factories, including those in Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Ottumwa, and Waterloo.
Carbon Sequestration Task Force To Meet Tuesday
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig (NEGG) says farmers are part of the conversation about capturing and storing carbon because common soil conservation practices can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with things like cover crops and no-till. Two proposed pipeline projects are seeking regulatory approval to liquefy carbon produced by ethanol plants. Naig says that’s an effort to lower the carbon intensity score of ethanol. Naig is vice chair of the carbon sequestration task force Governor Kim Reynolds appointed in late June. The group is scheduled to meet today(Tuesday) and discuss policy recommendations for lawmakers.
