Plymouth County Emergency Management Director Says County Did Not Reach Threshold To Be Considered As A Disaster Area
(Le Mars) — Governor Kim Reynolds has proclaimed 49 Iowa counties as a disaster area, which allows those counties to be eligible for grants and loans. Although our neighbors to the south, Woodbury County, and to the northeast, O’Brien County, were listed as part of the disaster declaration, Plymouth County was not listed. Many people may wonder why Plymouth County was left off the listing, especially since Kingsley and portions of southeast Plymouth County suffered damage from Wednesday’s storm? In a conversation with Plymouth County Emergency Management Director, Duane Walhoff, the question was asked why Plymouth County was not mentioned as a disaster area? Walhoff says the county did not meet the requirements or threshold in order to be considered as a disaster area. He says part of the criteria is if a public entity had been damaged, and in the case with Plymouth County, there were no reports of damage to any public facility, only private owned structures that Walhoff says will be covered by insurance companies. Walhoff says also the damage that occurred in Plymouth County was confined to a small area, and was not widespread throughout the county.
American Legion To Participate In “Wreaths Across America” Program
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars American Legion Wasmer Post #241 will participate in the national program “Wreaths Across America” Saturday morning. The event will take place at the Veterans Park in Le Mars beginning at 11:00 a.m. Wayne Schipper, a past post commander and local organizer of “Wreaths Across America” says the mission is to honor, to educate, and to remember.
Schipper says veterans and members of the local legion will place wreaths for each branch of the military services, plus an additional wreath honoring the POW’s and MIA’s.
Schipper says the local veterans group has performed the placing of wreaths for the past nine years. He says the national program has expanded this year.
The past post commander says the “Wreaths Across America” originated in Maine, and still today, the wreaths are created in Maine and sent out all across the United States.
As mentioned, the “Wreaths Across America” ceremony will happen at the Veterans Park located at 3rd Avenue and 10th Street southeast.
Informed Choice Iowa Talks About Medical Freedoms
(Le Mars) — Last week a group that refers to themselves as “Informed Choice Iowa” a lobbying organization held a meeting in Le Mars to discuss “medical freedoms” and the proposed mandates by some states and the Biden Administration requiring people to wear a mask, or at the very least be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, or risk having losing your employment. Brei Johnson is a board member with Informed Choice Iowa and says many times people may not know we have options when dealing with medical issues such as vaccinations against COVID.
Governor Reynolds has taken the position to be against mandates requiring either the wearing of masks, or vaccinations. Although the governor does advocate getting the COVID vaccination, and the wearing of a mask should be a personal decision. The Iowa legislature also passed a law saying mandates for masks and vaccinations would not be allowed within the state. Johnson says her organization wants to educate Iowans about the dangers of exemption due to medical concerns.
Johnson says as she travels across the state holding meetings, more people are enthused about the movement to prevent medical mandates.
Johnson says people interested in obtaining additional information can go to the website Informed Choice Iowa.com. She says they are also featured on Facebook. Republican lawmakers State Representative Skylar Wheeler and State Senator Jim Carlin both attended the medical freedom meeting.
National Weather Service Confirms 13 Tornadoes in Wednesday’s Storms
(Des Moines, IA) — The National Weather Service is confirming that 13 tornadoes touched down during Wednesday’s severe storms in Iowa. It was the largest-ever tornado outbreak in the state in December. Survey teams say an EF-1 tornado in the town of Rudd destroyed the public library. Forecasters say at least four of the twisters were rated EF-2, which pack winds from 115 to 120 miles per hour. Those tornadoes hit Atlantic, Bayard, Bagley and Harcourt/Duncombe. A tornado in Lakeview hasn’t been rated yet. Governor Reynolds has declared 49 Iowa counties as disaster areas.
BNSF Will Pay $1.5 Million Settlement For Northwest Iowa Oil Spill
(Doon, IA) — B-N-S-F Railway is agreeing to pay a more than one-point-five-million-dollar settlement for a June 2018 oil spill in northwest Iowa. The E-P-A says around 117-thousand gallons of heavy crude spilled when a B-N-S-F freight train derailed near Doon. The oil discharged into the Rock River, Little Rock River and Burr Oak Creek. The area received five to seven inches of rain prior to the accident which washed out track and flooded a tributary of the Little Rock River and nearby farm fields. Eighteen to 20 people were evacuated due to the spill, but no injuries were reported. E-P-A says B-N-S-F settled to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
Iowa Unemployment Rates Drops to 3.7% in November
(Des Moines, IA) — The unemployment rate in Iowa dropped two-tenths of a point in November to three-point-seven percent. The number of unemployed Iowans fell by 32-hundred last month to 61-thousand-600. The total number of people working rose by 31-hundred to just under one-point-six million. Total nonfarm employment decreased by one-thousand jobs in November due to a temporary labor dispute. Manufacturing shed 55-hundred jobs related to that dispute. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend said companies showed more comfort with increasing their staffing levels, and they found plenty of Iowans ready to launch new careers. The national unemployment rate was four-point-two percent in November.
Cedar Rapids Hospitals Postpone Elective Surgery Due to COVID Patients
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — The two hospitals in Cedar Rapids are postponing all elective surgeries that had scheduled “through Christmas” due to a rising number of Covid-19 patients. St. Luke’s and Mercy Hospitals in Cedar Rapids issued a joint statement, saying throughout the last few weeks there’s been a marked increase in patients with Covid who require inpatient care. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports the Covid patient count in all Iowa hospitals exceeded 800 this week, a record high for the year. The two Cedar Rapids hospitals say their staff are physically and emotionally exhausted as this fourth wave of Covid infections hits. The joint statement urges people to get vaccinated, wear a mask in public and avoid large gatherings.
NAIA Football Champion Will Be From Iowa
(Durham, NC) — This year’s N-A-I-A national football champion is guaranteed to come from the state of Iowa. Morningside University in Sioux City and Grand View University in Des Moines will square off Saturday at 5:00 p-m in the championship game. Dozens of fans gathered for a team sendoff earlier this week in Morningside. This is the third time in the last four years that team has played for the national title. The game will be played in Durham, North Carolina. Morningside quarterback Joe Dolincheck has been named National Player of the Year in N-A-I-A football.
