Plymouth County Emergency Management Director Says Plymouth County Did Not Reach The State’s Threshold To Be Proclaimed 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 Wasmer Post #241 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.
Ordination For 1st Female Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Iowa This Weekend
(West Des Moines, IA) — The first female bishop of the 168-year history of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa will be ordained this weekend. Reverend Betsey Monnot will be the 10th bishop of the diocese. Monnot said, “that stained glass ceiling is breaking. It is shattering and I want to say that in Iowa, more than half of our congregations are currently led by female clergy, so there’s been a lot of cracks in that stained glass ceiling. and on Saturday it will shatter.” Monnot was among four female candidates for the post. She was serving a congregation in California when elected Iowa bishop this summer. Reverend Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in America, says her election is part of the church showing society there is room for all. More than 400 people are expected to attend the ordination and consecration ceremony for the new Iowa bishop of the Episcopal Church today (Saturday) in the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.
Iowa Dentists Seek Increase in Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
(Des Moines, IA) — Dentists are urging Iowa lawmakers to plug an extra 31-and-a-half million dollars in Iowa’s Medicaid budget to cover dental care. Laurie Traetow of the Iowa Dental Association says for the past 20 years, there’s been no change in what the state pays dentists who provide care to Iowans covered by Medicaid. Traetow says dental Medicaid rates in Iowa now only reimburse between 30 cents to 40 cents for each dollar of care provided. She said, “due to the ongoing underfunding of the program, Iowa has seen a decrease in dentists taking on new Medicaid patients, which creates access for the children and adults receiving Medicaid dental benefits.” Traetow says this increase in rates is long overdue and is critical to the overall health of Iowans.
Big 1st Quarter For Winnebago Industries
(Forest City, IA) — Winnebago Industries is reporting a record one-point-two-billion dollars in revenue for the first quarter that ended in late November. That’s a 46-percent increase compared to the same period one year ago. The Forest City-based company is coming off a record-setting fiscal year. President and C-E-O Michael Happe credits acquisitions of other companies in recent years to Winnebago’s continued success. Happe says the company is now fully reaping the benefits of its 2018 purchase of Chris-Craft boats and this year’s acquisition of the Barletta pontoon boats company. This quarter marks the first time the company is reporting separate figures for the marine segment, with revenues being 79-point-three-million dollars in the first quarter. He says Winnebago has and will continue to be challenged by supply chain issues.
Three Students Charged For Alleged Threats at West Des Moines School
(West Des Moines, IA) — West Des Moines police say five students were taken into custody today (Friday) over threats made on social media against Stillwell Junior High School. Officers say three students are being charged with terrorism, two with harassment. Police say the threats led to an overwhelming number of parents removing their children. Their cases are going to the Polk County Attorney’s Office for prosecution in juvenile court.
