Le Mars Fire And Rescue Department Respond To A Barn Fire
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department were at the scene of a barn fire Tuesday afternoon located at the junction of 190th Street and Kesterel Avenue, about three miles southwest of Le Mars. Plymouth County Sheriff’s authorities say the barn is a pole shed used to house animals. Firefighters were needing to battle the blaze as well as the frigid cold temperatures. No word as to how the fire may have started, or how much damage has been caused by the fire. The fire was reported at about 2:15 Tuesday afternoon. The Merrill Fire Department was also summoned to the fire.
Grassley Comments On Russian Invasion Of Ukraine
(Le Mars) — U-S Senator Chuck Grassley was in Le Mars on Tuesday visiting with the Le Mars Kiwanis Club. Following his visit with the Kiwanis members, he then spoke with the media. The Republican senator was asked if President Biden is doing enough to stop the Russian invasion into the Ukraine, and whether the United States should get involved with our military?
Grassley Says Inflation Rate Is Running Rampant
(Le Mars) — U-S Republican Senator Chuck Grassley made an appearance in Le Mars on Tuesday morning. Grassley says his visit is part of his 99-county tour that he performs each year. Grassley was the guest speaker of the Le Mars Kiwanis Club held at Floyd Valley Healthcare. Nearly two dozen people attended the early morning meeting and asked questions ranging from the Russian invasion into neighboring Ukraine to policies surrounding the COVID-19 virus. Grassley also addressed questions about the high cost of pharmaceutical medicines, and the shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly with nursing staffs. He was asked about “traveling temporary nurses” that are driving up the cost of salaries that hospitals are needing to pay for their services. Grassley also addressed the problem of the sky-rocketing inflation rates.
Grassley says the Democrats failed to listen to their own economist as to the consequences that were predicted if they continued to spend additional money on COVID virus relief and on other projects.
Grassley says it has been several decades since the nation saw this type of rampant inflation numbers.
Following his visit with the Kiwanis club, the Iowa Senator met privately with Floyd Valley Healthcare’s administration officials to further discuss some of the issues facing rural healthcare.
Floyd Valley Announces New App To Help Families Get Updated Data On Loved Ones Patient Care
Le Mars, IA – Floyd Valley Healthcare announced that it will begin offering the Vocera Ease application to improve patient and family communication on March 1. The cloud-based application enables nurses and other healthcare professionals to send secure texts, photos and video updates to a patient’s designated loved ones during their surgical procedure. Family members and friends can respond to updates with emojis, giving immediate feedback and support to caregivers.
OR clinicians and staff can send secure messages, pictures and videos to patients’ friends and families – whether they are in the waiting room, at work, or across the country. Recipients of Vocera Ease updates are selected by the patient, and the app is free for their loved ones. The secure messages, pictures and videos sent disappear 60 seconds after being viewed, and nothing is saved on their mobile devices. Secure, two-way video conferencing between care teams and families can also be supported by the app, enabling another form of real-time communication to help minimize wondering and worrying by loved ones.
Floyd Valley Healthcare can also use Vocera Ease to track and improve the healthcare experience in real time. A customizable in-app survey offers a quick way for care teams to monitor patient and family satisfaction.
Patients can download the free application from their respective app store and customize it to those they wish to alert. More information, including steps to obtain and use EASE, can be found at https://floydvalley.org/medical-services/surgery/.
New Orthopedic Surgeon Joins Floyd Valley Team
(Le Mars) –– Floyd Valley Healthcare, in partnership with the CNOS, announces that Dr. Kevin Liudahl will begin providing an Orthopedic Surgery Clinic at Floyd Valley Healthcare beginning on February 23rd. His clinic will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday every month. To make an appointment with Dr. Liudahl, please call 605-217-2667. Referrals are not necessary unless required by the individual’s insurance carrier.
Dr. Liudahl graduated from Vanderbilt University Medical School. He then completed both his general surgery internship and orthopaedic residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In addition to his practice with CNOS, Dr. Liudahl has been a professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and a published researcher in the American Journal of Sport Medicine among other publications.
“As a 20 year resident of Plymouth County, I am happy to be bringing my specialty care closer to home alongside Dr. Althaus,” states Dr. Liudahl. “Our goal is to create a quality orthopaedic clinic to serve the patients in this area.”
Dustin Wright, Floyd Valley Healthcare’s CEO states, “We are excited that Dr. Liudahl will be offering clinic and surgical time to compliment the busy practice of Dr. Althaus here at Floyd Valley Healthcare. Dr. Liudahl’s knowledge and experience will definitely be a benefit for our local patients.”
Governor Reynolds To Give Republican Response For “State Of The Union” Address
(Des Moines) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has been selected to offer the Republican response following President Biden’s “State of the Union” address scheduled for March 1st. Republican Governors Association chairman, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts says “Washington has lost its way under the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress. Republican governors have proven there’s a better way to govern, one that gives families more freedom, more safety, and a better economic future.” Ricketts says “Governor Reynolds is a phenomenal choice to tell the story of all that can be accomplished at the state level. She led Iowa’s balanced response to the pandemic and fights every day to lower taxes for hard-working Iowans and provide parents more choice in their children’s education. Governor Reynolds’ impressive leadership is a perfect example of why America needs more Republican governors in 2022.” U-S Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa says, “After more than a year under a Biden presidency, the American people have seen the consequences of failed and weak leadership and a president beholden to his party’s radical policies, leading to record-high inflation, a crisis at our southern border, rising crime, and America’s enemies on the march around the world. In Iowa, we have seen what proven leadership looks like under our governor and my friend, Kim Reynolds, someone who is cutting taxes, expanding opportunity, and standing up for our students and families. I can’t think of a better person to make the case for freedom and liberty and against the radical Biden agenda than Governor Reynolds.”
Supreme Court to Hear Abortion Case
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today (Wednesday) on a case involving abortion. The case involved a law Governor Kim Reynolds signed that requires a 24-hour waiting period for abortions. The law never went into effect due to a legal challenge — citing a 2018 ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court — that the state Constitution gives Iowa women a fundamental right to an abortion. The make-up of the Supreme Court has changed significantly since 2018, and the governor and her attorneys argue the court should overturn its previous ruling.
Senate Bill Deregulates Threading
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Senate has unanimously voted to deregulate businesses that offer what’s called “threading.” A piece of cotton thread is wound through the eyebrow and then pulled to remove individual hairs. Senator Chris Cournoyer (kuh-NOY-yer) of LeClaire says in Iowa, a person now has to get a state license to do that. This bill allows the free market to regulate the performance of this service. A West Des Moines business called the Perfect Brow Bar sued the state of Iowa in January over the licensing requirements.
Cardinal Community Schools Going to Four Day Week
(Eldon, IA) — A southeast Iowa school board has approved a shift to a four-day school week, starting in August. The superintendent of the Cardinal Community School District in Eldon, Joel Pedersen (PED-er-suhn) says he understands some families are apprehensive about the adjusted schedule, but school staff were surveyed, and 95 percent support the move to four-day weeks. Cardinal will be the fourth school district in Iowa to have a four-day school week when the 2022-23 school year begins. WACO, Mormon Trail, and Moulten-Udell are the other three.
House File 2222 Passes Unanimously on 2-22-22
(Des Moines, IA) — There was a two-fer at the Iowa Capitol to celebrate Tuesday’s palindrome date. Representative Dustin Hite of New Sharon urged lawmakers to pass House File 2222 because, “it’s a TWOs day.” The measure is a non-controversial proposal about procedures in criminal courts. Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake also put in his “two cents worth” supporting the bill, while Representative Rick Olson of Des Moines had “two things to say” about it, both positive. Yesterday’s date was a palindrome worldwide for countries that list the date first in the numeric sequence. The last universal palindrome date was more than a decade ago, on the 11th of November — or 11-11-11.
Company That Owns Churchill Downs Agrees To Buy Hard Rock Casino Owner
(Des Moines, IA) — The company that owns Churchill Downs has announced a deal to buy the assets of the company that owns the Hard Rock Casino in Sioux City. Peninsula Pacific Entertainment will be purchased for almost two-and-a-half-billion dollars. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator Brian Ohorilko says his office was notified this (Tuesday) morning. Ohorilko says the transaction could be completed by this summer or fall. Peninsula is currently putting together a plan for a potential casino in Linn County. A company news release says the sale to Churchill Downs Incorporated won’t impact those plans.
Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Charges She Stole $18K In Unemployment Benefits
(Epworth, IA) — Prosecutors in Dubuque County accuse an Epworth woman of stealing almost 18-thousand dollars in unemployment benefits. K-C-R-G Television reports Holly Jacobi is charged with filing a fraudulent application for the benefits from the State of Iowa in April 2020. Investigators say she received at least 17-thousand-888 dollars in insurance benefits due to the pandemic. They say she falsely claimed to be unemployed even though she was working as a company’s human resources manager. The company isn’t named in the court documents. Jacobi has entered a not-guilty plea.
Steady Home Sales Report Across Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Association of Realtors reports home sales are holding steady across the state. Sales of homes in January were almost the same as the same month last year – up by less than one-percent. Realtors say houses sold last month went for about six-thousand dollars more than they did last year. Homes also sold an average of 20-percent faster than in the same month in 2021. Sales were aided by mortgage rates remaining well below historical averages.
