BIGLER ARREST
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Sioux City man on an active warrant. Ian Jake Bigler, age 32, failed to appear in court on original charges of eluding, resulting in injury, and two drug counts. Bigler also was charged with four counts involving drugs and weapons.
Two of the charges are felonies. Bigler was booked into the Plymouth County Jail. He is held on 10-thousand dollars bond.
SIBLEY FATAL
The body of a Sibley man was found in burning home Sunday night. Sibley Fire Department responded to a fire call at a residence around 11pm. After the flames were stopped, firemen found the body of 73 year old Daryl Janssen. Fire Chief Ken Huls said that the home, a detached garage, and part of a neighboring house was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived. A family dog was also killed. Huls says the structure was gutted and the house is considered a total loss.
ORANGE CITY ACCIDENT
There was an injury accident Monday night north of Orange City. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office investigated a motor vehicle accident that occurred on Ironwood Avenue, one mile North of Orange City. The driver, 18-year-old Devin Heronemus of Orange City, lost control of his vehicle and ran into a ditch. Heronomus was taken to Orange City Area Health for treatment of his injuries. He was cited for failure to maintain control.
PARADE RULES
The Le Mars City Council Tuesday approved an application process by which parades will be permitted in the city.
Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte says the permits and regulations are designed to better organize and carry on parades in the city.
The rules will help parade officials and their volunteers know what to expect once the parade takes place.
This process will help organizers solidify their parade plans with the city.
-Vande Vegte says the new parade rules address the length of a parade.
The rules will also change behavior on the parade route.
There will be two permits required under this process: one for the parade itself, another for the individual entries in the parade.
The council approved the parade rules on recommendation of the city’s public safety committee.
TABLED PROJECT
The city council Tuesday also approved a motion which tabled a decision on bridge repairs on 24th Street SW. The bridge was damaged by a fire in February. The council considered an agreement with engineering firm Schemmer Associates for design of the repairs. The estimated cost of the repairs is 114-thousand dollars. Councilman Clark Goodchild was hesitant to grant a contract to the firm without a second opinion. He made a motion to table a decision until the next council session in two weeks. This will allow for more information to be gathered about the repairs to be made to the bridge. The motion was carried on a voice vote.
ARPA PROJECTS
The Plymouth Board of Supervisors discussed how best to use the county’s allocation of federal Covid-19 funds. The County is eligible for 4.88 million dollars under the American Rescue Plan Act. One ARPA project was approved last fall, a 2.4 million dollar plan to extend fiber optic cable in southwest Plymouth County, between Akron and Brunsville. Premier Communications will carry out the project. Tuesday, the Board discussed several other potential projects, including a flood mitigation pond to be built at the county park, and a mobile command center for county law enforcement. No action was taken on the potential projects.
ROAD RELIEF
Plymouth County’s Board of Supervisors discussed road repairs with a resident of South Ridge Road. Ed Keane presented a petition from residents along the gravel road, asking for repairs. Keane said he and his neighbors are concerned about the wear and tear on the busy gravel road, where a number of families live in a rural residential development. Acting Board Chair Craig Anderson says the typical procedure is that rural subdivisions can be paved, so long as they are adjacent to a paved road, which is not the case here. County Engineer Thomas Rohe says paving that stretch of South Ridge Road would cost some 2.5 million dollars, with 2/3 of the cost assessed to the homeowners. Supervisor John Meis asked Keane if he or his neighbors would be willing to take on that cost. Keane said no.
USS SIOUX CITY
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s concerned that the military would consider decommissioning the U-S-S Sioux City, which joined the Navy fleet just three years ago.
The Navy is asking congress to approve decommissioning 24 ships over the next five years, to save three-point-six BILLION dollars. The list includes the U-S-S Sioux City and seven other combat ships in the Navy’s Freedom Class.
Pentagon officials say the U-S-S Sioux City is among ships that need a costly repair to its propulsion system and six new ships will be delivered with a revamped design to address the flaw. Grassley, a Republican, says this case makes him question the Navy’s budget decisions.
Grassley says. Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Joni Ernst, spoke at the christening ceremony for the U-S-S Sioux City in 2018. Ernst says now is not the time to flatten the size of the defense budget, as America’s enemies are on the march and the world has become a much more dangerous place. Ernst says the Biden Administration’s budget puts the sizes of our Navy and Air Force far short of where they need to be and reflects what Ernst calls “appeasement” to an emboldened Putin in Russia.
