FIRE EQUIPMENT DONATION
A Le Mars firm has donated funds for a fire vehicle that’s essential to fighting field fires.
Total Motors presented a check for 20-thousand dollars to Le Mars Fire/Rescue.for a brush/grass fire pickup. Mitch Christoffel is the General Manager of the vehicle dealership.
Total Motors also sourced a late model, one-ton pickup that will be outfitted to fight fires.
Christoffel says they know the fire department at its personnel, and want to help.
Le Mars Fire/Rescue Chief Dave Schipper says a brush truck is an essential piece of firefighting equipment.
Le Mars Fire/Rescue decided a second brush truck was needed.
Schipper says they need to equip the vehicle for firefighting duty.
Department members talked last month about obtaining a second brush truck.
The need became more urgent when a field fire on Saturday, April 23, destroyed Merrill’s brush truck. It’s two occupants were able to escape the flames without injury.
Le Mars Fire/Rescue started a fund-raising campaign on April 26, with a goal of 50-thousand dollars.
GEHLEN CATHOLIC MISSION HONDURAS
Today and tomorrow, Gehlen and Spalding Catholic Schools are packing meals for Then Feed Just One, a food ministry to the hungry of Honduras.
This is part of a broader effort, Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras, begun by former Gehlen counselor and teacher Richard Seivert. Seivert says Then Feed Just One is in its 17th year, but missions to Honduras had began in 2001. It began with a request of Seivert’s brother, who was involved in medical missions.
Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras has become a diversified effort over the years.
Seivert says it was important to get students involved from the start.
These Honduras mission efforts reflect what Seivert has been teaching for years to his students..
And even if the students can’t afford a visit to Honduras missions, they learn great lessons even when they take part in Then Feed Just One.
Students from Gehlen Catholic, and Spalding Catholic Schools, have together been packing food shipments through Then Feed Just One for 17 years.
Then Feed Just One has four shifts – one this afternoon, and three more on Friday. It takes place at Tim Dreckman Gym, at Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars.
ORANGE CITY PLAN
Orange City has a good problem – the city is growing. Industries are creating new jobs, there’s a new elementary school under construction, and new businesses are moving in. City economic development director Mark Gaul says the city needed to get together and create an orderly growth pattern.
The city’s comprehensive plan covers all aspects of city growth.
It took a year to complete the planning document, and it’s become a blueprint for the city that all economic sectors can follow.
Housing is the priority now, but that stimulates activity in other sectors.
Commercial growth is covered in the plan. Industrial expansion will now be focused on development of the former Orange City Airport property.
Gaul says this plan follows an earlier goal of preparing to meet a specific population target in the future..
The development plan also addresses improvements in quality of life in Orange City. One example is creation of what’s called an inclusive park, which meets the needs of everyone in the community, including persons with disabilities. Another amenity is the future construction of an indoor recreation facility.
IOWA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES
Iowa Democratic Party leaders say they are considering substantial changes to keep the state’s caucuses first in the nation. Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn says there is a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks and he is looking forward to making Iowa’s case before the Rules and Bylaws Committee. The Democratic National Committee has made it clear that this state’s caucuses remaining first in the nation is currently in doubt. A summer meeting will be held to recommend which states get to lead the way in 2024.
N-B-C Universal needs to hire a production crew for a new television series based on the “Field of Dreams” movie. The prequel will be streamed on the Peacock network. Iowa Office of Media Production spokesperson Liz Gilman says the series will be the back story of what happened before Ray Kinsella decided to plow up his cornfield and put a baseball diamond there. A set will be built in central Iowa. Gilman says workers will be needed for construction, transportation, plus makeup artists, and camera operators.
