LE MARS SCHOOL BOARD
The Le Mars Community School District Board approved a project to replace lighting at the school district ball fields. Last night, the board approved plans and specifications for the project, and that information will be released to potential bidders tomorrow. The project has been in the works for several years now, but funding through the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy were not available until now. The project will replace substandard lighting with new metal poles and LED lights. Bids for construction will be reviewed at the board’s December 12 meeting
The certified enrollment in the Le Mars Community School District is nearly unchanged from a year ago. In a report to the board last night, enrollment was 2,235.31, one-half student less than the 2,235.81 certified last year. That figure represents students attending classes each day, those open enrolling out of the district, those non-open enrolling out of the district, students holding dual enrollment, and non-public students sharing time in the school district. Since 2012, enrollment has been steadily increasing. Over the past three years, the Le Mars Community School District has seen certified enrollment increase by three students.
During their annual meeting last night, the Le Mars Community School Board elected officers for the next year. Angela Catton was re-elected Board President, and Jane Arnold was re-elected Vice-President. Lisa Boehm and Pat Rosacker were re-appointed Board Secretary and Board Treasurer, respectively. The Board also approved Ahlers and Cooney PC as legal council to the board, and they approved Bank Depositories for the next year.
SUPERVISORS
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a canvass of election returns today. County Auditor Stacey Feldman said voter turnout in the county last Tuesday was 54.1%. By precinct, turnout ranged from 37.5% at LeMars Convention Center 3, and as high as 64.3% at Perry Township Hall. 26.2% of the ballots cast were absentee, with the rest cast at the precincts in Plymouth County. Local results for county offices had incumbant Republicans re-elected, running unopposed for those offices. They included 3 county supervisors, and the county attorney, recorder and treasurer.
LE MARS COUNCIL
The Le Mars city council today took action on several items:
They passed a motion to accept improvements in the Dogwood Third Addition. Earlier this year, the council accepted some of the improvements made, and completed that process today.
The council also approved renewal of property and casualty insurance coverage for the next year. The total cost of coverage is 310-thousand dollars, 60-thousand more than last year, a 24% increase. The casualty premium is up nearly 14%, and the property premium is up nearly 31%.
The Le Mars council also passed a resolution which places engine braking signs on US Highway 75 north and south of exit 116, at the city limits. There is more truck traffic at that location, and the use of engine brakes has become more common.
The city council also received a space needs assessment for the public library. Brittney Ruba of FEH Design presented the report to the city council..
GOOGLE SETTLEMENT
Iowa is part of a multimillion-dollar settlement with Google on the way it tracks your personal information. Attorney General spokesperson, Ashlee Kieler says Iowa and 39 other states brought the claims.
Kieler says the goal is to make it easier for users to understand what’s happening.
Kieler says the company has agreed to make changes.
She says they’ll also give more information on the type of tracking data they’re collecting and what they’re doing with that information. The states involved will receive nearly 392 million dollars from Google as part of the settlement. Iowa’s portion is nearly six-point-two million dollars, but Google users won’t see any of that money directly.
Kieler says this settlement makes a key statement about the public’s privacy.
Iowa is joined in the final settlement by 39 other states, including all of Iowa’s neighboring states: Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
STREET CLOSING
The Le Mars Street Dept. closed the 12th St. S.W. railroad crossing last night, around 8:30 p.m. Street Department head Scott Kneip says a semi struck some of the railroad crossing arms, making them inoperable, and the crossing unsafe.
DEADLY CRIME
A Galva, Iowa man is in custody charged with first degree murder in the death of his brother Sunday evening.
Authorities in Ida County say Jesus Diaz became involved in a physical altercation with his brother Eduardo Diaz outside of Jesus’s residence in Galva.
Court documents state that Jesus Diaz allegedly stabbed Eduardo multiple times in his chest and abdomen.
Eduardo Diaz died on the sidewalk outside of 203 South Main Street and witnesses observed Jesus punching and kicking the unresponsive body of Eduardo.
Jesus allegedly then assaulted a witness and assaulted E-M-S personnel who responded to 9-1-1 calls.
Jesus Diaz is being held on $50,000 bond with a court date set for Thursday.
BANK ROBBERY
A suspect is in custody facing charges following a bank robbery in Salix, Iowa around noon Monday.
The male suspect entered the Pioneer Bank in Salix and demanded cash, and then fled in a vehicle that was soon spotted northbound on Interstate 29.
Pursuing officers stopped the vehicle near the Highway 20 exit and took the male suspect into custody.
As of 2 p.m. that suspect was still being questioned by authorities and search warrants were being written.
His identity has not yet been released.
CORN HARVEST
The U-S-D-A report finds 95 percent of the corn had been combined by Sunday. That is eight days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the average. Farmers in northeast and south-central Iowa have the most work left — with more than 10 percent of their corn still in the fields. The report found the soybean harvest was virtually complete at 97 percent two weeks ago.
GOOGLE SETTLEMENT
Iowa is part of a multimillion dollar settlement with Google over the way it tracks your personal information. Attorney General spokesperson, Ashlee Kieler (Key-ler) says Iowa and 39 other states claimed that Google violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about its tracking practices. Kieler says it was a little confusing to consumers, because location history is something that you turn off, it’s off automatically, but then the web and app activity — you have to go in and manually take that off. Kieler says the company has agreed to make changes to show consumers additional information when they sign in and how to manage the settings. Iowa’s nearly six-point-two million dollar portion of the settlement will go to the A-G’s consumer education and litigation fund.
