SAFE DRIVING
Law Enforcement will be very visible this weekend, in an effort to encourage safe driving.
Genie Sterbenz, Program Administrator, Iowa Governors Traffic Safety Bureau.
Sterbenz says wearing seat belts is a proven safety factor, reducing fatal injury to front seat occupants by 45%.
The Iowa State Patrol says the number of Reckless, impatient and aggressive drivers has been rising since Covid. Sterbenz says cel phones are also a contributor to unsafe driving.
Drivers must also eliminate distractions in order to stay safe on the road.
The Governors Traffic Safety Bureau is helping local and state law enforcement put extra officers on duty this weekend to enforce safety.
Plymouth law enforcement, including Le Mars Police and the Plymouth County Sheriffs Department, willl be out in force during this holiday weekend. Their aim is to remind drivers to be safe behind the wheel.
THANKSGIVING DINNER
Margaret Catton – Rejoice Community Church in Le Mars
As heard on the What Now program
This is the 18th year of the Thanksgiving meal.
The meal is free, and offered to the public.
People from the Le Mars community come together to help prepare and serve the Thanksgiving meal
A traditional Thanksgiving mealt will be served.
The Rejoice Community Church is located at 1320 3rd St SE, near the Le Mars swiming pool. You can dine in or carry out your Thanksgiving meal. They will even deliver meals.
WELLFIELD PROJECT
A project to place an electric generator at a wellfield serving the city of Orange City has been approved. A public hearing was held on the project, and three bids were received for construction. One bid failed due to a lack of project security funds. Of the other two, the low bid of West Branch Construction of Boyden was approved. Their bid of 253-thousand dollars was over the project estimate of 235 thousand dollars. The company was a awarded to the company, but it won’t take place until the next fiscal year. This is because it will take that long for the generator to be delivered. The project will take place in the city’s current wellfield.
The city council also approved a grant of 75-thousand dollars toward the construction of Dutch fronts in a new residential development. The Kanal Huis development is planned by the Orange City Health Foundation. It is a residential development featuring multiple housing types, geared to the needs of residents nearing retirement. It includes a commercial zone, and these shops will be built with Dutch Fronts.
NUNN AG COMMITTEE
A recently elected US Representative from Iowa wants to sit on the House Agriculture Committee – when the 2023 Farm Bill is shaped. Congressman-elect Zach Nunn is also aiming for a seat on the House Committee on Financial Services. The panel oversees the nation’s housing, banking, real estate and insurance sectors. Nunn says this year, more than ever, congress needs to tame the economy. Nunn expects the Republican-led House to seek spending concessions from Democrats before agreeing to increase the federal government’s borrowing limit. Nunn finished about 21-hundred votes ahead of Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne in Iowa’s third district race.
GRASSLEY TWITTER
As hundreds of employees left or were fired from Twitter after billionaire Elon Musk became C-E-O, the social media platform is also seeing a flurry of users quitting, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll be staying put.
Grassley, a Republican, says he sees many of those who are leaving Twitter as being from one ideology.
Grassley is a frequent tweeter and he has more than 788-thousand Twitter followers.
MS WHEELCHAIR IOWA
A central Iowa woman is the new Ms. Wheelchair Iowa. Kelly Richmond of Altoona was crowned at the competition last weekend. The 42-year-old mother of four was born with spina bifida, a condition which impacts the spine, and she’s been using the wheelchair for mobility for about five years. Richmond says she likes to be approached and have people ask about the wheelchair and why she’s in it, and she’s hoping to lead by example with her new role. As Iowa’s new titleholder, Richmond will be traversing the state, speaking to civic groups, schools and government leaders about the abilities of people who have disabilities. Richmond works fulltime as a maintenance coordinator in the corporate offices of Casey’s General Stores in Ankeny. She’ll represent Iowa at the Ms. Wheelchair America event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which begins in late August of 2023.
RETURN POLICIES
Retailers are facing increasing costs for handling return items and face some decisions on how to best craft their policies. I-S-U assistant professor of supply chain management, Robert Overstreet, says return policies that are too restrictive can turn off customers. And policies that are too lenient can backfire when customers take advantage of them. Overstreet says some companies figure in the cost of returns into their sales — but many can’t. He says some retailers have decided to deal with it by not even taking the material back, just giving the person a refund.
