Home News KLEM News for Friday, December 2

KLEM News for Friday, December 2


LE MARS ARRESTS

Two people were arrested Thursday as the result of a search warrant and several traffic stops.
Le Mars police served a search warrant at 327 6th St SW. The Combined Emergency Response Team, or CERT, was activated for the search.
Meanwhile, several traffic stops were made by police, and Plymouth County Sheriffs Deputies. A stolen war was recovered in this investigation.
34 year old Kelly Thomas Monell of Le Mars, and 27 year old Sydney Lynn Wozny of Sioux City face a variety of charges. Monell was charged with possessing to distribute fentanyl; no drug stamp; OWI drugged; possession of drug paraphernalia, and second degree theft;
Wozny is charged with interference with law officers, OWI drugged, and driving while suspended. Both are also held on outstanding warrants – Monell from Woodbury County, and Wozny from Union County, South Dakota.
Both are held at the Plymouth County Jail.
Le Mars Police was assisted by the Plymouth County Sheriffs Department, Le Mars Fire Rescue, and the area CERT Team. This is made up of officers from Le Mars and Cherokee Police, and the Plymouth, Cherokee and Sioux County Sheriffs Departments.
The investigation continues.

 

CHRISTMAS PARADE

The annual lighted Christmas parade in Le Mars is Saturday night.
Joel Johnson organizes the event.

The rules for parade entries are simple.

Johnson describes the official – and unofficial parade route.

Johnson they’ve had some creative entries of late.

The parade usually consists of 50-60 entries. The entries are mixed at the parades starting point.

Johnson says people arrive early to get a good spot.

The Le Mars lighted Christmas Parade begins at 6 pm Saturday in downtown Le Mars.

 

CAUCUS FIGHT

The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says he’ll back Iowa Democratic Party leaders if they decide to resist a proposal that would kick the Democratic Party’s Caucuses out of the lead spot in the 2024 presidential campaign.
President Joe Biden has proposed South Carolina’s Presidential Primary go first, followed by primaries in New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan. The Republican National Committee has voted to keep the Iowa G-O-P’s Caucuses first. Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says if Democrats in Iowa decide to follow state law and hold their Caucuses on the same night as Republicans do, he’ll back them up. A panel of national Democrats met in Washington, D.C. Friday to consider Biden’s list of five state primaries he’s proposing lead the party’s presidential nomination process in 2024. Iowa Democratic Party chair Ross Wilburn says Iowa does not have the luxury of conducting a state-run primary and Republicans who control state government are not likely to support legislation to switch from Caucuses to a Primary.

 

NOVEMBER PRECIPITATION

State climatologist Justin Glisan says November precipitation was almost three-tenths of an inch above average. That makes it the first month of the fall season in which we had above average precipitation. He says the statewide November temperature was right in line with the average at 37 degrees. Glisan says the short-term forecast for December is mixed — with an elevated signal for colder temperatures and then near normal precipitation in the first half of the month.

 

COURTROOM HEAT

There’s a problem in the newly-renovated Plymouth County Courtroom. Supervisor Mike Van Otterloo says they discovered they can’t properly heat the courtroom. Up to now, there have been no problems with the courtroom renovation.  Van Otterloo says so far, the cause of the problem has not been identified.

Van Otterloo says they must find a solution soon, before outside temperatures get any colder. The matter was brought before the Board of Supervisors meeting this week.

 

BUILDING UPGRADES

The Board also authorized improvements be made to the 2nd Ave County Human Services Building.  Sioux Rivers Mental Health operates out of that building, and it is need of an upgraded telephone system, and Internet service.  It also requires new security measures to be installed, including security doors and cameras.  A proposal for those improvements are anticipated to be presented to the Supervisors soon.  Later improvements to the building, such as renovated office space, will be considered after this initial phase.

 

FESTIVAL OF TREES

The annual Le Mars Festival of Trees and Winter Wonderland will open this weekend.  Bonita Davidson has organized the event since 2006.  This year there are 65 trees that are decorated and ready for display.  There’s also live entertainment during the Festival of Trees

There’s plenty to do and see outside, too.  There will be horse drawn wagon rides, and the Pioneer Village is decorated for the event.  The Festival of Trees and Winter Wonderland are open December 3 and 4, and December 10 and 11, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds.

 

MIDWEST ECONOMY

The author of the monthly midwest economic survey says the region is headed for recession next year.  Dr Ernie Goss says inflation continues to be a concern.

Economic signs point to a recession in 2023.

The overall economic performance over the past month indicated a continued drop, with the index below growth neutral for first time since March, 2020.

Goss says the biggest concerns of supply managers include Higher input prices, recession, and supply chain disruptions.  He says the nation’s economy is now outpacing the Midwest economy.

 

ELECTIONS CERTIFIED

Most of Iowa’s 2022 General Election results have been officially certified. The Secretary of State’s office reports the governor and other elected officials who serve as the Iowa State Board of Canvassers met by phone and signed off on nearly all the results county officials certified in November. There are still recounts happening in Linn and Scott Counties in races for seats in the Iowa House, however. The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors has not yet met to certify their county’s results after a local recount. Results from those counties are expected soon and the State Board of Canvassers will meet again to certified those results. More than one-point-two-MILLION Iowans voted in this year’s General Election.

 

STRIKE AVERTED

The four Iowans serving in the U.S. House have voted for a tentative agreement to prevent a railroad strike next week. Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne was the only Iowan to vote to force the railroads to give workers paid sick days.  Congresswomen Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks along with Congressman Randy Feenstra joined most of their fellow House Republicans in opposing that add-on.  Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have voted to block the rail strike by railroad workers and impose the labor agreement negotiated at the White House in September. But Ernst  a Republican, says President Biden could and should have done more to ensure a fair deal for employees, including her brother, who works for a railroad. Eight unions approved the contract offer, but four unions representing tens of thousands of rail workers rejected it.

 

BIDEN – IOWA CAUCUSES

President Biden is asking national Democratic Party leaders to make changes for the 2024 campaign — bumping Iowa’s Caucuses out of the lead-off spot and putting South Carolina’s Presidential Primary first. Biden finished fourth in the 2020 Iowa Caucuses, but won the South Carolina Primary a few weeks later. Biden’s list for state contests in 2024 starts with South Carolina on February 5th, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada a week later, then Georgia on the 19th and Michigan on the 26th of February. Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn says Democrats cannot forget about entire groups of voters in the heart of the Midwest without doing significant damage to the party for a generation. He also emphasizes that Iowa law requires that both major political parties hold Caucuses before any other state votes.  The Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee is meeting in Washington, D.C. to recommend which states will hold the early voting contests in 2024.