Home News KLEM News for Saturday, March 11

KLEM News for Saturday, March 11

JENEARY – SCHOOL CURRICULUM

The Iowa House passed a bill this week that prohibits any classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in grades K through 6.  State Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says a majority of lawmakers think these things are best left out of those grade levels.

Rep Jeneary says there is a time and a place for such instruction, but it doesn’t belong in the elementary level curriculum.

The bill is on its way to the governor for her signature.

 

VANDALISM

The Plymouth County Sheriffs Office is investigating an incident of vandalism that occurred in a rural are Wednesday.  The Sheriffs Office received a report of multiple county road signs damaged along K18 North, and near the intersection of C16 and Evergreen Ave.  The signs need to be replaced.  Parts of the highway were painted with offensive language and images which had to be cleaned up.  Anyone with information about these incidents are urged to call the Plymouth County Sheriffs Office.

 

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

Daylight Savings time begins Sunday.  Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed tonight.  (Home safety expert Andrew Beckett) This is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.  Check your fire extinguishers to make sure they are fully charged, and have your flashlights, batteries and first aid kits in an accessible place in your home.

 

TRACTORS AND MORE

The Plymouth County Historical Museum will celebrate Ag Month Sunday with a program called Tractors and More.  One of the features will be a toy tractor display given to the museum by the Dennis Lundgren estate two years ago.  A presentation about this collection will be given by Albert Schultz of the Le Mars Toy Store.   The Loutsch family of Oyens will describe their parade of tractors held on the Fourth of July.  It is an opportunity for the family to display their collection of working farm tractors.  The event is at 2 pm Sunday at the Historical Museum.  Also this spring, the Le Mars Area Chamber Ag Committee will display the “Women in Agriculture” exhibit at last year’s Plymouth County Fair in the Museum’s Study Hall.

 

STOVER PLANKS

An Iowa company that plans to make boards out of the leftover stalks and leaves from corn known as stover, finally plans to start construction. Cornboard founder and C-E-O Lane Segestrom, says the original start up was delayed by the supply chain and other issues.

Segestrom says they will make pallets out of the corn-based boards.

Segestrom says it is great to finally see things move forward.

Segestrom talked about the plant’s start up Wednesday at a U-S-D-A forum on bio-based products.

 

DRUNK DRIVER CRACKDOWN

Saint Patrick’s Day is next Friday and next week is traditionally one of the deadliest weeks of the year for motorists and pedestrians in Iowa and nationwide. Sheri Krohn (CRONE), program administrator of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says they’re partnering with local law enforcement to launch a nine-day effort this weekend, spreading the message about the dangers of drinking and driving — and to take impaired drivers off the road. The program starts this Saturday and runs through next Sunday, March 19th. Krohn says if you’re at a St. Pat’s party on foot, you’ll need to be especially cautious by limiting your drinking, staying alert while walking, using crosswalks and staying off the phone. Drivers, too, should stay alert, slow down and stay off their electronics. During the week of St. Patrick’s Day last year, 48 people were either seriously injured or killed in car crashes on Iowa’s roads.