PLYMOUTH COUNTY SUPERVISORS
The Plymouth County Supervisors recognized county employees who reached landmark years of service. County Engineer Tom Rohe was recognized for forty years of service to the county. County Recorder Jolynn Goodchild and Secondary Road Foreman Kurt Haage received 25 year awards; County Auditor Stacey Feldman, Correctional Officer Jill Holzman, and Conservation Resource Manager Nick McKee received 20 year awards; and Deputy Assessor Erica Pepper, Comm Center Operator Brenda Arens, Roads Maintainer Operator Mark Oltmans, Correctional Officer Dawn Fifita and Roads Foreman Kevin Ernst were honored for 15 years of service to Plymouth County.
SEATBELT ENFORCEMENT
A special traffic enforcement effort target at seat belt usage got underway today Monday in the state. Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau spokesman, Brett Tjepkes says Iowa continually shows a more than 90 percent seat belt usage rate for front seat drivers and passengers. But he says more than half of people killed in crashes in Iowa, we’re not wearing their seat belts. Tjepkes thinks seat belt usage is perceived to not be a problem anymore. State law requires anyone under the age of 18 to wear a seat belt in the backseat. Tjepkes says it’s important for anyone regardless of age to wear one in the backseat. The national seat belt campaign coincides with the Memorial Day holiday and the start of the summer driving season.
DEBT CEILING
Creighton University economist Erie Goss says he expects D-C negotiators will strike a deal to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling.
But Goss says investors should expect volatility as the stalemate between Republicans in congress and President Biden remains unresolved.
If the impasse isn’t resolved before the U.S. government runs out of cash to pay its bills, Goss says things like Social Security checks could be delayed. The main impact of default, according to Goss, would be damage to the U.S. dollar, since central banks in other countries hold U.S. currency in reserve.
Goss says it would aid China’s push to make the Yuan (yoo-AHN) the reserve currency of the globe. Having the U.S. dollar be the dominant currency around the world aids U.S. trade and creates stability for the goods and services Americans buy.
BIG BOATING WEEKEND
An official who’s in charge of state boating safety courses says the first step to a safe boating weekend is checking the equipment that will be transporting a vessel on land. Susan Stocker — the boating law administrator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources — Memoria Day Weekend is the start of Iowa boating season and people need to make sure their boat trailer and lights are all in working condition. Stocker syas there are some higher water levels throughout the state, so once people are out on the water, boat operators and their passengers need to be on the look out for debris floating on the surface and logs or other obstacles below.
COURT OF APPEALS
The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments next month in three cases at the arrowhead resort in Okoboji. The hearings will take place June 1st at 1 p.m. and the court encourages people to attend. The court will hear attorneys argue three cases, including a Sioux County case, Jerry Vreeman vs Carl Jansma. The Arrowhead Resort is located at 1405 Highway 71 in Okoboji.
COMMENCEMENT CORRECTION
There must be a correction to our story on LeMars’ commencement. We listed one valedictorian, when there were actually six for Le Mars Community High School. They included: Meredith Arnold, Elijah Dougherty, Brock Feldman, Michael Meis, Abigail Tilberg, and Payton Wright.
BETTER, NOT BITTER
What began as a memoir for her daughter has turned into a book that is an early bestseller on Amazon. The book is called “Better, Not Bitter”. Remsen-area resident Michelle Cowan-Schroeder was happily married with a teenage daughter, living in Nebraska in 2009, when her world was turned upside down.
The death of her husband, Joe Cowan, led to frustration in trying to find out what happened.
Michelle’s daughter then sought to change Nebraska law concerning excessive alcohol use.
Former Congressman and Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne was instrumental in helping bring a bill forward, but Michelle says the going was tough because they were fighting a powerful liquor lobby in that state. Despite their efforts, the bill did not pass. Later, a limited dram shop bill was approved by the Unicameral.
Cowan – Schroeder had an urgent reason for writing the book.
The Author says there has been great success with the book,not just in terms of sales, but in feedback from readers..
She also Learned some great lessons about herself in writing Better, Not Bitter.
She’s happy with the way the book has been accepted.
The book, “Better, not Bitter”, was published in March. It quickly rose to an early bestseller on Amazon. It’s also available at The Craft Den in Le Mars, Furnishings on 2nd in Remsen, and Craft Central in Orange City,
Cowan-Schroeder remarried eight years ago, and lives near Remsen.
CALIFORNIA CONFINEMENT LAW
Iowa politicians and the pork industry are taking another shot at California’s law banning the sale of pork from the offspring of pigs kept in spaces smaller than 24 square feet. Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she’s reintroducing her bill which would ban state and local governments from imposing standards on the production or manufacture of ag products like pork that are sold across state lines. The U-S Supreme Court recently upheld the California law. Hinson calls it a “bacon ban.” Iowa Pork Producers Association president Trish Cook says there are still many unknowns if the law stays in place. California accounts for 15 percent of the U-S pork market and 87 percent of that comes from outside the state. The Iowa Pork Producer Association say the state’s regulations have an outsized impact on business in states like Iowa.
PLANTING SEASON NEAR AN END
Farmers saw enough dry weather last week that planting season is closing in on the end. The U-S-D-A crop report shows 95 percent of the corn crop is now in the ground. That’s nine days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the five-year average. Sixty-five percent of that corn is poking through — about six days ahead of average. Soybean planting moved from 69 to 84 percent complete in the last week. that puts farmers around one week ahead of last year and two weeks ahead of normal. Forty-three percent of the beans have emerged — which is six days ahead of average.
