EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Plymouth County officials will look into the condition of the County Emergency Management agency’s headquarters. Emergency Management Director Rebecca Socknat says a discussion with the Board of Supervisors this week came about after a meeting with her Emergency Management Commission.
Emergency Management is headquartered at the corner of 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue NE in Le Mars. By describing the current condition of the building to the Supervisors this week, they will look into the matter.
The building has structural issues which demand attention. Socknat says the issue will be resolved between the Emergency Management Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
IOWA TEEN WORK HOURS
Saturday, July 1st is the day dozens of state laws take effect, including the massive plan to reorganize state government. The number of state agencies is shrinking from 37 to 16. Next week, thousands of state employees will be reporting to new bosses. Another new state law changes child labor guidelines. It means 14 and 15 year olds can work until 11 p.m. for the rest of the summer and until 9 p.m. once school starts. Sixteen and 17 year olds can serve alcohol if they have a parent’s permission. Sixteen and 17 year olds also can work longer hours and in some jobs that were previously off limits.
RECORD LOTTERY SALES
Iowa Lottery sales have already hit records for the fiscal year with the June numbers still to be added to the total. Lottery C-E-O, Matt Strawn, told to the Lottery Board today (Thursday) it will be the strongest year of lottery performance in the 38-year history of the organization. Sales that will approach 480 million dollars once June numbers are in and Strawn says says proceeds returned to the state top 100 million dollars for the first time in the first 11 months of a fiscal year. The fiscal year ends June 30th and a record for sales is assured.
LE MARS COUNCIL ELECTIONS
One Le Mars city councilman says he will seek another term, while another is stepping down at the end of his first term.. Steve Wick, who represents Ward 2, said he will seek a third term on the city council. He is serving a four-year term, and is also mayor pro-tem. Earlier this week, city councilman Mike Donlin announced he would not file for re-election. Donlin is nearing an end to his first term on the council, he was elected as an at-large representative. Earlier, Mayor Rob Bixenman announced he will seek election to a second two-year term as mayor.
SEWER CLEANING
The annual City of Le Mars sewer cleaning begins next week. Starting Monday, July 3rd, a contractor will begin in the Section 4 area. This includes:
All area west of 4th Avenue NW & SW
From 1st Street SW to 24th Street SW
All area south and west of Central Avenue.
15th St SE to 20th St SE
This routine maintenance reduces the likelihood of sewer lines plugging. The cleaning could take up to 6 weeks to complete. There may be some minor sewer problems and/or traffic congestion in these areas.
If you have any questions regarding the sewer cleaning, please call the Wastewater Treatment Facility 546-5003 during normal office hours.
NORTHWEST AEA HEADQUARTERS
Northwest AEA will ceremonially open their new headquarters in Sioux City later this summer. A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be on Wednesday, August 16 at 11:30am and will be held in conjunction with the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. The facility was previously an MCI call center and is located near the Sioux Gateway Airport. Northwest Area Education Agency has offices in Le Mars, Sioux Center, Cherokee, Denison, Onawa and Sioux City. They work in partnership with public and accredited private schools in a 10-county area of Northwest Iowa. The AEA provides special education support services, media and technology services, a variety of instructional services, professional development, and leadership to promote school improvement. There will also be an Open House on August 16 from 3pm – 6pm for the general public to tour the new facility.
VILSACK FARM BILL
U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says as the U-S-D-A extends grants and loans for everything from broadband expansion to production of alternative crops, not all that spending has to be tucked into the Farm Bill.
Congress appears on track to release a first draft of the 2023 Farm Bill this fall, close to the September 30th expiration of the last Farm Bill. Vilsack says it’s always tough to put a Farm Bill together.
The current Farm Bill, approved in late 2018, has provided subsidies for crop insurance, but 75 percent of the spending in the Farm Bill has gone to federal food assistance programs. Some House Republicans want to tighten eligibility for food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Vilsack says the Biden Administration considers the issue to be resolved after new food stamp work requirements were included in last month’s budget deal that raised the federal government’s borrowing limit.
Vilsack says congress will have to find a way to permanently raise the pay for firefighters in the Forest Service, which is part of the U-S-D-A. The 2021 infrastructure bill provided a temporary fix, but Vilsack says in order to keep enough people on the payroll to fight wildfires, congress has to put more money into the Farm Bill for their pay.
CALMING YOUR PET
As we approach Independence Day, many Iowans are celebrating early by setting off fireworks and other explosives. Those sporadic, unexpected noises can scare your pets. The loud booms can also make dogs, in particular, feel threatened or trapped. Veterinarian Susan Lowum says you’ll know when your dog is stressed as they may be more alert than usual or downright terrified, trembling and trying to escape. If your pet shows symptoms of stress, Lowum says don’t ignore or scold them, but instead, get them to a quiet place in your home away from the noise. That might be in the basement or a room that doesn’t have windows, and Lowum says if your pet’s safe place is in a kennel, be sure to leave the door open to avoid them injuring themselves by trying to get out.
CANCER DOCTOR CONCERNED ABOUT SMOKY AIR
Air quality due to smoke across Iowa’s eastern half remains in the “very unhealthy” category Thursday and comparisons are being drawn about the equivalent of how many cigarettes you’d be smoking just by being outside. Des Moines oncologist Dr. Richard Deming says it’s unclear if the environmental conditions are raising our risk of developing lung cancer, but it’s certainly not good. Dr. Deming says it’s “theoretically possible” that inhaling Canadian forest fire smoke for a few weeks increases the risk of lung cancer. The Iowa D-N-R is extending its air quality advisory for the state’s southeast counties today. Even healthy adults are urged to limit outdoor activities. Lung cancer is the most common cancer killer in Iowa, accounting for one out of every four cancer deaths.
