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. The building has structural issues which require attention.
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.
DRIVE SOBER
Heavy traffic is predicted on the roadways this weekend and through the Independence Day Holiday. State Patrol Trooper, Paul Gardner, says the effort to keep drivers safe includes a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign,” that will be underway across Iowa.
He says they are partnering with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Gardner says the effort comes after issues on the roadways during the July 4th holiday.
Garner says we are also in the middle of what’s called the “100 deadliest days” for younger drivers.
Trooper Gardner says the rules of the road don’t change during this holiday period and you should wear your seatbelt, drive the speed limit, and don’t drink and drive.
LOTTERY WINNER
A Le Mars woman has won a $50,000 lottery prize. Lisa McClish of Le Mars won the seventh top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s “$50,000 Super Crossword” scratch game. She purchased her winning ticket at Dailey Stop in Le Mars, and claimed her prize Tuesday at the lottery’s Storm Lake regional office.
NEW STATE LAWS
Today, July 1st, is the day dozens of state laws take effect, including the massive plan to reorganize state government. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
Friday was the deadline for low income Iowa parents to apply for a state-funded account to cover private school tuition. It will take a while to verify eligibility and whether there’s a spot in a private school for each child. According to the Iowa Department of Education’s website, July 15th is the earliest date the 76-hundred dollars in state funds will be deposited in one of these Education Savings Accounts.
IOWA TORNADOES
State Climatologist Justin Glisan says so far this year, there have been three dozen confirmed tornadoes in the state. Glisan says it looks like ‘Tornado alley’ is shifting further south, to ‘Dixie Alley’ where there have been wider scale tornado outbreaks. Over the past four decades, Iowa has been averaging 48 tornadoes a year. June has generally been the peak month for tornado activity in Iowa, but there’s been just one confirmed tornado reported in the state this month. There were 30 confirmed tornadoes in eastern Iowa and western Illinois on March 31st and Glisan says weather research indicates future tornado outbreaks in Iowa are going to be more likely in March, April and May than in June.
