SAVE FUND ELECTION
A special question on the Le Mars Community School Ballot asks for a new purpose statement for the district’s SAVE Fund.
Supt Dr. Steven Webner says SAVE, or Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund, replaces a previous sales tax that was collected in the state.
The SAVE Fund is different from the district’s PPEL fund, or Physical Plant and equipment levy.
Voters on November 7 will decide on a SAVE Fund statement which declares how the funds will be used.
This can include a wide variety of uses.
Other uses include upkeep and improvement of buildings and grounds, and also for purchase of safety equipment such as security cameras and the like.
The revenue purpose statement which Le Mars School District voters are asked to approve is just like the one first passed in 2013.
If the vote fails, the purpose statement will remain in place, but the funds will be directed differently. The statement will have to be renewed in 2031
The Le Mars School District receives a substantial amount of money each year from the SAVE Fund, 2.3 million dollars in the current fiscal year.
The district has come to depend on the SAVE Fund to help with upkeep of the school buildings. Dr Webner says there are some things that are not covered by the SAVE proceeds.
WORLD FOOD PRIZE AWARDED
The winner of this year’s World Food Prize is launching a program to reestablish vineyards and farmland in parts of Ukraine that were damaged in the war with Russia. Heidi Kühn is the founder of Roots of Peace. The U-S-based nonprofit works in war-torn nations to clear landmines and unexploded bombs, and to restore land to agriculture. Kühn says the risk of injury from unexploded ordinance can harm local economies and restrict food production for decades. The impacted area of Ukraine covers some 22 million acres, about the same amount of land devoted to corn and soybeans in Iowa. The area is considered critical to the global wheat supply. The World Food Prize is awarded each year in honor of Iowa native and Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug and his work to reduce world hunger. Kühn received the award at a ceremony in the Iowa State Capitol Thursday.
TRUMP RALLY IN SIOUX CITY SUNDAY
The Orpheum Theater and downtown Sioux City is getting ready for Sunday’s campaign rally by Donald Trump. The former president will speak at 3 p.m. on Sunday, with the Orpheum doors opening at noon. The event is free to attend, but you must register through Trump’s campaign website ahead of time. The city and Orpheum will be enhancing security before and during the event, in which 2500 people are expected to attend. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Ground Transportation Center will be closed to all public parking on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., including skywalk access. The closure is at the direction of the U.S. Secret Service. Free public parking is available at three other parking ramps.
THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT, NO INJURY
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a three vehicle accident on US Hwy 75 near 100th Street in Plymouth County Tuesday. Deputies say a semi driven by Brandon Hoogendoorn, age 30 of George, Iowa, crossed the centerline and struck a Ford Mustang being operated by Leonardo Marquez, age 51 of Le Mars, Iowa, and then struck a second vehicle, a 1500 Ram truck being operated by Bruce Ludwig, age 62 of Le Mars, Iowa. No injuries were reported. Hoogendoorn was cited for driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway and was arrested and transported to the Plymouth County Jail for operating a CMV while disqualified, which is a serious misdemeanor. Marquez was cited for driving while revoked.
DICKINSON COUNTY DENIES PERMIT FOR WIND FARM
The Dickinson County board of adjustment’s denied a permit to Invenergy for a wind farm just a few miles from East Lake Okoboji. Terril City Council member Austin Fairchild says the wind farm would bring economic development, money, and more jobs to the area and he’d like to see the decision appealed. Kris Van Kleet helped start a group that protested the project. She says the focus now is repairing relationships since many property owners signed up for the project, which included up to 80 turbines. Two other wind energy projects have been proposed for the Iowa Great Lakes region, and Van Kleet says she will continue to fight against them.
PHEASANT SEASON IN IOWA OPENS SATURDAY
Iowa’s pheasant hunting season opens tomorrow (Saturday) morning and state officials say there could be 50- to 60-thousand hunters in the fields. Todd Bogenshutz, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Boone, says the state’s pheasant numbers appear to be rising.
Fields that are clear of crops mean less cover and better hunting. The forecast calls for cooler weather on opening day, with highs only in the 30s and 40s. Bogenshutz says lower temperatures may also mean better hunting.
There are no significant changes in the hunting rules from last year, he says, and one of the most frequent questions he hears is about the wearing of blaze orange.
Non-toxic shot is required in some areas, including wetlands, and he says to always get permission before hunting on private property. The season runs through January 10th. Find more information at www.iowadnr.gov.
