TRAFFIC CONTROL NEAR HIGH SCHOOL
The Le Mars City Council has taken action to control traffic at an intersection in southwest Le Mars, north of the Community High School. The Public Safety Committee last month recommended that yield signs be placed at the intersection of 4th Avenue and 7th Street SW, to control north-south traffic at that intersection. They noted the accident history there in making their recommendation. The committee noted that yield signs placedc at 3rd Avenue and 7th Street SW helped slow traffic there. The council accepted the committee’s recommendation and approved a resolution to place the yield signs at 4th and 7th.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY SUPERVISORS REORGANIZE
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors adjourned their 2023 board in order toy reorganize for 2024. The first order of business was to appoint Don Kass as Board Chairman and Craig Anderson as Vice-Chair for 2024.
There was a long list of appointments and re-appointments to county boards. The board also approved the members of the County Compensation Commission. The Commission is made up of people from throughout Plymouth County with experience in four categories: Real Estate, Finance, Agricultural land owners and city land owners. Members of the compensation commission help the courts set values in condemnation proceedings.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROPOSAL
Plymouth County’s Secondary Road bargaining unit presented a wage proposal to the Board of Supervisors this morning. Those representing the bargaining unit were President Jeff Gengler, Vice President Todd Osterbuhr, and Secretary Zack Holtgrewe. The proposal includes a 7% base wage increase, plus a dollar per hour raise. They also propose a one-dollar, fifty cent per hour standby pay rate; longevity pay increases ranging from 150 to 900 dollars; adjusted vacation benefits; increased family sick leave, and a monthly cell phone reimbursement. This is a one-year proposal.
BOWMAN RETIRES
Plymouth County Historical Museum Administrator Judy Bowman resigned as of Saturday. Bowman says her work with the museum was a second career for her.
Bowman came to Le Mars in 1995, and went to work for the Le Mars Daily Sentinel.
Those contacts led to a desire to be connected to the Historical Museum.
Her upbringing also contributed to working for the Museum.
Wayne Marty was instrumental in hiring Bowman, and she said at that point, they forged a vision for the museum
So Judy went out to include these communities in museum exhibits. She found there wasn’t enough space to house what these communities contributed to the museum in its early days.
The challenge for the museum is creating interest in a new generation of museum patrons.
Bowman recalled two of the biggest events in the earlier days of the museum.
CHRISTMAS ACRES A SUCCESS
Christmas Acres, the lighting display west of Le Mars, has wrapped up activity for another season. Rob Scheitler says donations as of closing, totaled 18-thousand, 206 dollars. The proceeds will be split evenly between Le Mars Fire Rescue and Wet Nose Pet Rescue. Each will receive a check for 9-thousand, 103 dollars. Scheitler says the season was enhanced by excellent weather. Only two wet nights caused Christmas Acres to close. Rob, Joyce and Shaunna Scheitler are thankful for the community’s support.
IOWANS HAVE MORE BANK ACCOUNTS THAN ANY OTHER STATE
There are only a dozen nationally-charged banks operating in Iowa, while 230 state-charted banks operate under the oversight of the State Banking Division. Jeff Plagge, a banker from Arnolds Park, just retired after four years as state banking superintendent. He says only Texas, Illinois and Minnesota have more state-chartered banks — and it’s likely one reason Iowa has a higher percentage of residents with bank accounts than in any other state.
AN INFLUX OF HOLIDAY TRASH A CONCERN
As electronics and toys are upgraded this holiday season, officials with landfills and recycling centers across Iowa are particularly worried about what happens to the old stuff. An E-P-A report says household waste increases by about 25-percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Alongside food and cardboard packaging, a lot of what winds up curbside contains rechargeable batteries. Solid waste administrator John Foster says the uptick in improperly disposed batteries creates dangerous headaches for landfills.
Foster says that in addition to the seasonal increase in household waste, disposal sites are under additional stress because of those improperly disposed rechargeable batteries.
Foster also says fires caused by improper disposals are amplified by the prolonged drought, as his landfill has been putting out several small fires a week on average.
