CAUCUS WEATHER
If it’s January in Iowa, it must be caucus time. That’s the case tonight, where the Le Mars forecast includes a Wind Chill Warning. Clear skies with a low around -13 is forecast. wind 10 to 20 mph, gusting to 25 mph, will create wind chills as low as -34. The Wind Chill Warning will continue through noon Tuesday.
As for the caucuses, Democrats in Plymouth County will meet in one place – Le Mars Community High School. Republicans will meet in several locations. Precincts near Le Mars will combine their caucus sites. Precincts 1 2 3 and 4 will meet at the Le Mars Convention Center. Country Celebrations near Sioux City will be the site of the caucuses of Precincts 7 8 and 9. Other sites will be Remsen, Brunsville, Kingsley, and Akron. The Republicans will hold a presidential preference poll, then get to work on finding delegates to the county, district and state conventions, and the party platform. Democrats do not have first-in-the-nation status, so their presidential preference will be mailed in to the state party, and the results released in March. Plymouth County Democrats will also carry on party business tonight. Caucuses begin at 7 pm. Attendees are urged to get to your caucus site early, in order to register.
28 COUNTIES PLAN ‘SUPER SITES’ FOR TONIGHT’S
CAUCUSES
Schools, churches, American Legion Posts — even a bank and an insurance agency are among the places where precinct meetings will be held for tonight’s (Monday’s) Iowa Caucuses. Republicans in more than two dozen Iowa counties, however, have made plans to have all precincts in the county meet at one location. Twenty-eight counties will have just one, so-called “super site” for Caucus Night.
Denny Werkmeister is O’Brien County G-O-P chairman and Republicans in his county will be meeting at the Harley-Melvin-Sanborn High School.
Among the 28 counties meeting in one place are Clay, Dickinson, Ida, O’Brien, and Osceola,
LE MARS COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD
The Le Mars Community School Board meets tonight at 6 p.m. The meeting was postponed from a week ago. Their agenda includes information on a new program implemented in the district called Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduate, or iJAG. Action items include approval of two resignations and new contracts. The board will also consider their modified application for supplemental aid request from dropout prevention programming.
DE SANTIS CANCELS CAMPAIGN STOP
The question for the Iowa precinct caucuses tonight is how the bitter cold will affect turnout for the event, particularly the Republican Presidential preference vote. Former President Donald Trump has a comfortable lead in the polls. The fight is over second place between Florida Governor Ron De Santis and former UN ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. DeSantis called off his scheduled Republican presidential campaign appearance at Beer Can Alley in Sioux City on Sunday because of hazardous travel conditions caused by the snow and wind. DeSantis is still scheduled to be in Sgt. Bluff at Pub 52 this (Monday) afternoon at 1 p.m.
GOP CAUCUS SITES
Plymouth County Republicans caucus tonight at sites around the county. Here is the list of precinct sites:
LeMars Precincts 1-3: LeMars Convention Center 275 12th St SE, Le Mars, IA
Precinct 4, (Owens, Struble Remsen North): LeMars Convention Center 275 12th St SE, Le Mars, IA
Precinct 5, Remsen: Gymnasium in old City Hall, Remsen 8 W 2nd St, Remsen, IA
Precinct 6, Brunsville, Craig: Brunsville American Legion 305 Oak St, Brunsville, IA
Precinct 7, Merril: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA
Precinct 8, Perry Township/ Hancock Township: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA
Precinct 9, Hinton: Country Celebrations, Sioux City 5606 Hamilton Blvd, Sioux City, IA
Precinct 10, Kingsley: Kingsley City Hall 222 S Main Street, Kingsley, IA
Precinct 11, Akron, Westfield: Old Parish Hall, Arkon N 3rd St, Akron, IA 5
IOWA DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD CAUCUSES MONDAY
Iowa Democrats will hold Caucuses Monday, too, but they no longer go first in their party’s presidential nominating process. The party has begun mailing out presidential preference cards. And Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says the results from that mail-in process will be announced March 5th.
Arguing over candidates in person will not be Monday night’s focus, according to Hart. She says it will be about party business.
Hart says Iowa Democrats still take their role in the political process seriously.
The Democratic caucus is different since Iowa Democrats will be casting their presidential preference by mail this year. Democrat caucus goers will also discuss and adopt resolutions for the county platform, elect delegates to the county convention and elect new members to the County Central Committee.
Like The Iowa Republican Party’s Caucuses, the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses will begin at 7 p.m. Monday. The Plymouth County Democratic Party Caucuses will take place at Le Mars Community High School.
PERRY PRINCIPAL DIES OF SHOOTING INJURIES
The Perry High School principal who was wounded in the shooting at his school on January 4th has died. Dan Marburger was credited with putting himself in harm’s way, allowing others to escape as a student armed with two guns started shooting. Marburger’s wife posted a message on the GoFundMe page for the family, announcing her husband died at 8 a.m. Sunday. She wrote that “he fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever.” Governor Reynolds says Marburger will be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions. She has ordered all flags in Iowa be lowered to half staff until Marburger’s funeral, which is not yet scheduled.
TAYLOR BILLS THIS YEAR
State Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center says he will reintroduce a bill which reopens the state’s cold case unit. This time, he’s rechanneling his effort.
Sen. Taylor plans to introduce another bill having to do with improving student reading skills.
The bill would relieve the expenses of teachers who want to become reading specialists.
It is uncertain if Iowa lawmakers will consider legislation aimed at improving student performance. Student math and reading skills have deteriorated since covid, but State Senator Taylor says he’s heard little on the statehouse level about a potential fix.
Governor Kim Reynolds has put forward education priorities which include a substantial raise for teachers. She also proposes protections from age-inappropriate materials.
