SUPERVISORS REVIEW FUNDS
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors Tuesday reviewed the general basic portion of the county budget. This includes the offices and agencies of county government, community services, and the outside agencies outside that they support. Just of 10 milion dollars in revenues are expected, and 11.1 million dollars in expenses. The beginning fund balance is some 7.3 million dollars, and the ending balance is estimated at 6.2 million dollars. The Supervisors also voted to hold a public hearing on the county budget on April 9 at 9 a.m.
DAYCARE REQUEST
The Le Mars city council approved of a contribution to an effort to create a community-owned child care center.
The 250-thousand dollars contribution to Le Mars Area Childcare Center, Inc. helps meet one of the two main goals of a childcare taskforce in the city. The non-profit purchased the former Building Blocks Daycare building. Their fundraising goal to purchase the building is 3 million dollars. The building can hold as many as 217 children, and there’s enough property onsite to create another building. Also, the Crittendon Center of Sioux City will manage the facilitiy, and will provide childcare and preschool. The city will use federal ARPA funds for the contribution to the daycare.
13TH AVENUE PROJECT
The Le Mars city council approved an engineering agreement for an expanded housing development. The 13th Avenue Project is one of the first projects under the city’s vision 2045 development plan. The city last year sold 38 acres of property to the LBIC for development of more residential housing. Beck Engineering was awarded the contract to build infrastructure, including an extension of 13th Ave past the Riverview Complex. This would require the relocation of the Police department shooting range and the twig, branch and grass disposal site. Cost of the contract is 75,400 dollars.
YMCA CAMPS
The Le Mars YMCA is registering children for their summer camps. Executive Director Jacque Perez says there’s more room for more kids this summer.
This is a program which has a long waiting list.
Enrollment for summer camps is now open.
Describes how the day camps are structured (most activities in the Y building)
Variety is built into the daily activities
Y day camps fill a big need in Le Mars
The cost of the camps is 160 dollars weekly. There is financial assistance available
TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO ARREST
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office posted a report this week of an incident which occurred early last month. A driver was stopped by a deputy on U.S. Highway 75 near Lone Tree Road in Plymouth County. The vehicle had been clocked at 83 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Christopher Len Taylor, age 35 of Sioux City, Iowa. During the traffic stop a drug investigation began and a search of the motor vehicle was conducted. Deputies found a small amount of marijuana roaches and Glock pistol with live ammunition. It was also found that Taylor is a convicted felon out of the State of Illinois. Arrest warrants were requested for Taylor. He was ultimately apprehended by the South Sioux City Police Department and extradited to Plymouth County, Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Hinton Police Department.
GOVERNOR’S BILL DEFINING MAN, WOMAN, MOTHER AND FATHER CLEARS HOUSE COMMITTEE
Republicans on a House Committee have approved Governor Kim Reynolds’ bill that would put definitions of man, woman, mother and father in Iowa law and require changes in how the state issues new birth certificates to transgender residents. House Education Committee chairman Skyler Wheeler of Hull says he asked to have the bill assigned to his committee.
Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. Representative Sue Cahill of Marshalltown says the bill puts transgender Iowans in danger.
Representative Sharon Steckman of Mason City says the bill feeds on fear.
A large crowd of opponents rallied and chanted outside the room where a subcommittee hearing on the bill was held at noon Tuesday. After the committee voted Monday night, a couple of dozen people booed lawmakers after the bill passed the committee.
The committee did remove part of the bill that would have required transgender Iowans list their sex at birth on their driver’s license or government-issued I-D.
IOWA’S U.S. HOUSE DELEGATION VOTES TO IMPEACH MAYORKAS
The four Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but the impeachment effort fell four votes short. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the House has a constitutional duty to impeach Mayorkas because his offenses at the U-S/Mexico border have jeopardized national security. Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull says Mayorkas is unwilling to close the southern border and that’s a dereliction of duty with catastrophic consequences. Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of also voted to impeach Mayorkas, but did not issue statements after the vote.
