BUDGET HEARINGS
The Le Mars Community School District Board will hold a public hearing on their proposed fiscal 2025 property tax levy. The proposed tax levy for fiscal year ’25 will be 9 dollars, 97 cents per thousand. That’s 17 cents lower than the current levy. Total property tax revenues raised by the new levy is estimated at 9.9 million dollars, up 200-thousand from the current levy. The hearing will be Tuesday, April 2, at noon, at the Education Service Center. These hearings on proposed tax levies have been mandated by a new state law. The board will hold their regular April meeting on Monday, April 8.
Also, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors’ April 2 meeting has been cancelled. Their next meeting is Tuesday, April 9. On that day, there will be a public hearing on the county’s proposed tax levy for fiscal 2025. That hearing is at 9 a.m. The regular Supervisors meeting will be at 9:30 a..m. on April 9.
GOOD FRIDAY PILGRIMAGE
For the 15th year, the Plymouth County Historical Museum in
Le Mars invites the public to a Good Friday Pilgrimage tomorrow.
Visitors are welcome to the Museum’s Religious Heritage Room for private prayer and meditation. A painting, “The Morning of the Crucifixion” will be there for viewing. The 121-year-old painting was restored by former Le Mars residents Al and Delores Maser.
Another feature is a stained glass window form the former Le Mars United Methodist Church. The late Richard and Doris Zimmerman were instrumental in preserving the window..
The pilgrimage began in 2009 as a memorial in the name of the late Pastor Larry Fett, who served Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars for many years and was active in the community.
Museum hours Friday are 1pm-5pm.
GOVERNOR SIGNS AEA CHANGES, TEACHER PAY HIKE INTO LAW
Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that raises teacher salaries, increases general state spending for schools AND overhauls Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.
Reynolds held a ceremony in her capitol office and was surrounding by Republican legislators and key staff as she signed the bill into law. House Education Committee chairman Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull, helped lead House negotiations with educators, parents and advocates for both large and small schools that resulted in changes to the governor’s original bill.
Democrats like House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst say the new law is universally unpopular and it will be an issue for voters in November.
The new law puts local districts in control of some funding that currently flows directly to the A-E-As and gives state officials more authority to oversee special education. Schools will still be required to use the A-E-A’s special education consultants, but districts will be able to spend 10 percent of their special education allotment elsewhere, plus districts will have the option of redirecting money that currently pays for other A-E-A services, like teacher training.
Other elements of the new law will raise beginning teacher pay to 50-thousand dollars within two years — and veteran teachers must be paid at least 62-thousand dollars a year if they’ve been teaching for at least 12 years.
TAX DEADLINES
The Plymouth County Treasurer reminds residents that real estate and mobile home taxes are due on April 1. Typically, the deadline is March 31, but Shelly Sitzmann says this year, March 31 falls on a weekend, so the deadline is April 1. Taxes are delinquent after April 2. We will be Closed this Friday due to Observance of Good Friday, so people should be aware and plan accordingly. Monday we can take payments and they are not considered delinquent until April 2. Online payment of property taxes is an option. This can be done at iowatreasurers.org. Online payment can be done up until midnight, April 1, without penalty.
2024 PAINT IOWA BEAUTIFUL AWARD RECIPIENTS
Diamond Vogel and Keep Iowa Beautiful have announced the 2024 grant recipients for the Paint Iowa Beautiful program. The longstanding partnership provides free paint to a wide variety of public service and community betterment projects throughout Iowa.
In its 20-year partnership with Keep Iowa Beautiful, Diamond Vogel has awarded enough paint to cover over five million square feet of surfaces for 1,438 community projects in Iowa.
To view the full list of 2024 Paint Iowa Beautiful grant recipients, visit https://keepiowabeautiful.org/grants-scholarships/grants/paint-iowa-beautiful/.
Le Mars – Plymouth County Fairgrounds – Century Hall, the 4H/FFA Sheep barn, Hospitality Building, and Sportsmen’s in Pioneer Village
Alton Public Library – undergoing a renovation on the library’s main floor.
Hawarden Historical Society – touchup work at two sites in their Calliope Village, Sioux County’s first settlement.
Paullina – American Legion Hall
Sioux City – Flux Dance Company – Outdoor stage covering/canopy, stage area backdrop and beams
Sibley – Central Park Shelter House, and a park storage building
Moville – Community Center
DONATIONS CAN HELP THE RED CROSS AID DISASTER VICTIMS
Wednesday marked the tenth annual American Red Cross Giving Day, where the agency recognizes people who make its mission possible — volunteers, blood donors, people trained in lifesaving skills, and supporters. Emily Holley, spokeswoman for the Red Cross’ Nebraska-Iowa Region, says they’re also asking for donations in order to continue offering help to people who urgently need it. Home fires are the most common disaster in Iowa and nationwide. In 2023, Holley says the Red Cross responded to 662 home fires throughout Iowa and provided assistance to 2-thousand-275 people. Donations will help to provide emergency shelter, hot meals, relief items, emotional support and other assistance to people in need.
