LE MARS BUDGET AMENDMENT
The Le Mars city council has set a public hearing for May 21, to consider a budget amendment for the current fiscal year.
The amendment includes 7.15 million dollars in additional expenditures for fiscal year 2023-24. 6 million dollars of the total is for capital projects begun this fiscal year.
RIGHT OF WAY PURCHASE
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved right of way purchases for a local bridge project northeast of Remsen. The bridge is located just north of C16 on Shamrock Avenue. Right of way was purchased on either side of Shamrock, a total of 2.4 acres, so that the new bridge will be wider than the one that is replaced. The total cost for the property is 12-thousand, 800 dollars.
NORTHWESTERN ADDS ENGINEERING MAJOR
Norhtwestern College in Orange City has received approval to start a new major. Starting this fall, Northwestern will offer a Bachelor of Science in engineering.
This involved two years of planning and preparation. The Higher Learning Commission approved the program following a site visit earlier this year.
Northwestern will offer concentrations in civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering. The program is planned to be accredited with the graduation of the first engineering cohort in 2028.
The program is directed by Dr Young-Ji Byon. He began work last year designing the curriculum, planning spaces for the program, and leading the accreditation process.
The engineering program will be housed in a new engineering lab, which is in a former auto parts store, located
west of the college’s Science Center.
Ten freshman have declared an engineering major.
FLOYD VALLEY HEALTHCARE THERAPY WING
Floyd Valley Healthcare celebrated the opening of their new therapy wing Wednesday. The new facilities have been in use since February. This is Troy Henrich, manager of the therapy department at Floyd Valley Healthcare…
For two years, therapy services had to work around the transformation that was taking place.
The project doubled the size of the Henrich’s department//, and dedicates an upper level of the new hospital wing to therapy space, patient rooms, and offices. The old therapy space has been turned into a reception area and waiting room.
Henrich says the addition is designed with the patient in mind
Henrich describes the staff reaction to the new facilities.
Henrich has a staff of 23. He’s been with Floyd Valley Healthcare for 22 years, the last two as manager of the therapy department.
The ribbon cutting ceremony included remarks from CEO Dustin Wright, Board of Trustees Chair Danna Schuster, USDA Area Development Specialist Tyler Koopman, Matt Leaders of Graham Construction, and Terry Glade of CMBA Architects.
FOUR COUNTIES DECLARED STATE DISASTER AREAS
Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for four counties following Monday’s severe weather. The governor’s proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Case Advocacy Program for Clarke, Marion, O’Brien, and Pottawattamie County. Those counties experienced severe thunderstorms, hail, high winds and some funnel clouds. Many areas also got heavy rain in the Monday storms. The Governor earlier issued state disaster declarations for nine counties hit by tornadoes on April 26th. The governor also requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for those nine counties.
MIDAMERICAN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP
Midamerican Energy responded to a study which shows serious health issues surrounding two of their coal-fired plants operating just south of Sioux City.
The study released by the Iowa Environmental Council says from 1999 to 2020, pollution from the plants caused 165 premature deaths in the region and 14-hundred overall.
The company Tuesday evening sent a statement to KSCJ News in Sioux City, saying Iowa has recently been highlighted by the American Lung Association as having some of the cleanest air in America.
The company says they diligently operate all of their facilities, including the generation facility in Sioux City, in a manner that is in full compliance with state and federal environmental laws, regulations and requirements.
Midamerican says the generation facility in Sioux City is essential to providing customers with electricity when they need it the most, but they operate the facility significantly less than they ever have because they utilize their wind and solar resources during a significant portion of the year.
Midamerican says they will continue to employ best practices and responsible stewardship to meet the goals of all of their customers, which is reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity.
GRASSLEY NOT OPTIMISTIC A NEW FARM BILL WILL PASS THIS YEAR
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says prospects for congressional approval of a new Farm Bill are fading.
The Democrat who’s chairwoman of the Senate Ag Committee released a framework for negotiations last week, but Grassley, a Republican, says the most likely outcome is that congress will vote to extend current Farm Bill policies for another year.
Disagreements over farm subsidies are holding up negotiations.
85% of the Farm Bill is mainly for food stamps and other government nutrition programs. Grassley says Senate Democrats have proposed a five percent increase to potential subsidies to cover rice, cotton and peanut farmers’ losses. However, the so-called reference prices for corn and soybeans that trigger federal subsidies to cover losses would remain the same.
The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expires at the end of September.
IOWA LEADER REACTS TO RENAMING BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Boy Scouts of America will be renamed Scouting America on February 8th of next year. Girls were allows to join scout troops in 2018 and Matt Hill — C-E-O of the Mid-Iowa Council for Boy Scouts of America — says he has a unique perspective about the name change. He’s an Eagle Scout who appreciates what scouting meant to him and his buddies growing up. He’s also the father of a girl – and he says allowing girls into the program has been phenomenal so far. The Boy Scouts’ Mid-Iowa Council covers 29 counties and Hill says nearly 50 girls in the region have become Eagle Scouts in the past five years. About 10-thousand Iowa kids are currently members of Iowa Boy Scout troops.
