LE MARS ACTIVITY FEES
The Le Mars Community School Board will have to grapple with the cost of school activities in the future. Covid reduced revenues at school activities, and increased costs are straining activity budgets. The school board this week approved increases of student activity tickets ten dollars to 50 dollars next year, and adult activity passes from 85 to 100 dollars. Superintendent Dr. Steven Webner says the activity accounts on ticket sales to provide revenue. There were lower revenues, because covid restricted the number of people who could attend events. The district has also added new activities including soccer and girls wrestling. Increased costs for equipment has also burdened accounts.
IOWA SENATE GOP LEADER TREATED FOR BRAIN TUMOR
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver announced Friday afternoon that he’s undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Whitver, in a written statement, said he is remaining in the Iowa Senate and continuing in his role as majority leader. Whitver, who is 43, has been the top Republican in the Iowa Senate since March of 2018. Whitver said he is responding well to radiation therapy and intends to lead Republicans through this election cycle as he has in the past six years. Iowa Republicans and Democrats in state government and congress are issuing statements of support.
GOVERNOR APPROVES BILL ON TRAFFIC CAMERAS; VETOES CHANGE IN IOWA’S SUNSHINE LAW
Governor Kim Reynolds has approved a bill that establishes state oversight of traffic cameras that generate tickets for speeding. Cities and counties will have to submit an application to the Iowa Department of Transportation, showing the camera is placed in an area due to the number and severity of traffic accidents there. The law also says fines from traffic camera tickets must be used on law enforcement expenses.
The governor VETOED another bill Friday. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
The governor has now completed action on ALL the bills that passed the 2024 Iowa legislature. Friday, she approved new limits on the T-H-C content in consumable hemp products, like gummies. The new law will make it illegal to sell the products to anyone under the age of 21. Reynolds says she has concerns about the limits, but decided to sign it into law to protect minors from dangerous and intoxicating products.
IOWA DOT WORKER IS KILLED IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE CRASH
An Iowa D-O-T worker was struck and killed in southwestern Iowa Thursday morning while he was patching a section of Interstate 80. The Iowa State Patrol says 36-year-old Matthew Dickerson, of Neola, died in the accident northeast of Council Bluffs, at around 9:15 a-m. The patrol says a U-P-S semi tractor-trailer driven by a man from Pennsylvannia was in a line of traffic that was merging into one lane, when he attempted to pass another vehicle, and went between one of two D-O-T vehicles directing traffic via an electronic arrow sign. Matthew Dickerson was at the rear of one of pickups when he was struck. The driver of the pickup, 45-year-old Jordan Hargens, of Council Bluffs, was injured in the accident.
WIND FARM CONCERNS EMMETSBURG AIRPORT LEADER
One of the people who oversees the airport in Emmetsburg is raising concerns about a wind farm proposed in Palo Alto County. Gary Koppie is chairman of the Emmetsburg Municipal Airport Commission.
Koppie says some of the proposed turbine sites are close to the airport and that may impact when helicopter ambulances are able to land and take off at Emmetsburg’s airport if the turbines aren’t visible.
Koppie attended a Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors hearing about the wind farm’s site plan and permit application this week. Shane Roche (ROHCH, like “roach”), development manager for the Lost Island project, says it will create over 250 short term jobs during construction. The county board of supervisors expects to make its decision on the project by the end of this month. The proposed Lost Island wind farm’s name comes from the Lost Island township in Palo Alto County.
