FY25 IOWA AVIATION PROGRAM APPROVED
The Iowa Transportation Commission Tuesday approved $9.3 million for the fiscal year 2025 State Aviation Program, This includes funding for the Le Mars Municipal Airport.
350-thousand dollars for taxilane extension, apron expansion, and site improvements will be granted through the Airport Improvement Program. The total cost of the Le Mars airport project is estimated at 500-thousand dollars.
The Le Mars Municpal Airport will be among several northwest Iowa airports to receive federal aviation funding under the bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Airports at Le Mars, Cherokee, Sheldon, Maurice, and Storm Lake will each receive grants of 144-thousand dollars.
The Spencer Regional Airport will receive a 294-thousand dollars grant.
PLYWOOD TRAIL UPDATE
Wet weather and flooding have caused PlyWood Trail officials to delay completion of the recreation trail until this fall. The Phase 1 project extends from Le Mars to Merrill. It was near completion this spring before the weather turned foul. The PlyWood Trail Foundation says they will have to clear the trail, make repairs, and reseed where the flood washed seed away. Until then, the trail is unrideable.
The PlyWood Trail phases are proceeding out of sequence. Phase 2, between Merrill and Hinton, is still in the planning and fundraising stage. Some construction has begun on Phase 3, the portion between Sioux City and Hinton. Some parts of the trail have been poured near Leeds. Construction of a pedestrian bridge will begin this fall.
IOWA FARM ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER AWARDS
44 Iowa farm families were recognized at the Iowa State Fair today for their voluntary environmental efforts.
These include two Plymouth County families.
Tony and Shirley Schroeder, and Broken Kettle Feedlot were presented with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards. The awards recognize farmers who take voluntary actions to improve and protect the natural resources on their farms, including soil and water.
Other award recipients included:
Eric and Tali Vander Stouwe – Sioux County
Russell and Beth Winterhof – Cherokee County
Hunter Lindgren – Ida County
Nick and Mary Sennert – Buena Vista County
Jessob and Jenna Steffen – Clay County
Steve and Sue Anne Stoermer – Clay County
The winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups.
The awards were presented by the Iowa Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of Agriculture, and Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
DISTRICT COURT VACANCY
Four people have applied to become a district associate judge for a six county area of northwest Iowa, including Plymouth County.
Drew Bockenstedt is a long-time employee in the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; Laury Lau Kleinschmidt is in a law practice in Sioux City; Molly Joly ia s court magistrate appointed to the bench in 2021; and Melinda Wicks is a court magistrate appointed to the bench in 2023.
The position will be open because of the upcoming retirement of District Associate Judge Todd Hensley.
The applicants will be interviewed on August 20th. The commission will recommend two of the applicants to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. The Governor then will have 30 days to appoint the new judge.
Judicial Sub-district 3b consists of Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury, Monona, Crawford and Ida counties. District Judge Jeffrey Neary of Le Mars is chair of the nominating commission.
OKOBOJI EASES SHORELINE ORDINANCE
Officials in the City of Okoboji have made temporary changes to a key ordinance to assist property owners dealing with significant erosion along the shore of West Lake Okoboji. City Administrator Michael Meyers says it usually takes at least a month to get a lakeshore landscaping permit. but requirements for a public meeting and other administrative steps are being waived. There were up to 15 properties within the City of Okoboji’s city limits that suffered what Meyers describes as catastrophic collapse of the lakeshore. Property owners will still be required to get an engineer’s evaluation of the project and follow other zoning rules.
STATE FAIR SEES ATTENDANCE DROP IN THE RAIN
Monday’s Iowa State Fair attendance dropped below 100-thousand after three straight days above that mark. Rain may’ve been the reason it was the first day that this year’s event didn’t beat the attendance for the same day last year. Saturday broke the single-day attendance record by about ten thousand, hitting 128-thousand-732.
FARMERS’ ALMANAC PREDICTS IOWA WILL FACE ‘WET WHIRLWIND’ THIS WINTER
The new edition of the Farmers’ Almanac isn’t boding well for the seasons to come. Almanac editor Sandi Duncan says their forecast for what lies ahead is under the headline “Wet Winter Whirlwind,” and it predicts Iowa and the rest of the Great Plains states will be facing lower-than-normal temperatures. Since 1818, the almanac has been using a proprietary formula to forecast the weather, based on historical and celestial factors. In addition to the cold, Duncan says they’re calling for an Iowa winter with average snowfall, with major storms in December and in both early and late February.
