AG RECOVERY CENTER THURSDAY IN CORRECTIONVILLE
FEMA and state agencies will hold a one-day Agriculture Recovery Center in Woodbury County tomorrow. This is for farmers and rural residents who suffered damages from floods and storms earlier this spring. The meeting will be at the Correctionville Community Center from noon to 8 P.M. FEMA, the USDA, the Small Business Administration, and state agriculture and farm groups will have representatives to offer advice and assistance.
A second such one-day event will be held in O’Brien County next Tuesday. This will be at the Sheldon Community Service Center from noon to 8 pm on August 27.
FEMA DEADLINE
FEMA has announced a deadline for homeowners and renters affected by floods this summer to apply for their assistance.
Those in the 15 counties included in the presidential flood disaster counties have until October 22 to apply for assistance. These counties include Plymouth, Woodbury, Cherokee, O’Brien, and Sioux.
FEMA assistance includes grants to cover temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related needs. The U.S. Small Business Administration can provide loans to help cover home repairs and other disaster-related needs, along with business impacts.
INTERSECTION REBUILD
The Plymouth County Road Department says it will close a portion of county road K64 south of Oyens. Starting Monday, K64 from HIghway 3 south four miles to C38 will be closed to traffic, in order to rebuild the intersection of the road and C30. A detour will direct traffic from Oyens east on Highway 3, then south on Quest Road, then west on C38. Construction may extend to the end of October.
WEEKLY REPORT LE MARS FIRE RESCUE
Le Mars Fire Rescue responded to a total of 37 calls for the week ending Monday. 32 of those calls were emergencies, accidents and transfers. There were 3 fire rescue calls, and three calls for other services. All the department’s defibrulators and CPR devices were inspected and passed their annual checks.
FLOYD VALLEY HEALTHCARE PROPOSAL TABLED
The Le Mars city council Tuesday tabled a decision on a building purchase by Floyd Valley Healthcare. At their board meeting last week, the Healthcare Board of Trustees gave approval to the purchase of a building on Holton Drive, in order to relocate their Urgent Care and Community Health Services. Dustin Wright, CEO of Floyd Valley Healthcare, said the purchase was done to make these services more visible to the community, and more convenient to reach. Council members objected to the purchases for several reasons. Chief among them – being caught off guard by the speed with which this agreement moved forward – and the cost of the building shell, 1.3 million dollars. Wright says the cost was in line with current construction costs. It was not their intent to catch the council off guard with the proposal. The city of Le Mars owns Floyd Valley Healthcare, and has the final say on the purchase. There were four councilmen present at the meeting. A motion to table the matter was approved. This will give the full council more time to consider the proposal. The proposed purchase, and a minimum tax assessment agreement for the property, will be on the agenda at the next council meeting.
GRASSLEY MAKES 98TH STOP IN LE MARS
Tuesday marked the end of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley’s latest 99 county tour – the “Full Grassley” as it is known. His 98th stop was at Smithco, just outside of Le Mars. He described the main issues that have been discussed at his town hall meetings this year.
Grassley held a question and answer session with Smithco employees, and met with management. Sen Grassley says Smithco struggles to find enough employees for their operation.
Grassley later completed another cycle of visits with his 99th county meeting Tuesday afternoon at Novelty Machine and Supply Company in Sioux City. Grassley began his 99 county meetings in 1981 after he was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate. He had earlier stops Tuesday in Rock Rapids and Sioux Center.
OVERLOOK APARTMENTS TO RECEIVE STATE HOUSING GRANT
The Iowa Economic Development Authority has awarded over 37 million dollars in workforce housing tax credits to housing projects in the state, including the Overlook Apartments project in Le Mars. The Overlook Project will include construction of 100 apartments and townhomes, a playground and a dog park. The site is located along Business Route 75, just south of the Floyd River. The awards, announced Tuesday, will support 62 housing projects in Iowa, creating more than 2-thousand residential units.
STATE HOUSING GRANTS TO FLOOD DAMAGED COMMUNITIES
The city of Rock Valley announced Tuesday that 4.2 million dollars has been awarded to the city for construction of 129 housing units in the city. Floods in June affected 500 homes there. Over 150 of those housing units were completely destroyed by the flood. The funds come in the form of Workforce Housing Tax Credits and the state’s Disaster Recovery New Housing Program. Five housing projects were approved by the city under this funding. They include three multi-family housing projects totaling 72 units, and two single family housing projects totaling 44 unites.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced that an overall total of 7.2 million dollars has been awarded for construction of homes in flood damaged areas in northwest Iowa. It will support construction of 175 single-family and multi-family homes in Rock Valley, Cherokee, Rock Rapids and Spencer. The program had a total of 10 million dollars available, and applications are being accepted until the rest of the available funds are exhausted.
ALVORD MAN SENTENCED TO PROBATION FOR VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
An Alvord man was sentenced in Sioux County District Court to probation in a plea arrangement following a charge of vehicular homicide. Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle says Kaleb Richard Dean DeBey was sentenced Monday for Homicide by Vehicle-Reckless Driving, a class C felony, and two counts of driving under the influence, both serious misdemeanors. He was charged for a fatal accident and OWI, On July 30 of 2023, DeBey was driving west on 300th Street, approaching Rock Valley, at an excessive rate of speed, when he
He was driving at least 126 miles per hour, failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway and struck a culvert. A passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and killed. The Iowa State Patrol says DeBey’s blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. One month later, DeBey was stopped by police and was found to be driving under the influence.
Under a plea arrangement, prosecutors and DeBey would make their own sentencing recommendations, and the court would determine the sentence. The state recommended a 10-year prison sentence, or an alternative sentence of up to two years in jail. Counsel for DeBey recommended probation and no jail time. The Court ruled that DeBey’s prison term be suspended. He was ordered to five years probation. For the OWI charges, he was ordered to serve 7 days in the county jail. He was given credit for 11 days previously served.
