LE MARS REC TRAIL REPAIRS
The city of Le Mars is taking on replacement of the recreation trail that was damaged by the June flood. Sections of the trail were washed out near the Business 75 bridge on the north edge of the city, and along Highway 3 near the youth ball parks. City administrator Jason Vacura told the city council that their work was halted by the Iowa Department of Transportation for a time, as they intended to do the work. However, that would require a bidding process that would delay work until next year. City crews will do the work this fall, while the DOT will repair the Floyd River banks that were eroded by the flood next year.
WICKS APPOINTED DISTRICT JUDGE
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her appointment of Melinda Wicks as a district associate judge in Judicial District 3B.
Wicks, of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, serves as a magistrate in Woodbury County and as a deputy county attorney in the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, State of Nebraska. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska and law degree from Washburn University of Law.
Wicks fills a vacancy created following the retirement of the Hon. Todd A. Hensley. Judicial District 3B includes Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Ida, and Monona counties.
SANBORN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BANK ROBBERY
An O’Brien County man has pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in the community this past January. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.
JUDGE HEARS ARGUEMENTS OVER LIBERTARIANS KICKED OFF IOWA BALLOTS
Attorneys for Libertarians nominated to run in three Iowa congressional districts say a state panel didn’t have the authority to kick them off November’s ballots. A Polk County judge heard arguments in the case Thursday afternoon. Jennifer De Kock, representing one of the Libertarian candidates, says her client’s free speech rights are being violated and that should outweigh strict enforcement of state rules for how political parties conduct business.
Alan Ostergren is the attorney for Republicans who filed petitions showing the Libertarian Party failed to follow state law regarding the timing of the party’s county conventions.
Polk County District Judge Michael Huppert says he’ll issue a ruling soon, but it’s likely to be appealed by the losing side, so the Iowa Supreme Court may have the final say on whether the Libertarians’ names will be printed on ballots.
CASEY’S INCREASES ITS PLANS FOR MORE STORES
The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store chain is upping its projection for expansion in this fiscal year. Casey’s Vice President for Investor Relations Brian Johnson talked about the change in a conference call on their first quarter results.
The increase comes as Casey’s moves toward completing the acquisition of a group of 148 stores in Texas and 50 in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.
The large scale acquisition of those stores from the FIKES Wholesale company push them ahead of their timeline for expansion. Casey’s C-E-O Darin Rebelez says he’s not sure if they would buy another large group because of the cost.
Rebelez says the acquisition team will be looking at options for smaller groups of stores. He says they will check out opportunities for growth as they become available.
Casey’s will have 29-hundred stores once the FIKES aquisition is completed by the end of the year. The company reported an increase in net income compared to the same quarter last year with an increase in same store sales and a more than 31-percent increase in gross fuel profit.
