Home News KLEM News for Saturday, October 19

KLEM News for Saturday, October 19

LE MARS HONORED FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

 

The Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association has announce that the City of Le Mars and ISG  have been awarded the Economic Development Planning Award for the Le Mars Community Development Plan. This award is being presented at the 2024 APA Iowa Chapter Annual Planning Conference being held Thursday in Sioux City.  The City of Le Mars and consulting firm ISG created Vision 2045, a 25-year development plan for the city.  It plans for the city to double in population in that time, and addresses housing, parks, retail businesses, and industry.

 

GOV. REYNOLDS APPOINTS ADAM MILLER AS DISTRICT JUDGE

Gov. Kim Reynolds Friday announced her appointment of Adam Miller as a district judge in Judicial District 3A.    Miller, of Cherokee, Iowa, is an attorney at Miller Miller Miller PC.
Miller fills a vacancy created following the retirement of the Hon. Nancy L. Whittenburg. Judicial District 3A includes Buena Vista, Cherokee, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, and Palo Alto counties.

 

DROUGHT INCREASES

The latest U-S Drought monitor map is showing more color, which is not what the state needs to see, as that indicates more drought. D-N-R hydrologist Tim Hall says there’s just a small patch of clear area on the map near the Missouri border.

 

Hall says the concern level is not very high at this point.

 

That comes after a September that was the driest in the history of state weather records.

 

Hall says precipitation normally drops off each month as we head through fall and into winter, and it usually isn’t a big worry.

 

Hall says the concern will increase if we continue to see dry months into spring.

 
DPS DIRECTOR DISCUSSES FINDINGS IN PERRY SHOOTING

The director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety says the shooter at Perry High School desired to be famous and wanted to commit suicide and take others with. Director Stephan Bayens says there were no indications that anyone knew of the plot before, but there were signs. He says they can say the 17-year-old student shooter “did have broad behavioral issues, had broad mental health concerns, and that many of these concerns were present years in advance of the shooting on January 4th,” Sixth-grader Ahmir Jolliff died the day of the shooting, 56-year-old Principal Dan Marburger died ten days later. The shooter took his own life. The case was turned over the county attorney to determine charges. The Dallas County Attorney announced Thursday there would be no charges in the shooting.

 

REYNOLDS HONORED FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been named the top governor in the U.S. for fiscal responsibility.  The Cato Institute says Governor Reynolds received their highest score for Fiscal Responsibility for the second time.

America’s 50 governors are ranked on their fiscal policies from the view of limited government. Gov. Reynolds scored an 81, the highest mark of all governors scored since 2008, and received an ‘A’ grade for reforming the state’s tax structure and cutting taxes continuously since she was elected governor in 2018.

When Gov. Reynolds first took office, Iowa had the 6th highest income tax rate in the country at nearly 9 percent. In May, Gov. Reynolds signed a law which accelerated the flat income tax rate for Iowa taxpayers to 3.8 percent. The new single tax rate goes into effect on January 1, 2025 and returns over $1 billion back to state taxpayers.

In 2023, Gov. Reynolds also restructured state government, shrinking 37 cabinet departments down to just 16. Her move to realign government is estimated to save Iowa taxpayers $215 million over four years.

 

DUNLOP EATERY WINS BEST TENDERLOIN CONTEST

The Dairy Sweet in Dunlap is the winner of the Iowa Pork Producers “Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin” contest. Lori Thomsen and her husband Greg own which won this year’s title. She says it’s special because her parents won it in 2005 they have been working toward that level in the last 12 years. The Dairy Sweet receives a 500 dollar cash prize, a plaque, and a banner to let everyone know they won. This year’s runner-up is Ruby’s Bar & Grill in Stuart. There were 532 restaurants across Iowa year nominated for the honor this year.