SUPERVISORS MEET
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors this morning gave authorization to an internal loan of 2.8 million dollars to fund road, bridge and culvert projects. A list of projects were earlier approved by the Supervisors for construction through proceeds from the county’s Wind Urban Renewal District. The loan will help pay the costs of the projects, and that will be repaid as funds are generated within the Urban Renewal District.
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Plymouth County Veterans Affairs Director Jim Jones presented an annual report to the Board of Supervisors today. He says county veterans are receiving an increasing amount of benefits from the Veterans Administration. Since 2017-18, county veterans have received over 5.6 million dollars in benefits, 1.6 million on the last fiscal year. 2/3 of that total is VA benefits, the rest is back pay. Since January, 2021, monthly benefits to Plymouth County increased from 330-thousand dollars, to last molnth’s total of 583-thousand.
In the past year, Jones says they processed 110 benefits claims. 61 have been approved, 5 were deined, and 12 were cancelled. Another 32 cases are undetermined. Jones Last year was elected 2nd Vice President of the Iowa Veterans Association. He’s also the Education chairperson of the organization.
SITZMANN SEEKS ELECTION IN HOUSE DISTRICT 13
Travis Sitzmann of Kingsley is one of three candidates seeking election in Iowa House District 13. Sitzmann grew up in the rural are south of Le Mars, attended Gehlen Catholic Schools, and attended UNI, where he majored in political science.
His work experience has been with several area companies.
Sitzmann has deep ties to the district – his grandfather homesteaded here.
Sitzmann says there’s no one issue that stands out in his conversations with people in the 13th district.
Sitzmann says there’s no one issue that stands out in his conversations with people in the 13th district.
He says he is the candidate that supports conservative values in the race.
Transgenders issues and pro-life issues are among the conservative values that Sitzmann says must be upheld.
He has also made an emphasis on mental health issues in his campaign.
Mental health services were shifted from area education agencies to state officials.
There has been an influx of immigrants into the state, and Sitzmann says there should be stronger laws against illegal immigration.
He supports conservative values, government oversight and local control.
Sitzmann asks that voters recognize his deep ties to the district, having lived and worked in it his entire life, and that he will reflect conservative values in the state house if elected
Sitzmann, a Republican, seeks election in the district. Two others, Rosanne Plante, a Democrat, and Parker Hansen, an independent candidate, vie for the seat.
IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING
The Plymouth County Auditor’s office will be open this Saturday for in person absentee voting. This will take place Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. The Auditor’s Office is located on the second floor of the courthouse, but voters should use the north lower entrance to enter the building on that day. Voters who received an absentee ballot by mail, may also drop off their voted absentee ballot during those hours Saturday, if they do not wish to mail the ballot back to the Auditor.
LEWIS AND CLARK SIBLEY CONNECTION
Monday, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in Sibley, celebrating its connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System. It is the final member of the system to be connected to the 3-state water project. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley spoke at the event. The project, to bring Missouri River water to communities in Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota, was authorized by congress in the year 2000. Funding issues slowed its development, but Grassley praised local leaders for persevering and seeing the project through to its completion. Five Iowa communities are members of the system, including Sioux Center, Hull, Sheldon, Rock Rapids, and Sibley.
IOWANS ARE URGED TO GET NEW LAYER OF TAX SECURITY, CALLED AN IP PIN
The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging Iowans to take a simple, important step to prepare for the upcoming tax season. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says people should sign up now for what’s known as an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, or an I-P PIN.
Miller says it’s a quick, free process to set one up.
He recommends you sign up for the PIN before November 23rd, as sign up won’t be available again until early January.
Learn more about the option at irs-dot-gov.
