ELECTION RETURNS
Two contested races for the Iowa House in Plymouth County were settled Tuesday. In House District 3, Republican Tom Jeneary won re-election to a fourth term in the Legislature. Jeneary defeated Democrat Emma Bouza of Hawarden. In House District 13, an open seat, Travis Sitzmann of Kingsley, a Republican, defeated Democrat Rosanne Plante of Hinton.
There were two school bonds up for vote. In Le Mars, a 49.7 million dollars bond issue was approved by a 61% majority. District Superintendent Dr. Steven Webner was pleased to see the community approve of their plan on the first try.
The bond sale will help build a new K – 5 elementary school next door to the district’s middle school and high school.
Dr Webner says defining the needs and communicating with the voters helped pass this funding plan.
Now that the bond issue is passed, the school planning process begins.
In Hinton, an 11.9 million dollars bond issue failed. It gathered a 57.4% majority, not enough to reach the necessary threshold of 60% in order to pass.
This was the second try at passing a school bond in Hinton. Superintendent Slater thinks the District’s approach of a scaled back plan and a simpler ballot question is the right path to eventual sucess.
Hinton school buildings still need upgrades..
Hinton’s proposal called for school repairs and upgrades, and new classrooms.
In county races, two members of the Board of Supervisors were elected: incumbent Mike Van Otterloo was re-elected in District 2, and Douglas Edward Manley of Akron was elected in District 5. Manley replaces Gary Horton of Akron, who did not seek re-election. County Auditor Stacey Feldman and County Sheriff Jeff Te Brink were re-elected. All ran unopposed.
Other legislative races: Zack Dieken of Granville won re-election to the Iowa House in District 5. He defeated no party candidate Mike Schnoes of Sutherland. Senate District 2 incumbent Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center won re-election, as did House District 4 representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull. Both ran unopposed. Democrat JD Scholten of Sioux City won re-election in a close race in House District 1, over Republican Josh Steinhoff. Republican Robert Henderson of Sioux City won re-election in House District 2 over Democrat Jessica Lopez-Walker, also from Sioux City.
HEAVY TURNOUT IN PLYMOUTH COUNTY, NORTHWEST IOWA
Turnout in the Tuesday general elections were heavy in northwest Iowa.
Plymouth County had a 76% turnout, on a par with many of its surrounding counties.
Across northwest Iowa, SIoux County was at 80.2%, Lyon 79%, O’Brien 77.5%, Osceola 76.6%, Cherokee 74.8%, and Woodbury 66.7%
LYON COUNTY SHERIFF
There’s a new sheriff in town in Lyon County. For the second time in this election cycle, state trooper Brian Hilt defeated incumbant sheriff Stewart Van Der Stoep. Both candidate ran in a hotly-contested Republican primary race, with Hilt winning. But Van Der Stoep received a pair of write-in votes in the Libertarain primary. Based on that, an elections panel in the county, and later a court ruling, indicated that Sheriff Van Der Stoep could run in the general election as the Libertarian Party nominee. The results Tuesday were 3834 votes for the new Sheriff Hilt. Van Der Stoep received an even three-thousand votes.
REPUBLICANS WIN ‘SUPERMAJORITIES’ IN IOWA HOUSE AND SENTATE
Republicans appear to have secured supermajorities in the Iowa legislature, although there could be recounts in some close races. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans in the Iowa House have expanded their majority to 67 seats. Every Republican incumbent seeking reelection to the House won. Grassley suggests Democrats, by focusing on the abortion issue, were at a disadvantage. Republicans have held 34 of 50 seats in the Iowa Senate for the past two years and unofficial results indicate Republicans will hold that 34-seat supermajority when the legislature convenes in January.
LE MARS RAIL EXTENSION
The Le Mars city council passed a motion approving a professional services contract for design and construction of a city rail extension in the Le Mars Industrial Park Fourth Addition. The project will extend rail line across 27th Street SW and the entire 500 foot depth of the Industrial Park Fourth Addition. Cost of the contract with ISG is 108-thousand dollars. The cost of the contract will be reimbursed through TIF proceeds. The council also discussed potentially extending the rail line to C38, and merging with the main line near that point.
BURN BAN LIFTED
The burn ban for Plymouth County has been lifted as of 8:00am this morning. The ban was requested on October 1, and implemented on October 2. There were burn bans in 62 Iowa counties in October. Recent cool, damp weather has caused many of these to be lifted. By today, only 4 burn bans are still in place – in Lyon, Woodbury, Harrison and Polk counties
SCHOOL BUS-PICKUP INJURY ACCIDENT
On Tuesday, November 5, at 7:42 a.m., the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident that occurred at the intersection of 430th Street and Marsh Avenue, three miles north of Granville, IA.
Elliot Dykstra, age 23, of Alton, IA, was driving a 2015 Ford F-150 eastbound on 430th Street. John Kooiman, age 76, of Orange City, IA, was driving a 2022 Thomas school bus for the Unity Christian High School southbound on Marsh Avenue; the two met and struck in the intersection.
Dykstra was transported to Sanford Sheldon Medical Center for treatment of critical injuries. Kooiman and 18 students were transported to the Orange City Area Health System for treatment of various injuries ranging from minor to serious with the exception of one student who was transferred to Sanford Medical and one currently under further observation.
This is a joint accident investigation between the sheriff’s office and the Iowa State Patrol.
Incident Command was activated at Orange City Area Health System to coordinate care and communication between responding emergency services and the involved schools. The sheriff’s office was able, in conjunction with Unity Christian High School and Orange City Christian School to notify all parents to direct them to go to Orange City Area Health System to be successfully connected with their child.
Assisting emergency response was from the Orange City Police Department, Fire Departments from Hospers and Granville; ambulance services from Alton, Granville, Hospers, Orange City and Sheldon.
