SUPERVISORS VOTE TO SETTLE CLAIM
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors voted to settle a claim brought by a livestock producer against the county, at the advice of their insuror.
The case arose two years ago. A claim filed by an individual with livestock said that while a construction crew was replacing a culvert in southwest Plymouth County. The water which flowed to his flock had to be dammed up. The claimant stated that the death of his sheep and goats, some 71 head in all, occured due to thirst and due to dust which was raised by the construction vehicles and equipment. The duct caused increased stress on the livestock in the summer heat.
The county’s insuror recommended that the county settle the claim rather than face more expensive litigation. The Supervisors agreed to a 46-thousand dollars settlement. The contractor will pay another 23-thousand.
Chairman Don Kass disagrees with the settlement. He says the matter wasn’t investigated thoroughly enough. Supervisor Mike Van Otterloo opposed the settlement, but says it’s “the cost of doing business”. The Board voted 4-1 to settle the claim. Supervisor Craig Anderson cast the no vote, saying the case “leaves a bad taste in my mouth”.
The settlement will not place an additional burden on the taxpayer.
TOTAL MOTORS DONATES OVER $12,000 IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER
Total Motors continues Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for the eighth consecutive year. This year’s contribution of $12,300 brings their total amount of local donations to over $102,000.
Throughout October, Total Motors has committed to donating $100 of each vehicle sold to local individuals who have fought or are currently fighting breast cancer. In addition, they donate a portion of the funds to local medical institutions that help provide treatments, screenings, and support to those individuals who are fighting breast cancer in our communities. Recipients are nominated by their loved ones.
This year’s recipients were:
Liz Nessman of Sioux City, Iowa
Kelli Rhiner of Newell, Iowa
Melissa Cooley-Fleider of Sioux City, Iowa
Institutions that received donations were:
Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center
Cherokee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Holstein
(pictures courtesy Total Motors)
COUNCIL MEETING TIMES
The Le Mars city council will continue to hold their meetings at the current time, but will hold occasional evening meetings in order to attract more citizen input.
The city ordinance says council meetings are to be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The council can decide what time to meet. The council currently meets at noon. There was a long discussion over the best time to meet if they want to go to a session later in the day, at 5 or 6 p.m.
City attorney Michael Murphey suggested there is no reason why you couldn’t say the meetings are staying as is, but you have a special quarterly council meeting in the evening, and guage the public response.
Councilman Mark Sturgeon made a motion that the first meeting of the month be at noon and the second meeting of the month be at 6 pm, starting in January. The motion failed for lack of a second.
The council will continue to hold their meetings at noon, and will hold quarterly town-hall type meetings on specific topics, such as when holding their budget workshop.
THE BIG CHALLENGE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Entrepreneurs from four northwest Iowa communities will compete in a business pitch competition Thursday in Le Mars. Earlier this month, entrepreneurs submitted their ideas to start or expand a business. Four finalists will present their ideas to an audience and judges to compete for cash prizes. The finalists include AJ Vander Wall and Boss LLC of Rock Valley; Trevor Wheelock and Sizzle and Syrup of Sioux City; Abby Carter and CA Performance Horses and Marketing of Alvord; and Becca Heissel and Business Owners Advocate of Onawa.
The main event will be Thursday at the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars. There will be a social hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. During this time, each finalist will have a booth set up to showcase their business for attendees to visit. At 6:00 p.m. each finalist will have 6 minutes to present their business, followed by 5 minutes of Q & A from the panel of judges. The winners of the competition will be announced at 7:15 p.m. with first place receiving $5,000, second place receiving $3,000, third place receiving $2,000, to help grow their businesses. The event is free and open to the public.
The BIG Challenge is a grant competition, sponsored by Iowa’s West Coast Initiative, Siouxland Economic Development Corporation, and Northwest Iowa developers.
STATE AUDITOR ADVISES ARMSTRONG ABOUT ITS FINANCES
State officials are offering advice about the finances of a small northwest Iowa city where five officials were accused of bilking Armstrong out of thousands of dollars and destroying financial records. State Auditor Rob Sand has issued a report citing 22 accounting issues in the City of Armstrong during its last budgeting year. Sand says there will be quite a period of clean-up in Armstrong after at least 100-thousand dollars worth of deposits and payments were mishandled. The town’s former mayor, three former city clerks and its former police chief were all accused of wrongdoing and have pleaded guilty to misconduct in office, but none were sent to prison.
SUMMIT FILES NEW APP FOR SOUTH DAKOTA PIPELINE PERMIT
Summit Carbon Solutions has submitted a second application in South Dakota for construction of a carbon pipeline. Last year, South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission rejected Summit’s initial application. Officials said it did not comply with county zoning rules. Earlier this month, South Dakota voters upheld those restrictions. According to a news release from Summit Carbon Solutions, the company has made major changes in its South Dakota pipeline route after more than a year of one-on-one work with landowners. Iowa and North Dakota regulators have approved permits for the project. It would ship carbon from 57 ethanol plants in five states to underground storage in North Dakota.
Summit’s C-E-O says the project represents a pathway to new markets and lasting economic growth for generations to come. Nine IOWA counties passed zoning ordinances for carbon pipelines and today, judges on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha will hear arguments over ordinances in Shelby and Story Counties that Summit sued to overturn. Summit has pending lawsuits against Emmet, Kossuth and Palo Alto Counties and recently sued Bremer County over its zoning ordinance.
GRASSLEY WILL CHAIR HEARINGS ON CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP NOMINEE
Senator Chuck Grassley says the allegations swirling around President-elect Trump’s pick for attorney general seem like a replay of what happened in 2018 to one of Trump’s U-S Supreme Court nominees. Grassley, a Republican, was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when the committee advanced Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the nation’s highest court — and Grassley will lead the panel next year as it considers now-former U-S Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Grassley says the vetting process is very thorough and he’ll go into the nomination hearing on Gaetz with an open mind. Gaetz, a Florida congressman, resigned immediately after Trump announced his nomination for attorney general. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use against Gaetz. A spokesman for Trump says the accusations are baseless and are an attempt to derail Trump’s second administration.
FORMER GOV. BRANSTAD TO RETIRE FROM WORLD FOOD PRIZE FOUNDATION
Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is retiring from his latest post as president of the World Food Prize. Branstad, the nation’s longest serving governor, resigned in 2017 to serve as U-S Ambassador to China. He left that post in September of 2020 and, in early 2023, became the president of the Des Moines-based World Food Prize Foundation. Branstad said at the time he’d be in the role for a year or so.
Branstad says he’s proud that the organization has expanded its reach and deepened its committment to building sustainable, resilient food systems worldwide. Branstad worked with Iowa businessman John Ruan (ROO-awn) and Iowa native Norman Borlaug to bring the World Food Prize to Des Moines in 1990. Borlaug won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for research that dramatically improved wheat yields. When Branstad took over as World Food Prize president last year, Branstad said he wanted to maintain their legacy.
Branstad, who turned 78 on Sunday, will conclude his tenure at the World Food Prize on January 31st. The organization’s chief operating officer will lead the World Food Prize Foundation as it conducts a global search for a new chief executive.
