WATER PROJECT FINANCING
The Le Mars city council passed a motion to enter into a Water Revenue Loan agreement, not to exceed 39.9 million dollars. This will fund construction of a new Reverse Osmosis water treatment plant, a new water well, and a pipeline project. The city’s bond attorney will arrange the sale of the Water Revenue Bonds to pay for the projects.
COUNTY BUDGET REQUESTS
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors heard a number of budget requests at their session today.
John Ahlers and Alise Allan with the Plymouth County Fair Board reported on their past year’s activities, and outlined some of their future projects. The Fair Board requested the same amount of financial support as last year, and recognized the in-kind support provided by the county through the Road Department. Ahlers told the Supervisors that the fair’s attendence this year, was the third highest in the state, exceeded only by the Scott and Clay County fairs.
Cindy Harpenau with Mid-Sioux Opportunity came before the Supervisors. Mid-Sioux is a community action agency which is based in five counties – Plymouth, Sioux, Cherokee, Lyon, and Ida. A recent granrt allows them to provide services to five more adjacent counties. Mid-SIoux operates federal and state programs including Head Start, energy assistance, and health and nutrition programs, Last year, the agency requested 19-thousand dollars in the Plymouth County budget, and were granted 16,500. Harpenau requested 19-thousand dollars in the next county budget. She says in the past year, Mid-Sioux aided 2155 individuals, and 845 households in Plymouth County. The assistance totaled 3.6 million dollars to those clients.
Life Skills and Wet Nose Pet Rescue also made budget requests to the Supervisors. They also received budget request via letter, from Floyd Valley PUblic Health, the Regional Housing Trust Fund, and Siouxland Regional Transit System.
LEUSINK SENTENCE COMMUTED
A Le Mars man who was sentenced to prison for burglary, theft, and misconduct in office, has had his sentenced commuted, and has been released from prison. In an order filed Friday in Plymouth County District Court, the prison sentence of Aaron Leusink was suspended, and he was placed on 5 years probation. Leusink was originally sentenced to forty years in prison for burglary, theft, possession of prescription drugs and misconduct while a law officer. That sentenced was overturned in September, 2023. Last month, Leusink was resentenced to 15 years. Since then, letters of support on behalf of the defendant were filed. During his incarceration, he appears to have been a model prisoner. The judge concluded that Leusink served a significant amount of time in prison during two separate stints. He has been a productive member of society, and is living a life of recovery. His conduct makes it likely that success on probation is great.
SUPERVISORS, CITY COUNCIL MEET
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors and the Le Mars city council meet today.
The Supervisors will hear budget requests from several agencies serving in Plymouth County.
The city council will hold a hearing on financing three water projects in the city – a new water treatment plant, a new well, and pipeline project. Action items today include approval of community betterment projects in six city parks; capital improvements at the city airport; an updated list of licenses and charges in Le Mars; and a proposal to form a tourism plan for the city.
MORE BIRD FLU CASES IN IOWA
Bird flu has been detected in three more Iowa flocks Monday.
Cases confirmed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the U.S. Department of Agriculture include another commercial layer flock in Sioux County, a commercial turkey flock in Worth County, and a backyard flock in Monona County.
There have now been 11 detections of bird flu in Iowa poultry this year. That includes a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza found in a commercial layer flock in O’Brien County this past weekend.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture strongly encourages Iowa poultry producers to bolster their biosecurity practices and protocols to protect their flocks and herds.
STATE SENATOR COURNOYER CHOSEN AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Governor Kim Reynolds has chosen a state senator from Le Claire to be her lieutenant governor. Fifty-four-year-old Chris Cournoyer took the oath of office in a ceremony at the statehouse Monday morning. Cournoyer has served in the Iowa Senate since 2019. Iowa has not had a lieutnenant governor since September 2nd when Adam Gregg resigned to become C-E-O of the Iowa Bankers Association. The governor says Cournoyer will support a wide range of policy priorities given her experience in computer science and artificial intelligence. Cournoyer, who says she’s been a computer nerd since the 1980s, says she’s ready to advance the governor’s agenda in any way that she can.
PADDLEFISH LICENSES FOR MISSOURI AND BIG SIOUX RIVERS ON SALE
Paddlefish licenses are now on sale for the Missouri and Big Sioux River season which starts in February. Iowa D-N-R Western Iowa Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Chris Larson, says they have 950 resident licenses, and 50 non-resident licenses that will be sold in the first round through December 31st. Paddlefish are not caught through the traditional fishing method of casting out bait on a hook. Larson says the paddlefish tend to hang out in deeper water in the winter around the wing dikes from Sioux City all the way to the Iowa border. He says they don’t move much in the winter, but do a lot of traveling when things warm up. The fish have a big paddle that sticks out in front of their face called a rostrum that they use to help navigate through the water. Larson says it’s a sensory organ to figure out where the little zooplankton they eat might be. You can find out how to get a paddlefish license on the D-N-R website.
