WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA CEREMONY
A ceremony this morning in Le Mars will honor all branches of the military. Wayne Schipper is Le Mars coordinator for Wreaths Across America. He says the ceremony is different than most wreath-laying ceremonites
At the ceremony today, wreaths will be laid in the Vets Mem Park in Le Mars, to honor veterans of each branch of military service
This is also a way of giving thanks for the sacrifice of area veterans.
The ceremony is 11 a.m. Saturday Dec 14 at the Plymouth County Veterans Memorial Park in Le Mars, at 3rd Ave and 10th Street in Le Mars. 8 wreaths will be laid for the different branches of the military, and one for the prisoners of war and those missing in action. The ceremony was postponed last week, due to inclement weather.
LE MARS NATIVE APPOINTED BISHOP IN TEXAS
A Le Mars native has been appointed a new bishop to lead the Diocese of Tyler Texas. Pope Francis appointed Dallas Auxiliary Bishop J. Gregory Kelly to lead the Tyler Diocese. Kelly will be installed in Tyler on Feb. 24, 2025. The bishop-elect was born on Feb. 15, 1956, in Le Mars. He received a degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas, Texas. He later received a master of divinity from the university. He served in numerous roles throughout the diocese, including as pastor at multiple churches and as the chaplain at the University of Dallas. In 2016 he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the diocese, where he has served since. Kelly will take over diocesan leadership from Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez, who has served as apostolic administrator in Tyler since last year. Pope Francis last year removed its Bishop Joseph Strickland amid questions over management of the diocese.
(photo courtesy Catholic News Service)
AARP STUDY FINDS ELDERLY IOWANS WANT TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES
A national study by A-A-R-P looked at where members want to live as they get older. A-A-R-P vice president Rodney Harrell says seniors, by a wide margin, prefer to stay in their own homes as they age. He says most homes are built to accomodate younger people and though it may be paid off, it may not be the best situation for mom.
Harrell says the positive thing for those who are getting older is there are lots of resources to help you.
Harrell says check out those resources and see what you can use to help you stay in your home as you age. He says it’s also a good idea to start looking at those issues as early as you can so you can be ready to make changes to improve you situation.
GRANTS TO RECOVERY CENTERS
Gov. Reynolds Friday announced that opioid treatment and recovery providers in Sioux City and five other treatment centers have been awarded a total of more than $10 million in grants to expand or improve facilities or develop sober-living housing options. This is part of a statewide effort to better serve Iowans impacted by the ongoing opioid epidemic. Jackson Recovery Centers, Inc., Sioux City 1 million dollars First-floor building renovation for medical, psychiatric and medical assisted treatment services. The grants leverage federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and are administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority.
HOW TO – AND NOT TO – CARE FOR YOUR TREES IN WINTER
Saturday is the first day of winter, and if our landscaping should happen to get heaped with snow in the weeks and months ahead, there are good ways and bad ways to handle it, especially if you did any fall planting. Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says homeowners may be concerned about trees and other plants being damaged by a heavy, wet snow, especially if their limbs are sagging. Steil says if you do have a younger plant that’s weighed down by snow, brush it off using your hand or a broom. He adds, do so with an upward motion, not downward, as that may further stress branches. If there’s ice, Steil says to resist the urge to try to remove ice from frozen boughs and limbs, as you’re likely to do more damage than good.
