GEHLEN ESTATE GIFT
Gehlen Catholic School is now considering how best to make use of the largest estate gift in its history. Paul Brauch left over 250 acres of land to the school and All Saints Parish.
This is Gehlen Development Director Amy Jungers.
The gift was made in 2023, and since then, the school has been taking steps to determine how best to put it to use.
A Sioux City Design firm helped school officials with a feasibility study. Jungers said it was focused on the state of the current school buildings.
Jungers says a master plan takes the feasibility study one step further.
Now an Omaha firm will help with a campaign planning study. The Gehlen community will be surveyed to prioritize a series of potential projects for school expansion and improvement.
The Gehlen Catholic Community will be surveyed about 5 potential projects
This may in result in a capital campaign to help fund future projects.
Jungers says the estate gift of 3.8 million dollars will help spark funding for any future campaign.
Jungers says Paul Brauch’s gift to Gehlen Catholic showed his faith and hope for the future of Gehlen Catholic.
LEGISLATORS CONSIDER WAYS TO BRING IOWA MORE HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL
Iowa lawmakers advanced three bills this week that aim to raise the state’s number of medical providers. One of the bills would give priority for medical residency slots to Iowa residents, or to those who went to college or med school in state. Representative Tom Jeneary, a Republican from Le Mars, says he supports prioritizing Iowa connections, but he also wants to make sure residency slots go to the best qualified candidates.
The other bills would allow physician assistants from other states to practice in Iowa through a licensure compact, and to study transitioning certain medical school programs from four years to three. Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he supports the study, but thinks it will be challenging for schools like Des Moines University.
Governor Kim Reynolds has made increasing the number of providers in the state one of her legislative priorities this session.
MAN WHO RE-ENTERED THE U.S. ILLEGALLY SENTENCED IN SIOUX CITY
A Guatemala man who illegally re-entered the United States as a felon has been sentenced in Sioux City federal court to two years in prison.
29-year-old Erasmo Roberto Mendez-Lopez received the prison term after a September 4th guilty plea to illegal re-entry as a felon.
Prosecutors say Mendez-Lopez admitted he illegally re-entered the United States after being deported as a felon in 2019.
Last May 17th, he was arrested by Sioux City police for operating while under the influence 2nd offense, eluding, and an active failure to appear warrant for a prior OWI charge out of Woodbury County.
He also had 4 active warrants from Plymouth County for charges including eluding at a speed over 25 miles an hour over the limit, speeding, open container, and improper use of lanes from 2022.
Mendez-Lopez has previously been removed from the United States on two separate occasions.
Congressman Randy Feenstra of Iowa says previously convicted and deported criminals such as Mendez Lopez are why President Trump is opening up the U.S. Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba to house more prisoners who are our country illegally:
Feenstra sponsored Sarah’s Law, which was attached to the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal detention for illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary.
Sarah’s Law makes it mandatory for federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants charged with the death or serious injury of a person.
Feenstra was there when President Trump signed the bill into law after it was passed by Congress in January:
Sarah Root was from Council Bluffs and died in a traffic crash in Omaha that police say involved an illegal immigrant driving while intoxicated.
Omaha police said the man arrested had a blood alcohol level three times above the legal limit, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to take him into custody.
Feenstra says Congress will continue to act to build the wall and secure the country’s border to keep illegals out.
DROUGHT CONDITIONS STABLE ACROSS IOWA
Despite below-normal precipitation in January, drought conditions remain stable across the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
January’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 0.32 inches, or 0.65 inches below normal. January is typically the driest month for the state, but increased rainfall during the previous months helped prevent drought conditions from deteriorating. Total rainfall for November and December was almost 0.51 inches above normal.
At the end of January, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed drought conditions remained stable across the state, with all regions carrying a normal drought watch designation. All of northwest Iowa is in the D1, or moderate drought category. Western Plymouth and Sioux County are in D2, or severe drought. Statewide temperatures for the month were just over one degree cooler than normal.
Precipitation forecasts from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center indicate a slight chance of above-average rainfall for the eastern half of the state. If these forecasts hold true, that region of Iowa is likely to maintain normal conditions going into March.
LAWSUIT SEEKS TO NULLIFY STATE CASINO LICENSE FOR CEDAR RAPIDS
There’s a legal challenge to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision to grant a state license to a Cedar Rapids casino. Mark Weinhardt, an attorney for the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort, says the commission lacked the authority to make that decision because the 2021 gambling referendum in Linn County asked voters the wrong question about a gambling license. Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission chairman Daryl Olsen says a majority of commission members are satisfied they had the authority to make their decision after consulting with legal counsel and the Iowa Attorney General’s office. Four of the five members of the commission voted to grant a state casino license to Cedar Rapids yesterday (Thursday). Later this (Friday) morning at 11 a.m., a groundbreaking is scheduled in Cedar Rapids for the Cedar Crossing project. Developers say they hope to open the casino complex on New Year’s Eve 2026.
GASOLINE PRICES IN IOWA HOLD FAIRLY STEADY, DESPITE TARIFF TALK
Iowa farmers, consumers and others are watchful for any impact that may be coming from tariffs President Trump is proposing on trade partners. A new ten-percent tariff is being imposed on China, while planned tariffs on Mexico and Canada are paused for a month, but they could still be enacted. Brian Ortner, spokesman for Triple-A-Iowa, says gasoline prices haven’t fluctuated far, as yet. Triple-A says gas prices in Iowa are averaging three-dollars a gallon today (Thursday), while they were at two-95 a week ago, so they’ve only risen five cents a gallon since the tariffs were first announced. Reports show Canada and Mexico, combined, supply more than 71-percent of U-S crude imports.
FLOYD VALLEY AUXILIARY SPONSORS HEALTHCARE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AREA STUDENTS
The Floyd Valley Auxiliary will be awarding three $2,000 “tuition-only” scholarships to area students this spring. To be eligible, the applicant must be a resident of the Floyd Valley Healthcare service area, accepted at an accredited school and pursuing a patient care –related field (including pre-med, physician assistant, nursing technologist, therapies, and dental health).
Interested students may obtain the necessary application form with complete qualifying information from their high school guidance counselor, pick up at gift shop or print copy off on-line at FloydValley.org under the About Us/Auxiliary. Applications and support information must be returned to by April 3, 2025; instructions are on the form.
