ARGUMENTS BEGIN IN HARMS CASE
Opening arguments in the trial of Reese Harms begin this afternoon.
A jury was selected yesterday in the Plymouth County courtroom. The trial was to begin this morning, but inclement weather forced a delay. The trial begins at 1 p.m.
Harms is charged with second degree murder and attempted murder in the death of Michael Gomez of Merrill in January of 2024.
HULL MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON
A Hull man was sentenced to prison Monday after pleading guilty to willfull injury and arson.
Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle announced that Jorge Gomez Badillo, 28, of Hull, was sentenced in Sioux County District Court. He reached a plea agreement to chartges of 3rd degree arson, an aggravated misdemeanor, and two felony counts of willfull injury. He was sentenced to an indeterminate term not to exceed 17 years in the state corrections systerm.
Badillo was arrested in October of last year, after authorities received a report of two subjects covered in blood being pursued by a suspect. The two had been stabbed. Badillo was alleged to have entered the victims’ home and stabbed them. Later, black smoke was seen coming from Badillo’s residence on Divsion Street in Hull. A search of the home revealed drugs and knives. Badillo admitted to deputies he started the fire.
FITNESS CAMPAIGN GRANT
The city of Le Mars received a National Fitnerss Campaign Grant. This 30-thousand dollars grant will help fund an outdoor gym/fitness court at Municipal Park. It is one of the city’s Community Betterment III projects.
Total cost of the fitness court is 198,500 dollars. The local share will be 168,500 dollars. The council passed a resolution Tuesday accepting the grant.
BLIZZARD WARNING CONTINUES THIS MORNING
Plymouth and its surrounding counties continue under a Blizzard Warning until noon today. The sleet and snow which fell overnight has ended, but high winds will continue to cause visibility problems. And roads are icy. The Iowa DOT says travel is not advised this morning on roads throughout northwest Iowa. This morning, there will be areas of blowing snow, along with winds 30-35, gusting to 45 miles per hour. Winds will decrease to 20-25 miles per hour this afternoon.
Schools across Plymouth County are closed today. The P,lymouth County Courthouse will open at 10 am.
HINTON PPEL EXTENSION PASSES
Voters in the Hinton School District have approved the extension of the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy. The vote was 307 yes, 101 no, an approval margin of 75%. The measure need a simple majority in order to pass. The PPEL levy is used for building repairs and maintenance, Bus purchases and maintenance, equipment for classroom use, among others. The passage of the levy extends it for another ten years.
FEENSTRA RESPONDS TO TRUMP ADDRESS
U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra says President Trump has moved quickly to implement his agenda. Trump last night gave his State of the Union address.
Feenstra expects more of the Trump agenda Rep. to come.
In attendance at the address, held in the U.S. House Chambers. was the father of Sarah Root, the namesake of “Sarah’s Law”, part of the first bill President Trump signed in this term. Root died in an accident caused by a man in the U.S. illegally. The suspect was recently taken into custory in Honduras, and will be retuerned to the U.S. to face charges in Root’s death.
LE MARS RAILROAD EXTENSION
The Le Mars city council adopted a resolution setting plans, specifications and form of contract for a railroad extension project in the city’s industrial park.
The 500-foot fail extension will cross 27th Street SW, and the entire length of the industrial park, 4th addition. The estimated cost of the project is 504-thousand dollars.
Bids will be opened March 25, and a construction contract awarded April 1.
The project is to be completed by October 3.
HOUSE GOP HOLDING TIGHT IN NEGOTIATIONS OVER SCHOOL FUNDING
House Speaker Pat Grassley says he and other Republicans in the Iowa House are standing firm on their plan to provide more money to K-through-12 schools than Governor Reynolds and Senate Republicans propose.
House Republicans have voted to provide more money to help cover busing costs in geographically large school districts AND a one-time infusion of 22-point-six million dollar to help schools cover expenses that have been pushed higher due to inflation. House Republicans also propose letting smaller school districts share more administrative staff, as well as a general per pupil spending level that’s slightly higher than the two percent increase Governor Reynolds and Senate Republicans propose.
School districts must hold public hearings on budget plans and school boards must adopt a budget for the next academic year by April 30th.
GRASSLEY: TARIFFS ON IOWA’S BIGGEST TRADING ALLIES MAY IMPACT PROFITS
At one minute past midnight Tuesday morning, President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all goods being brought into the U-S from Canada and Mexico, Iowa’s two largest trading partners. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts it will likely mean Iowa consumers will soon start having to pay more for a wide range of products. Grassley expects both nations to impose their own tariffs on products from the U-S. Iowa businesses ship more products to Canada than anywhere else, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner. Grassley says he’s already hearing from Iowa hog farmers about the tariffs, especially those who get baby pigs from Canada. Iowa sends all types of products to our neighbors to the north and south, including: pork, beef, corn, dried distillers grains, soybeans, soybean meal, and ethanol.
