AGRIBUSINESS LUNCHEON
It’s National Agriculture Day, and for Plymouth County, that means the annual Agri-Business Luncheon, organized by the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee.
The guest speaker this morning was Erik Hoegemeyer, Assistant Professor of Agri-Business and Economics at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. Hoegemeyer’s talk was on the topic “Why I’m Optismistic about U.S. Agriculture.”
The Ag Committee’s annual Service to Agriculture award was presented to Dennis Morrice, former KLEM News Director, by Janelle Johnson.
An annual Chamber FFA Scholarship of 500 dollars was presented to Jayden Berkenpas by Jill Oltmanns.
The keynote speaker today was Scott Shellady, better known as The Cow Guy, who broadcasts his daily Cow Guy Close on RFD TV. He originated today’s broadcast from the Le Mars Convention Center.
MISSION HONDURAS SENDOFF
Today is the sendoff for Mission Honduras. A team of 35 people will travel to a mission established outside the Honduras capital. Alissa Schipper, Gehlen Catholic’s director of Campus Ministry, has been organizing these sendoffs for over a decade.
Joci Roder is a missioner who went last year
Kate Bonderson joins the team as a first time missioner
Their theme song this year is Be a Light by Thomas Rhett.
Among the missioners are 16 adults, and 19 students from several schools Gehlen, Le Mars Community, Remsen St Mary’s , Emmetsburg and Sioux City Heelan. The group leaves immediately after the sendoff to Omaha, and they begin their journey tomorrow morning.
BILL WOULD BAN DRONES FROM FLYING OVER FARMSTEADS
The Iowa Senate has voted to expand a 2024 law that made it a crime to fly drones over animal feeding operations.
The bill seeks to prohibit drones from being flown without permission over a farmstead that covers at least 40 acres and generates at least 15-thousand dollars in annual sales from livestock or other commodities.
State Senator Dan Zumbach, a farmer from Ryan, says the bill also would prohibit drones from flying within 400 feet of farm animals, farm equipment, barns and a farmer’s home.
Zumbach says drones scare livestock in outdoor pens or pastures.
The bill passed the Senate on a 43-to-three vote and goes to the House for consideration.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY BUDGET AMENDMENT
There will be a public hearing before the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors next month on an amendment to the 2024-25 county budget.
The amendment reflects 408-thousand dollars in additional revenues. Nearly half of the revenues come from additional investment interest. Another 181-thousand dollars come from FEMA reimbursements for flood damages, reimbursements from jail insurance claims, and from treasurer’s auto registration fees.
The budget amendment also includes 622-thousand dollars in expenditures. These cover 300-thousand dollars in expenses for the Plymouth County Wind Project, and 149-thousand dollars in public safety and legal services, and an additional 106-thousnad dollars in administrative expenses,
The Board of Supervisors have set a public hearing on the budget amendment for April 8 at 10-30 a.m.
SUPERVISORS MEET
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors hold their weekly session this morning. The Supervisors will review, and set a public hearing for an amendment to the current county budget. There will also be several items from the county engineer, including approval of a Federal Aid Agreement for a paving project on county road K42.
LE MARS COUNCIL MEETS
The Le Mars city council meets this afternoon. Their meeting begins with a hearing on a Park Regulations Ordinance, which includes the city taking responsibility for maintenance of the PlyWood Trail segment between Le Mars and Merrill. Action will also be taken by the city council on a Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility Study. Other action items include an agreement with the YMCA for operation of the outdoor pool; Police Department wages; a consultant’s contract for replacement of a traffic signal, and award of contract for the 2025 Industrial Road Sanitary Sewer Extension project.
FIREMEN CANDIDATES MARCH IN SIOUX CITY
High school students from Sioux City’s Career Academy’s fire science program took to the streets in full turnout gear Monday morning to learn what it’s like to function wearing fire gear.
Anthony Gaul, who is also the Sgt. Bluff fire chief, teaches the course and helped the students equip themselves with the fire gear which included airpacks and oxygen masks, to then walk about a mile to a city fire station :
Carter Adam, a senior from West High School, was one of the students who geared up:
Adam and North High senior Parker Petersen, have been around firefighters frequently, as their grandfathers each served on the Sioux City Fire Department
Petersen says he hopes to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps:
Haylie Mesmer of East High and Hannah Burge of West High are also considering a career as first responders:
Gaul says most fire departments in the region are in need of firefighters, so he is hoping these students will use their training at the career academy to spur their interest into serving their communities:
Twenty-eight students are currently taking the fire fighter training.
Previous graduates are serving on fire departments in over a dozen communities in the Siouxland area.
