LE MARS BUSINESS INITIATIVE CORPORATION REQUEST
The city of Le Mars is helping the Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation, or LBIC, purchase et acres of land to develop a new commercial park. The land is located west of the Loves’ Travel Center. LBIC has secured a loan to purchase the parcel, which is now farmland. The city was asked to pay the interest on the loan for a period of two years. That will give the city enough time to build infrastructure into the property. The maximum interest paid by the city under this agreement is 210-thousand dollars. Sales of commercial lots will pay the costs of the loan.
TULIP FESTIVAL EXTRAVIGANZA
The Orange City Tulip Festival Extravaganza was held Friday. The luncheon included the revealing of the Dutch costumes that will be worn by the Queen and court; and the announcement of the Festival’s parade marshal.
This year, the court will wear authentic costumes from the village of Spakenburg, in Province of Utrecht. An everyday costume will be worn by the court, and a more formal costume will be worn by the Tulip Queen.
The 2025 Tulip Festival Parade Marshal will be Tom Hydeen. He and his wife, Carla, and young son moved to Orange City in 1982, when he joined the staff at First Reformed Church. Two more children were born and raised in Orange City.
Hydeen has been involved in the Tulip Festival almost from the start of their stay. Tom first joined the adult Dutch Dancers then took part in many different Tulip Festival activities, mostly in the Night Show, where he has spent 35 years with the orchestra or backstage.
FEENSTRA BACKS BILL TO BAN DIGITAL CURRENCY
Last week, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra cosponsored the anti-CBDC Surveillance Act – led by U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. It would prevent the Federal Reserve from authorizing the creation of a central bank digital currency or digital dollar. Feenstra says the creation of a central bank digital currency would infringe on personal freedoms and threaten privacy. The federal government would have access to personal financial transactions. He says some countries, including China, use digital currency to monitor their citizens and track purchases.
HOUSE VOTES FOR IOWA-BASED SCHOOL LUNCH NUTRITION GUIDELINES
The Iowa House has passed a bill that would bypass some federal nutrition guidelines for meals served in Iowa schools by getting a federal waiver to emphasize serving animal-based proteins as well as vegetables and fruits. Republican Representative Derek Wulf of Hudson says it’s a critical step to promote Iowa agriculture.
Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the bill flips the evidence-based food pyramid on its head.
Representative Jeff Shipley, a Republican from Birmingham, says Iowans should set school lunch guidelines.
Representative Sami Scheetz, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says the legislature should be voting to provide free school lunches to every student.
Scheetz says current federal law prohibits the U-S-D-A from allowing changes in the nutritional content of school meals and Iowa risks losing 160 million dollars in federal funding for school lunches if the bill becomes law.
REYNOLDS CHEERS TRUMP MOVE TO DISMANTLE DEPT. OF EDUCATION
Governor Kim Reynolds was at the White House Thursday as President Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled. Reynolds called the event “historic” and she posted a message on social media thanking Trump for his leadership and committment to education freedom. Reynolds also wrote an opinion piece for a Washington, D.C. publication called The Hill. She announced Iowa is the first state to submit a plan to have federal education dollars delivered as a block grant. Reynolds said state officials would be able to tie federal block grant funding to student outcomes.
