LE MARS NATIONAL GUARD UNIT TO BE DEPLOYED THIS SPRING
There was an open house at the Le Mars National Guard Friday, as the 113th Cavalry Unit is preparing for deployment to the middle east.
Captain Ivan Naranjo is the unit commander in Le Mars.
Captain Naranjo says the 113th is ready to carry out their mission.
The unit is one of a number of National Guard units from across Iowa to be mobilized for this mission to the middle east. Others are in Sioux City and Storm Lake.
There will be a sendoff for the Le Mars unit on May 28 at Le Mars Community High School. After the sendoff, the 113th will immediately leave for the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. The soldiers will be overseas for about 10 months.
EVENT SPACE OFFICIALLY OPENED
Mike and Cheryl Wells cut the ribbon for a new venue in Le Mars Friday during a Chamber Community Coffee. Mike Wells told those in attendance that the “Headline Event Space” will serve both the local area and groups outside the community.
Located in the Sentinel Building at 41 1st Avenue Northeast, the facility will seat up to 150 people with a 15-foot drop-down screen and projector available, as well as portable staging.
Wells said the renovation of the former newspaper building was a major infrastructure remodeling project
The Headline Event Space is available for rentals including two smaller rooms in the front of the facility.
LEGISLATORS MULL STATE BUDGET IMPACT OF TARIFFS
The top Republican in the Iowa House says state budget plans will weather the turbulence of President Trump’s latest round of tariffs, while Democrats say the legislature needs to react to the economic warning signs. House Speaker Pat Grassley says the state is in a position to absorb a dip in state tax revenue because there’s several billion dollars in the state budget surplus. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says the legislature has to be realistic about the impact of a chaotic tariff policy and prepare for an economic downturn. Senate President Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, says legislators need to be as conservative as possible when developing next year’s state budget and come up with some contingencies because there’s no way of knowing how the tariffs may impact state tax revenues.
BIKE TRAIL BACKERS PLAN 5-COUNTY PROJECT IN IOWA’S GREAT LAKES REGION
An ambitious new bicycle trail is proposed for northwest Iowa that would span five counties, following the Highway 71 corridor. The Iowa Great Lakes Connection Five-County Trail would complete a bike trail from Spirit Lake to Carroll through Dickinson, Clay, Buena Vista, Sac, and Carroll counties. Group organizer Kathy Fueston (FEW-ston) says trail supporters met last month in Storm Lake for the first time since 2013. Group members feel the five counties working together could have more impact seeking grants and donations than if they were working separately. They foresee the project eventually growing into a 220-mile paved trail from Okoboji to Des Moines, and potentially beyond.
MIDAMERICAN SEEKS NATURAL GAS CHARGE
MidAmerican Energy has filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission seeking approval to add a capital investment charge to the bill of Iowa residential gas customers. MidAmerican spokesman Geoff Greenwood says the capital investment charge helps cover costs that Mid-American has already paid out that are associated with certain natural gas system costs such as safety and compliance and some other requirements that are imposed by local governments. Greenwood says if the charge is approved, it would add about 17 cents a month for residential customers. Greenwood says MidAmerican has around 620-thousand natural gas customers in Iowa.
