LCSD BOARD MEETS TONIGHT
The Le Mars Community School Board meets tonight for a special session, followed by their regular monthly meeting.
At 5:45 p.m., there will be a special meeting of the Board. They will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2025-26 budget.
The regular meeting of the board begins at 6 p.m. Action items include approving the choice of a construction manager for the new Le Mars Community Elementary School. The board will also consider adoption of the FY 2025-26 budget. There will be a hearing on the proposed calendar for the 25-26 fiscal year. The board will also set a public hearing on a budget amendment for the current fiscal year.
Later, the Board will go into closed session to consider two items – a collective bargaining discussion, and a real estate purchase.
FATAL SEMI ACCIDENT
The victim of a fatal truck accident last Thursday in Plymouth County is a Sioux City man.
The Plymouth County Sheriffs Office says 43 yera old Wesley Webb of Sioux City was seriously injured when his semi trailer rig went off the road on C38 near Fawn Ave. The vehicle rolled, trapping the driver inside. Webb was extricated by Akron Fire Department, and transported to MercyOne Hospital in Sioux City. He later died of his injuries.
REYNOLDS SAYS FAMILY COMES FIRST
Governor Kim Reynolds says she was intending to seek a third term as governor, but in the past couple of months she’s been weighing whether she could keep giving 100 percent to the job if she were elected to serve until early 2031.
Reynolds, who will turn 66 in early August, said she’s been happy to make her work as governor her number one priority, when her current term ends in 2027, she’s going home.
Reynolds says the decisions she made during the COVID-19 pandemic are the most consequential actions she’s taken as governor, from reopening schools in the fall of 2020 to the televised news conferences she had that year.
The governor told reporters she’s “really proud” things like the tax cuts and state funded savings accounts for private school expenses she proposed are now law — but her decision to not to run for a third term is the right one.
Reynolds said every so often she’s struck by how surreal her rise through politics has been — from Clarke County Treasurer, to state senator, to lieutenant governor and to taking over as governor in mid-2017.
Reynolds says primaries are a healthy process for a political party and she will not endorse a G-O-P successor, but once Republican voters choose a 2026 nominee for governor, Reynolds says she’ll be all in and will campaign for that person daily.
The 2026 General Election is 570 days away.
STOP THE SCAMMERS TOUR UNDERWAY AGAIN
Iowa’s Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General and A-A-R-P director are going on another “Stop the Scammers” tour. Insurance Commissioner Dough Ommen says they will visit 22 cities.
to make sure everyone knows what to look for, because the best defense stop scams is for consumers to know what they look like. A-A-R-P Iowa director Michael Wagler says research shows that when we are aware of scams, we are 80 percent less likely to engage in those scams. Ommen and Wagler talked at the first stop Friday in the Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights. Other stops are set for Sioux Center and Storm Lake on Wednesday, June 25, and Sioux City on Thursday, June 26. You can find the full schedule at Iowafraudfighters.gov.
ALTON FLOOD REPAIRS
Work will start in Alton this month on repairs to a street that was damaged by the flood last year. 3rd Ave, the main north-south road in Alton, will be closed between River Road and the entrance to Hawk and Company Ag Equipment. Third Avenue was heavily damaged by the flood on the Floyd River, but the bridge crossing the river was not damaged. The road surface, including the shoulders, was badly eroded by the flood. Cleveringa Excavating was awarded the contract for construction, for 839-thousand dollars. The engineer’s estimate was 1.2 million. The total cost of the project, including engineering fees, is just over a million dollars. 75% of the cost will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, another 10% of the cost will come from Iowa Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Fifteen percent of the project will be paid for by the city of Alton. Alton city administrator Dale Oltmans says the City is currently proceeding with a short-term loan for $900,000 to cover costs until the FEMA and IHS funds are received. The project is to be completed by the end of August.
FIREMAN PROMOTED
A volunteer with Le Mars Fire Rescue has been promoted by Sioux City Fire Recue. Devan Schipper was promoted to Lieutenant with Sioux City Fire Rescue. Devan volunteers for Le Mars Fire Rescue on his days off from Sioux City Fire Rescue. He will be assigned to Engine 1, 3rd shift. Schipper is the fifth generation of his family to serve in firefighting.
REYNOLDS SAYS ‘NEXT GENERATION’ READY TO LEAD GOP
Iowa Republicans will now begin the process of selecting a nominee for governor after Kim Reynolds announced Friday morning she would not run for reelection in 2026. Reynolds narrowly won reelection in 2018 in the middle of President Trump’s first term and Democrats won three of Iowa’s four U-S House seats that year. Reynolds, in the video message announcing her decision not to put her name on the 2026 ballot, talked about her party’s prospects.
Dave Kochel is a political consultant who worked on the governor’s 2018 campaign. He expects several Republicans to consider running for governor in 2026
Bird has been Iowa’s attorney general since 2023.
In February, Republican Brad Sherman, a pastor from Williamsburg who is a former state representative — announced he planned to run for governor in 2026.
OFFICERS JUSTIFIED IN THEIR ACTIONS DURING FEBRUARY SHOOTING
The Woodbury County Attorney has ruled that two Sioux City police officers were justified in their actions during an officer involved shooting on February 22nd of this year that resulted in the death of 30-year-old Vicente Manzo Hernandez.
Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller says the officer involved shooting involving the death of Vicente Manzo Hernandez affected many people:
Mueller rose through the ranks of the city police department before becoming its chief, and still remains moved by how local officers perform on a daily basis in what are often difficult circumstances;
Mueller says every time an officer steps up to a vehicle or knocks on a door, there is a possibility their life is in danger.
The chief says when officers receive compliance, everybody goes home.
He says the officers involved and their families are also undergoing healing. The officers have returned to duty.
