Extreme Heat Warning for NW Iowa
There is an extreme heat warning for Le Mars in effect through Sunday evening. There will be dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 109 expected. Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events.
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles.
Ice Cream Days Continues and Concludes Tonight in Le Mars
Today is the final day of Ice Cream Days in Le Mars.
This morning there will be the famous Ice Cream Days parade, the I Spy Ice Cream Scavenger Hunt, and the Frozen Fun Run. Daytime activities include a carnival, pony rides, many different games and activities for kids and adults, including axe throwing. In the evening, there will be a performance by King Muskie, live in concert.
Iowa Job Corps Students Can Stay in Residential Program, For Now
A federal judge has extended an order that temporarily blocks the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down about 100 Job Corps training centers for low-income youth, including two Iowa centers. The federal program has provided free education, vocational training and housing to young adults for more than 60 years. Ryan Dunker, a native of Ida Grove, is a student at the Job Corps center in Denison, one of two residential programs in the state. The other location is in Ottumwa.
Dunker recently completed a pharmacy tech program and says he does have some job leads, but he worries about others who would have nowhere to go if the campus closes.
The judge’s extension continues until next Wednesday to allow more time to review the case. The Ottumwa Job Corps Center alone houses 240 students, who were originally told they’d have to move out by June 12th. A Labor Department report found the program to be too costly with low graduation rates. Supporters of Job Corps argue that the study was flawed and does not accurately represent what’s happening in Iowa.
Morningside University President to Depart after Three Years
Morningside University President Dr. Albert Mosley’s service at the school will end June 30th. Mosley has been hired as the new president of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Morningside’s board of directors has appointed their chairman, Chad Benson, as interim president. Past board chair Curt White will assume the role of chair of the board.
Benson is a 1990 graduate of Morningside University, which is based in Sioux City. He will serve as interim president for a two-year term as the board evaluates long-range strategic opportunities and timing for the university’s next presidential search.
Back in mid-February, Morningside’s board of directors had extended president Mosley’s contract through June 30th of 2030.Dr. Mosley joined Morningside in 2022.
Iowa March for Life is Saturday
The Iowa March for Life is today at the State Capitol. Pulse Life Advocates executive director Maggie DeWitte says they started the event three years ago when the U-S Supreme Court overturned RoeVWade.
DeWitte says many people thought that ruling ended abortion in every state, but she says it only ended abortion in a few states with bills triggered by the ruling.
DeWitte says about 70 percent of the Iowa abortions are drug induced.
DeWitte says they will have displays and educational information in the rotunda of the Capitol starting at noon, and then there’s a rally at 1 p-m. One of the featured speakers is the new leader of the National Right to Life organization.
DeWitte says they will march from the capitol and over to the Iowa Judicial building and back after the rally. DeWitte says they are hoping to get around one-thousand people to the event.
New Director of Sioux Center Sports Complex
Dordt University and the City of Sioux Center have announced Patrick Sinnema as the director of the American State Bank Sports Complex. He will begin the position on July 14.
Sinnema comes to the position with over 13 years of facility management, coaching and collegiate athletic administration experience. Most recently Sinnema served as the Northwestern College Associate Athletic Director, overseeing athletic facilities and operations. The 2011 Dordt University graduate has been in the position at Northwestern since June 2021.
The American State Bank Sports Complex recently celebrated two years of hosting a wide variety of events drawing participants and spectators from across the state and region. Sinnema will be responsible for leading and administering all programs associated with the facility.
