Round Barn Open for Statewide Tour
The largest barn tour in the country will include a notable barn here in Plymouth County. This Saturday and Sunday, you can visit the Round Barn on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds for free, as part of a barn tour hosted by the Iowa Barn Foundation.
Pat Lehner, one of the barn’s caretakers, explained the scope of the tour to KLEM.
The Round Barn has become a stop on the annual tour thanks to its prominence at the Plymouth County Fair, and also because it’s one of a few round-shaped barns in the state.
Built in 1918, and originally located outside of Le Mars, the barn was donated to the Plymouth County Fair in 1981. Fundraising by the community enabled both its move to the fairgrounds and its restoration for $30,000. The barn is home to agricultural displays during fair season, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This weekend’s tour is self-guided, but Lehner says they’ll be happy to provide guidance.
The tour runs on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.
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Crittenton Center in Le Mars Awarded Major Grant
Crittenton Center has received new state funding to expand preschool and childcare services in Le Mars.
The organization was awarded funds from the Iowa Early Childhood Continuum of Care Grant to expand services offered by Crittenton’s Le Mars Child Development Center. The funding was awarded in a partnership with the Le Mars Community School District.
Starting now, families with children eligible for the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program will be able to access full day-care at the Le Mars Child Development Center. Children will be able to receive instruction from School District-certified teachers and have childcare services provided before and after preschool hours.
The School District will provide transporation to the Child Development Center from area preschools, and Crittenton Center will provide reduced rates to ensure access to lower-income families.
In a press release, Kim Scorza, CEO of Crittenton Center, says that aligning preschool education with full day-care would “remove barriers for working-class families” and “support[ing] the development of strong foundations for children in Plymouth County.”
Enrollment information will be shared by the district.
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Town Hall Meeting Discusses New Firehouse, Other Issues
A Le Mars Town Hall meeting occurred last night at the Willow Creek Golf Course’s Banquet Hall.
The main topic of discussion concerned the new firehouse bond issue, set to be voted on during November’s general elections. Fire chief David Schipper spoke in support of the bond, saying the fire department’s facilities needed expanding with a lack of available living spaces, garages, and washing machines at the two existing fire stations.
Other issues brought to the city council by the public included Vision 2045 and the potential impacts on the city, the proposed Wastewater Industrial Pretreatment Facility, and code enforcement on private residences.
The full meeting can be viewed online on the City of Le Mars’ YouTube page here.
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Board of Supervisors Approve Merrill Ambulance Funding, New Storage Building RFP
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved funds for a request from the Merrill Ambulance during their meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
The funds will be used for a new LifePak defibrillator, with the cost totaling $49,888 including a trade-in of the current defibrillator. This figure represented a discount that wouldn’t be available after October 1st. The request had previously been tabled due to a lack of opioid funds available.
A request for proposal drafted by Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe for a new storage building was also approved by the board. Plans are for the building to be located next to the Plymouth County Law Enforcement Center in Le Mars. The request for proposals from contractors will be due back to the county by September 22nd.
The Board will review proposals during their meeting September 23rd.
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