“Surface” exhibition welcomes college artists to Le Mars
Nearly 30 college artists from a three-state area will exhibit their artwork from now until December as part of the Le Mars Arts Center’s “Surface” exhibition. Executive director Draven Haefs told KLEM the art on display varies from photography to sculptures.
This is the Arts Center’s first-ever showcase to feature only college artists, with students from Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota featured. Haefs says wanting to feature artists at an early stage in their careers was the idea behind the exhibition.
Haefs says he was excited to see the amount of submissions for the exhibition.
Out of over 150 submissions, the final 40 entries were decided on by a jury. Haefs says the Arts Center is looking to turn the exhibition into a biannual event, in order to give college artists at least two chances to showcase their art.
A reception will be held at the Arts Center next Saturday, November 8th, from 1 to 4 p.m.. The “Surface” exhibition itself will end on December 17th.
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Archie’s Waeside wins award from Iowa Restaurant Association
A local favorite has won a major statewide award. Le Mars steakhouse Archie’s Waeside has won the Iowa Restaurant Association’s “Restaurateur of the Year” award, the association announced on Monday. Owner Bob Rand told KLEM that it was an honor to win the award.
Rand says the restaurant is particularly unique in that it services different groups of people in the community.
Rand specifically thanked the restaurant’s employees and customers for “making Archie’s work.”
Archie’s was founded in 1949 by Rand’s grandfather, Archie Jackson, and experienced growth over the next couple of decades with three major additions to the original building. Rand took over the restaurant from his mother Valerie in 1994, calling her the “most instrumental” person for Archie’s.
Rand and his sister Lorrie continue to run the day to day operations of the restaurant, and says he’s thankful for all of Archie’s employees and customers over the years.
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Plymouth County insurance premiums rise by 2.5%
During yesterday’s Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board was presented with figures from the renewal of the county’s insurance policy.
The county’s property and casualty insurance will increase by $10,961, or a rise of 2.46%. These figures stop the trend of high premium increases the county has experienced in recent years; in 2024-25, premiums increased by 19%, and by 17% in 2023-24. Plymouth County’s total insurance bill will come out to $457,356 for 2025-26.
Other agenda items the board covered included approving several surplus items for online auction, including a motorhome and a snow plow, and approving reports from the county Veteran’s Affairs Office and the Recorder’s Office.
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