City council votes to keep 6th Street SW access, 5-leg intersection as is
During the Le Mars city council meeting yesterday afternoon, the council voted to keep access to 6th Street SW open as part of planned reconstruction efforts on Business Highway 75.
The council previously voted on January 6th to direct DGR Engineering to proceed with a 4-lane roadway design, but tabled a decision on 6th Street SW until yesterday. Councilman Mark Sturgeon noted that most of the public feedback he received was “enthusiastically against” blocking off access to the highway. Other options the council considered included closing 6th Street SW and converting to a traditional 4-leg intersection, or changing 6th Street SW to an emergency access only road. Councilmembers ultimately voted unanimously to direct DGR Engineering to keep the design as is.
Other agenda items the council addressed included approving a new three-year agreement with UltraFlight for management of the Le Mars Municipal Airport, and rejecting an offer from an undisclosed party to purchase the site of the former Centennial building. The council will next meet on February 3rd.
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Suspect arrested in Plymouth County child endangerment, animal neglect case
A Le Mars man is facing 24 counts of child endangerment and animal neglect after over 100 dogs and three children were removed from a Plymouth County property back in September.
The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office announced yesterday afternoon that 53-year-old Rick Reifenrath of Le Mars was arrested last Friday during a traffic stop near the intersection of C16 and Juniper Avenue. During the stop, authorities learned he had several valid warrants for his arrest, and he was taken into custody. Reifenrath is facing 3 counts of child endangerment, 1 count of child endangerment with injury, 19 counts of animal neglect, and 1 count of animal neglect with injury. He was booked into the Plymouth County Jail and his bond was set at $10,000.
The arrest was in relation to a September search by authorities of a Plymouth County property, after reports of unsafe living conditions for three children and numerous dogs. During a search of the property on September 23rd, the children were removed by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and 111 dogs were rescued by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and the Siouxland Humane Society. High traces of ammonia were detected inside of the residence by Le Mars Fire-Rescue.
KLEM will continue to update this story when more information becomes available.
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Board of Supervisors hold regularly scheduled meeting
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meet yesterday morning for a regularly scheduled meeting, and during the meeting, the Board approved a wage increase for employees of the Secondary Road Department.
Representatives of the employees presented a proposal to the Board during last week’s meeting, which was agreed to by the Board yesterday. Employees will receive an increase in wages of $1.32/hour, with standby wages increased by 40 cents. The Board will vote to formally approve the new contract during their next meeting on February 3rd.
The Board also approved a cost allocation plan from the Department of Health and Human Services, being awarded $36,119 for local services, and heard from the county’s Emergency Management director concerning the department’s budget for the next fiscal year.
The Board will not meet next week; the next scheduled meeting of the Board will take place on February 3rd.
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