Cause of weekend field fire determined to be accidental
Woodbury County officials say the cause of Saturday’s major brush fire that burned over 3,500 acres was accidental, and no criminal charges are being pursued. Authorities say it was an accidental re-ignition of a previously burned tree pile near Bronson.
The fire caused damage to structures and resulted in Highway 20 shutting down for hours between Lawton and Moville. Drew Baier of Woodbury County Emergency Services says homes and farm structures were destroyed in the fire.
Two bridges sustained fire damage, with one needing to be replaced due to suffering severe damage. Fortunately, only one person suffered minor injuries.
Although Plymouth County Emergency Management “strongly encouraged” residents in the southeastern parts of the county near Kingsley to evacuate Saturday afternoon, Emergency Management confirmed to KLEM that the fire never crossed county lines.
Baier says the 40mph wind gusts caused the fire to spread quickly and created other problems.
Fire crews worked through the night Saturday battling the blaze, with crews monitoring hot spots on Sunday. More than 40 organizations in the tri-state area responded to assist with emergency operations.
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Le Mars woman receives Siouxland Women of Excellence Award
A Le Mars woman received recognition at the 41st annual Women of Excellence Awards, being the inaugural recipient of the Women in the Arts Award. Shirley Kinney was presented the award on Friday evening during Women Aware of Siouxland’s annual banquet, and she told KLEM that she was honored to be recognized.
Kinney was recognized for her artistic work, volunteering and donating crocheted works to various local organizations. One of those organizations is the Le Mars Eagles Club, an organization Kinney has worked with for over two decades.
Kinney says that she started crocheting at a young age, and that she’s always loved the challenge of new projects.
According to Women Aware of Siouxland, “selflessness, creativity, and unwavering commitment to using her talents to serve others were the trademarks that earned Shirley a nomination for Women of Excellence.”
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Gehlen Catholic School expansion to hold groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Gehlen Catholic Schools’ Legacy Campaign expansion project will take place tomorrow morning.
The ceremony will start with mass at 8:45am, led by Bishop John Keehner at St. Joseph Catholic Church, to be followed by the official groundbreaking ceremony behind the Elementary building at 9:45am.
More than $9.2 million has been raised for Gehlen Catholic’s Legacy Campaign, supporting a planned expansion of the elementary school and improvements to the current building, including seven new classrooms, an art room, and a new multipurpose room.
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