Public meeting set for safety changes on U.S. Highway 75
During the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday, the Board got a preview of planned changes to two intersections on U.S. Highway 75 between Sioux City and Hinton.
The two intersections, at Plymouth County roads C70 and C80, have had a history of car crashes, including two fatal crashes in 2025 and a crash involving members of the Remsen St. Mary’s girls basketball team in November that resulted in nine injuries. That crash prompted the Iowa Department of Transportation to implement safety solutions by reducing the speed limit to 55 mph and deploying cameras and portable message boards.
Iowa DOT District 3 engineer Jessica Felix, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, presented the DOT’s plan for “reduced conflict intersections” (or RCI) for both intersections to the Board. With an RCI, those turning left on Highway 75 would be directed to take a U-turn, then would turn right to their destination. According to Felix, RCI’s are cheaper and faster to build, reduce potential conflict points, and can reduce fatal and serious injury incidents by 63 percent compared to how the intersections are currently laid out.
The DOT will hold a public meeting on the planned changes on Monday, June 29th from 5-7pm at the DOT’s office in Sioux City. Felix stated during the meeting that the final design of the intersections would be completed in August, with bid letting planned for October and construction scheduled to commence next spring.
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Le Mars Municipal Band presents “Under the Big Top”
The Le Mars Municipal Band is inviting audiences of all ages to step right up and experience the excitement, nostalgia, and spectacle of the circus during its upcoming concert, “Under the Big Top,” this Wednesday, June 24th, at 7:30pm in Foster Park.
Under the direction of Music Director Dr. Christopher Brandt, the concert will celebrate the rich musical traditions of the American circus, featuring classic circus marches, beloved show tunes, and music that captures the wonder and excitement of life beneath the big top. The evening opens with Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite by legendary circus march composer Karl L. King, who led the Fort Dodge Municipal Band for more than fifty years and became one of the most influential figures in both the circus and community band traditions.
The concert continues with the famous Galop from Geneviève de Brabant, better known as the “Can-Can,” by Jacques Offenbach, A Tribute to Glenn Miller, Circus Days by Karl L. King, Send in the Clowns from Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical A Little Night Music, The Circus Bee by Henry Fillmore, and concludes with selections from The Greatest Showman.
In a press release, Brandt stated that circus bands “provided the soundtrack for one of our nation’s most popular forms of entertainment, and that the concert “celebrates not only the excitement of the circus itself, but also Iowa’s important role in preserving the traditions of community band music through figures like Karl L. King.”
The Le Mars Municipal Band’s performance of “Under the Big Top” will begin at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 24th, at Foster Park. Admission is free.
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Le Mars, Ogden, Wellman given CAT grants
The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board approved Community Attraction and Tourism or CAT grants Friday for three communities. IEDA spokesperson Kanan Kappleman says Le Mars is receiving one of the grants.
Kappleman says the total project cost is almost $6.8 million dollars.
The cities of Ogden and Wellman were also awarded a combined $347,000 in grants for projects in those communities.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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