Primebank announces donations to Le Mars Community Schools, Gehlen Catholic School
Primebank has announced they’ve given two donations to programs at Le Mars Community Schools and Gehlen Catholic School. Chief Operating Officer Wanda Woodley presented checks for $500 each to the Le Mars Community Music Boosters and the Gehlen Catholic Fine Arts Boosters.
Primebank made the donations in the name of “The Noteables”, the Le Mars Community Alumni Big Band that performed their final encore at the bank’s annual Ice Cream Social during last month’s Ice Cream Days. The musical group was under the direction of Joe Brice. Jackie Arens received the donation for the Gehlen Catholic Fine Arts Booster Club, while Greg and Christy McInnis and Le Mars Community Band Director Michael Prichard received the check for the Le Mars Community Music Boosters.
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Le Mars Municipal Band concludes 2026 season with “From Sea to Shining Sea”
The Le Mars Municipal Band will conclude its 2026 summer concert season on Wednesday, July 16th, at 7:30pm with a patriotic and distinctly American program titled “From Sea to Shining Sea.”
For the season finale, the concert will be presented at the Olson Cultural Events Center in downtown Le Mars rather than at Foster Park. Band Director Dr. Christopher Brandt said the ensemble is eager to explore the new venue and share the final concert of the summer in a different setting, stating that the theme of the concert “celebrates the incredible diversity of the American landscape, culture, and musical traditions, making it a fitting way to conclude another outstanding season.”
The concert opens with Hosts of Freedom by Karl L. King, a spirited march celebrating American patriotism and civic pride. Audiences will then travel to the towering forests of California through Rossano Galante’s The Redwoods, then will experience the sounds of New Orleans with Fred Spears’ At a Dixieland Jazz Funeral. The concert continues with works such as Edwin Franko Goldman’s On the Mall, David Holsinger’s Dakota Rhapsody, New York 1927, Autumn Leaves, Frank Ticheli’s San Antonio Dances, and concludes with John Philip Sousa’s From Maine to Oregon.
The Le Mars Municipal Band’s performance of “From Sea to Shining Sea” will begin at 7:30pm on Wednesday, July 16th at the Olson Cultural Events Center. Admission is free.
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Asked about state contracts with Amazon, Cognizant — Lahn says he’d do things differently
Zach Lahn — the Republican Party’s candidate for governor — says if elected he’d try to steer as much state business to Iowa companies as possible. During taping of the “Iowa Press” episode that aired Friday on Iowa PBS, Lahn was asked about the long term computer services contract Governor Reynolds recently signed with two multinational corporations — Amazon and Cognizant.
Lahn says he believes the private sector is better than government at handling a lot of things — including computer system storage and IT services.
Lahn says that approach would provide long term opportunities for Iowans to be employed, rather than outsourcing the work out of state or out of country. Lahn raised concerns about Cognizant right after Reynolds announced the deal, citing the company’s employment of H-1B visa holders.
In June, Reynolds announced she’d signed a decade-long contract to have Amazon and Cognizant manage the computers and digital data in state government. After Lahn and others raised questions about out-sourcing IT services, Reynolds announced Cognizant has promised to offer jobs to the state employees who have been providing those services in state government.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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