Daale appointed as full-time Police Chief
The Le Mars city council unanimously approved appointing Interim Police Chief Justin Daale as the city’s next Chief of Police during yesterday’s council meeting, with Mayor Rob Bixenman administering the oath of office to Daale immediately following the appointment. Speaking to KLEM, Chief Daale says he’s excited for the opportunity to lead the department full-time.
Daale was appointed on an interim basis on May 5th, after outgoing Chief Kevin Vande Vegte retired after 9 years heading the department. After interviews took place for the position late last month, the Public Safety Committee recommended to Mayor Bixenman that Daale be appointed full-time. Daale says his time as Interim Chief helped to familiarize him with leading the department.
Daale says he hopes to focus on transparency and communication during his time as Police Chief.
Two new officers, Noe Ybarra and Spencer Stoeffler, were also sworn in prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
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Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office presents quarterly report
During yesterday’s Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting, Sheriff Jeff TeBrink presented quarterly reports to the Board from April through June of this year.
The Treasurer’s Report found that the Sheriff’s Office was down roughly $15,000 from the previous quarter, with a decrease in service fees collected cited by TeBrink as the main reason. 1,635 911 calls and 1,863 complaints were made to the Sheriff’s Office, and 546 ambulance calls and 183 fire calls were made throughout Plymouth County during the quarter. TeBrink told the Board these figures were around average for the time of year, with a slight increase in 911 calls and complaints from the previous quarter.
The Plymouth County Jail booked 296 inmates and released 299 inmates; the US Marshals housed 43 federal inmates and the Bureau of Prisons housed 5 inmates at the Jail from April through June.
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Le Mars Fire-Rescue hosting Citizens Academy this fall
The Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department will host a Citizens Academy program this upcoming fall, with applications available starting today.
The hands-on academy is designed to educate community members about daily fire and EMS operations, philosophy, and the wide range of emergency services provided to the community. Participants will gain insight into vehicle extrication tools, fire hose deployment, ground ladder operations, hazardous materials response, EMS care operations, water rescue techniques, and more.
All Plymouth County residents are eligible to apply for the program, with applications available in person or by emailing jmacgregor@lemarsiowa.com. Applications are due August 19th, with the Citizens Academy taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays between September 1st and October 1st.
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