KLEM Newscast for Thursday, August 20th, 2026

The first day of classes for both Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic students is this Monday (August  24.)

Superintendent Dr. Steve Webner says Le Mars Community is having a district-wide open house from 11 till 1 tomorrow -Friday, August 21st.

(Webner Cut 1)

Dr. Webner told KLEM that every five years the district sets long-range student achievement goals.

(Webner Cut 2)

Dr. Webner says his hope for the new school year is to meet the student’s needs to succeed.

(Webner Cut 3)

Gehlen Catholic School is having an open house tonight (Thursday, August 20th)  from 5 till 7 p.m.

Development Director Amy Jungers says it’s an opportunity for students to meet their teachers and check out their classrooms.

(Amy Cut 1)

Jungers says the theme for this school year at Gehlen Catholic is peace.

(Amy Cut 2)

 Cruz Trial

Testimony began Wednesday morning in Plymouth County District Court in the trial of a Le Mars man accused of first-degree murder.  22-year-old Omar Cruz is charged in the shooting death of 21-year-old Miguel Martinez-Luna.

The alleged crime occurred at Martinez-Luna’s home in Le Mars on September 30 of 2024. Cruz was arrested in Sioux City a week after the shooting and has been held in the Plymouth County Jail since then on a $1 million bond.

Plymouth County attorney Darin Raymond began calling the first of 28 scheduled witnesses to testify in the Le Mars courtroom.

Jury selection was completed late Tuesday afternoon.

When traveling through downtown Le Mars, those 4-way stops will remain a while longer as workers continue on the traffic light modernization project.

City Administrator Jason Vacura told KLEM that the work is on schedule for the November deadline.

He says after the underground work is complete, there are several steps to complete the project.