Home News KLEM Newscast for Wednesday, September 30, 2026

KLEM Newscast for Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Plymouth County Historical Museum launches new capital campaign
Yesterday, September 29th, the Plymouth County Historical Museum launched its new $250,000 capital campaign, “Preserving the Past, Powering the Future.“
Jennifer Scholten, the Museum Administrator, spoke about the campaign, which highlights repairs needed for the Old Central Gym.
It’s been 25 years since the Museum had any major construction projects done. Other big preservation projects in the campaign include tuck pointing of the building’s brick exterior, a new shake shingle roof for the Weber Cabin, ADA-compliant doors that improve accessibility for visitors, and replacement of HVAC and furnace units.
Scholten recognizes that $250,000 is a big ask, but a big building with a big community presence needs big funding.
The Museum has multiple ways for people to donate and get involved with the campaign.
The next big event at the Museum is the Annual Great Garage and Bake Sale, which takes place October 14th-18th.

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Municipal emergency services building bond to hit the ballot November 3rd

This morning, September 30th, a Community Coffee was hosted at Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department Station 1 featuring station tours, hands-on equipment demonstrations, and interaction with Fire & EMS staff.

Le Mars residents will be asked on November 3rd to vote on a bond issue to construct a new Emergency Services Building. If the public measure passes, it would allow the city to enter into a loan agreement and issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $8 million. The current downtown fire station would later become Station 2. Station 1 would be reborn as the new Municipal Emergency Services building.

Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Schwarz broke down the cost-cutting journey of the bond issue, and what a new Municipal Emergency Services building would look like.

Flyers are being distributed with an estimated tax impact chart.

60 percent voter approval is needed for the bond to pass.

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Dordt lands on College Raptor “Hidden Gem” lists

Dordt University has been named to College Raptor’s 2027 “Top 25 Hidden Gem Colleges that Improve Students’ Economic Futures” list, ranking 17th out of thousands of colleges and universities across the United States. The ranking evaluates accessibility for low-income households and key post-graduation outcomes, including post-graduation earnings, degree completion rate, and student loan repayment success.

Orrie Rodriguez, Director of Admissions at Dordt, stated “Dordt is committed to equipping students to succeed, and not only in their first job. We prepare them academically, form them spiritually, and send them out ready for callings that may not yet exist, so that our graduates can serve faithfully wherever they are called.”

Dordt also landed on College Raptor’s 2027 “Top Hidden Gem Colleges in the Plains Region” list, ranking 8th. College Raptor is a leading college planning platform that helps families discover college matches driven by AI algorithms to find the best colleges at the best price.