BUSY WEEK FOR LEMARS FIRE RESCUE
It’s been a busy week for Le Mars Fire-Rescue. Chief Dave Schipper says they have had dozens of calls in the past seven days.
Monday, the Fire/Rescue crews were stretched to the limit
This has become a more common occurrence.
31 Iowa counties, none of them in northwest Iowa, are under burn bans. Chief Schipper says this hasn’t been a topic of discussion in his department.
Schipper says they are urging farmers to delay any burning while winds are high and humidities are low. He anticipates it is going to be a long fire season.
PARENTS CONSENT TO SOCIAL MEDIA
The Iowa House has passed legislation that would gave parents more authority over their children’s social media accounts. State Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says the bill places more restrictions on social media access to teens.
Rep. Jeneary says the bill came about because of a contact which came to a legislator’s daughter on social media
Under this bill, social media companies must give a parent access to their minor child’s Instagram, SnapChat or other accounts and the ability to shut down those accounts.
Jeneary says parents have some of these powers now, but the bill passed by the house removes the ambiguity from the rules..
The House was nearly unanimous in its support of the bill. It now moves on to the Iowea Senate.
SOUTHVIEW INDUSTRIAL PARK
The city of Le Mars entered into an agreement for development of the Southview Industrial Park. The council passed a motion this week to approve the development agreement with the Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation. The city council in January agreed to sell 19 lots in the Southview Industrial Park for 1.74 million dollars. The terms of repayment were included in the development agreement. LBIC will build a street and other infrastructure into that property.
RECORD WARMTH, DRYNESS IN FEBRUARY
Iowa DNR says February set multiple records for warm, dry conditions and minimal precipitation. DNR’s Water Summary Update says February 2024 ranks among the top two warmest, top three driest and top five least snowy months on record. Overall winter temperatures also rank among the top five warmest recorded, with February showing a statewide average temperature more than 12 degrees above normal.
February’s preliminary statewide average precipitation was 0.21 inches, 0.96 inches below normal. At the end of February, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed mostly stable conditions for the state, with areas of northeast and southern Iowa carrying a drought watch designation.
Over the past year, precipitation in Iowa has been more than 8.5 inches below normal, and the state has now seen 200 consecutive weeks of dry or drought conditions.
The state typically sees increased precipitation, whether rain or snow, during the late winter and spring months. Another dry year following the last three years of drought would be particularly challenging for Iowans.
HOUSE BILL SETS PENALTIES FOR DEATH OF ‘UNBORN PERSON’
The Iowa House has voted to increase penalties for the death of an unborn person. Current law provides penalties for causing a human pregnancy to end without consent. Democrats like Representative Beth Wessell-Kroschell of Ames say the change could make invitro fertilization illegal and they cited the recent Alabama supreme court ruling that embryos are children.
Representative Heather Matson of Ankeny says her two children are the result of fertility treatments.
Representative Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull, says the bill raises the penalty for killing a mother and her unborn baby and has nothing to do with I-V-F.
Representative Zach Dieken of Granville says fetus is a Latin word and he prefers that English be used in Iowa law.
The bill passed with the support of 58 House Republicans. Two Republicans and 34 Democrats voted against the bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.
HOUSE PLAN WOULD PROVIDE LARGEST HIKE IN TEACHER PAY IN STATE HISTORY
The Iowa House has passed a plan to raise the minimum salary for teachers by nearly 50 percent within two years. The current minimum salary is 33-thousand-500 a year. If this bill becomes law, it would go up to 50-thousand dollars by the fall of 2025. It would be the largest single boost to teacher pay in state history. The plan includes money to help districts not only raise the pay of current teachers who aren’t being paid $50,000 a year, but to pay a 15-dollar an hour wage to other school staff, like paraeducators. The bill passed on a 93-to-one vote, which one lawmaker described as a bipartisan kumbaya moment. In January, Governor Reynolds calls for a 50-thousand dollar minimum salary for teachers — but she included the proposal in her plan to overhaul the Area Education Agencies. The Iowa Senate has drafted its own plan for A-E-As and teacher pay, but hasn’t voted on it.
HOUSE APPROVES ‘DON’T TREAD ON ME’ SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES
Iowans could pay extra for a license plate that bears the message “don’t tread on me” if a bill that’s cleared the Iowa House becomes law. The new specialty license plate would feature the image of the Gadsden Flag, with its coiled rattlesnake on the left side of the plate. The Gadsden Flag design dates back to the Revolutionary War. The snake on the flag features 13 rattles that represent the 13 colonies that revolted against Great Britain. The fees from these specialty plates would be distributed as grants to groups that promote education and training about the right to keep and bear arms. House Democrats, who opposed the bill, say that means the money will go to the National Rifle Association.
HEALTH OFFICIALS WATCHFUL FOR UPTURN IN MEASLES CASES
During the pandemic, some Iowans chose not to vaccinate themselves or their children. This has led to a gradual rise in some diseases that were long thought eliminated in the state and nation. Brian Simmons, an infection preventionist with Gundersen Health System, says there have been isolated cases of measles in Iowa in recent years, but no outbreaks. Measles can be easily spread when a person who’s infected breathes, coughs or sneezes, and it can lead to severe complications, even death. Simmons says it’s not necessarily a concern, but people need to be aware as it’s very contagious. The vaccine is highly effective, he says, but some people continue to campaign against getting the shots.
